Ephesians 6:5-9 God’s Plan for your Workplace

Ephesians 6:5-9     God’s Plan for your Workplace

• Background
• During Paul’s time, there was an estimated 60 million slaves in the Roman Empire, which accounted for half the population.  The Romans had reached a high level of wealth and arrogance.  The Romans considered it beneath their dignity to work.   This included laborers, doctor’s teachers, accountants, and secretaries doing their work for them.   People would sell themselves to settle debts and children were sold by impoverished parents.   Slavery was an accepted way of life and not challenges.  It was considered foolish to consider uprising against the Roman political and social regime, a risk that could lead to death.
• The story of a convicted Christina to Abolish Slavery - William Wilberforce.
• William was born and raised in England and he was educated in Cambridge.  His primary goal in life was to make a name for himself and to feed his ego, it was not to improve the living conditions of his fellow citizens.  He was elected into Parliament in 1780.  He admitted that in his early years he had done nothing, nothing to a purpose.   In 1785 he contemplated the meaning of life.  he committed his life to Jesus Christ on Easter morning.   In 1786, at the age of 26, he stopped drinking and going to dinner parties.  He then began to focus on 2 things, evangelizing the lost and abolishing slavery.   England during those times claimed that God supported and endorsed human slavery.  John Newton, who wrote ‘Amazing Grace’.  Newton told Wilberforce the horrors of slavery as Newton was a captain of a large slavery ship.  Wilberforce introduced a series of resolutions against slavery.  Each was blocked by powerful politicians but Wilberforce refused to give up the crusade.  During this time he was plagued with a serious illness that kept him bedridden for weeks.  Doctors had introduced him to opium, a narcotic drug to ease the pain.   Wilberforce finally achieved victory 20 years later after his fight against slavery began.   He saw his finally victory just before his death in 1833 where an Emancipation law was passed to free slaves.
• Main Theme.
• Since we are all servants of Jesus Christ, the work that we are doing is all work for Jesus.   The slave shall serve his Master.
• According to a certain survey of workers in the workplace, 20% of the work time is spent goofing off.   This would amount to 1 day in a 5 day work week.
• A man reveals his Christianity during the week.  This would include faithfulness and loyalty to his Employer.

• Loyalty and respect to those in Authority.
• Not being Two-faced.
• Paul would proclaim that he was a Bondservant of Jesus Christ. to please Jesus.
• Employers are asked not treat their employees harshly.  
• The master (Boss) show act in a way of knowing his real Master is in Heaven, Jesus Christ.
• For this relationship to occur between the Master and Slave (Employee and Employer) requires submission by both parties involved.
• The responsibilities are mutual between employee and employer (slave and master) as we are all brothers and sisters in Christ.
• Paul addresses this issue in Philemon 1: 10 -25, the relationship between Philemon and Onesimus.
• Slaves have a Liberty in Christ.
• The principle of slavery is wrong which is a matter of the flesh and not the heart.
• We are seeing a new type of slavery during our times: slavery of the minds, foreign ideologies, political, and a sense that we need to make everyone happy.
• Overview.
• Only the power of Christ can offer true freedom to break the shackles of slavery.
• We are all working for Christ and all labor is dignified for all workers.
• Verses 6:5-9
• The Problem of Slavery.
• During the Civil War, Jefferson Davis claimed ‘Slavery was established by the decree of Almighty God.  It is sanctioned in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation”.   Many used the same verses to justify their cruel commerce in human flesh.
• The critics to Slavery said slaves should revolt and not obey their Master’s.  They forgot the power of the Gospel, the intent of the Gospel, and the current times.
• The New Testament and Paul’s teaching introduced new concepts of justice, freedom, peacemaking, and compassion for the poor and the oppressed.  The Gospel transforms society by first transforming people.
• Paul wrote at a time of History when Slavery was the Social norm.   Paul’s themes were recurring again and again - Liberty, Love, Charity, and Equality.   (Galatians 3;28, Luke 4:18-19)
• Spiritual realities include concepts of liberty and equality which are central to the Christian Gospel.   For this reason, many Romans converted to Christianity.   Christianity was outlawed in the Roman Empire and that is why Paul counseled them to be peaceful and obedient so that the oppression would not continue among them.   He was not condoning slavery, instead Paul was giving advice on how to prevent further suffering by the slaves.   Paul was hoping the slave-master would mirror our relationship with Jesus Christ.

• Jesus loves and cares for us as friends, as sons and daughters.   He protects us from Satan.  He makes us co-heirs with him.
• The Heart of the Problem.
• The New Testament does not focus on outward reformation or resurrecting a political or social system.  It does not teach gradual improvement of the human condition or tinkering with life’s issues.
• The New Testament does tell us that the real problem with the human condition is the heart.   The heart needs radical surgery, not a cosmetic surgery.   To transform society we need to transform the human hearts first, going from person to person, then to society with its social and political systems.
• Your View of the Workplace.
• How you view your job can affect your life and the life of others.  Do you view work as evil. a curse, or as something that needs to be done to put food on the table?
• If we are filled with the Spirit, we will see our jobs as a blessing.  We can see the workplace as a mission field, a place of opportunity for Christ’s work.   Even though work may seem mundane, it offers a evangelistic opportunity and challenge.   We need to remember, even if our boss is a slave driver, Paul has given us instructions on how to be a servant.  We have to remember our “Service as to the LORD”.   We are working to please the LORD, not to please the boss and receive a paycheck.
• What to do if you have a difficult boss, oppressive workplace, pointless or discouraging job.
• Not to take it easy and do the least to get by.
• Ask GOD to use you to glorify him in your workplace.
• Offer your job as an offering and sacrifice.
• To strengthen me and to show that Jesus’s light will shine through us.
• Having the right perspective develops the right attitude.
• A Word to Bosses.
• Treat all his employees well without threats and abuse.
• God is master to the Employees and Employers.  All are equal in GOD’s eyes.   (Colossians 4:1)
• Obey God first and please him.   Be submissive to the authority of GOD.
• During ancient Roman times, the master’s authority was an absolute up to and including the power of life and death.
• A godly employer reflects Christ to his employees.  he is to be fair and just.  He is to look out for their well-being.   He is to respect them just as GOD shows no favorites.
• Your Workplace, your Mission Field.+
• What has GOD called you to do?   What is your ministry?
• Conclusion.
• To see if someone is a Christian or not you can observe how people handle conflict when they are given a full load.  This would include the workplace.
• Be the best slave to your master.  Work done from within the heart is not work done out of slavery.
• We are stealing if we do not do the work we are paid to do.
• Last week we looked at the example of Basic Training.   It begins at home and then moves into becoming a responsible Laborer and a responsible Capitalist.  The Slave to the Master, the Employee to the Employer.  A worker is good soldier of Jesus Christ, as he contributes to the welfare of society.
• Is Christianity being practiced outside of the Church with our families and workplace?  Is it wanting but not trying?
• If you offer your life and career to the LORD and ask him to bless it, he will use you to change lives.