A Redeeming Work.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] Good morning. Welcome to the village. My name is Steve. I’m one of the pastors here. If this is your first Sunday here [0:06] Beautiful day to start coming to the village today [0:10] We’re gonna be continuing in Ephesians [0:12] but I wanted to just kind of start off by letting you know what direction we’re gonna be going in in the next few weeks because [0:18] Ephesians is winding down [0:19] We have this week and then we have next week and then we’re gonna be done with Ephesians and then the following Sunday pastor

[0:25] Nate I’m pretty excited about it. He’s gonna be preaching a message just about [0:29] Taking everything that we’re learning everything that we’re doing in Scripture and just doing something with it. Just getting a life in the [0:37] spirit where we’re actually doing and not just actually hearing not just [0:43] Ingesting all of the scriptures, but actually letting it filter into our lives [0:46] And then the following Sunday, of course, we’re having the church picnic and please come to that. It’s gonna be a great time [0:52] But in July we’re gonna have a couple of sermons

[0:56] That really are gonna be great for the summer and you’re not gonna want to go on vacation and miss church [1:01] basically, that’s what I’m telling you right now because [1:03] Right now, of course you expect me to say that right but

[1:08] I’ve been getting a lot of questions recently and the summers a great time that I can deal with some of the stuff that I [1:14] Get asked a lot because I can do something a little bit separate from the series that we go through and we’ve got [1:20] Coming up. We’re gonna be choosing leaders in the fall [1:23] And so basically over the next few months we’re gonna be looking at and hearing views out of [1:29] different worldviews and you’re gonna have a lot of questions as to where people’s worldviews are coming from and there’s gonna be two [1:37] prevailing worldviews that you’re gonna be hearing about over the next few months and the first one’s Mormonism and I’m getting a lot of questions about

[1:44] That because a lot of Mormons are rising up in the political scene [1:48] And so we’re gonna just I’m just gonna preach a message on number one [1:51] What is Mormonism and number two is it congruent with Christianity? [1:55] And then the second week we’re gonna be talking about really what is the other side? [2:00] Which is my generation’s prevailing worldview whether they realize it or not as humanism [2:04] And we’re gonna be talking a lot about humanism the following week and then the week after that

[2:09] I’m gonna tackle one of my favorite texts that we all at one time or another have taken completely out of context [2:15] And I’m gonna be preaching a sermon on judge not let she be judged [2:19] We’re just gonna break that text down and I want to have a church that actually uses it the way that God meant it [2:24] To be used and and no other way [2:27] I don’t want anybody from the village be using it the way it’s not supposed to be used [2:30] So that’s what’s coming up where those three weeks are concerned and those three weeks are gonna be very valuable

[2:36] Entering into the fall season as we hear a lot [2:40] Coming out of those different worldviews and then after that we’re gonna do a six to eight week series on the Holy Spirit [2:48] A lot of questions come to me about the just the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Who is the Holy Spirit? [2:53] What does the Holy Spirit do in my life? I hear a lot about being empowered by the Holy Spirit [2:57] It’s all it’s all over the book of Ephesians and we’re gonna spend a few weeks just dealing specifically with that [3:02] We’re gonna talk about who he is what he does. Is he an actual person?

[3:08] What are the miraculous gifts that come out of him those types of questions? [3:11] We’re gonna spend a few weeks laying that out and then when we enter into the fall [3:15] We’re gonna have a great series called Jesus wants to ruin your life [3:19] All right [3:20] And that’s literally what we’re calling it and it’s gonna be a great about eight six to eight weeks [3:25] Everything’s about six to eight weeks with me anything past that my brain explodes

[3:29] so we’re gonna be dealing with that different ways that Jesus wants to [3:35] Ruin your life and you may think man. That sounds pretty terrible. It’s not as bad as it sounds actually [3:40] It’s pretty good on the other end, but he does [3:43] And then we’re gonna of course then enter into the rest of the year and you’ll be finding out more about that now [3:48] I tell you that number one so that you’ll know what’s coming up [3:52] But so that you’ll be a little bit excited about it more than that

