The other week I was listening to conservative talk radio. If you know me, I listen to conservative talk radio, I listen to liberal talk radio, NPR, WPR. I like to hear what everybody's got to say and when I do that is when I'm driving around in my car. Every once in a while you actually hear a decent topic. I mean, most of the topics are just dumb. and very surfacy and shallow, but every once in a while you get a good topic, one that goes to good levels. And the question that was asked by a conservative talk show host was, why do you work hard? Why do you work hard? Of course, he was taking a task, the whole liberal mindset of it's okay for everybody to sponge off the government and be lazy and be a nation of dependents. And so he was asking everyone, why do you work hard? Trying to get this going in everybody. Hard work's good. And all that stuff. I tried to call in. Never did make it through, even though I was on the cell line. Thought they kind of pushed you ahead there, but nah. I didn't make it through, but I tried to call in because everyone was giving humanistic answers. And it was driving me crazy. I'm a theocentric person. I'm motivated by my theology because of my love for God and my relationship to Jesus Christ. So when I hear humanistic answers, that bothers me, and I wanted to throw in a theological answer to everything that was being said. The types of things that were being said by the people were, quote, because I want to do well and make a lot of money. That was one of the answers. It came up a couple times at least. Another one was, because I've associated laziness with bad character and I want to show good character. Another one was, because I want to feel good about myself. That's why I work hard. Another one was, because it's just in me to thrive and produce. Not one, as I listened to this whole segment, said anything about God. Not one. Not one said anything about scripture or the Lord or Christianity as being the motivation for their working hard. It was all me-centered. What does this tell us? This tells us that we have a people in this nation who do not operate from biblical presuppositions. that Americans do not have a biblical worldview. Rather, they operate from humanistic presuppositions. They have a humanistic worldview, and that includes most Christians. Why do Americans operate from humanistic presuppositions? Because they've been schooled in them. The education system, the media, the pulpits, every area of life The acceptable form of expression and thinking in our culture is humanism. We are drenched in humanistic thought in this nation. Most of us don't have a clue how drenched in it we are, dripping from it. What is humanism? Well, if you ever look up the word and do a little research, you will see there are long and laborious definitions ascribed to it. The humanists themselves spend a spectacular amount of time trying to define what they are. But essentially, humanism is the view that man is the be-all and end-all. It is not theistic at all, and in fact finds a theocentric worldview abhorrent. It believes that man is the center of all things, and that man, through his own reason and through science, determines what is just or unjust, what is right or wrong, what is good or bad. This is why, by the way, the masses have so readily embraced the filth of homosexuality in our nation and throughout the West, precisely because they operate from humanist presupposition. They determine what is right and wrong. Man. Not Theo. Not God. Man does. So the sodomites appeal to the humanist presupposition that all have been schooled in and embraced, appeal to the humanist presupposition of the masses, and say things like, this is unjust, that we are treated differently. We just want fairness. They say things like, We just want to love each other. Shouldn't everybody be allowed to just love each other? How is it what we do is hurting you or your marriage? This is all humanist drivel that they're espousing, which the masses embrace because of the humanist presupposition they've been schooled in. And that is precisely why we have a nation that in one generation has turned from despising sodomy to wholeheartedly defending and advocating it. I'm going to tell you something, just as an aside. You better start talking up about God's word and law regarding homosexuality. What I have found is the wicked are loud and boisterous about it. Big mouths, even on Facebook. And when you dress them down, even on Facebook, They run for the corner. You know why? Because all they have is belittlement, name-calling against us. They have truth not on their side. They've been given a pass by this culture because our views, God's view, is censored from everything regarding the debate. So they don't have to intellectually defend their position. They just get to call names and despise. What idiot doesn't think And all of conservatism, all of republicanism, they've all embraced homosexuality now. The only thing they're talking about now is marriage, same-sex marriage. And for most of them, they all believe in civil unions anyways. It's a semantical game, nothing more. You better speak up, you better be vociferous, and you better declare the truth of God's law and word because it needs to be stated. And I've always said all it takes is one sentence of truth from God's word regarding homosexuality and it peels back the multi-billion dollar morass of lies that the media has built up over the sin of homosexuality. One sentence from God's word peels it off and they go crazy. Listen, when a people are given over to humanism, They will be traitors to any law or word which does not condone their self-assertions. Did you hear what I said? Because it's very important. We live in a humanistic culture. Most Christians are humanists without even knowing