Ephesians 6:5-9               “A Labor Day Message”             Sept. 4, 2011 p.m.

 I wonder how many people really know what Labor Day is about – other than that it gives us a 3-day weekend!  Labor Day seems to mean different things to different people.  The holiday was initially instituted after a violent confrontation of labor unions with the Federal Government back in 1894, as a means of trying to reconcile the two parties.  To most of the American people, Labor Day is the symbolic end of summer.  (We can hope now that cooler weather is just around the corner!)  I have also read that for many women, Labor Day is significant because it is the last day of the year in which they may fashionably wear white!  So, Labor Day means different things to different people.

     Although I have never heard it emphasized as such, I believe that Labor Day should carry some significance to the Christian as well.  If you are a Christian, Jesus Christ is not just a little “addition” to your life; He and His teachings should permeate every aspect of your existence.  And that means your LABOR as well.  As Christians, we should ponder how following Jesus should make a difference in the way that we labor.  It is in that light that I want us to turn to Ephesians 6 tonight, where I believe we can see “A Labor Day Message.” 

     Now I will say at the outset that I am aware that some Bible interpreters claim that these verses do NOT apply to employers and employees today; that Paul was only addressing masters and slaves.  I believe that this is very narrow thinking.  Granted, these verses DO directly address slaves and masters – but the application of these principles goes beyond that; they certainly DO apply to workers, and bosses, and business owners today.  Let’s look at how they can challenge each of us this Labor Day weekend:

I.  A Word to Laborers

     He begins by addressing the slaves in :5, “Be obedient to your masters according to the flesh …”.  It is instructive that God always addresses those who are under authority first.  We see this repeatedly: 

— In chapter 5, when he is speaking about husbands and wives, he addresses the wives first: “Wives, be subject to your own husbands”.  THEN later he says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church.”

— Then here in Ephesians 6 as he speaks to children and parents, he addresses the children first, and tells them to be obedient to their parents.  THEN he tells the fathers not to provoke their children to anger. 

— And then we come to this passage, where he addresses slaves and master, and it is not the master he admonishes first, but the slave.  Over and over, God’s first word is to the person under authority to submit to the authority over them. 

     Why this important?  Because it tells us that the key to a better work situation in your life is NOT what you may think it is.  Some of you may be thinking: “If only I worked for another company; then I’d be happy.”  Or, “If only I had a better supervisor, then I’d do a better job.”  You think that what has to happen to make things better needs to start with your company, or with your supervisor, or your owner.  And surely they are not perfect, and there may be some things they need to do – we’ll address that later.  But the Bible tells us here that the most important ingredient for happiness and success on your job does NOT lie with your company or your boss but with YOU!  Start with YOU – YOU are the key to a better work situation. 

     And what does the Bible say that you need to do as you focus on your attitude and ethic at work?  We see that here in :5-8.  It says to be “obedient” to your masters (or employers), and then it gives a series of admonitions about how you are to do your work:

— :5 says “with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, AS TO CHRIST.”

— :6 “not by way of eye-service, as men-pleasers, but AS SLAVES OF CHRIST, doing the will of God from the heart.”

— :7 “With good will render service, AS TO THE LORD and not to men.” 

Over and over here the Bible says that as a Christian you are to do your work

— “as to Christ”

— “as slaves of Christ”

— “as to the Lord.”

These verses tell us that the key principle for us as followers of Jesus in our labor is to do our work for the Lord.  It makes all the difference. 

     Brother Lawrence (whom we spoke of a couple of years ago as we studied “Practicing the Presence of God) was a humble man who was just a layman who worked in the kitchen at a small monastery in Paris during the 1600’s.  And yet, though he had no education, and no “position” in the church, people from miles around were drawn to him because of the unique relationship he had with the Lord.  The educated leaders of the church came to HIM asking his advice on spiritual matters; how they could have the kind of relationship with God that he had.  He said that his key was simply doing everything that he did as in the presence of the Lord, and for the Lord.  He said that as a kitchen worker, “I turn the cake that is frying in the pan for the love of Him.”  And he said that living like that made him “happier than a king.” 

