Road of Redemption: How the gospel changes our work

Road of Redemption: How the gospel changes our work Introduction: What difference does it make in my that I am a Christian (you fill in the blank)? How does being a follower of Christ, forgiven, redeemed, and accepted color and affect the way we do our work or even the way we think about it? How does the gospel change everything in every part of my everyday life? Does it mean I am more moral than my co-worker - I don't talk and joke like they do, etc Does it mean I have more integrity and honesty? Do I smile more, go the extra mile, do excellent work? Does it mean I talk about overtly Christian teaching, words, or stories? I hope the answer to these, in part, is "yes", as each of these should be true. But does that mean my coworkers don't exhibit these as well? Do unbelievers do excellent work? Do they often help their friends, sacrificing for them, and exercise honesty? On the flip of this, do Christians fail in these areas, exhibiting laziness, selfishness, and complaint in our jobs? If these are true, then what does it mean to be a Christian, to have the gospel truly change us in our work? Instead of thinking about the gospel as something only external, or something to be seen, or a story to be heard (which it is), we must also view it as a lens by which we view everything else. The gospel changes our hearts from stone to flesh, but it also allows us to put on new glasses (maybe contact lenses or Spirit drive Lasik surgery) so that we don't see everything as rosy, but seeing everything in reality for the first time. it changes the way we view art, entertainment, making money, bottom lines, how we treat employees, dealing with loss of jobs, disappointment, failure, beauty, time, excellence, selfexpression, autonomy, ethics, fear, anxiety, and how we approach work every day. There is no part of life that the gospel does not affect. The challenge is: how? How does it change and affect everything? That is our challenge. Last week we painted a Biblical picture of the problem in our work, that we are plagued by sin in the system set against us, to the sin rooted in us. We struggle in our work because at the core of our heart we deal with idolatry and idleness, turning our work into a counterfeit god or a begrudging necessity, either overvaluing or undervaluing the way God has created work. First, we will look at how the gospel overcomes the brokenness we experience because of sin; Second, how the gospel changes everything in our work; Third, the freedom we experience in working in a world bound by sin. The Gospel Is A New Calling "To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours." 1 Corinthians 1:2 The gospel is a new calling for us. God called those who were not wise according to the world, not powerful or noble, but those who are foolish and weak (1 Cor. 1:27-28). We called on the name of the Lord because He called us to Himself out of sin, hopelessness and despair (John 10:3) a calling that He made secure by His death and resurrection. We are shortsighted and miss out on the immense change the gospel brings when we think about salvation in the gospel as purely or strictly "being saved from hell". The gospel is radical. The gospel makes dead people live and blind to see. It changing and affects all things, and that is what God has called us to. What does that look like? 1

From conformity to transformation (Rom. 12:1-2) "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." The gospel frees us from conformity - We are born to conform. When we are dead in our trespasses and sins, we are by nature conformed to the course of this world. Even in our "rebellion" against the rest of culture, we are simply following the plan of the Prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:1-3). Young people who want to rebel in fashion will wear what those around them do, just not their parents. We fin music that "no one knows about" only to discover others got there first. We are conformed to earthly wisdom, the kind that defines how we should think and act at work, promoting self interest, win at all cost, and securing finances as the highest goal. Transformed in our thinking then in our life - The gospel works to transform us from the system by first redeeming our life and then renewing our mind. This frees us to think with true wisdom, to no longer be bound by the shackles of a system that keeps self as the highest good. The gospel means that though we live in a world with unbelievers, though we still are in a system dominated by Satanic influence on the minds and hearts of many, though we do business and engage with unbelievers everyday, we are no longer bound in the same way. We are built to do things differently. This means we think differently about art and beauty, competition and victory, money and happiness, and in thinking differently, we live differently. From sin to holiness (1 Cor. 6:11, 1 Pet. 1:2) "And such were some of you (idolaters, adulterers, greedy, drunkards, etc). But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God." The gospel severs the root of our sin - We make idols out of good things because that is where our heart started. Before Christ, our hearts HAD to find something to worship, so we craved something, anything, besides God. The gospel is the only thing powerful enough to wash, justify, and sanctify us, which means complete change in our mind, heart, and action. This means there is a change in our identity and positional realities before God. No longer are we defined by our sin. No longer are we under the power of sin. We are freed from the power and penalty sin had over us. Something outside of us HAD to change us - The action steps that had to take place could NOT originate from us. We had to have something happen to us: we had to be washed, scrubbed by the blood of Christ, sanctified to deal with our sin and move us to holiness, and justified which declared us righteous before God. It took the power of the name of Jesus and the work of the Spirit to accomplish this. Because this was accomplished by Christ and the Spirit, it is sure, complete and extensive. This buys us new freedom. From enslavement to redemption (Rom. 3:24; 6:19; Col 1:14; Eph. 1:7) "For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification." "He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." 2

