I invite you to turn with me in your copy of the Holy Scriptures to the New Testament book of 1 Timothy. 1 Timothy chapter number 6 this morning. 1 Timothy 6. What do you want to be when you grow up? When every child is asked that question, their imagination inspires them to want to be a doctor, or a policeman, or a zookeeper, or an astronaut, or a teacher. What do you want to be when you grow up? Of course, every adolescent thinks about the prospects and prepares accordingly. Perhaps they excel at a certain subject in school, or perhaps they are good with their hands in some way. They're excited to get their first job and to cash that first paycheck. What do you want to be when you grow up? At some point along the way, work gets old. And as adults, we wonder what might have been if we had chosen a different career path, if we were working in a different line of work. We might call that midlife crisis. And we continue to ask ourselves, what will we be when we grow up? But in all of this, we miss the nuance of that initial question. What do we want to be when we grow up? The question isn't, what do you want to do? when you grow up. The question is what do you want to be when you grow up? And the question is a question of being because our life vocation becomes such an important part of our identity. In fact, what we do often describes and defines who we are. No more so than for the pastor. In fact, he's called pastor. What he does is who he is. Pastor Matt or Pastor Jeremy or Pastor Marcio or Pastor Jared. It's such a big part of our lives. It's not what we do, it's who we are. And perhaps the same is true for you. In fact, if we were to work 40 hours a week, follow me now, 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, that's 2,080 hours per year. For 40 years, now check my math here, according to my calculation, that's more than 80,000 hours of your life is spent on the job. working, doing what you do, or being who you are. The problem is that according to the statistics that I read this week from Pew Research and Gallup polls and others, only half of US workers are satisfied with their work. 50% of American workers feel stressed at their jobs on a daily basis. Can anybody identify with that? A little bit of stress on the job? 45% of American workers wouldn't wish their jobs on their worst enemy. How about that? When asked to describe how they felt about their jobs, 19% say they are miserable, 18% say they are angry, only 11% of workers say their job is their calling. What does the Bible have to say about our work, what we do, or who we are? Is there a theology of work? And yes, in fact, there is. And this morning, I present that to you from 1 Timothy chapter number six, verses one and two. It's what I'll call a sacred service. This morning, a sacred service. Let's go to the Lord in prayer, and then we'll unpack the scripture text together. God in heaven. We love you and we thank you for first loving us. And Lord, this morning as we come to the scripture text that addresses the matter of our work, our jobs, it's not just what we do, it's often who we are. God, I pray that you would instruct us by your spirit from your word so that we might do and be all that you would have us to be on the job. For I pray it in Jesus' name, amen. Let me preface the study from 1 Timothy 6, one to two, by presenting a quick theology of work in a topical manner. These things are not in your notes, but you might just follow me on the screen. First, let me remind you that your work, our work, a theology of our work, is not a result of the fall or the curse. You say, Pastor Matt, you don't know what I do. My work is certainly cursed. Okay, that may be the case, but it's not a result of the fall and the curse. Work became more difficult, it became more painful after the fall of man and after sin entered the world. But before that, God instructed Adam to work. He was to keep and to tend the garden in Genesis 2.15. Adam had responsibilities. He had chores to do. He worked. Secondly, I would offer you the Bible teaches us that if we don't work, we can't expect to eat. And that principle really became the rule of the Jamestown settlement in Virginia when those courageous souls forged a new life here in America. Work is fundamental to our subsistence. Number three, the Bible teaches us to be content with our compensation for our work, even if it's inequitable. And even if we work harder and we know better than some of our coworkers, when we are compensated less than those very coworkers, it was in Matthew chapter 20, Jesus taught a parable of day laborers who each worked a different portion of the day, but all received the very same wages. Fourth, Proverbs repeatedly teaches us that hard work will be rewarded with increase, while idleness brings poverty. Now, this isn't a prosperity gospel, but it's simply a normative cause and effect. The reward for a good work ethic is increase, and we know that as the Judeo-Christian work ethic. We work hard and are rewarded for it. But most important for our purposes this morning, let me dismiss any notion, let me disavow you of any notion that your work is secular and my work is sacred. Number five, all work is a sacred service. Whether we eat or whether we drink or whatever we do, we do all to the glory of God. All work should be done for the glory of God. If you turn your outline over and follow as I read what the reformer Martin Luther had to say, he says, to call popes, bishops, priests, monks, and nuns the religious class, But princes, lords, artisans, and farm workers, the secular class, is a specious device, a misleading or a deceptive device. For all Christians whatsoever really and truly belong to the religious class. And there's no difference among them except insofar as they do different work. Hence, we deduce that there is, at bottom, really no other difference between, in Romanist terminology, religious and secular. Romanism, Roman Catholic construct really separates the clergy from the laity, the spiritual from the profane, or the religious from the secular, all have spiritual status, and