[3:54] You’ll know when you are out and I know every week you guys have this this real intentional [4:00] Attitude of I’m gonna invite people to church. I know I know guys. I know you’re really good at that [4:04] I know you’re really intentional about that every single week [4:07] But it’s gonna be easier to invite someone if you know what you’re inviting them to all right [4:12] So the weekly talk about Mormonism if you know any Mormons invite them all right because I they need to know what what they do [4:18] too

[4:18] So you need to invite all of your friends and be excited about what’s coming up at the village because we’re gonna be preaching on [4:23] Some really good things and some really good stuff is coming this fall so be excited all right now [4:29] Let’s get to Ephesians. I didn’t really have a way to segue into the sermon so there you go. Let’s just get into Ephesians [4:36] I’m a master at that [4:38] We’re in chapter 6 now and the past couple of weeks [4:42] Paul has been breaking down what he has been setting up throughout this entire book and bringing it into our lives

[4:49] We looked at marriage for two weeks last week [4:52] We looked at raising children and a life of discipleship and this week. I’m going to work with you all right [4:59] He’s gonna talk about work now. This is a text that I have not heard preached on very much in churches [5:05] I’m not not a hundred percent sure why it could be the controversial [5:09] wording the [5:10] Misunderstanding of what we’re talking about the first thing I want to break down with you is when we’re talking about

[5:15] Ephesians 6 5 we are not talking about the same type of slavery that [5:21] Unfortunately took place in the United States [5:24] That is not at all what Paul is talking about and that is actually something that Paul would have preached against [5:31] All right in the day and age that Paul is addressing in the culture at Ephesus [5:37] The type of bond servant master relationship was more like the relationship between an employer and an employee [5:45] Than it was where people are kidnapped from one continent brought to another continent and forced against their will to be slave

[5:53] That’s not the deal that Paul was talking about the system of slavery and the old and that did happen [5:58] But that’s completely unbiblical and if anybody ever used the scripture to defend any type of slavery that took place in the US [6:06] Well, they had terrible [6:08] Exegesis and they don’t understand the context of Scripture [6:11] But what would happen in biblical times is they had debt just like we have debt, but they didn’t have credit cards [6:17] All right now if not you didn’t have any debt you may not feel the need to have the job that you have

[6:26] So in one way because of the debt that you may have in your life you are in a way a bond servant [6:32] Right you have to work or the creditors are gonna come calling [6:36] All right now in this day they would come into debt, but often it wasn’t a credit card company [6:43] But it was a wealthy individual that they would come into debt, too [6:47] And the way that they would do it is they would work off that debt by being that person’s bond servant [6:53] So that’s the context of what Paul is dealing with and it’s a context that we can somewhat relate to you may not know

[7:01] The person you’re in debt to but you make a payment to somebody for your house every single month [7:05] All right [7:06] And so what this is really dealing with more than anything is the relationship that you have in your life with your job [7:14] I assume I’m talking to employed people right now [7:18] So if you’re unemployed after we talk you’re gonna need to get a job because it’s a biblical thing to do [7:23] Alright, it’s biblical to pay your way through life

[7:25] It’s not a biblical thing to be lazy and we’re gonna deal with that this morning [7:29] All right, so let’s talk about work go to the text Ephesians chapter 6 verse 5

[7:36] Slaves and the the terminology there the word there is is doloi [7:41] Which which means you are a bond servant or a servant in bonds to someone

[7:48] Obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling [7:52] With a sincere heart as you would Christ [7:56] Not by the way of eyes service as people pleasers, but as servants of Christ [8:01] Doing the will of God from the heart rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man [8:08] Knowing that whenever good whatever good anyone does this he will receive back from the Lord whether he is a slave or free [8:17] Masters do the same to them and stop your threatening

[8:21] Knowing that he who is both their master and yours is in heaven and that there is no [8:27] partiality with him [8:30] Alright, so here Paul is dealing with outside of the family [8:35] There’s more to your life [8:37] And so what he’s doing here in the end of chapter 5 as well as the beginning of chapter 6 is he’s laying out a vision [8:45] That the gospel is not something that is segregated from the other parts of your life, but it literally

