The High Calling of Work

Psalm 8

Tomorrow, the U.S. will recognize Labor Day, the first of which was celebrated on September 5, 1882, in New York City, organized by the Central Labor Union. This recognition spread in popularity over the next decade and by 1894, 23 states had adopted the holiday. In June,1894, President Grover Cleveland signed into law a congressional act, making the first Monday in September a national holiday.

Thoughts about work tend to occupy our minds and time to a significant degree. Much has been written about work. Entire sections of bookstores are filled with volumes relative to work. Politicians pander to and extol the virtues and qualities of “hard working Americans” in campaign speeches. There are countless opinions about work, its purpose and who should participate. The next generation is often thought to have no desire or idea of how to work, often expressed, ironically, by the generation who was responsible for raising and teaching them. When the thought of a Bible message on work is contemplated, our minds might tend to compartmentalize this into a narrow category of people which doesn’t include me. So, to not waste your time, I wish to begin by asking a few simple questions to help determine if you qualify to hear this message.

Are you …

A person under 18 yrs. who is …

• required to help with household chores?
• Attending school?
• serving in your church?
• doing some kind of work for pay?
• 
  

An adult 19-60 yrs. who is ...

• pursuing higher education with sights set on a career field?
• paying for that education through a job?
• In the beginning stages of a career?
• employed in one or more jobs?
• married?
• raising children?
• doing work at home for your family?
• serving in your church?

An adult (60+ yrs.) who is…

• Alive?
• Could have said yes to the questions in previous category?
• retired from your primary career?
• (or has) served in your church?
• Have children who fit into one of the above categories?

If you can answer one, or more of these questions as “YES”, congratulations, you qualify to hear this message.

Definition of Work: “A sustained exercise of strength and skill that overcomes obstacles to produce or accomplish something.” (David Miller, God at Work)

How much of your life fits into that definition? Outside of sleep, probably nearly all.
As followers of Jesus Christ we can rest in the knowledge that God is not silent on a topic which occupies our minds and time to such a great degree. But it’s a topic for which we may often become confused. We observe a variety of examples in work. We have heard numerous cliches and advice about work. We may have wondered about how to connect work to faith. In searching the Scriptures, we find that God reveals a lot about work throughout the grand story of the Bible.

Why do we work? Whether voiced or not, we ask and answer that question daily. God is faithful to give the right answer whenever we ask.

We work because God works.

There are two aspects of his work which directly impact us.

He created us with a purpose

The creation story is told in Genesis 1-2. On the 6th day, God created man (Gen 1:26) in his image. What does this mean? In part, that he shares with us, to varying degrees, his character and attributes. In work he shared with us an inclination to be creative, inquisitive and experimental in his creation. It’s laid out very clearly here - Genesis 1:26 – 2:3 that God created us, mankind, male and female, and gave us a purpose; dominion (rule/reign) over his creation with a task to subdue (govern) it on his behalf. Exercising dominion and subduing such a vast creation is going to require work.

Throughout the creation account we see God’s character on display in his work. Thoughtful, organized, methodical. He collaborates with his triune self (“let us make”), he delegates his power (“let them have”). He finished his work and then introduced the principle of rest, which is taking time to not work and evaluate the result of work (“it was very good”).

We have a motive in work - bringing glory to God

Man has witnessed, enjoyed and extolled the results of God’s creative work ever since. Representing a multitude of Scripture in this regard, consider (Psalm 19:1-2): “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament (skies above) show his handiwork. Day unto day utters (pours out) speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge….. notice speech and knowledge – there is a universal and unlimited degree of which we can learn and speak of the wonder of creation. As time has progressed and work goes on (day unto day), new discoveries are made in many fields which universally awe us once more.