     Brother Lawrence had found the key to happy and effective labor that so many people today are missing.  Millions of people hate their jobs; they hate their bosses and their employers.  The problem is, they are working for the wrong person.  I don’t mean that they need to change jobs; I mean while retaining their same job, they need to change who they are working for: start working for the Lord instead of for men.    

     If you want to revolutionize your work experience, start doing what the Bible says here:  “Render service as to the Lord and not to men.”  Do your labor for the Lord.  Perhaps you would admit tonight that you have not had a good attitude at work. Maybe you would go so far as to say that you just don’t even like your employer, or your supervisor, boss, or business owner.  And you don’t like working for them.  The good news is, in a sense, you don’t have to work for them.  Don’t do your work for them – do it for the Lord; glorify GOD by what you do!

— type that paper for the glory of God

— do that assignment meticulously, as if it were God Himself who gave it to you

— sweep that floor to the glory of God

— fix that meal to the glory of God

— wash that car as if it were God’s car you were washing

— watch those children as if they were the Lord’s own (and don’t you think they aren’t!)

— every single item you produce, do it as if were going to be handed right to the Lord

— it’s the same at home.  You may say, “I don’t even LIKE my husband today; why should I iron his shirt?!”  Don’t iron it for him; iron that shirt as if Jesus Christ Himself were going to wear it! 

— A student may say, “I don’t want to have to mow the lawn; why does my dad make me do that?”  You may not want to do it for your dad, but do that yard as if it were God’s own turf – and actually it is!  – do your best for Him!

     It’s true for all of us, in any sphere of our work: the key to a whole different attitude in your labor this Labor Day Weekend is to change employers!  Not by quitting your job – but changing who you are working for: do your labor for the Lord, and not for men!

II.  A Word to Employers/Supervisors

    Although the first word here is to those who are under authority, it is not the last word, and there IS a word for those who are IN authority.  :9 says, “And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.” 

     Some of you here tonight are under authority, but others of you are in authority – and perhaps some of you are BOTH – you have people both over AND under you.  How does what the Bible says here affect those of you who find yourselves in authority over others this Labor Day weekend?

      First, :9 says, “Do the same things to them.”  I will admit that I had never really noticed this, until I read it in my quiet time a few weeks back.  “Do the same things to them.”  This is saying that the principles that apply to the workers who are under authority, apply just as equally to those who are IN authority.  Just as those workers are to serve the Lord and not men, so YOU are to lead and administrate and oversee, as if you were employing the Lord and not men!    

     In other words, you do not have the right, because you are in a position of authority over someone, to treat them in an unjust, or harsh, or ungodly manner.  You need to treat them as you would the Lord!  In fact, it would do you well to remember that the Lord is judging you for the way you are treating those in your employ, as if HE were that employee!  Remember Matthew 25, where Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine – even the least of them – you did it to Me”!?  His admonition there surely includes the workplace.  The way you treat your employees is the way you are treating the Lord. 

     In Martin Luther’s Christmas sermon in 1520, he pointed out how so many people today are almost angry in their attitude towards the citizens ofBethlehem, for not recognizing and helping the baby Christ in his time of need. But, he said, there are poor, miserable, sick, needy people all around you right now – and any of them could have been Him!  He said, if Jesus had sent WORD to you that it was He in Bethlehem, you might have helped Him, but as it is, you show by how you would have treated Him – by the way that you are treating others all around you right now!  He says you are showing by the way you treat others, that you would have treated Him just as the citizens of Bethlehem did – with apathy and contempt. 

     That same principle applies to the way that we treat our workers too.  If you knew that Jesus were your employee, surely you would treat Him well.  You would pay Him a good wage; you would want to give Him good benefits; you would treat Him gently and fairly; you would never threaten or intimidate Him.  But Jesus says, I AM in your employ – through the people who are working for you right now.  “To the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine – even the least of them – you did it to Me”!  This Labor Day weekend, every business owner, every administrator, every supervisor, every boss, should take some time to “consider their ways”.  Are you “doing the same things to them”?  Are you treating those under your authority in a way that honors the Lord – as you would treat the Lord Himself? 

