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Hey everybody, this is Pastor 
John Ewart from Inglewood 

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Baptist Church here in Rocky 
Mountain, North Carolina. 

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Thank you for tuning in to the 
podcast today. 

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Today we're going to continue in
our series called Help Searching

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for God's peace with him, with 
one another, and with ourselves.

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Listen closely to what God has 
to say to you today. 

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I just want to welcome everyone 
to do this episode of our series

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called Help. 
Thank you for joining us. 

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If you're listening online, we 
appreciate you been hearing 

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comments from people who've been
listening online as they work, 

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as they jog, as they shop, as 
they drive, as they travel and 

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appreciate that very much. 
And thank you for listening in. 

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And for those of you who are 
here live, this is an 

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interesting subject tonight 
because you might think if 

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you're retired that this really 
doesn't have anything to do with

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you. 
And, and to be honest with you, 

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just the opposite is true. 
This might be as much for you as

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it is for anyone entering the 
workforce. 

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We're going to talk about 
wrestling work tonight. 

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And it's a it's it's a more of 
an interesting subject than you 

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might know. 
And the next week we're going to

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talk about managing money. 
And so don't let that throw you.

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That's not me trying to get 
yours. 

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That's me trying to help you 
with yours, OK. 

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And so this isn't this. 
It's not really even is there'll

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be a little bit of stewardship 
in there, obviously, because 

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that's part of it. 
But it's really not just about 

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that. 
It's really is about how do we 

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deal with this, this life thing 
called money that we all have to

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deal with daily. 
And so, and in our economy 

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today, this is something we need
some practical help on. 

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So so come back next time for 
that and listen to the next 

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episode for that. 
But, but I actually at the 

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seminary have taught a class 
called businesses missions. 

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I've mentioned that at times and
it's an interesting class where 

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you, you know, it's a missions 
class, but it's a missions class

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where we're talking about 
platforming often in places 

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either where you can't be a 
missionary legally or easily 

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from a visa standpoint, or it's 
just another way to support 

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yourself if you're a missionary 
and you're not necessarily with 

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a sending agency that pays for 
all of your expenses and salary 

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100%. 
And so we do everything in that 

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class from talk about new 
business startup to creating new

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businesses. 
And so I, I've, I've worked over

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the years, I was actually in a 
conversation in a home visit 

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today with one of our deacons 
and, and this subject matter 

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kind of came up with some of my 
consulting background. 

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And I've alluded to that a lot. 
I, I obviously have consulted 

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with churches, but I also have a
background of consulting with 

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businesses and our military and,
and both nonprofits and for 

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profit international companies. 
And so one of the things we did 

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in this process is we looked at 
how could we place people in 

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business overseas to serve, but 
also how could you start a, a, a

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business to support yourself and
or create a platform for 

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missionary service. 
And I say all that to say that 

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in that process and in that 
class, we talk about what we 

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would call a theology of work, 
which is not something that is 

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probably a common thought for a 
lot of people. 

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What is the theology, the 
doctrine of work, Right. 

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And so we're going to hit on 
that a little bit tonight, as 

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well as some practical ideas 
and, and even some fun ones, I 

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hope. 
And so that's what that's what 

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this will be about. 
There was a woman one day who 

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approached the pastor after the 
service and she was kind of 

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embarrassed, kind of sheepish, 
you know, with her head down. 

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And she just said, I, I, I hope 
you didn't take it personally, 

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pastor, when my husband walked 
out during your sermon and, and 

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the pastor, you know, looked at 
her and said, well, it was a 

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little bit disconcerting because
it was obvious when he did that.

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And she says, well, well, just 
understand. 

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It's not a reflection on you. 
Bob's been walking in asleep 

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ever since he was a child. 
So some of you, some of you, 

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some of you might think this 
really isn't a thing for me 

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tonight, but this really isn't. 
But this is a message you really

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need to pay attention to. 
It's a message of a lot of 

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purpose because, because work 
may throw you off when we talk 

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about what it really is. 
So you know, some of you work in

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an office, some of you work on a
line, some of you work outside, 

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some of you work at home, some 
of you are retired from a career

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and some of you are going to 
school as your job really right 

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now. 
And, and all those things are 

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important. 
But this is a message for all of

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us, regardless of your 
background and, and regardless 

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of your current status, it 
really does transcend just the 

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job that you have, although we 
will talk about that. 