Performing the task that God gave us (obedience) brings him glory. The work of discovering, developing, mastering, managing, caring for, ruling over and protecting his creation in all of its aspects. Our text in Psalm 8 describes that clearly and majestically. In Genesis 2, additional details are revealed. God made a special place for man – a garden in Eden, with responsibility and accountability to further develop the original creation. God gave us the created world - plants, animals, the physical earth - a head with which to think, hands with which to work and his own presence, fellowship and satisfaction with which to share it. What incredible potential for technological development! Work was created by our working God, graciously and wonderfully gifted to us and affirmed to be intrinsically good and that which brings him glory. In this we see that all work, if in accordance with God’s law, under his rule, consistent with his divine nature and done for his glory is approved of. What an incredible plan! Could we just stop here and soak this up?

But we know that there is more to the story. Genesis 3 records man’s fall into sin. All creation is now tainted with the accompanying curse. The impact on work is detailed - “Cursed is the ground because of you” God says to Adam, “in pain you shall eat of it”, it will compete with and hamper your efforts, “thorns and thistle”, it will physically exhaust and eventually kill you “in the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground…”. The object of man’s dominion and rule will now resist being subdued. Advancement and discovery – technological development - will now be elusive/difficult. Significant time will be required in the never-ending combat with decay and death. God graciously gave man everything needed for the original task, but now is added the concept of necessity, the pressing, basic need of hunger, the frustration of trial and error, the agony of failure. However, despite the curse, we must note that God’s original intent remains. We are not relieved of the original responsibility of work and the call to rule over and subdue creation for his glory.

So, what do we do with this? What are we to learn? As followers of Christ, how do we properly understand what the rest of the Bible teaches us about God’s plan for our lives and the work which he calls us to do? To help our understanding, I’d like to lay out two distinct paths relating to work, which come out of the fall and are related to us in the story of Scripture and witnessed as history unfolds. One path is that God is at work to redeem work. The other is that sinful man is susceptible to confusion about work.  Let’s examine each of these in turn.  

God works to redeem work.

God wasted no time in putting into motion his planned work of redemption. In the immediate context of the fall, God makes the promise of the one who will “crush the serpent’s head”, the Redeemer, Jesus Christ. This is followed by his immediate provision of garments with which to robe man. The work of redemption was already underway.

The rest of the Bible records the panorama of God at work in redemption. Let’s consider a few of the highlights.

1. The godly line of Seth (Gen 5) brings us to Noah, a godly man who wisely employed the most advanced technology across a century of work in building the vessel which God would use to save a righteous remnant.
2. God puts Joseph to work as the slave of a pagan man in the pagan government of a pagan nation and thus saves the family of Jacob. (Gen 50:20)
3. Over years of training and difficult work, Moses was prepared for God to use his work to lead the exodus from Egypt.
4. The books of Exodus and Leviticus record the institution of the priesthood. In addition to their special, spiritual relationship with God and the responsibility to teach God’s law, these men were called on to become skilled workers in a variety of disciplines, performing exacting and physically demanding work on a nearly constant basis. Within this context is where God institutes the principle of Sabbath rest as a command – a gracious protection guarding against the extremes of unceasing physical and mental work.
5. Joshua labored faithfully with Moses for 40 years in preparation for the work of conquering the promised land and establishing a durable, civil society.
6. God used unbelieving men from foreign nations to provide much skilled labor in the building of his temple.
7. Judges, priests and prophets all labored on God’s behalf to teach and warn his people.
8. God faithfully preserved a remnant who would return under the leadership of men like Ezra and Nehemiah, working diligently and skillfully to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and the temple.”
9. The NT opens with the record of Christ’s incarnate work on behalf of his bride, the church.
10. His miraculous power was at work as he labored to comfort and heal those who had faith in him.
11. He taught kingdom priorities in work, often in parables (Matt 6:33). “all these things….”
12. In his redeeming work, Jesus set the example by enduring pain, suffering, injustice and opposition.
13. He was submitted in his work, focused on the goal and completing the task (John 17:4). “I glorified you, I finished the work…”

We’re going to pause here in the story of God’s continuing redemption of work and return to the post resurrection chapter of this later. Let’s take a look at the other path….

Man is susceptible to confusion about work.

Man, expelled from the perfect work environment of the garden, very quickly felt the resistance of work in the fallen creation. This, coupled with a sin nature, would develop a propensity to distort work with sinful motives and self-centered actions which led to an often increasingly confused view of and attitude toward work. Inevitably, this inclination has been generationally at work in man down to the present day. Let’s look at some of the highlights and warnings from scripture as we witness man’s pursuit of work apart from God.