all are truly priests, bishops, and popes. But Christians do not all follow the same occupation. He continues, a shoemaker, a smith, a farmer, each has his manual occupation and work. And yet at the same time, all are eligible to act as priests and bishops. Every one of them in his occupation or handicraft ought to be useful to his fellows and serve them in such a way that the various trades are all directed to the best advantage of the community and promote the well-being of the body and soul. just as all the organs of the body serve each other. And of course, I take issue with some of Luther's Romanist categories of popes and priests and nuns and monks and such, but I agree with his point. We should not assert a dichotomy between the sacred and the secular or the clergy and the laity, for our Christian faith is fleshed out daily wherever and whatever our work is. And so as a believer, whether you are on the job or not on the job, in every activity of your life, it is a sacred service. And that leaves no one exempt. Look at 1 Timothy chapter six, verse number one. Let as many. Bondservants, as are under the yoke, count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed. And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things. Here before us in 1 Timothy 6 verses one and two, we have what I would describe as a system of employment that has historically been known as slavery. Now, because of the horrors of slavery in our own country, our minds rebel against that notion and that category. But slavery in the first century was far different from what we know it and understand it from the history of our own country. In the ancient Near East, much or most of the seasonal work was done by day laborers, servants and slaves who were hired for that day to perform some work. Other permanent employed domestic slaves then would become part of households, and they would serve as managers and stewards, much like a family. But slavery was an important part of the Greco-Roman world in the first century. And in fact, the entire economic structure of the Roman Empire depended upon slavery in New Testament times. By some people's calculation, one half of the population of the entire Roman Empire were enslaved, 60 million men and women slaves working for a master. And while the scripture never condones slavery, understand that, it does address the proper treatment of servants or slaves and the proper responsibility of those servants or slaves to their masters as we have in the text before us. None of us this morning are slaves in this historic sense. However, I believe the 21st century application of this text is those who are under authority in an employment context, an employer and employment relationship. And this is where it's helpful for us and it's applicable for us. The structure of the text gives us these simple two points. Number one, serving non-Christian masters in verse number one. non-Christian masters. There are some important words that we need to define and describe so we can accurately interpret and apply what the text is saying. The first in verse number one is the word bondservants in the Greek. It's doulos, meaning servant or slave. And a doulos is anyone who served under another. The phrase there, the bondservants under a yoke. doesn't necessarily mean an abusive relationship. Any abuses of a due loss of a bond servant were really because of the wicked, evil hearts of men, not necessarily the institution of slavery itself. And abuses can happen in any relationship, in a marriage relationship, in a family relationship, in a church relationship, or certainly in an employment relationship, whether it's slavery or feudalism or communism or capitalism, there can always be abuses. But the word doulos here, this bondservant, isn't always negative with these abuses in mind. The doulos or the bondservant also is used to describe Jesus' relationship with his father in Philippians 2 verse number seven. Think of that. The bondservant, the doulos, is also a term used to describe believers' relationship to God in 1 Peter 2 verse number 16. And so understand this bondservant under a yoke or this doulos isn't necessarily an abusive matter. Second, you see the word master there in verse number one. Those under the yoke count their own masters. It's the word despotes from which we get our English word despots. However, once again, the Greek term doesn't necessarily demand an abusive relationship either. It refers to someone with absolute unrestricted authority. It's a term used of our Lord Jesus Christ many times in the New Testament when he's called our master. And so in the Greek language and in culture, the doulos and the despotes, they go together, the slave and the master. Okay, then how does a slave and a master, a doulos and a despotes, how do they work together? Those serving, the doulos, under the authority of a master, the despot, are to regard their masters with honor. And it's really based on an objective criteria of those positions, of those roles, never mind the personality or the chemistry of their personalities. It's a point of ordained structure, not opinion or sentiment. And the reason for this is, if you're looking at the text, look at the text at the end of verse number one, so that the name of God and his doctrine may not be blasphemed. You see, folks, it isn't about you, the employee. It's not about your boss or supervisor or manager or despot's master. It's about the testimony and the reputation of God. Turn your notes over again and let me read for you what another Bible commentator has written. If a Christian slave dishonored his master in any way by being disobedient, by acting disrespectfully, by speaking shamefully of his master, the worst consequence would not be the beating he would receive, but the curses he would cause his master to hurl at this miserable slave's God, his religion and the teachings he had embraced, saying, so that is what this new religion teaches its converts. Instead of bringing honor to the true God and the gospel of his high and holy name, as every Christian should