Seeing Your Work Seeing Your Work as a Ministryas a Ministry

Seeing Our Work as A Calling from God

How Do You Define Success in Your Work?

Rock Hunter video clip

Which among these occupations would be Which among these occupations would be considered the most spiritual vocation?considered the most spiritual vocation?

All Are All Are Equal Equal

According According to Godto God’’s s

Word! Word!

1 Missionary in AfricaMissionary in Africa2 2 An attorneyAn attorney3 3 Pastor of a large churchPastor of a large church4 4 Residential plumberResidential plumber5 5 Billy GrahamBilly Graham6 6 All are equalAll are equal

What the Word says about What the Word says about workwork• Whatever you do, work at it with all

your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.

Col 3:23-24

God Is A WorkerGod Is A Worker

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.

Gen 2:2-3

“Work” in its different forms is mentioned more than 800 times in the Bible, more than all the words combined to express worship, music, praise, and singing.

He Desires to Establish Our He Desires to Establish Our WorkWork

May the favor of the Lord our God May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for usour hands for us----yes, establish the yes, establish the work of our hands. work of our hands.

Ps 90:17Ps 90:17

Given DominionGiven Dominion

•• The LORD God took the man and put The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden him in the Garden of Eden to work it to work it and take care of it.and take care of it. Gen 2:15Gen 2:15

Our Perfect Work Environment Was Our Perfect Work Environment Was Changed When Adam & Eve SinnedChanged When Adam & Eve Sinned

"Cursed is the ground because of you;through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. Gen 3:17-18

Work Was Redeemed by the Blood of Christ.

•• For God was pleased to have all his For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through fullness dwell in him, and through him to him to reconcile to himself all things ,reconcile to himself all things ,whether things on earth or things in whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Col 1:19blood, shed on the cross. Col 1:19--20 20 (NIV) (NIV)

We Are Called to be the Head, We Are Called to be the Head, not the Tailnot the Tail

•• The LORD will make you the head, The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. Deut 28:13top, never at the bottom. Deut 28:13--1414

The Lord’s Prayer

““And he said unto them, When ye And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.heaven, so in earth.””-- LkLk 11:111:1--4 4

ItIt’’s all about Hiss all about His KingdomKingdom On Earth!On Earth!

Common Perceptions:Why Do You Work?

• Money – needs and material acquisition

• Self-identity needs – known by what we do, versus Who we know

• To retire and live well – live for the “payoff”

• “It’s part of the curse”

Why Jesus WorkedWhy Jesus Worked

1) Do His Father1) Do His Father’’s Works Work

John 14:10-11“The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father,

living in me, who is doing his work.”

2) Bring Glory on Earth2) Bring Glory on Earth

John 17:3-4““I have brought you I have brought you gloryglory on earthon earth by completing the work you by completing the work you gave me to do.gave me to do.””

Each of us has a work He has called us to do that is born out ofEach of us has a work He has called us to do that is born out of a a relationship with Jesus. relationship with Jesus.

Why Does God Say We Work?Why Does God Say We Work?

1. To meet human needs

2. To reveal His power and glory

3. To bring His Kingdom on earth. “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

4. To have dominion over the earth with freedom and boundaries.

Work Can Actually Be Work Can Actually Be ““MinistryMinistry””

diakonuadiakonua ----"the office and work of a "the office and work of a diakonosdiakonos" " "service, ministry," is used (a) of domestic "service, ministry," is used (a) of domestic

dutiesduties

““Serving othersServing others””

Col.Col. 3:23,24 3:23,24

Fail to See Work as a MinistryFail to See Work as a Ministry

Work Work ““ISIS”” MinistryMinistryvsvs

Work Work ““TOTO”” MinisterMinister““ISIS””

MinistryMinistry•• The work itself is The work itself is

ministry because it is ministry because it is serviceservice to othersto others

•• Work is worship Work is worship •• Value in secular work Value in secular work

-- meets human needs meets human needs of societyof society

““TOTO”” MinisterMinister•• Platform to share ChristPlatform to share Christ•• Means of giving $ to Means of giving $ to

Christian causesChristian causes•• Use influenceUse influence

for societal transformationfor societal transformationPriesthood of all Priesthood of all believersbelievers

Foundational Foundational teaching of the teaching of the churchchurch

4 Attributes of the Workplace 4 Attributes of the Workplace Witness God Is Raising UpWitness God Is Raising Up TodayToday

1.1. Excellence Excellence “So distinguished himself”

Dan. 6:1Dan. 6:1

2.Ethics/Integrity2.Ethics/Integrity““Truth in the inward Truth in the inward parts.parts.”” Ps 51:6Ps 51:6

3.Extravagant 3.Extravagant Love/ServiceLove/Service““Whoever wants to become Whoever wants to become great among yougreat among you”” Mt. 20:27Mt. 20:27

4.Signs & 4.Signs & wonderswonders

““Apostles performed Apostles performed many miraculous signs many miraculous signs

and wondersand wonders””Acts 5:12Acts 5:12

Jesus & Paul modeled Jesus & Paul modeled workplace ministry.workplace ministry.