1. Cain’s self-focus and selfish pride in his work was a step toward anger, covetousness, and murder - Gen 4
2. Despite Cain’s sin and subsequent rejection of God, God protects his ungodly descendants and graciously allows them to make significant advances in technology and work, despite their rejection of God - Gen 5. This is a pattern which will repeat itself throughout history. God gives common grace to sinful man, gifting him with the intelligence, creativity and adaptability patterned after God’s image, and allowing him to make significant technological developments and accomplishments through work, despite those same men ignoring or rejecting him. There are repeated reminders of this throughout Scripture. History – technology of developing civilizations, construction, political institutions, art, music, chemistry, medicine, etc…. enlightenment, industrial revolution, digital revolution
3. This concept is next demonstrated in Genesis 11. Even in this relatively short time after the flood, sinful man, rather than listening to, trusting in and obeying God, turns his talents and work toward self-focused safety and avoiding risk by building a city and a waterproof tower which would, though their own effort and ingenuity appear to put them safely out of reach of any subsequent flood. God chose to intervene.  
4. Lot, Abraham’s nephew, through work and skill, became a successful and wealthy man. Rather than choosing contentment in God and his people, greater wealth and a comfortable living environment tempted him to relocate in the plain of Sodom, where his life and family were destroyed by coexisting with that depraved culture. Gen 13,19
5. Jacob, Abraham’s own grandson, works for years for his deceptive and arrogant Uncle Laban. In retaliation, Jacob devotes much of his own work to skillfully deceiving him but driving a wedge in the family relationships. Gen 29-31
6. Korah and his sons rebelled against the authority of Moses and Aaron, falsely claiming that they claimed too much of the work and leadership for themselves. God judged them severely. Numbers 15-16 - could go on – OT and NT (Jesus’ parables often revealed man’s distortion of work and priorities – wise/foolish man)
7. Many failures in work are identified and warned against in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and in several of the NT epistles:
   • Do not be deceptive or slothful in work Prov 11:18, 16:11, 18:9
   • Do not seek retribution toward others in work 24:29
   • Do not expect or trust in your work to be constantly or permanently fulfilling, satisfying, rewarding, stress or worry free. Ecc 1:3-18 (Utopian view)
   • Do not boast about your work. Most work will not have a lasting impact, nor bring the prestige we may selfishly desire. James 4:13-17
   • Do not approach work with the mindset that it must provide status and identity. Don’t make as your goal the accumulation of wealth with which to pursue leisure and hobbies within a comfortable and worry-free lifestyle. Ecc 2:1-8, 4:8, 5:10-11, I Tim 6:9-10  v. 6 – “but godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.” Foolish/senseless, drown/plunge into ruin, greediness/craving
   • Do not comparing yourself to others in your work, envying and/or resenting what God has given them or you. This is the seed of covetousness. Ecc 2:15-18, 4:4, Heb 13:5 – “keep your life free from love of money and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
   • Do not look at work as a punishment, or something for which I must grudge and complainingly labor at until the soonest opportunity to get out. Ecc 2:24, 3:9-12,
   • Do not look to any work as the means to gain favor or justifying merit with God. Titus 3:5 – “not by works of righteousness, but according to his mercy he saved us…” “by grace you have been saved, not of yourselves…”
8. Finally, The ungodly motives and aspirations in the work of sinful man will be judged and come to destruction (II Pet 3:10, Rev 18:6, 20:12-13).

So, where do we go? These are all the warnings and the “do nots”… what do we “do”? who needs to hear the warnings – others? We paused the redemption of work at the cross, but there’s more!

The Great Commission renews a redemptive purpose in work.

Because of Christ’s work on our behalf, his redeemed can now share in the work of advancing his kingdom in all of life as Christ builds his church through his followers. The Great Commission establishes the work priorities for disciples of the new covenant: v. 19 – “Go therefore” - As you go about the work of life “as you are going…” they are to: (Matt 28:18-20).