it. We are drenched in humanistic thought and thinking and presupposition. And when a people are given over to humanism, they will be traitors to any law or word which does not condone their self-assertions. This is precisely why they go wild when we say that homosexuality is a sin. When we declare the truth of God's word is law regarding homosexuality, this is why they go wild. It's because they're traitors to Christ. They're traitors to the law of God. People have asked me, who are you voting for this coming Tuesday, Pastor Matt? You've got these four Senate candidates running on the Republican side. I said, well, I really haven't decided who to vote for. I know I'm not voting for Tommy Thompson. As far as the other three go, I'm not sure who I'm going to vote for. And to be quite frank with you, I'm loathe to vote for any of them. And I'll tell you why. Because I know every one of them will end up spitting on the law of God before this election is over. Because Tammy Baldwin, and her filthy lesbianism, which she is heralding, will become an issue. And I guarantee you any one of those men will sit there and say, well, I believe homosexuality is okay, at least I have all the rights that anyone else has. But I believe traditional marriage, you know, is something that's important. That's exactly what they're going to spit all over the law of God. So I'm loathe to vote for any of them. It's pathetic. So anyways, this is exactly why you have the answers you have from the radio show. The answers? Why do you work hard? All man-centered, self-centered, humanistic reasons were given. Not one theocentric reason. God wasn't in the picture. Christianity wasn't in the picture. Scripture wasn't in the picture. It was all about me, myself, and I. All man-centered answers derived from man because most all Americans operate from a humanist presupposition and worldview. So what we have here is a man-centered or anthropocentric worldview versus a God-centered or theocentric worldview. That's the battle we have going on in the earth. Anthropocentric worldview where man is the center versus theocentric worldview where God is the center. As Christian people, we're supposed to be theocentric. What motivates us is God and scripture. Amen? Not because we believe in ourselves. I mentioned this last week in my sermon dealing with the first commandment. When the Renaissance took place back in the 14th century and on, they referred to it as the Renaissance. I refer to it as the Great Rebellion. Prior to that time, man had a theocentric worldview. The writers of the Dark Ages, why do they call them the Dark Ages? It's wicked people who label the medieval ears as the Dark Ages because they hate God and they hate his word. That's why they call it the Dark Ages. I call it the Light Ages. When you read the writings of the medieval writers, Christian men, They were the most Christian-thinking people the world has ever seen. They were the most theocentric-minded people the world has ever seen. And that's a fact. And the truth of the matter is, I can say that and not get challenged, because 99.9% of Christians have never read one medieval Christian writer in their lives. But it's true. They were the most Christian thinking men ever on the planet. When the Enlightenment came in the 17th century, I call it the Endarkenment. Why do they call it the Enlightenment? Because man was now enthroned and his reason would rule. What was being replaced? God and his word. So this battle's been going on for hundreds of years. the anthropocentric worldview versus the theocentric worldview. It's a huge fight. And unfortunately, most Christian people think in terms of the anthropocentric worldview. I'm sure many of the people calling up to this talk show were Christian people. They think like pagans. All the people calling in answered in humanistic terms because they were schooled in and embraced humanistic thought. But when I heard the question, I immediately thought in theocentric terms and thoughts. Why? Because I am a Christian. I therefore do not believe that man is the be all and end all. I am not motivated to do an act based upon myself, but rather based upon what God says. I don't believe in myself. I believe in him. Therefore, I want my life to be conducted according to his law and word. Amen? So why do I work hard? Well, let's go to our text, Colossians chapter 3, verses 22 and 23. I want to give you four reasons why we should work hard. It says here in Colossians 3, 22 and 23, bond servants. Now we don't have bond servants today, but you apply the principle. You make application principally. We have employers and we have employees, right? Not bond servants. Obey in all things your masters according to the flesh. And here's the point. To do your work, whatever it is you do, Not with eye service as men pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men. That is why we work hard. Because we do our work unto the Lord. Amen? We don't do our work as unto men. There's a huge difference. The anthropocentric worldview They do their work as unto men. They want to be seen as men. I remember I had just been a Christian for a few weeks. I was in Teen Challenge. Teen Challenge ran a resale store and I always had a good work ethic and so I was working away and sweeping and I stopped for like three seconds and just stood there for a second and all of a sudden some guy grabbed the broom out of my hand who hadn't been doing anything the whole time. The leadership wasn't around. And he starts sweeping like crazy, and I'm like, oh, finally this guy's going to work. And then I look up, and I see why he grabbed the broom out of my hand and is suddenly working like a madman. Because the guy who's in charge just pulled back up in his car. That's why. He wanted to be seen of men. We don't