•• New Testament New Testament –– Of 132 public appearance in Of 132 public appearance in NT, 122 in the marketplaceNT, 122 in the marketplace

•• Of 52 parables Jesus told, 45 had a workplace Of 52 parables Jesus told, 45 had a workplace context. Of 40 miracles in the book of Acts, 39 context. Of 40 miracles in the book of Acts, 39 were in the marketplace.were in the marketplace.

•• Jesus spent his adult life as a carpenter until Jesus spent his adult life as a carpenter until age 30 before he went into a preaching ministry age 30 before he went into a preaching ministry in the workplace.in the workplace.

““AvodahAvodah””==

Work & WorshipWork & Worship

Eric Eric LiddelLiddel

“When I run I feel His pleasure.”Eric Liddel, Olympic champion sprinter

Obstacles to Viewing Work Obstacles to Viewing Work BiblicallyBiblically

• Sacred/Secular divide• 90% have not been trained to apply

Biblical faith in their work life. • 47% say preaching is irrelevant to daily

life • 80% dissatisfied with their jobs• Hierarchy in vocation

There is an unspoken There is an unspoken hierarchy of spiritual calling.hierarchy of spiritual calling.

PastorPastorMissionaryMissionary

EvangelistEvangelistChurch WorkerChurch Worker

Vocational Ministry WorkerVocational Ministry Worker

StayStay--atat--home momhome momPlumberPlumber

CEO/ExecutiveCEO/ExecutiveSum of the EarthSum of the Earth…………..

Lawyer!Lawyer!Ad Agency ExecutiveAd Agency Executive

Failure to See Work as a Calling.Failure to See Work as a Calling.

• 60-70% of our daily lives are spent at work.

• “Our surveys reveal that 90-97% of Christians have never heard a sermon relating biblical principles to their work life." Doug Sherman, author, Your Work Matters to God.

• “Church leadership has spent lots of its energy equipping us to do their ministry, instead of our ministry in the workplace.” - Dr. Myles Munroe

Sacred Sacred vsvs SecularSecularCatholic DistortionCatholic Distortion•• 312 A.D. during Catholic Era312 A.D. during Catholic Era•• Elevated the Elevated the spiritualspiritual at the expense of the at the expense of the

secularsecular. . •• This led to the term This led to the term ““full time Christian full time Christian

service.service.””•• A spiritual form of A spiritual form of dualism. dualism. (A world that (A world that

consists of two fundamental entities consists of two fundamental entities ––spiritual and secular.) spiritual and secular.)

•• God has never separated the spiritual God has never separated the spiritual from the secular.from the secular.

Protestant Distortion• Year: 1650 – A secular form of

dualism – elevation of the secular at the expense of the spiritual. It severs the secular from the spiritual altogether and reduces vocation to an alternative word for work.

• This is why even most Christians see work and the spiritual two separate worlds.

– Source: The Call, Os Guinness

Greek Influence Vs Hebraic

•• Greeks acquired wisdom byGreeks acquired wisdom by reason and analysisreason and analysis..

•• Hebrews acquired wisdom by Hebrews acquired wisdom by obedience.obedience.Ps. 111:10 Ps. 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.wisdom.

•• The early church understood that The early church understood that knowledgeknowledge was was not what changed the world, it was the not what changed the world, it was the power of power of GodGod working through people. working through people.

God’s Call Upon People’s Lives Was in the Context of their Work Lives

and Not a Separate Calling.

GodGod’’s Call to Mosess Call to Moses““Then the LORD Said to Him, Then the LORD Said to Him, ‘‘What Is What Is

That in Your Hand?That in Your Hand?’’

‘‘A StaffA Staff,,’’ He repliedHe replied”” (Exodus 4:2).(Exodus 4:2).

•• ““But take this staff in your hand so you But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signscan perform miraculous signs with it"with it"

(Exodus 4:17).(Exodus 4:17).

BezalelBezalel was the first man described in the bible as a man filled with the Spirit of God. Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the LORD has chosen Bezalelson of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts…

He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers--all of them master craftsmen and designers. -- Ex 35:31-35

Work truly is Worship to God. Both terms in the Old Testament come from the same Hebrew word, avodah.

If you are in the workplace your mission field is If you are in the workplace your mission field is as great as any mission field in the world.as great as any mission field in the world.

Arthur GuinnessArthur Guinness• Irish businessman at turn of the century

• Sought God about problem of alcoholism in Ireland “Make a drink good for them”

• Guinness Beer - Heavy iron content

• Barnardo’s children’s home

• Hudson Taylor

• Built a college to train missionaries

• Brought changes to legal system in England based on biblical principles

Prayer

• Give our lives –and work lives to the Lord

• Discover God’s purpose for our lives

Discussion Time• Describe some ways society implies

those in secular vocations are less spiritual than those in “vocational ministry.”– “I’m in full-time ministry.”– “Commissioning of overseas or vocational

ministry jobs.” Lack of commissions other vocations.

– Viewing workplace believers solely for funding ministry versus valuing our gifts.