[8:52] invades in shapes how you view your entire life [8:56] How you view your family life as well as your career? [9:00] Whatever it is whatever you spend your time doing is in this day and age there were basically two types of people there were [9:06] Masters and there were bond servants [9:08] So the majority of the people that he’s gonna deal with are in that category [9:12] Outside of that there wasn’t much so what Paul is literally dealing with here is your life and your life

[9:20] inside of your work [9:22] Whatever job you have whether you like it or you don’t like it whether you love your career [9:27] Or you’re looking for a different career [9:29] There is a relationship between how you view yourself and how you view your work [9:35] It is completely connected and so Paul is dealing with the two sides of the coin of work [9:42] Either you are a person that is employed or you are a person that is an employer

[9:47] There really isn’t much outside of that you either write the paycheck or you get the paycheck rarely do you do both? [9:54] All right now some of you may have employees under you as well as bosses ahead of you [9:59] But you work for somebody and you have somebody working for you, so you’re gonna fall in both categories this morning [10:05] But the overarching theme is [10:09] Who are you at work? [10:12] What do you find your identity with?

[10:15] When I talk to people a lot what I find is that most people in one way or another [10:19] They see their life as significant or insignificant [10:24] Based on what you do for a living [10:26] It’s how you identify yourself [10:29] It’s how you find meaning because the fact of the matter is you probably spend most of your waking hours at work [10:38] All right most people in our society do not work 40 hours a week

[10:43] Most people in our society are probably working 50 or 60 or more [10:47] We have a culture now where people are working two or three jobs just to get by just to pay the bills and a down economy [10:56] your [10:56] Identity in your job is going to be the most significant thing in your life [11:03] And it carries over into what we talked about the past few weeks what you’re like at home [11:08] especially in the male mind

[11:10] You often are going to bring your work home with you whether it be you have to spend time in your office [11:18] Or whether it be the attitude that you take towards your children and towards your wife [11:22] Are you bringing anger from your home and into your family? [11:26] your identity may be shaped by your success or [11:31] By your lack thereof in your eyes of success [11:35] But the fact of the matter is this morning that is exactly the mindset that the Apostle Paul is working against

[11:43] He does not want us to find our significance in our jobs [11:47] But rather find our jobs as significant because of what our identity [11:53] Actually is and that is when he says he says bond servants [11:58] obey your masters [11:59] Work for them. May your work be good [12:03] Because you are not working for him. You’re working for the Lord

[12:09] So what Paul is really dealing with here is the same thing. He’s been dealing with the entire book of Ephesians [12:14] It’s completely connected your identity and purpose must be found in Jesus above all [12:23] That is where everything starts in your life your significance is not based in your job [12:29] Because the fact of the matter is you could lose it tomorrow [12:33] Whether you are a stockbroker whether you are a retail worker whether you are a pastor [12:38] Whether you are someone that’s raising children, which is probably the hardest job of all

[12:44] Your identity does not begin with what you do for a living [12:50] Your identity should be fully found in Jesus Christ because then and only then [12:56] Can you have the mindset that you are working for the Lord? [13:01] Alright, so what I want to do is I want to just track through the book of Ephesians quickly. Hopefully [13:06] You hope and and I want to see different places where Paul is building your identity in [13:12] Jesus before he ever gets to the practical nature of your life

[13:16] Even your family, right in chapter 1 verses 3 through 5 [13:20] He lays out that our identity is to be in the fact that we are adopted in Jesus as God’s child in [13:26] verses 7 through 9 of the same chapter [13:28] He says that we are redeemed through Jesus so that we can know what God’s will in his will is in our lives [13:33] He uses the terminology we’ve the mystery of God has been revealed to us in Jesus in verses 11 through 14 [13:40] He says that a hope in Jesus is that we have a guaranteed inheritance with God for his kingdom in