do our work to be seen of men. We do our work as under the Lord. Whether the boss is there or not, we work, and we work hard. That's a fact. I remember my first job in a union factory. They wanted to beat me up because I was working too hard. I was making $10 an hour, this is back in 1980, that was a lot of money back then. $10 an hour, so I thought I really better be working hard, right? Oh no, they were going to beat me up because see these jobs had been timed out and I was working too fast and I was going to get the job done too soon. I had to slow down. And when I didn't slow down, because I thought the guy was joking, he came back with four big goons, pointed to them and said, see those guys over there? You don't slow down, we'll break your legs. And that little warm feeling that goes through your body sometimes, went through my body and I was like, okay, so I guess I have to conform here. Because I do like my legs not being broken. Something about me that way. Unbroken legs are a good thing. Where to do our work is unto the Lord. Amen? We don't do our work as unto men. Number two, the reason we work hard is because laziness is condemned in Scripture and productivity is praised throughout Holy Scripture. Laziness is condemned throughout Scripture and productivity is praised throughout Scripture. That's why we work hard. We're Christian people, we're theocentric. His word motivates us for how we conduct our lives. He condemns laziness and praises productivity, therefore I want to work hard. Did you ever notice when you don't want to work, how slow the time goes? Did you ever notice these boneheads you have to work with over the years? Some of you probably work with them now. They'll do anything they can to work as slow as they can and get out of as much as they can. You're thinking to yourself the whole time, you know, it's easier just to work. The time goes back quicker. I could come up with a thousand humanist reasons why it's good to work hard, besides the biblically motivating ones. Amen? Look at Proverbs chapter 6. I'm not going to belabor this point because I'm sure most of you are acquainted with it, but I do want to look at a few verses for the young amongst us. Proverbs chapter 6, verse 6 through 11, it says, go to the ant you sluggard. Any kid here know what a sluggard is? Yes, what's a sluggard? Someone who doesn't work hard. A lazy person. Consider her ways and be wise. This is the person you should go look at. We all have ant hills by our homes? Hopefully. Ants are common creatures. Go to the ant, you sluggard, consider her ways and be wise, which having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest. The ants are busy working. Did you ever see ants sitting under an umbrella sipping margaritas? No, you'll never see ants doing that, will you? Did you ever see ants sitting in a movie theater watching a film? No, you'll never see ants. Ants are productive. You never see ants sleeping on the anthill. They're always working. They're always moving. They're always taking care of what needs to be done. And nobody has to be watching them for them to do what they know they need to be doing. Hard work is praised in Scripture. Verse 9, How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep. You know when you're lazy and you don't work hard, you know what happens? You become lazier and you'd work less. I've met enough old farmers in my days who are in their 80s who could still work around me and make me look like a dimwit. And you know what they'll tell you? I work and I work hard because I know the day I slow down, I'm done. I'll start dying fast then. There's all kinds of young people in this culture dying fast already. Laziness prevails in this culture. Verse 11 sums it up and says, "...Social, your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man." Look at Proverbs 13, verse 4. It gives us a comparison between laziness and productivity. The soul of a lazy man desires and has nothing. Did you ever meet people like that? People who are always going to do something, but they never get it done. It's sad. The soul of a lazy man desires and has nothing, but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. Why? Because he has follow through, because he's productive, because he does what he needs to do in order to get from point A to point B. Look over in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 28. One of my favorite verses reminds me of what I was before I came to know Christ and what He made me into. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 28, let him who stole steal no longer. Lazy people like to steal. Lazy people like to steal. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need. Amen? We're to work hard. We're to labor, whatever that may be that God has for us. So we work hard because we're to do our work heartily as unto the Lord, not unto men. We work hard, number two, because laziness is condemned and productivity is praised throughout Holy Scripture. And number three is God designed and made us in part to work. God designed us and made us to work. Look at Genesis 1, verse 28. Genesis 1, verse 28. Then God blessed them and God said to them, go sit under an umbrella and sip margaritas. Relax your toes in the Caribbean. Sit on your couch and watch soap dramas, whatever they call them. and eat bonbons. Always look forward to Friday evening. No, he said, God bless them and God said to them, be fruitful and multiply. In other words, go have some kids. Amen? There's a word for this culture. Fill the earth and subdue it. Subduing it involves what? Work. Work. Look at chapter 2, verse 15. Chapter 2 of Genesis, verse 15. Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it. To guard and cultivate it. Work was given to man prior to the fall. You know how many people in America think work is a curse? That it was given subsequent to the fall? No, work was before the fall. Work itself was cursed after the fall, but we were designed to work and it's part of our lives as people. That's important for us to understand. Very important for us to understand. That God wants us to work is even seen in God's law. Deuteronomy chapter 5 verse 13, the fourth commandment. Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy. What did God say there? Six days you shall labor. Six days you shall labor. Work is a part of our lives. Work is a part of our lives. Work gives man purpose in his life. You want to know why there's so much immorality, infidelity, licentiousness in this culture? because people have too much time on their hands as part of it. If they had to worry about where their next meal was coming from, if they had to worry about, we've got to dig out the new latrine back in the yard because we didn't have plumbing, if we had to worry about all these things that people used to have to do, we wouldn't have time for all this effeminacy, homosexuality, and all the filth that goes along with this culture. The serial marriers that move from spouse to spouse and on and on. There's something good about work. It gives us purpose. You know how many people hate their work? That's a bad thing. You should be trying to move your life till you get to a position where you're working work that you like. The reformers called it our calling. Your calling was the work God gave you to do. Not just religious vocation. But whatever your work was to do, that was God's calling in your life. Whatever your work is, what God has put you at hand to do, you do it heartily. It's your calling in life. You glorify God through your work. Extremely important. Some people hate their work. They dread every day. The way they've made work in this culture, I can understand it. They've reduced so many down to a little cog in a giant machine. They don't get out of work what men used to get out of work. Then you have people who are workaholics. They just can't get enough of their work. You know what I mean? You know why you have people who turn into workaholics? Because it's that vestige of God still in man. Man was made to work. He was designed to work so things ain't going good at home in their marriage or whatever, so they throw themselves into their work, neglect their families. They work too much. Work becomes their god. When I was listening to these people call in, I had my opening line ready for the guy. And my opening line was going to be, have you ever heard of the Protestant work ethic? This whole nation was built on the Protestant work ethic. In other words, this nation got built to the greatness it is because of theological reasons, not because of humanistic reasons. I preached a sermon on the Protestant work ethic once. It was a great sermon. If you want to learn some good history, I encourage you to listen to that. So number one is, we do our work as under the Lord, not under man. Number two is, laziness is condemned and productivity praised throughout Holy Scripture. Number three is, God designed and made us, in part, to work. Number four reason why we work hard, It's not really why we work hard, the fourth reason that I'm pointing out here. It's actually one of the benefits of work. Remember I said that work was cursed after the fall? This is good, that work was cursed after the fall. Our work points us to the vanity of life. and to therefore look up and consider there must be more to this life than what is seen with the eye. I don't care how much you love your work. There's times where you're like, you wake up in the morning and you think, time to make the donuts. It was an old Dunkin' Donut commercial. I can tell the young people are like, what's that guy talking about? You've got to be 40 or older, I think, for that one. Our work points us to the vanity of life. Look at Genesis 3, verses 17-19. The fall has taken place and God is bringing His curses. And He says then to Adam, verse 17, He said, Because you have heeded the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat of it, curse it as the ground for your sake. In other words, curse it as your work. Because that was his work, cultivating the garden, taking care of the ground. Work is cursed under the fall. Work in itself isn't bad, work is good, something we should want to do. But it doesn't bring the fruit of what it once did to man. But notice what it says here, cursed is the ground for your sake, in toil you sheathe of it all the days of your life, both thorns and thistles you bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field, and the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken, for dust you are, and to dust you shall return." This is one of the things that I always remember. When I think the world is doomed, it's going to hell in a handbasket, things are just going to reach a new point, an all new low that's never been seen before. Things are terrible. Man's going to annihilate himself and destroy himself. I always come back to this verse and I remember, nah, he doesn't have enough time to pull it off. Because he's got to work. He's got to work. There's goodness in that. Do you understand what I'm saying? Think how much evil man is kept from because he's got to work. Notice what he says here in verse 17. Cursed is the ground for your sake. It's actually cursed. Work has been cursed for our sake. How is it for our sake? Because it shows us the vanity of life. You drive down the same street, go to the same building, eat the same sandwich, do the same thing, Day in, day out. Shows you the vanity of life. Makes you realize there's got to be more to life than this. I'm always left astounded at how people live in their partying world, their