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But we all come from and have 
had a variety of jobs over the 

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years in a group this large. 
And, and, and so I know that we 

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come from various backgrounds. 
An interviewer was asking a 

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young man one time if he could 
handle a variety of work. 

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And the young man says, well, I 
ought to be able to. 

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I've had 12 different jobs in 
the last last six months. 

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So sorry I stumbled through that
one. 

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But but yeah, so I pray that 
each of us wants to succeed, 

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whatever our current status is 
and, and what our current work 

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is. 
And we need to talk about that. 

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There's an old ad that says the 
first you don't succeed, then 

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you're probably not related to 
the boss. 

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And we need to recognize that in
work, we do need to understand 

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what this idea is. 
So we want to start in Genesis 

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chapter 2, as Jean alluded, 
Pastor Jean alluded to earlier. 

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And, and I just want to start 
you, you hopefully have a, a 

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listening guide, whether you're 
here, live with us, good to see 

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a good group here or whether 
you're listening online. 

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And in Genesis chapter 2, in the
beginning, there was a perfect 

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existence and we don't want to 
miss that. 

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That's really important. 
That perfect existence actually 

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wraps itself in a lot of 
theology for me. 

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We'll talk later in the year. 
I mentioned I'm going to do some

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apologetic work with you. 
We're in the conversation I was 

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having today, we were also 
describing the fact that we're 

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going to walk together later 
this year through a series where

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we talked about what are primary
doctrines we must believe in in 

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order to be a Christian, in 
order to be saved. 

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What are secondary doctrines in 
which we can have slightly 

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different viewpoints, but I'll 
still be in the same church and 

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work together. 
And then what are tertiary 

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points that shouldn't disrupt us
as much? 

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But we're going to talk about 
some of that theological triage.

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And this Genesis passage 
actually has a lot in it that I 

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wish I could unpack more for 
tonight, but we'll wait and do 

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some of that later. 
But in the beginning, there was 

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just this perfect existence. 
Let me just read a few verses 

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out of Genesis 2. 
We have a lot to cover tonight. 

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So I can't read the whole 
chapter, but it says when when 

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no Bush of the field was yet in 
the land. 

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So we're early on. 
And you know, we're still in the

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creation story. 
No Bush was yet in the land and 

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no small plant of the field had 
yet sprung up for the Lord God 

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had not caused it to rain on the
land and there was no man to 

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work the ground. 
So in that verse where before 

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Adam we still have we don't have
man yet. 

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But you even see from the from 
before the time humanity was 

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created that there was a purpose
of work for humanity and that he

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was going to work the land. 
He was going to work the ground.

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He was going to tend the garden.
Going on to verse 15, then it 

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says the Lord God took the man 
and put him in the Garden of 

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Eden to work it and to keep it. 
And I'm going to come back to 

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that verse and breakdown some of
those words. 

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And then verse 19, Now out of 
the ground, the Lord God had 

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formed every beast of the field 
and every bird of the heavens 

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and brought them to the man to 
see what He would call them. 

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And whatever the man called, 
every living creature, that was 

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its name. 
The man gave names to all 

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livestock and to the birds of 
the heavens and to every beast 

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of the field. 
But for Adam, there was not 

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found to help her fit for him. 
So from the very beginning, from

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even before the beginning, so to
speak, of man, man was designed 

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to work. 
He was designed to perform 

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certain functions that had value
and that never changes. 

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And this is what I want you to 
understand. 

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That doesn't change whether 
you're still in the middle of 

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your earthly vocational career 
or if you're in the latter years

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of retirement, there's still 
work for you to do. 

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There's still purpose for you, 
purpose of value that that lends

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itself to God's Kingdom and 
creation. 

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So we, we will keep hanging on 
to that. 

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We'll talk more about it. 
So we were always meant to work 

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and, and, and God also intended 
to be honest if it, believe it 

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or not, for man to enjoy by this
thing called work. 

