LCC Sermon on Colossians 3- Work1

Story: School Bus Job

- When Jalen was born I had to get a second job so I got a job driving a school bus
- I passes all the exams- written and driving one
- I was assigned to drive special ed kids to Cresent High School and some elementary kids to an
nearby elementary school
- My bus number was #2876
- My first day- I was anxious- I wanted to make a good impression. So I went early to our bus
depot, got my bus ready and I went to my first stop
- But I was 20 mins early so I decided to pull over and wait- because gosh darnit I’m going to be
there right on time for those kids
- The 20 mins was up it was time to go, but my bus wouldn’t move! I was stuck!
- I had parked in deep snow and I had no idea- tried to the rocking method I couldn’t get out
- I had to call for help! My first day- and I’m stuck
- Called the base (“2876 to base..”) and I’m embarrassed
- It took them 30 mins to come and get me out and by that time I had missed 4 of my stops
- It wasn’t the best first impression- I cared a lot about it
- So I talked to my boss after- I thought he would get mad at me but he was so kind- he showed
me grace and cared for me as a person
- It meant a lot to my confidence for my work as a bus driver

Today I want to talk about work

Show image

Does God care about our work? How does faith and work connect?

From the very beginning of the Bible in the Creation Narrative we see God working. Out of love he
creates and works and he says things about his work like “this is good”- “this is very good”2
Analogy: Home Ec
- I loved sewing
- I made a football
- I was so proud of it and it was good

1
The NT Wright and Garland commentaries are available on the sermon page on the website. It can be viewed and
is available for reference

2
John Mark Comer, Garden City, p.36-37
He gives the first humans- Adam and Eve work to do- to “harness creations potential and create beauty
and order”3
Work is not a curse, as many of us would like to believe. It’s a good thing
All of us are meant to work -- whether in paid jobs or unpaid jobs like parenting. This is God's design for
humanity. Work is a huge part of our life.

As Christians, some of us don’t consider work ethic as a holy thing but we should. Some of us have this
mindset that work is solely to make money and that’s it (in and out) but we need a bigger, more holistic
vision for work and that includes caring for our co-workers

Show image

Two points to make today:

1.God cares about our work ethic – how hard we work

2.God cares about the people that we work with.

Show image
Our passage today is found in Colossians 3: 22- 4:1
22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to
curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it
with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will
receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who
does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism. 4 Masters, provide your slaves
with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

Show image
1.God cares about our work ethic more than we think
v. 23- 23 Slaves, obey your earthly masters....whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working
for the Lord, not for human masters,
Some might be confused: “Slavery?! How dare the Bible promote slavery”4, context is key here,Paul
lived in the 1st Century where slavery existed and it was normal. Slavery is wrong, but it wasn't time to

3
Genesis, Bible Project, Tim Mackie found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQI72THyO5I&t=83s

4
The average reader today immediately and understandably thinks of the African Slave trade of the 18th and 19th
century when we hear the word “slavery” (Tim Keller, Reason for God, p.114-115). There are similarities and
differences between 1st Century Slavery and The African Slave trade. The similarities were slaves were often
victims of sexual harassment and abuse (Garland, Found at jpeg picture #2)
get rid of slavery so Paul worked within the system of that culture and what he said here and in
Philemon was so revolutionary that it became a catalyst that eventually lead to the ending of slavery
hundreds of years later (I’m going to put my notes on the website and I’ll add some footnotes and books
that you can pursue further on this topic)56

However, we can draw parallels here with our work today- great wisdom that we can use in our
workplaces
When we look at the passage here, Paul is telling us that whatever job we have, we must have the
mindset and attitude that we are working for the Lord- not a boss, not a president but for the Lord7

Every job, every work- serves and loves your neighbor

Everything you see here and everything you enjoy is a result of work- it is the result of someone’s hard
work

In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus tells us to say "Give us today our daily bread." I love bread- I eat it every
morning
- I love to toast on heat level 3
- spread butter on it
- Sprinkle sugar on it
- Cut it in half

God gives us bread. Have you ever wondered how?

I get my bread at Costco- Ancient grains, so delicious!

In order to pick up the bread- the supply chain!

Put there by the costco worker.

5
However, there were differences, in 1st Century Slavery, slavery was not raced based. Slaves were able to accrue
enough personal capital to buy themselves out. Most slaves were not slaves for life, they could be out of slavery in
10-15 years (Murray, J. Harris, Slave of Christ, p.44, 70 & Andrew Lincoln, Ephesians, Word Bible Commentary,
p.416-417) Also, slaves had some range of rights and privileges such as: 1. The right to own property which was
known as the peculium. 2. The possibility of starting a business to earn potentially large sums of money. Some
were civil servants, business agents, or artisans (D.B Martin, Slavery as Salvation: The Metaphor of Slavery in
Pauline Christianity, p. 1-49, also see Paul Copan, Is God a Moral monster, p,124-158)

6
Also, the African Slave trade was begun and resourced by kidnapping, which the Bible unconditionally condemns
in 1 Timothy 1:9-11 and Deuteronomy 24:7 (Tim Keller, The Reason for God, p.115) Early Christians did not go
abolish first century slavery, but later Christians like William Wilberforce abolished slavery for good.