self-absorbed, anthropocentric world. Totally devoid of the Lord and Christianity. You know what I'm saying? Did they ever think at least once in their life, there's got to be more than this? I remember as young as age seven thinking, there's got to be more than this. And that's one of the things that work does. It helps us realize it's cursed for our sake. Helps us see the vanity of life. Helps us realize there's got to be more than what we see with the eye. So, in conclusion, work hard, brothers and sisters. Work hard. Not to get rich, or to live well, or to feel good about yourself, or to diss someone's bad character while you flaunt your good character, or for any other man-centered reason. Rather, work hard because your work is unto the Lord. Work hard because of what the scriptures teach about work. Work hard because you want to glorify Him in the earth. Let's stand up and we'll close in a word of prayer. Hallelujah, Father. Lord, we give thanks and we give praise to You. We thank You for this time that we had in Your Word. Lord, this is a huge area of our life, working. God, we want your word on this. We want your law, your view on these matters, oh Lord. God, I just ask and pray that each one of us would be hard workers. That it would be a great testimony in the earth that we are industrious people, and that we're people of thrift. Lord, I just ask and pray that people would see a difference in what motivates us and what brings us joy. Not the big house with the palatial living room, but our children near our feet, around us. Lord, we just ask and pray that you would glorify yourself through our lives. Lord, I pray for each one, that you would guide them in the work that you would have them to do. that they would pursue whatever it is that they felt you have put in their heart for work. And as they go towards that, O God, that whatever job they have to work between then and there, that they will do that job heartily unto you. A good testimony to the boss, to their fellow laborers. Lord, we just ask and pray that we would be that kind of people here in the earth. Few as they might be, but noticed as it gets now, Lord. Now, when people see it, that we be ready and sure to point them unto your Son, Jesus Christ. Call them to repentance of sin and faith in your Son, Jesus Christ. And we ask all these things in Jesus' holy name. Amen. You could be seated. We want to take communion at this time, and you can feel free to take communion with us as long as you're a Christian. If you're not a Christian, please do not take communion. We observe the Lord's Table every week at Mercy Seat. The primary and foremost reason why we observe his table each week is because we need to be reminded of this great salvation that it's always only through faith in Jesus plus nothing whereby God accepts us. It isn't Jesus plus something else. It's Jesus alone. Two elements at his table and none other. The fruit of the vine representing his shed blood and the bread representing his body. Absolutely nothing else at his table. There's not these two elements plus a list of how many good deeds I did. It's these two elements alone signifying it's through Christ alone whereby God accepts us. The good deeds that we do are the result or the evidence or the fruit of our saving faith in Christ. We don't do them to try and obtain God's acceptance, rather we do them because we have obtained God's acceptance. This time at this table reminds us of this important distinction. The Apostle Paul wrote of it in 1 Corinthians 11, verse 23. He said, for I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread. And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, take, eat. This is my body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same manner, he also took the cup after supper, saying, this cup is the new covenant in my blood. This do as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till he comes. Amen. Our sole approach to the Father is always only through faith in Jesus plus nothing else. We refer to what Christ did at Calvary as the finished work of Christ. What is meant by that is all that is needed for salvation has been completed there. We can do nothing to add to his finished work, his propitiatory, substitutionary work at Calvary. All we can do is accept his free gift of salvation through faith. Amen? Let's pray. Lord, we give thanks and praise to you. We rejoice in you for this time that we have at your table. Pray that, Lord, we would think well on your holy law and your word. and that we would think well on this great salvation, this gospel. May we be your ambassadors in the earth, truly, O Lord, and make your holy law and this great salvation known to others. I ask this in Christ Jesus' holy name. Amen. Let's partake together. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Let's stand and worship Him for a minute. I'll close in prayer. Blessed is Your holy name, O Lord. Thanks and praise to You, O God. Father, we give thanks and we give praise to You now. I ask that Your hand be upon each one here, that Your Spirit move upon our hearts and our minds that we would desire commune with you, to seek your face, oh God, to read your word. Lord, we ask and pray that you'd be glorified in our homes. I ask that each man here would be a priest to his home this coming week and open your word to his wife and to his children, instructing them from it. Lord, may we not neglect that. Lord, we ask and pray that you would be glorified through each of our lives. Give each of our children hearts hungry for you, desirous to seek your face. Lord, may each of our lives be lived in service to you that they might count here in the earth to the glory of your name and the furtherance of your kingdom in this earth. And we ask this in Jesus' holy name. Amen. God bless you.