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Intro. We are most of us either in an employer or employee relationship. In the Biblical days this was usually referred to as slave, master relationship. What would apply to one, would apply to the other.
I. FIRST OF ALL THE EMPLOYEE.
A. "Be obedient unto those whom you serve after the flesh."
1. When someone is employing you, you have a certain obligation to obey their instructions.
2. They are paying you to do what they want you to do, not for you to do as you please.
3. The obedience is to be with respect and fear.
a. Do I respect the people I work for? If you do not respect them, you probably should not be working for them.
b. Do I appreciate the job that I have? We used to have a man working for us here at the church that spent a half of his time working, and the other half complaining to anyone who would listen to his gripes, about his job. Romaine had to let him go three times for his foul language and his complaining even to strangers of his supposed grievances. Two times he called me and begged me to take him back which I did, the third time I could not in all good conscience hire him back. He now is suing the church for wrongful termination.
c. Do I feel that I am doing them a favor working for them?
d. Can I justify the wage they are paying me? Am I worth it?
e. I used to think how much money I was making for my employer. They were paying me ten dollars an hour, yet they were charging the customer 25 dollars an hour. What I did not take into consideration was the cost of the lease of building, and the utilities. The cost of the office staff. The cost of advertising, the taxes the employer had to pay plus the cost of the hospitalization policy or the workman's compensation they had taken out on me.
B. "In singleness of your heart, as unto Christ."
1. Singleness of heart speaks of loyalty.
a. David prayed that the Lord would unite his heart to fear His name.
b. He was asking God to free him from a divided heart.
2. As unto Christ.
a. Joshua commanded the people to fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth.
b. Thus I should serve my employer in sincerity and truth.
C. Neg. "Not with eyeservice as menpleasers." We call it today, kissing up.
1. It should never be look busy, here comes the boss.
a. Out at Murietta we have a great number of employees. Some of them just look for places to hide to keep from work. They are usually the first ones to show up at the table when it is meal time.
b. There are others who you never have to watch, you know that they will be busy doing their job. There is a certain amount of integrity there.
c. Many times the world judges our Lord by the world, by the kind of example you are on the job.
1TI 6:1 Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and [his] doctrine be not blasphemed.
2. Paul wrote to Titus,
TIT 2:9 [Exhort] servants to be obedient unto their own masters, [and] to please [them] well in all [things]; not answering again; (No back talk, even under your breath.)
TIT 2:10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
D. "But as servants doing the will of God from the heart."
1. In Paul's companion epistle to the Colossians he writes,
COL 3:22 Servants, obey in all things [your] masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
COL 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do [it] heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
COL 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
2. Peter wrote,
1PE 2:18 Servants, [be] subject to [your] masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
1PE 2:19 For this [is] thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
1PE 2:20 For what glory [is it], if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer [for it], ye take it patiently, this [is] acceptable with God.
1PE 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
a. Peter would have us to look to Christ as an example of a servant.
b. Paul also pointed to Christ as the example.
Phl 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Phl 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Phl 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Phl 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
3. The whole key here is from the heart. You must have a heart for the things that you are doing, and for the people that you are doing it for.
E. "With good will, doing service to the Lord not to man."
1. Many times when I am doing some task, I am prone to gripe for a moment in myself. Such as going into the restroom and finding it a mess. Towels on the floor, water all over the counter and I am prone to say, why do I have to clean up after such sloppy people. Then the Lord reminds me that I am doing it for Him, thus a task that would be otherwise intolerable becomes a blessing. I am doing it for the Lord.
2. With so many things if I think that I am doing this for man, I rebel, but when I think that I am doing this for the Lord, I rejoice.
3. When Jacob was ready to leave his uncle because of the jealousy of his brother's-in-law, he said to his wives,
GEN 31:6 And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.
4. Later he said to his father in law Laben,
GEN 31:38 This twenty years [have] I [been] with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.
GEN 31:39 That which was torn [of beasts] I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, [whether] stolen by day, or stolen by night.
GEN 31:40 [Thus] I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
5. Paul wrote to the Corinthians,
1CO 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
F. "Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free."
1. Jesus spoke much about the heavenly reward for our works.
MAT 6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
MAT 6:4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
MAT 10:41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.
MAT 10:42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold [water] only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
MAT 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
LUK 6:35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and [to] the evil.
LUK 14:14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
Verse-Reference
Square — [Jhn 1:1 KJV]
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