The gospel delivered us by buying us back - Sin not only left us condemned, we were slaves. We were shackled to our sin without the ability in our will nor desires to break free. We thought and acted sinfully not only because we HAD to, but because we WANTED to. Sin was not an option but a reality. Forgiveness of sins frees us to live righteously - Redemption means buying back, paying the payment to release one from captivity. Jesus did this by taking our shame, bearing our sin, and taking the wrath of God on Himself. When we were justified, we were forgiven, God receiving satisfaction for His demands on our life through the perfect life laid down by Christ. Because we are now forgiven, we are slaves once again, slaves of righteousness, meaning that we do what is right not to earn, but because we are free. This means that our life is a progressing one. We are called to grow in that righteousness, not simply to stay "as is". God always accepts us where we are, but expects us to grow because we are now His, having been freed to serve a NEW MASTER. From insecurity to security (Col 3:3-4) "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." "After finishing her psychiatry residency, a young doctor was working at a New York City hospital. She was friends with a doctor who was a few years ahead of her and who was pregnant with her second child. 'Do you know what I love most about being pregnant?' the older doctor said to her friend one day. 'I love being pregnant because it's the only time where I feel productive all the time. Even when I'm sleeping, I'm doing something.' It struck the your M.D. that her friend based her self-regard so completely on productivity that she seemed relieved to finally find a task she could do incessantly. She reflected, 'For many of us, being productive and doing becomes an attempt at redemption. That is, though our work, we try to build our worth, security, and meaning." 1 The gospel frees us from worldly fears - This young woman's thoughts are far too common. We try to earn in some way, shape, or form what we have been craving: meaning, security, and worth. But the gospel frees us from this never ending and never pleasing race by calling us to die. Once we have died in Christ, our life is hidden, kept, secure with Christ in God. This cannot be taken away. This means that we no longer fear nor are anxious the way those who don't know Christ do. An unbeliever has a fools hope at best, securing a future through fortune and hard work. We have our secured though a King and Savior who worked for us. Security comes because we have died to finally live - Our life being hidden in Christ through redemption means we know exactly who we are, exactly what we are to do, and exactly where we are going. This means we are the most free and confident workers, willing to risk because any risk in this life is little, willing to give up positions at work, willing to be defrauded, and willing to take responsibility for any failure because Christ has already done the work for us, on our behalf, and we are already dead in this life. From frustration to satisfaction (Ps. 90:14; 103:5; 107:9) "Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days." "Bless the LORD...who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagles" "For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things." 1 Tim Keller, Every good Endeavor: Connecting your work to God's work", p. 233 3

The gospel not only saves but God satisfies us in Christ - Finally, our true satisfaction can never be found in our work, our awards, or our accomplishments. It won't be found in a marriage partner, a sexual relationship, more money, power, fame, house, raise, or retirement. Satisfaction is found in Christ alone, because in Him is the fullness of joy and pleasures forever (Psalm 16:11). It is in our rest in Christ, our relationship with Him, and how He brought satisfaction of my sin through His death on the cross that brings me ultimate meaning. Our frustration and longing in life turns to rejoicing, renewal, and filling - When we are truly satisfied in Christ, we approach life much differently, including our work. Jesus not only broke the power of sin, He brought joy into our life. We can now take any circumstance, any trial, any disappointment that we are faced with and turn it into a means of rejoicing, a reason to worship, and a renewed trust in Him. If this is all true (and it is!), what does this do to my work? How is my daily grind, daily reality of work changed in the gospel? The Gospel Brings New Everything In Our Work New Lordship we serve the King "Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord, and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free." Ephesians 6:5-8 We work for Jesus. We have a new Lord and Master. The measure of our attitude toward our employers or any authority is no longer based on the quality of earthly leadership over us. Our attitude each day, whether working for someone or serving clientele is based on our service, heart, and attitude toward our King. We now have a radically new audience and measure of success. It has more to do with faithfulness rather than the tangible measuring sticks we typically use. The way we work, our motive and reason, matters. With respect and sincerity we'd show Christ- Notice that we should treat the one we are working for the same way we would if we were directly working for Christ. I would venture to say that if Jesus literally showed up at your cubicle, classroom, office, or home, some things would change. How often do we complain about our bosses and managers? How often have we been received the short end of the stick? Remember that since we have been freed from earthly fear, we can properly fear the Lord and work for His pleasure. "While this command does not include sinful things, it does include stupid things." 2 Not to win the favor of those who see us - How much of what we do is so others will see? We need to prove our worth to the company, get our numbers, or make sure that we get noticed, so we flaunt what we've done. Notice the radical difference with how we work. We work knowing God sees, but also as servants. We adopt the mindset of a servant in our work, because that is exactly who we are (Luke 17:10) This does not mean there are not realities of flow charts, but it absolutely means our 2 Traeger and Gilbert, "The Gospel at Work", p. 106 4