[13:47] Verses 20 through 23. He says that we are to experience in this life the fullness of Jesus as his body the church [13:53] Chapter 2 verses 8 through 10 [13:55] He says that we’ve been made alive in Jesus for good works that have been prepared by God in [14:00] verses 13 through 16 [14:02] He says that we have been reconciled with God by Jesus who killed the hostility of sin in our lives [14:08] Verses 19 through 22. He says that we are members of God’s household to build his church in

[14:16] Verses 7 through 11 of chapter 3 [14:18] He says that we have been made to be the manifold witness of God in [14:24] Chapter 3 verses 16 through 21 [14:26] He says that we have been given access to the power of the Spirit and verse chapter 4 verses 11 through 13 [14:33] He writes that we have been equipped as a saint for the church in [14:38] Chapter 4 verses 25 through 32. He says that we have been forgiven and transformed

[14:43] For God’s mission in our lives in chapter 5 verses 1 through 21 [14:48] He writes that we have been enabled to imitate God at all times [14:53] So the overarching theme here is that who we are [14:59] Is not based on anything of our own doing [15:03] Who we are how we find significance [15:06] Where we see our identity in this life is wrapped up in what God has done

[15:13] What he has planned what Jesus did and what God is currently doing in the mission of building God’s church [15:21] That is to be what your identity is wrapped up in and only then can you enter into a life that has [15:29] any real meaning [15:31] but what we often do is [15:34] We separate if we’re someone that follows Jesus if we’re someone that is determined to build the church [15:40] We can get a mindset that our job is that which prevents us

[15:46] from building God’s church [15:47] We have this mindset that our job it’s something that’s meaningless [15:52] It’s something that kind of keeps me from being discipled and being a disciple of Christ and it’s this thing over there that I don’t [15:59] Really enjoy it. I don’t really feel like I’m good at it [16:01] I just do it so I can get a paycheck and then outside of that my life has meaning [16:07] Outside of my job. I’m a follower of Jesus Christ

[16:11] and what Paul is writing about in these verses is that a [16:15] Great deal of the impact that you can have and that you should have in this life [16:21] Comes through the work that you devote yourself to in a career [16:27] I mean think about it think about the hours that you spend at work [16:31] Think about the hours that you spend in whatever career it is that you’re doing

[16:35] If that is separate from your life as a disciple of Jesus Christ [16:40] Then you are going to struggle to be a disciple because you’re spending most of your life there or doing something [16:48] So the key here is that we build a foundational identity what we just did throughout the book of Ephesians [16:55] We build that identity we build that foundation and then on top of that we begin to view and [17:04] see and do [17:06] everything else that comes in my life I

[17:09] Cannot be a father

[17:14] Laying a good path for my son in discipleship [17:18] If I do not build a foundation that the book of Ephesians has laid out in chapters 1 through chapter 5 [17:26] I cannot do it I [17:28] Can only hope that my son will grow up and have some type of morality as I seek to have some type of morality [17:35] but if I [17:37] Have a consistent and proper view of who I am

[17:41] What my identity is and what my purpose is in this life [17:45] Then I have a firm foundation with Christ as the cornerstone what you talked about in Ephesians chapter 2 [17:52] Then I can begin to set up walls and put a roof on the house and actually have a meaningful life [17:58] Because I know [18:01] That my meaning cannot be dictated that my identity cannot be set by anyone other than God [18:09] That’s why it is so significant when chapter 1 says that before the foundations of the earth

[18:15] Before God ever spoke anything into existence [18:18] He chose us in Christ he had a plan and a path set he had redemption [18:25] assured [18:27] Because then I know and I can trust that my future is firm and it is secure [18:33] Because I serve a God that knows the end from the beginning in the beginning from the end. He’s playing it all [18:40] Therefore anything that happens in this life cannot shake who I am

[18:44] The company closes [18:46] There are layoffs I [18:49] Blow it one day and cost the money two billion dollars that happened a couple weeks ago [18:54] I don’t know if they got fired, but if I lost two billion dollars in a week. I’m pretty sure I’d lose my job [19:00] But if I do something like that and I totally ruin something and I get fired [19:06] If my foundations in Christ