• Make disciples who make disciples, baptize them and continue to teach them all that God commands. What are some of those relative to work?
• Be obedient and do the work which God would have you do (Acts 13:2, 14:26).
• Do the good works which God created for you to do. (Eph 2:10, Tit 3:1, Col 1:10)
• Submit to the Holy Spirit who will continue to perform sanctifying work in you. (Phil 1:6)
• Show love to others through work (Heb 6:10 “God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints…”, I Tim 5:10, 6:18, Heb 10:24, I Thess 4:11, II Thess 3:12)
• Remember that your work will be tested for right attitudes and motives (I Cor 3:5-15, Ecc 3:14-17). If you are an employer, there are many admonishment to be a godly one.
• Be content to work honorably, diligently and faithfully in whatever circumstances God has placed you – in any phase of life – including poor working conditions and bad bosses. (I Cor 7:21-24, Eph 4:16, 6:5-9, Col 1:22-25, I Tim 6:1-2) Conversely, if you are an employer, God holds you accountable to be a godly one.
• Do look for and enjoy the good in your work. Do not be ashamed of developing and using the skills God has given or allowed you to obtain. This involves a proper view of biblical humility. When it’s time to work, work with all your might. Ecc 9:10
• When God so blesses your work, be willing and ready to share the fruits of your labor with others, which may be in time, talent or treasure. Be generous and open-handed. This will serve as a guard to becoming wrapped up in yourself and your possessions. Ecc 5:13-20, I Tim 6:17-19, Luke 12:48 – “to whom much is given, much is required…”
• God does not classify work as “secular” or “sacred”, as though somehow work done in the context of “church” is sacred and automatically valuable to God, more demanding and rewarding than anything other work. On the flip side, all else is “secular” – it’s my job, I have to do it, but God is not overly interested in it, nor values it very much, an evil necessity – it’s just there because of the curse of sin - inferior. This is false. The Bible does not teach that. Work is from God, for him and to him. The real question is motive. Ask this question…. Am I submitted to God, trusting him with my talent and efforts to guide me into all work which I will eagerly and faithfully complete for his glory? Additionally, we ought not to think of our work as somehow inferior if not a visible, public “ministry” type role. If we are placed in such a role, don’t look down on the work of others as somehow less important, demanding or difficult.

In the end, Revelation 21 describes how God’s original plan for the work of man will be restored in the new heaven and earth. The redeemed will glorify God in the work of ruling and reigning with him. The work of governing and discovering the wonders of all that God created will be eternally occupying. The glory of work will be restored to that of God’s original intent. This truth is highly instructive for us today. Young person, your parents’ assignment of tasks is to teach you how work under submission to God. Honor the labor of your teachers to help you learn so that you can be a more productive worker for God. Adults, passionately follow Christ, seek God’s will for your life and then do Great Commission work in and through the work he gives you to do. Seasoned adults, don’t think of work ending when you retire from your primary career. You haven’t arrived or “served your time”. That the deserved reward of my later years is the self-centered pursuit of earth’s fleeting pleasures is to believe a lie. God’s work for any of us doesn’t end at retirement, with a pension, at death or the rapture. Rather, the reality of God’s eternal plan and purpose for work should encourage and motive us, at every age and season, to persevere in God’s work for this brief time on earth. James 4:14 - “…For what is your life? It is even a mist that appears for a brief time and then vanishes.”

What about you?

• Are you a follower of Christ?
• Are you taking seriously God’s plan for me to work diligently for him, for his glory in every season of life?

"Holy Spirit ...

• Where are my blind spots/confusion in a proper understanding of my responsibilities in work? Please show me where am I out of balance. Convict me of the need to submit and be obedient.
• Where am I trusting in created things more than my Creator for my hope, happiness and well-being? Do I need to repent of some form of idolatry?
• Am I placing and keeping an eternal view of work firmly in front of me? How is that informing my priorities in work today and in the future?
• How will my attitude toward and performance of work throughout my short life on this earth withstand your purifying fire of judgement? What will remain?

‘Tis only one life, will soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.