"WORKING TO LIVE OR LIVING TO WORK?"

Look Up: Ecclesiastes 2:17-23; Colossians 3:23-24

         Sermon preached by:   Dr. Wayne Poplin, Carmel Baptist Church    (Copyright 2006)       

INTRODUCTION:  Which is it?  Are you working to live or living to work?  You’re thinking, “You’ve got to be kidding me; that’s a no-brainer.”  “I’m working to live”—to pay my bills, to get enough to retire, to keep my health insurance, etc. “ If it were not for that, I would quit work in a heartbeat!”  In this case, work is simply a means to an end.  What is the end? Apart of the end is the opportunity to quit work. 
            With Labor Day coming up, this is a good time to review the biblical perspective on work.  What does the Bible say about labor/work?  This subject is bigger than your job—but your job is a part of it.  If I bring up the subject of “job” and how do you like your job, I am sure there is a mixed response.  Some like their job.  Some are bored with their job.  Some are tolerating their jobs.  Some are looking to change jobs.  You’re tired of the traffic, the pressure, the politics, the unethical things, etc.  For many, the best thing about Labor Day is that you get a day off and a break from your job.  Our attitude and feeling about our jobs may be skewing our thinking about work in general.  We need to understand the subject of work from a biblical perspective and then view our jobs in light of that perspective.  Is a biblical or an unbiblical view of work shaping your attitudes about work or your job?  A lot of thinking about work comes from an unbiblical view of work that has had various expressions over the course of time.   

I.                   UNBIBLICAL VIEW OF WORK

A godless approach to work is expressed in Ecclesiastes 2:17ff.  Work is despairing, meaningless and full of frustration. It is for the birds.  Labor and the results of your labor seem meaningless [what difference did we make—we are forgotten in a moment].  This is an assessment of work/labor devoid of divine perspective.  It is the perspective of short-sightedness. It is a view devoid of revelation. If you are laboring with that kind of thinking, it is very depressing. 
        Then there is the Greek-Roman view of work.  Work is something that you do out of necessity.  The Greeks and the Romans saw manual work as a curse—something for only the lower class and slaves to do. Plato and Aristotle believed and taught this two-story distinction between mental and physical work.  They advocated that the majority of men should do the heavy labor so that the minority, like themselves, might engage in lighter pursuits like art, philosophy and politics [Colson, A Dangerous Grace, p. 314].  If you follow the Greek-Roman view of work, then work is disgusting, undignified, should be avoided as much as possible and is a distraction from the better things of life.  You dwell only on the curse side of labor.
            The work ethic that this country thrived under for much of its history because of our Christian heritage became secularized with the industrial revolution.  Labor was reduced to monotony and work lost much of its spiritual significance.  But labor was still considered worthy and people continued to take pride in their work.
            Then came the 1960’s. A revolution swept campuses. God was dead and pleasure became the purpose in life.  That philosophy profoundly affected our values, including our view of work [Ibid, p. 316].  We see the results today--- 
                        work is a means to an end, which is pleasure, be able to live comfortably, and quit work 
                        work as little as you can 
                        get as much as you can as quickly as you can 
                        spend what you make on leisure/comfort 
                        produce second-rate products and get “yours” by doing as little as you can  
We are still walking under that revolution aren’t we? In fact, all of the unbiblical views of work have and are having their affect on us.     

11.     BIBLICAL VIEW OF WORK

But what do we learn about work from the scripture?  Wouldn’t scripture have something to say about something that consumes so much of our lives?  Of course it does.      

A.     God’s Example. As we begin reading Genesis, we find God working.  
He is the God Who creates.  He creates by the “work of His fingers” [Ps. 8:3].  The creation proclaims the work of Hands [Ps. 19:1]. He molds us as a potter molds clay [Isa. 45:9].  He declared satisfaction with His work—“It is good” [Gen.1:31].  He has never ceased to work.  Jesus said: 
            “My Father is always at His work to this very day….” [Jh. 5:17].  
He is working in us. 
            …for it is God Who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose [Phil. 2:13].   
He is not through yet.  He will create a new heaven and a new earth. 

B.   Our Assignment.  We were made in the image of God—so we work.  In the Garden of Eden He told Adam and Eve to till and keep the garden and to fill the earth and subdue it.  This implies a lot of work.
        There is dignity to work because God works, because He assigned work to us, and because it involves the unfolding of the potential of His creation.  We were made to work—shape and bring order out of disorder.  Work involves our identity with our creator, His assignment and our stewardship.   

 C.   Christ’s Example.  The incarnate Christ worked as a carpenter.  He was physically strong—sawing, chiseling, etc.  That was His physical work.  His spiritual work was redemption. He came to do the “work of the Father” [Jh. 4:34 ].
        There is normal work and Kingdom work.  We are created to work and recreated to work. Through redemption we take on spiritual work and become co-laborers with God [1 Cor. 3:9].  We labor in the harvest field, we do the work of reconciliation, we do the work of an evangelist [2 Tim. 4:5]  Work brings us into the arena of glorifying and serving God [so that they may see your good works and glorify God]. 
        We work because we have been made in His image, because He has assigned us work, because He has enabled us to work, because it is our gift to Him, because it brings joy and satisfaction, because it brings glory to Him. 
            Hence, the Bible condemns laziness.  The Bible says if you don’t work, you don’t eat [2 Thess. 3:10 -12]—our work enables us to buy and have food.  The Bible teaches that our work enables us to give and be generous.  The Bible says that our work will be manifested—it will be judged 
[1 Cor. 3:13 ].   

Work is not meaningless when it seen as the plan of God. Frustration, despair and depression is not due to meaningful work but to the lack of it. It is not just a curse that we must endure.  It was God’s plan from the beginning.  It is not just for the lower classes. It is dignified by God Himself. It is not just a means to our leisure and pleasure.  Our work has significance much greater than that. 
        We need to understand our job in light of this perspective.  Regardless of the job, He is our boss.  We do what we do for His glory.   
            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.  It is the Lord Christ that you are serving [Colossians 3:23 -24].

We allow Him to use work as a chisel to shape us—because work addresses character issues of faithfulness, responsibility, diligence, subjection to authority, stewardship, prioritization, etc. Even when our work does not appear to have spiritual value, it has spiritual implications. 
            So enjoy tomorrow and then rise up Tuesday with a new perspective on work.

Conclusion:  What if God had not done His work or ceased doing His work?  But He did and continues to do so.  Hence, we can be changed and can rejoice today.