[19:08] It hasn’t ruined my life [19:11] But on the other side [19:13] What I do in my job does serve as a reflection of how I see and view and have built my identity [19:21] All right, if you notice in this passage [19:25] He talks about the bond servant and he says that are the slave and he says that they are to work with a [19:32] sincere heart down in chapter down in verse 5 as

[19:36] You would Christ [19:38] Okay, so what he’s saying is is that what we do in our job what we do in our work [19:46] Does say something about what we believe about Jesus Christ? [19:52] It does have a big impact on how we view his lordship over us that he is [20:01] very [20:02] Interested in what I am doing with my life

[20:06] He’s very interested in what I’m doing at my job [20:09] Whether or not you work at the grocery store or whether or not you work at a bank or whether or not [20:14] You’re a schoolteacher [20:15] God is interested and he wants you to work that job with a sincere heart as if you are working [20:22] For him and as if his mission [20:26] Depends on it in John chapter 20 verse 21

[20:29] Jesus looks at his disciples and he says as the father sent me so I am sending you [20:37] So we are to have a vision of where we are and what we are doing as if I have been sent there [20:44] By God with a specific mission and that mission is to draw people to him [20:53] So what you have to understand is that work? [20:56] Exists to further God’s mission in Colossians chapter 3 verse 23 this Paul writes this whatever you do [21:06] Work heartily as for the Lord and not for men in Romans chapter 12 verse 11 Paul writes

[21:13] Do not be slothful in zeal be fervent in the spirit serve the Lord the New Living translation [21:19] Actually says don’t be lazy

[21:25] In the book of Proverbs the wisest man that ever lived Solomon looks to his son and he says consider the ant thou sluggard

[21:33] Who though very small [21:35] Carries more than his load in the book of Titus Paul says that a man that does not provide for his family is worse than an [21:42] unbeliever [21:44] The scripture has again [21:45] I don’t have time to really unpack an entire theology of work this morning [21:48] But here’s the key the scriptures are very interested in our work

[21:54] But in our culture that’s very difficult and we do have to some way be [21:59] countercultural where work is concerned because our culture and even our economy is built on the idea and the mindset of consumption

[22:08] It’s built on the attitude of consuming [22:11] So we’re often producing is people that go to work get a paycheck [22:17] So that they can use their finances to consume [22:22] There’s no mindset of what good I’m doing with my job [22:25] There’s no mindset of what I’m producing with my job [22:28] But rather there’s a mindset of Friday is coming and I know what I’m spending it on

[22:35] It’s an attitude of consumption [22:38] in Genesis God creates Adam and Eve and [22:41] Crouch writes this amazing work called culture makers and in culture makers he gives his mindset that God [22:48] originally designed us as being his image bears as being those that reflect his image on to the rest of culture and [22:55] We are created. Excuse me. We were created then to create and cultivate [23:01] God gave Adam a a

[23:03] Mandate he said be fruitful and multiply and have dominion over the entire earth [23:08] He doesn’t mean that we just rule and we can chop everything down and pave over it [23:11] What he actually meant is that we’re to subdue the earth in order to show how God works in our lives [23:20] So we’re to be creative as God was creative [23:24] We’re to be stewards as God was a steward [23:27] We are to view our production in this life as someone that is revealing the mindset of a God that redeems

[23:36] Because remember the whole mindset of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that the church [23:41] lives as those who have been redeemed by the finished work of Jesus to be a sign of his kingdom as we built the church as [23:49] We proclaim his gospel and as we represent how he is restoring the world back to its original created order [23:58] Therefore our mindset is not to be one of simply consumption [24:02] But rather our mindset is to be one of also production [24:07] Because that is an act of worship

[24:11] That we are not on this world to consume it and then say goodbye [24:16] But we are on this world to reflect the image of God’s great glory as a creator God [24:23] As a stewarding God as a God that wastes nothing [24:28] But rather uses all things to bring himself glory even us [24:34] and secondly as you view yourself as someone that is producing as someone that is creating and [24:40] Cultivating all that God has given you in your life

[24:42] You are also to see what you are doing with your living as someone who’s proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ [24:50] If you are a lazy person if you have a terrible attitude [24:55] Every time your boss comes to you and says hey [24:58] I need this and you just grumble about it and you just backbite about everybody [25:01] You’re trying to step on everybody else up to the top [25:05] You have a chip on your shoulder because you’re being held down by the man or you have a chip on your shoulder because you’re

[25:10] The executive and nobody listens to you. Why doesn’t everybody have respect for me?