be anxious to do, this slave would bring about the very opposite to the devil's delights. We could also then assume the opposite or the converse by our obedience, by our reverence, by our honor of the boss or the supervisor or the manager. they would marvel at the name of God and His doctrine. Folks, we know that Theologically and philosophically, we have a doxological priority. We exist, our purpose is for the glory of God and whatever we do, the glory of God comes first. Yet ascribing glory to God is not something that only happens on Sunday mornings when we join together in worship, in song, but rather the worship ascribing glory to God ought to be the same on the job Monday through Friday. Make sure that God gets the glory. May it be said of the believers of the Fourth Baptist Church, they are the best employees in all of Minnesota. They are the most faithful workers. They're the first to come. They're the last to leave. They're always respectful. They're always obedient to their boss. If you ever wanna hear practical preaching or relevant preaching, right, that's what everybody wants, we need something relevant, this is it. If you want some application, this is it. Before your unsaved boss in every way, every day, honor him and obey him and submit to him and serve him. Say, Pastor Matt, I get what you're saying, I know what the Bible says, but you don't know my boss. I don't need to know your boss. All I need to know is that he is your boss and God is calling you to honor him and to serve him every way, every day. You say, but Pastor Matt, my boss is a woman. So? What difference does that make? Well, Pastor Matt, my boss is younger than me. Well, maybe you're getting old, right? That's the problem. Folks, we all struggle in the flesh. to exercise obedience to the Lord and to practice our faith. We know what the Bible teaches. We believe what the Bible teaches, but when the rubber meets the road, it is hard. It is really hard to be an employee of God. Under the supervision of someone who doesn't know what they're doing. How many of you have ever had don't raise your hands, right? Have you ever thought about those in in upper management? Like do they even know what they're doing? They couldn't even do your job and That is frustrating And what I'm saying is not easy, but I'm simply saying it, that it's right. Why? For peace and harmony? No. The end of verse number one. The end of verse number one. That the name of God and his doctrine might not be blasphemed. Honor your masters for the glory of God. Look at verse number two. And those who have believing masters, okay, this is another category now. Let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things. How about this, number two, serving a Christian master, a non-Christian master. It may actually be more difficult if you have a Christian or a believing master, and the temptation for those with Christian masters might be to disregard or despise their authority, because after all, Galatians 3.28 says, there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus, right? Who does he think he is bossing me around? He's only my Christian brother. That makes me and my boss equals. In essence, that is true, ontologically, in essence, we are all one in Christ, but in function, or economically, we're different. And while we are one in Christ, we cannot argue neutrality in function, because God has given structures of authority in civil government, and on the job, and in the home, and in the church, And so the point of that text is not to erase distinction, but to establish our unity in Christ. The Bible is not teaching there is no functional difference between a master and a servant. Rather, by taking advantage of a believing master, rather than taking advantage of him, we are to serve him all the more, verse number two. Now, it would not have been uncommon for a mature believer to be employed by an immature believer. And it would not have been at all uncommon for one in church leadership to be employed by one who is not in church leadership. And as you can imagine, there would have been conflict in the first century among those to whom Paul is writing. So the instruction is simple, honor and serve them. Now, I wanna pivot here. just for a moment, there are two other Pauline passages that speak to the very same issue as Paul writing to Timothy in chapter six, verses one and two here. And in developing a theology of work and in bringing application to this teaching, we would be remiss not to consider those parallel passages to our text here in First Timothy six. And I'll give it to you here on the screen. This is Ephesians six, verses five through eight. Follow as I read, bond servants, Be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling and sincerity of heart, as to Christ, not with eye service as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with good will doing service as to the Lord, not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is slave or free. Ephesians chapter six. But here's another parallel passage. We read it earlier in our service. Bond servants, do us, obey in all things your masters, your despotes, your despots according to the flesh, 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, not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance, for you serve the Lord Christ. but he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done and there is no partiality. And if that sounds redundant, it is. And why would it be redundant? Why would Paul write the same to the Ephesians and to the Colossians and to Pastor Timothy? Because the teaching of this text is critically important to us in our Christian lives. And so if you'll allow me now, the exposition of 1 Timothy 6 verses one and two to become a topical message as we coordinate these parallel passages from Ephesians and Colossians, and I wanna identify eight practical principles from these passages, specifically I'll leave Colossians three there on the screen before you, and I want you to take this with you to your workplace this week. Number one. Number one, from these