How to Be the Right Kind of Employee
Chuck Sligh
September 8, 2013
SERMON VERSION (A DISCUSSION VERSION FOLLOWS THIS SERMON VERSION).
TEXT: Psalms 128:2 – For thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.”
INTRODUCTION
Out text teaches that there is reward and joy in work. The Bible speaks of work as a blessing. It teaches that we should work, and that we should be productive and industrious.
But what does the Bible teach about HOW we are to work?
Monday was Labor Day and I almost did this study, titled “How to Be the Right Kind of Employee” last Sunday, but since I was at the end of the study on Ruth, I decided just finish that out so as not to interrupt the study.
So today, I’d like us to do a little interactive Bible study on what the Bible says about our work as employees.
• Now I know some of you do not work outside the home in a job for money.
That is to say, YOU WORK all right, but not outside the home, and not for monetary reward. But the principles we will look at also apply to any believer regarding our testimony before others, as we will see.
• Others of you are young people, and the information we’ll examine, you should take very careful note of.
Here’s why: These principles will give you an edge in the workplace over the common, everyday, goldbrick worker. And they’ll make you a more consistent Christian whose life glorifies God in the public workplace.
So you should listen up and take notes.
So let’s look at “How to Be the Right Kind of Employee.”
I. DO YOUR WORK FOR GOD’S GLORY – 1 Corinthians 10:31 – “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
II. DO YOUR WORK WITH A RIGHT ATTITUDE – Colossians 3:17 – “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
III. BE AN EXAMPLE ON THE JOB – Matthew 5:16 – “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
IV. DON’T MAKE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE SACRED AND THE SECULAR – Titus 1:15 – “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.”
V. SERVE YOUR SUPERVISOR OR BOSS OR EMPLOYER AS IF HE WERE CHRIST HIMSELF – Ephesians 6:5-7 – “Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; 6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men.”
VI. SEE YOUR WORK AS A CALLING – Ephesians 4:1 – “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.”
VIII. BE HONEST – 1 Thessalonians 4:12 – “That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.”
IX. WORK ON YOUR JOB – 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 – “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. 11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.”
X. BE A JAMES 1 CHRISTIAN ON THE JOB – James 1:19-24 – “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.”
• Be swift to hear and slow to speak.
James 1:19 – “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak…”
James 1:26 – “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.”
• Be slow to wrath – James 1:19 – “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”
• Be clean – James 1:21 – “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”
• Be consistent in your LIFE testimony with your LIP testimony – James 1:22 – “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
CONCLUSION
DISCUSSION QUESTION: Tell one principle you are going to apply in your life at your workplace or in the public sphere that you learned from this study.
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How to Be the Right Kind of Employee
(Discussion Version)
TEXT: Psalms 128:2 – For thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.”
INTRODUCTION
Out text teaches that there is reward and joy in work. The Bible speaks of work as a blessing. It teaches that we should work, and that we should be productive and industrious.
But what does the Bible teach about HOW we are to work?
Monday was Labor Day and I almost did this study, titled “How to Be the Right Kind of Employee” last Sunday, but since I was at the end of the study on Ruth, I decided just finish that out so as not to interrupt the study.
So today, I’d like us to do a little interactive Bible study on what the Bible says about our work as employees.
• Now I know some of you do not work outside the home in a job for money.
That is to say, YOU WORK all right, but not outside the home, and not for monetary reward. But the principles we will look at also apply to any believer regarding our testimony before others, as we will see.
• Others of you are young people, and the information we’ll examine, you should take very careful note of.
Here’s why: These principles will give you an edge in the workplace over the common, everyday, goldbrick worker. And they’ll make you a more consistent Christian whose life glorifies God in the public workplace.
So you should listen up and take notes.
So let’s look at “How to Be the Right Kind of Employee.”
I. VERSE: 1 Corinthians 10:31 – “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
DISCUSSION QUESTION: What principle about the workplace can we derive from this Scripture?: We should do our work for God’s glory.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: How can we bring glory to God in the workplace and in the public sphere of our lives?
II. VERSE: Ecclesiastes 9:10 – “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”
DISCUSSION QUESTION: What principle about the workplace can we derive from this Scripture?: That we should do our best on the job and not work half-heardedly.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: How can we do that?
III. VERSE: Matthew 5:16 – “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
DISCUSSION QUESTION: What principle about the workplace can we derive from this Scripture?: That we our moral character and good works should shine through our lives.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: How can we show moral character and good works in our lives at work?
IV. VERSE: Ephesians 6:5-7 – “Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; 6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men.”
DISCUSSION QUESTION: What principle about the workplace can we derive from this Scripture?: We should serve our boss or employer as if he were Jesus Christ.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: How can we serve the person over you as if he were Christ?
V. VERSE: 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 – “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.”
DISCUSSION QUESTION: What principle about the workplace can we derive from this Scripture?: 1) Verse 11: That we should take care of our own business and not be busybodies on the job; 2) Verse 12: That we should be honest.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: What applications to this can you see on these two issues at your workplace or in your work?
VI. VERSE: 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 – “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. 11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.”
DISCUSSION QUESTION: What principle about the workplace can we derive from this Scripture?: That we should actually WORK.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: What application can you glean from this regarding your job?
V. VERSE: The remainder of the verses will be from James 1: 19-26. We’ll look at several principles from this passage:
How would verses 19 and 26 help us on the job?
• James 1:19 – “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, [we’ll save the last part of the verse for our next point].”
• James 1:26 – “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.”
• How would you apply to your workplace the last part of verse 10 that every person should be “slow to wrath”?
• How would verse 21 guide you in certain situations you might find on the job? –– “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”
• What would be the application to your life on the workplace of James 1:22? – “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
CONCLUSION
FINAL DISCUSSION QUESTION: Tell one principle you are going to apply in your life at your workplace or in the public sphere that you learned from this study.