[25:16] How in the world is anybody gonna take you seriously when you say hey by the way, can I tell you about my relationship with Jesus?

[25:22] You ever think about how significant your actions and your job are whereas your witness for the gospel of Jesus Christ is concerned [25:31] See a disobedient servant in this age where Paul is writing [25:37] Someone that isn’t respectful to his master whom he’s put himself in debt towards [25:43] Someone who isn’t worried about the job that they’re doing isn’t worried about the relationships that are being built [25:50] Well [25:51] this person cannot possibly hope to be a

[25:57] Reflection of the redemption that is available in Jesus Christ [26:01] You can only hope to reveal to others the very attitude [26:06] Mindset and action that you are putting into your job [26:09] When we are lazy we proclaim to the world that we serve a lazy God

[26:15] When we backbite [26:18] That’s like an Old Testament term isn’t it when we gossip I did a Juanas a lot of its in King James English [26:25] When we gossip when we tear everybody down around us and hey, we’ve all been guilty of this man [26:30] If you’ve had a job, you’ve done it. I’ve done it [26:34] All right [26:35] But when you do that you have to keep in mind. What are you revealing about God to the people around you?

[26:44] Are you the last person that anybody would ever dare bring their problems to because they know that they’re not gonna find someone that cares [26:52] Or are you a person that is responsible that is stewarding your time finding your identity in Jesus Christ?

[27:02] As a person who can be trusted [27:04] As a person who will pray for them as a person that will give advice that clearly flows out of a life that has hope [27:12] Because your hope is in Jesus when Peter writes always be ready to give a defense of the faith [27:17] It is not in a mindset that you’re fighting people of other faiths [27:21] But rather he says that in the mindset that we’re doing so because people are asking us of the hope [27:26] That is within us

[27:28] The greatest apologetic that you can have or the greatest defense of the faith that you can have is the hope that your life [27:34] Seems to be based on and the fact that you realize that your significance is not [27:39] Mandated by your boss that your significance is not mandated by someone on the job who likes you or dislikes you [27:45] But your significance is mandated by the work of Jesus Christ

[27:52] Now

[27:55] Let’s deal with the issue of what success looks like where our jobs are concerned [28:02] I want to say a phrase, but then I want you to let me unpack it [28:06] All right, because when I say it you’re probably gonna be like I knew this is where it was going. All right

[28:13] success [28:14] Must be gauged by discipleship in and growth of God’s church [28:19] Okay, I unpacked the entire book of Ephesians in just a few minutes [28:23] And we saw things that God has made us alive to the mystery of his will [28:26] Which is to redeem people towards his church that we’ve been called to grow his church that the church has been called to be the [28:32] manifold wisdom of God

[28:34] You know that we are living a life that is mandated and drawn by God, okay

[28:43] Now the only way that you can have any success in your job is if you understand that success is not necessarily [28:52] Deemed by your job [28:56] Okay [28:57] If you’re living as someone representing God and someone that’s worshipping God by the work of your hands [29:04] Then you probably will get ahead [29:08] right I mean

[29:09] When someone gets saved their employers should not then the next day get a worse employee [29:16] When someone comes of faith in Jesus Christ the next day you go with a transformed mindset so your boss should have a better [29:23] employee someone that’s more trustworthy someone that’s more dependable [29:28] But the reason is because your success is not defined by your job [29:33] Our success is defined by something that’s already been done [29:38] Our success is defined by the work of Jesus. I

[29:44] Stand before you a successful man

[29:50] And I didn’t do anything to gain it

[29:55] Nothing [29:58] My success [30:00] Was accomplished when Jesus Christ in light of how [30:05] Unsuccessful I was in that which my primary calling was obedience to God in all things. I was completely unsuccessful [30:13] Jesus took my lack of success on to himself [30:16] And he gave me his success when he died on the cross and rose again defeating sin and death