7
NT Wright, Commentary on Colossians, found in jpeg picture #1
 - Transported there by the truck driver.
- Someone had to make the truck and maintain the truck and put gas in it and take the gas out of
the ground.
- The truck had to take it from the bakery
- Someone had to bake it and cut it- put it into bags
- Bakery had to get raw ingredients that came from the farm
- The farm is supported by the government and technology which was done by researchers.

And on it on it goes

So much work involved in this massive chain just so I can be alone with my 2 slices of bread

This is how God provides- through work, all the work in entire supply chain.

This is why the Bible says we are working for the Lord and we work with all our heart because it
ultimately serves and loves our neighbor

There is no room for laziness/slacking off/ cutting corners- that is not a mindset that we are called to

We are called to work hard- we should be known for it

We have to make the connection between our work and God's work. There is no sacred/secular divide,
God's work is not just in the church -- it is everywhere, it is at your work place right now
Story:
- When I was in college I worked at the Flyer force.
- My job was to put stacks upon stacks of flyers/newspapers on manual trolley and load it on
school busses
- Good exercise, but I would get terrible paper cuts
- A real whatever job- just for the pay check (in and out)- don’t care about the people
- Just wanted to work, get paid and leave- that’s normal

Or is it? I mean I always worked hard at Flyer Force, but it always bothered me that maybe there was
something else that I could have done? Maybe I could have hung out with my coworkers more- heard
their stories

The interactions with co workers is important as well

Show image

2.God cares about your co-workers

v. 4:1- Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair.

The job of a master/boss was to deal with people. If you're a supervisor, you deal with people a lot. But
even if you have an entry level job, chances are you have to work with other people.
To treat them right and fair: the standard of a Christian boss, but in the Book of Philemon Paul takes to
another level, not only were we to treat them right and fair but we are to treat a slave/worker like a
brother. 8

This changes the dynamic dramatically between master and slave- revolutionary in this 1st century
context. Simply put, they are a human beings whom God loves9 They are our neighbors!

This love for your coworkers, your neighbor, is not just an extra add on like a side of fries. It is a huge
part of the reason why you were put on earth.

You were put on earth to love people- to love your neighbor (2nd Commandment)

This is the biggest reason why humanity was created: to show the glory of God in servant love. ( Exodus
34, Philippians 2, and Genesis 1). As image bearers we reflect the glory of God through love. To not love
your coworkers, to withhold that love because it’s inconvenient- in many ways it means we have left
behind one of the main reasons we were created.

Story: Lunch at Bus depot

- On my lunch break, eating my sandwhich- alone
- At another table my 2 coworkers were eating together and engaged in a conversation
- I mind my own business usually- when all of sudden I heard one of them say “church”
- My Christian ears perked up- what are they talking about? But I ignored it
- But then the other said “sex”, now they had my full attention- church and sex what are they
saying
- One of my co workers, she wants to come to church, but I can’t go there- because I like sex too
much- I wouldn’t be worthy to go
- I should say something- but what should I say
- But nothing, I just left there with sandwhich crumbs on my stomach

I can’t let these opportunities to care just pass by

I was determined to get better at it

Sushi Boat
- we would have a lunch break and eat left over sushi
- they found out I was a Pastor- and they were so shocked
- we get into conversations about other religions

Do not just clock in and out. It's more than just a job. It’s more than just making a living, that’s important
don’t get me wrong, but it’s also bigger than that. We are called to love our co-workers. If we just
listened, we would hear a lot of brokenness, people need hope.

8
Garland, Philemon Commentary, found at jpeg 3

9
NT Wright, Commentary on Colossians, found at jpeg 2
For us it will mean making sacrifices for them, sacrificing our comfort, our time and our energy. We need
to make a better effort in taking them out for lunch- hearing their stories (invite them into your homes)
building friendships. Think about them in your spare time. Pray for them regularly.

Don't just clock in and out- we are called to a different mindset. We have such a great opportunity. For
many of us we spend more time with our co-workers more so than our own families. Is it challenging-
yes, will we click with all of our co-workers, no but there will be some that we will.

Carl: started to come to our church because he used to work at sushi boat with some of my Christian
friends. I had the privilege of baptizing him years later.

Conclusion

There are two things here today that is worthy of self refection

Show image

We are at work to do God's work (there is no secular/sacred divide, church/secular work) it’s all God’s
work as he provides for the world10. We please God by doing our work well. God's work is so much
bigger than what happens just at church- it’s both inside and outside

We are at work to love our neighbors- coworkers and clients. We show the glory of God by making a
sacrifice of love for the people around us at work.

10
As a rule everything is God’s work, but of course there are exceptions like if a filmmaker is filming pornography
than yes that is not God’s work