mindset shifts at work. If we adopt the mindset of a servant, we find contentment with how we are treated, joy in tough circumstances, and worship in the menial tasks. Wholeheartedly - For slaves this meant not doing the minimum to avoid penalty, but to be engaged as a whole person, giving their minds, hearts, and bodies fully to do the best possible job at a given task. This is not feigning hard work, but to giving max effort knowing that Christ sees all that you do, and receive back from Christ. This frees us from thinking with worldly wisdom - our Boss is never gone, but instead of looking over our shoulder like a Divine taskmaster, He empowers us to do everything we do to His glory, and then releases us to everything else He's called us to. What are ways to accomplish this? 1. Determine not to complain about your boss, co-workers, or assignments (Phil. 2:14-16) 2. Determine to see submission to authority as a means of worship 3. Determine to humble yourself in the way Jesus did (Phil. 2:3-5) 4. Determine to compete well, by working with our whole heart but NOT undercutting our coworkers or competitors For those who employ others or manage others, the gospel changes your approach as well. "Masters do the same to them, and stop threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven and that there is no partiality with him." Ephesians 6:9 The gospel is unique because it is so counter cultural. All of this may resonate in our culture, but when Paul addressed the masters of slaves, this was radically counter cultural to a rigidly hierarchal society. Masters were not cut out of responsibilities of gospel change: The way you motivate matters - Slave owners were to stop threatening to motivate. This meant that owners would use guilt, coercion, or a heavy hand to get their workers to get the job done. But that is not the way of the gospel. Fear should not be a tool in the motivational tool box, whether fear of losing a job, fear of reprisal, or fear of public shame or character destruction. The Lord is Impartial - Class distinctions make no difference to the Lord. In Paul's day, owners were seen as an elevated class, but that is not the way the Lord sees it. If you own a company, you have not arrived. If you manage large budgets or oversee many people it simply means that your responsibility load has just raised up. Look for ways to build those up under your leadership Masters are to "do the same to them", meaning they are to act like their heavenly Father does toward their workers because of their relationship with their heavenly Lord. Bosses today must remember that their workers are not working primarily for them either, and cannot take the place of the Lord in receiving work. We take interest in them as real people, image bearers and see them as opportunities to love and serve rather than commodities to serve our interests. How do employers do this? 1. Determine to pray for those that work for you 2. Determine to get to know your employees stories 3. Determine to truly listen to them, hearing behind what is presented to find out how best to help 4. Determine to have a purpose in your bottom line 5

James Murdoch, son of News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch, told an audience that "the only reliable and perpetual guarantor of independence is profit." However his sister Elisabeth stated to the same audience three years later, "he left something out. Profit without purpose is a recipe for disaster." 3 New Mission we exist to love Most of us can quote part or the whole of the Great Commandment: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And a second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 22:37-39). But it will take a lifetime to grip its depths. What does this matter our work? It gives an unambiguous, clear obligation of how we are to reorder our priorities. How do we make sense of all the pressures, assignments, and tasks we have to get done? We start by making sure we love God and direct that love toward others: This means what we produce matters - are we loving people by what we produce? Are we thinking about others when we work or ourselves? Is what I am doing in my work helping people or hurting, benefiting them or myself? This means that people have to be a priority in any field - Our love of God always produces good works directed toward others. People are not a means to getting what we want. Loving people is the point. We have opportunities to love in the truth, in action, and graciously. New Assurance we are fully accepted At the cross we are at once fully known and fully accepted. This means that life is no longer about me but about magnifying the name and greatness of Christ. When our focus of our life turns from ourselves, we are truly free to work joyfully. New Rewards we have an inheritance Our reward is no longer temporary, but a sure inheritance to come. I no longer have to be motivated by external measures, but can work to glorify God no matter the temporal pay off. "To be a Christian in business (or any work), then, means much more than just being honest or not sleeping with your coworkers. It even means more than personal evangelism or holding a Bible study at the office. Rather, it means thinking out the implications of the gospel worldview and God's purposes for your whole work life --and for the whole of the organization under your influence." 4 The Gospel Brings New Freedom In Our Work Freedom to worship God by serving others How do we practically serve those we work with? How do I effectively share the gospel at work? Freedom to rest from our work How do I trust God in my work? How do find rest in my work? Freedom from our work and joy in our work How do I replace external motivation for an internal one? How do I cultivate joy in my work? 3 Keller, p. 167 4 Keller. p. 168. 6