[30:23] My success is set and if you want true success that can never be taken away from you [30:30] Understand that that is where it is found it’s found in nothing else [30:34] It’s not found in your hopes and dreams be an NBA player or play third base for the Oakland Athletics [30:39] I failed miserably at that I barely made it on the high school team [30:43] All right yet [30:44] It took me till like I was a senior in high school to realize it wasn’t gonna happen all right

[30:50] No matter what you’ve gauged your life towards no matter what your hopes and dreams are and I pray that they work out [30:57] For you if they further the mission of Jesus [31:00] But your success must not be determined by that [31:05] Your success must be determined fully by who God is for you [31:13] And when we look at Ephesians when we look at this great book [31:17] We see a God that is for us and not against us

[31:23] We see a God who takes broken dreams. We see a God that takes [31:28] Unsuccessful people and he says I love you [31:32] We say a God who in light of the rebellion that was in my life [31:37] Not in spite of it in light of it. He looked at me and he saw it

[31:44] And he didn’t wipe it under the rug [31:46] He said I’ve got to deal with I gotta find justice for that [31:50] And he finds it by the sacrifice of his own son’s death on the cross [31:56] And so I say no matter where life finds you this morning no matter what job you find yourself in [32:05] If you see yourself as someone who has not attained the rank that you thought you were going to [32:12] Understand that even if you get there

[32:16] You’ll not find the satisfaction that you look for

[32:21] You will only find what you were created for and created to be in the cross of Jesus Christ

[32:36] In verse 5 [32:38] Paul gives us a view set viewpoint [32:42] From the bond servant then in verse 9. He gives us the viewpoint of the master

[32:49] To the bond servant he says [32:54] Work for the Lord the master he says work for the Lord

[33:03] See doesn’t matter where you are in life your calling is exactly the same

[33:10] Your identity is exactly the same [33:14] You have been adopted in the name of Jesus [33:17] To the family of God

[33:22] Therefore everything else that you are doing is to be captivated by that [33:29] Because you know there’s no greater success. There’s no greater rest. There’s no greater love

[33:37] Webster’s dictionary [33:39] defines success as a favorable or desired [33:44] Outcome as a subjective term by this world’s standards. There’s a second definition that Webster gives

[33:53] Success is the attainment of wealth [33:56] favor and position [33:58] this is a little less subjective by the world’s standards and [34:03] That bond servant is going to see himself as lacking in [34:08] That and the master is going to see himself as being full of that type of success [34:14] It’s like domineers with it. You owe me is what he looks the world and he says

[34:19] But see what the gospel does when it comes into my life as it takes that definition and the words are the same [34:26] But the mindset is completely different [34:30] Because I know that in Christ

[34:34] My outcome [34:36] Is set I

[34:41] Will be with the king [34:44] Revelation 22 for says that we will see his face

[34:51] That second definition the attainment of wealth favor and position [34:56] See very early on in the book of Ephesians chapter 1. It says that we are [35:02] Guaranteed a [35:04] glorious inheritance with the Saints in Jesus Christ [35:11] We have been given favor by God that is based on the Son Jesus and

[35:20] my position is [35:22] firm in the righteousness of Jesus Christ [35:27] It’s unmovable it’s unchangeable [35:31] So when I go into my work

[35:36] I walk as a person successful

[35:42] And when I walk into my work I walk into it with a mindset

[35:49] Of reflecting the image of God as his image bearer as [35:55] Someone that knows God as someone that does not see I’m not working for a promotion [36:00] It says don’t be don’t work for I service don’t work as people pleasers [36:04] I’m not someone that’s there just to get a promotion [36:07] I’m someone that is there as a servant of Jesus Christ in order to reflect his image in [36:13] creation and

[36:14] Cultivation why do I do such a good job? [36:17] I do such a good job because I know the king and this is the good job that he would do I [36:24] Have his favor. I have his love. I have his devotion [36:28] Your work is not insignificant, but it will play a huge role in your discipleship [36:34] You do not lack discipleship because of your job [36:38] You need discipleship to go into your job