III.  A Word For All

     There are a couple of things in the last two verses here that apply to both laborers and those in authority:

     A.  Your Reward Is With The Lord :8 “Whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.”  This is a principle for all: your ultimate reward for your work here on earth is from God, not men. 

     You may say, my boss doesn’t respond to my submissive and godly behavior.  He STILL doesn’t pay me well; he still doesn’t treat me well.  Then remember that your ultimate reward is not coming from your boss; it is coming from the Lord.  The wage you get in your paycheck is NOT your reward; that is coming later, in heaven.

     You may say as an owner or supervisor: I try to treat my employees like the Bible says here, but they aren’t responding to it.  Again, remember that your ultimate “success” is not here on earth; it is the reward that you have in heaven with the Lord.  You should continue to do what is right regardless of how anybody responds to it, and if you never see the fruits of it here on earth, God will repay you for it in heaven. 

     God is asking both employees and business owners to live by the principle of “delayed gratification” – a principle they both practice in business every day.  As an employee, you work all week, or two weeks, whatever your pay period is, knowing that at the end of that time, you will receive your paycheck.  Business owners do the same: you invest capital into a business, until the time that you begin to see the profits come in.  Both employers and employees need to apply that same spirit of perseverance and delayed gratification to doing what is RIGHT when it comes to the workplace.  Persevere in doing what is right, whether you see any profit from it now or not, knowing that it WILL “pay off” for you in the end.  Employees: you will receive your “paycheck” from the Lord; Employers: you will receive your “profit” from the Lord when you see Him.  Your job right now is to do what He says in the workplace, until that day.  And your reward will be with Him. 

     B.  God Will Judge You Without Partiality

:9 says, “Both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.”      

     Whether you are at the top or the bottom of the corporate ladder, it makes no difference, the Bible says; God will judge YOU for what you were supposed to do in that position.  No excuses will be accepted either way.  This is important to understand, because we are really good at making excuses for ourselves, thinking that we are “exceptions to the rule.”  And we do it on both ends of the spectrum:

— Some employees may be tempted to say, “Well, I am only making minimum wage; it doesn’t matter what I do.”  My job isn’t important; I don’t have to give my all; I don’t have to work hard.  Nobody sees or cares if I cheat, or cut corners.  After all, I am poor, so God will surely “cut me some slack.”  If that is how you are thinking, you are wrong.  The Bible says, “there is no partiality with Him.”  He is not going to excuse you because you are relatively poor, or “just” a lowly worker.  He expects you to live up to what He has called you to do on the job.

— On the other hand, business owners or supervisors might be tempted to excuse themselves, too, because they are in a position of “privilege.”  Because you are making more money than others do, or have power that others do not have, and perhaps have access to things that others don’t, you may be tempted to think that God is going to give you some “extra consideration” when it comes to your scriptural responsibilities.  Other people may give you special treatment because of your position or your money – but the Bible says that God will not.  “There is no partiality with Him”!

     I remember a number of years ago, a wide receiver from the Dallas Cowboys was pulled over by a police officer for a traffic violation.  When the officer came to his car window, the player asked with an air of incredulity: “Don’t you know who I am?!”  The officer, however, was not impressed!

     And our God is not either.  “There is no partiality with Him.”  We all need to understand that God does not judge a person with higher or lower standards depending upon the position he holds.  You do not receive leniency from Him because you are a millionaire employer or business owner – AND you do not receive leniency from Him because you are “just” a minimum wage worker, or even a slave!  You are still accountable to Him, without prejudice, for how you treat and relate to every person in your workplace!  “There is no partiality with Him.”

     Whoever you are, and whatever your standing in the workplace, this passage applies to you:

— glorify God in everything you do

— treat others as you would the Lord

— persevere in doing what is right, trusting that your reward is in heaven.

— and God will judge you without partiality.

The truth is, these principles apply even to those of us who are NOT currently working, or owing a business.  There are a multitude of different applications to our life situations from this passage.  So on this Labor Day Weekend, let’s each bow our heads and ask God how YOU should personally respond to this word tonight …