texts, believers are to serve their employees obediently. Now, I'll give you the notes, but on the screen, I'm simply gonna highlight the scripture text. Bond servants obey. The word is obey. And we must dutifully and submissively respond to those who give us instruction and order and carry out whatever tasks that are assigned to us. Otherwise, doing otherwise would violate God's word. We obey. Number two, believers are to serve their employers completely. Number one is obediently. Number two is completely. You see it there in the text, all things. Serving our employers completely, even if it isn't in our job description. Now, perhaps there's a proper time and place to appeal the terms of your job description or your employment, but in the meantime, do the work in all things. Number three, text says bond servants obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye service. Number three, I would offer you the word diligently. Believers are to serve their employees diligently. It's not to put on a show for the boss when he's watching, but it's working hard, being diligent in our work when he's not watching, when we're alone. We work just as hard. Just as diligently, for we have an audience of one, believers are to serve, number four, their employers humbly, humbly. Where do I find that here in the text? How about this? As men pleasers, humbly. This seems a bit unnatural to me because the basic motive that drives us in our work is the praise and recognition of men, right? Namely, the boss. We want to please the boss. We want to make him happy. But our work should not be for our glory or our good or our promotion. We should humbly do the work because it's the right thing to do. Number five, believers are to serve their employers eagerly. Eagerly, number five. And where would I find that? Your eyes are scanning perhaps the scripture. How about this? In sincerity of heart. This addresses the attitude of our work, our employments. Sometimes we're prone to drag our feet or grumble under our breath or complain to our coworkers because, remember, half of us hate our jobs. That's a hard thing. How do you serve your master in sincerity of heart when you don't like what you do and you don't like him or her or the whole company is corrupt? This is hard. Number six, believers are to serve their employers reverently. Reverently, number six, and of course, there it is. I'll highlight it there for you, fearing God. Fearing God. As I've already noted, all of our work is sacred work, performed for the glory of God. It's why we might. You've seen the bumper sticker, I owe, I owe, so off to work I go, right? How about, Because I fear God, I go to work." Ah, that's just not a great bumper sticker, is it? Number seven, believers are to serve their employers excellently, excellently. Let me highlight another phrase here, heartily as to the Lord. We do our jobs to the best of our ability because, in fact, it is Jesus Christ whom we're serving. A Christian's work ought to be the best work possible because we're doing it for the Lord, not for the company or the boss. For the Lord. Number eight. Number eight is believers are to serve their employers How about the word eschatologically? Yikes, how do you spell that? Just scribble something there. But here's what the text says. Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward. You see, it isn't the quarterly bonus or the annual bonus. It isn't the promotion. It isn't the commission or the overtime compensation. The reward, the inheritance is eternal. I'll give these to you all there in a single screen. We are to serve our employers obediently, completely, diligently, humbly, eagerly, reverently, excellently, eschatologically, with a view toward eternity. What you do is a sacred service. Who you are, you're a plumber, you're a teacher, you're a lawyer, you're in IT, research. It's a sacred service. Final thought, 1 Timothy 6, verse number two. Let me read it one more time. And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because they are those who are benefited, are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things. You see it there at the end of verse number six? Paul commanded Timothy to teach and preach these things. You know what I say to that as a preacher? Well, Paul, don't you want me to teach theology? But isn't it better to teach doctrine? That's what we need. No, Paul says, preach and teach these things. Why did Paul command Timothy to preach and teach these things? Perhaps because they're not popular. Perhaps because they're important. And the present tense nature of these verbs here is that it was to be Timothy's constant practice to repeatedly and perpetually preach and teach these things. For these principles are foundational to real world Christian living. They're some of the criteria for future reward in heaven. What do you want to be when you grow up? Let's change that question to what do you want to hear when you get to heaven? How about that? What if we were to ask our children that? Our adolescent teenagers that? The young adult who's choosing a vocational career path? Never mind what do you want to be when you grow up, never mind what do you want to do when you grow up, what do you want to hear when you get to heaven? Well done. Good and faithful do laws. So whether you're a plumber or a pastor, it doesn't matter. You have a sacred service. And I would charge you, I would preach, I would teach, as I'm exhorted here, to preach and teach these things. May we work for the glory of God. Let's pray. God in heaven, I thank you so much for the blessing of work. Lord, from the very beginning in the garden You assigned work to man. I thank you, Lord, for the opportunities we have to labor, to work. I thank you for the employment and the provision of it. Lord, I pray that you would help us, each of us, as employees in some way, shape, or form. to labor, to serve, to work for your glory. Lord, we look forward to the day when we stand at the beam of seat, judgment, and we hope to hear, well done, good and faithful, due law servant. For I pray this in Jesus' name.