[36:41] Your job should flow out of your identity in Christ your job should flow out of the discipleship that is taking place in your life [36:49] Because your job cannot flow into it because that’s backwards [36:54] That’s not the way it’s supposed to happen

[37:00] You must be discipled so that you can go be a disciple in your job [37:06] So that people will see the life of hope and so that you can tell them [37:11] So that you can tell them why it is that you do what you do [37:15] And here’s here’s the fact of the matter is is you may not think it’s politically correct [37:20] You may not think you’re allowed to tell people about Jesus Christ, but here’s the deal guys [37:24] I’m not telling you to go do a good job and then on Friday afternoon at 2 o’clock stand on your desk and be like

[37:30] All right, everybody gather around [37:32] Ephesians chapter 6 [37:34] All right, it’s not it’s not gonna work

[37:38] All right, but if you’ve noticed a great theme about the book of Ephesians has been reconciled relationships [37:45] first with God and then with others [37:48] But here’s the key [37:51] If you are being discipled you will not be able to help but get into relationships with those who are around you

[37:59] And you will not help but care about their souls

[38:04] And you will not be able to help but getting conversations and lunches [38:09] And you will not be able to help but expressing [38:12] What it is that is changing your life? [38:15] Are you afraid of it? [38:17] Remember what talked about last week embrace the awkward

[38:21] Embrace it you know like I’ll get fired

[38:29] Maybe

[38:32] But you should have been fired in that job anyway, but no [38:35] Here’s the key [38:36] I don’t know of a conversation at lunch about your faith that that would get you fired now if you do stand on your [38:42] Desk, they’re gonna have security come and they’re they’re going to escort you out. So don’t do that [38:46] Don’t do that unless they ask you to okay

[38:52] Here’s the key this is about creating and cultivating and there is no greater cultivating work in this life than the building of God’s church [39:02] It should consume who you are it should define what your interests are [39:09] It should be an all-encompassing reality of your life people should not be able to help but know of the most [39:16] important things in your life

[39:23] For the master wielding authority [39:26] It’s the life of Christ and for the bond servant on his hands and knees serving well guess what Jesus did that too

[39:37] Your success is in Christ [39:40] Go change the world with that success

[39:47] As the band comes up [39:50] There’s so much that I couldn’t get to in one sermon, but I want you to understand a very important key here

[39:57] It’s that we’re not forming a checklist of things to do at work of little [40:02] Advises that I can give you for how to give people a really short brief view of the gospel [40:08] Because that’s not what I want you to do [40:11] Someone God wants you to do [40:14] God wants you to go in your life in every part of it with a foundation that’s built on the gospel [40:20] with a foundation that’s built on your identity in him and

[40:24] He wants you to walk into that which is truth [40:28] So that you can take it to all those around you we have been sent

[40:35] When we do not find our identity in that

[40:41] Are we being faithful

[40:45] You can build life on many things [40:48] But you can only build your life on one thing that is eternal

[40:57] As we reflect on the Lord’s Supper right now, this is something we do every week as a church [41:04] When Jesus died on the cross when he gave up his spirit when he paid the penalty for our sin [41:10] He gave us fellowship with God and one tangible way that we reflect on that throughout our lives is the Lord’s Supper [41:18] The bread represents the broken body the juice the cup represents the shed blood of Jesus Christ [41:25] And when we do that it’s representative of God saying the barrier of sin [41:30] It’s not there I want you to come and have fellowship with me

[41:35] I want you to trust that I’ve killed the hostility of sin in your life [41:40] And I want you to know that you are free to have fellowship and relationship with me

[41:48] If you’re a follower of Jesus [41:51] Come proclaim that you trust in the gospel [41:54] If you’re not a follower of Jesus [41:57] Today is the day of salvation [42:00] Today is a day when you can begin a walk of fellowship with God

[42:06] Instead of coming to the table I’d love if you came and talked to me you came to the back talk to someone back there [42:11] Will not embarrass you [42:14] Just want you to know the hope that is available in Jesus Christ [42:20] When you’re ready