“Christians in the Workplace” - Colossians 3:22-24
Sermon Title: Christians in the Workplace
Scripture: Colossians 3:22-24
Introduction:
You might have heard of the term “Sunday night Blues”. It’s the unease that comes as the weekend winds down, anticipating the next day as Monday and the start of another work week grind.
Many of us may be able to relate to the dreaded feeling of going back to work, and statistically, many of us are dissatisfied with our work. However, the Bible tells us that work is a form of worship and that we should connect work with our Christian living.
Overview:
Paul addresses a major issue of work in the church of Colossae: people were not connecting their work with their worship.
Many of us easily compartmentalize work as distinct from our spiritual lives and Christian identity:
Some of us demonize work. We see it as a necessary evil to sustain our living and abhor spending time at work.
Some of us divinize work. We establish our identity in the work and seek success so we can obtain high status and quality living.
However, compartmentalizing work instills an attitude where we see God as separate from our work. Jesus Christ ended the disconnection between work and worship. God is present in our work!
God created work in the beginning, before sin, and He created work to be good:
God gave Adam and Eve the gift of physical work, they are to tend the garden.
God gave Adam intellectual work to name the animals.
When sin entered the world, our relationship with work became distorted.
But with Jesus’ death on the cross, he undid the curse of sin that kept us away from God, and thus restored our original relationship with work:
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord” v.23
“… it is the Lord Christ you are serving” v.24
However, this does not always mean to leave our work to pursue full-time ministry. By accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord, we immediately become involved in full-time ministry. Our work is a place of worship unto God and a space to lovingly serve others.
What does it mean to be in full-time ministry when going to secular work?
1) You are called to work for Christ because Christ is your ultimate employer.
Jesus Christ is your true boss. He is the one you are ultimately serving.
2) You are called to create order out of chaos in your workplace.
Chaos in the workplace doesn’t only mean messy offices and dysfunctional work, it also means bringing peace amongst co-workers and upholding integrity and honest work practices.
3) You work for the shalom, the flourishing of your workplace.
The idea of shalom is universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight. We are called to improve and uplift our community and workplace.
4) We embrace a rhythm of work and rest (Sabbath keeping).
God calls us to rest from work as He did when creating the universe. We should enjoy the gift of rest to refill our hearts and spirits.
Some of us hate our jobs, and God might be calling us to grow and learn from the work we hate. God might also be calling you away to pursue different work, but in the meantime, you are still called to, through your work to glorify God.
Sermon reflection questions:
Do you currently view your role in work as a dreadful curse or a glorifying pedestal? What motivations or pressures have shaped the experience of work for you?
God had originally made work to be good and glorious. The introduction of sin severed that connection between work and God, but Jesus died to undo that. Do you believe in the work you do, that you are freed from the enslavement of work in its role and importance in your life?
Out of the four ways to see work as part of your full-time ministry, which point speaks out to you? Which points do you see yourself currently doing and which points are you still working to change in your life?