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And so in the beginning, it was 
a good thing. 

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In the beginning, it was an 
enjoyable thing. 

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It was a perfect thing in this 
existence that was there. 

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And so when we're walking with 
God and we're walking in his 

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will, our attitudes and our 
actions need to be right. 

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And our work should still be 
very pleasing to God and should 

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bring satisfaction to us. 
And we're going to talk about 

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that may seem an impossibility 
for some of you out in the 

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workforce right now in the 
middle of perhaps not the 

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funnest job. 
And so we're going to talk about

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how do you endure that a little 
bit later too. 

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But it also means the same thing
for us just in life. 

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And so Adam had work to do and 
there was no conflict involved 

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at this point. 
In fact, the way these verses 

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are written, when you go back to
say verse 15 where he was to 

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work it and to keep it in this 
translation, the idea to work 

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was to or another translation 
would say to dress it. 

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And basically it meant to labor.
It meant to till it can mean to 

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plow. 
So he's literally turning the 

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ground in order for things to 
grow. 

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And then this idea of taking 
care or keeping it would also 

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mean to, to preserve it or to 
guard it. 

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And you get an entire doctrine, 
which we're not going to go into

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a whole lot tonight. 
It's a whole different subject 

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matter, but you get in a whole 
lot different doctrine of what 

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we would call creation care to 
where what is our role? 

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And and I'm I'm I'm not the 
greatest environmentalist in the

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world, I got to admit to you, 
but but what is our role in 

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helping to maintain and to 
preserve the creation? 

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And what responsibility as 
believers do we have? 

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And those are good questions, 
not necessarily for tonight, but

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we can certainly address those 
later. 

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But but these words were also, 
here's the part I want you to 

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get tonight in this episode. 
These same exact words in Hebrew

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were also used in worship. 
These were actually words, words

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used by the Levitical priests in
their temple service. 

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And so these exact same terms 
were, were the words that they 

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use when they were serving in 
the Tabernacle and later in the 

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temple. 
And so the thought is this, and 

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and don't miss this, and I know 
this may seem weird to you and 

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I'll try to make the case for 
this as we progress. 

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But the idea is, is that work in
its purest form is actually an 

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act of worship. 
Now your job may not feel like 

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worship, and I get that, and the
career you left, just left 

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behind may not have felt like 
worship. 

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But I want us to understand this
concept and let let me build on 

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it. 
Theologian John Stott once 

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described work this way. 
He said work is the expenditure 

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of energy, whether manual or 
mental or both in the service of

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others, which brings fulfilment 
to the worker, benefit to the 

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community and glory to God. 
And you might not always think 

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of a work like that, work as 
service, work as worship to 

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where you really are benefiting 
other people by what you're 

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doing in your work. 
Again, that's whether or not 

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it's the job you're being paid 
for as a career or it's the work

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that you need to be doing in 
retirement. 

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And you retirees hang on because
I'm going to hit you pretty hard

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later. 
I'm going to get you and that 

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recognize that that there's 
still work to be done and and 

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part of that is think about as 
you break this down. 

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It should bring fulfillment to 
us. 

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And the only way that's going to
happen is if we have the right 

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attitude and perspective about 
it. 

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But it also ought to benefit 
others and the community and 

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also it ought to bring glory to 
God by the way we do it and our 

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motives for doing it. 
And we're going to kind of break

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00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:24,600
some all of those things down as
you walk through this. 

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But but in this passage we see 
is man's man's charged with 

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exercising dominion over the 
garden. 

229
00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:35,600
He's naming the animals that 
he's tilling the ground. 

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And it was it was holy work. 
It was righteous work because he

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was in the right relationship 
with the father. 

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And this was something the 
father wanted him to do. 

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This is something God the 
Creator designed for him to do. 

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Notice he didn't just plop Adam 
and Eve in the garden with 

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nothing to do there. 
They weren't just sitting there 

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staring it at the beautiful 
fruit and the and the animals. 

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They actually had, had 
responsibilities. 

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They had, they had duties to 
perform. 

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And and that's part of our 
created imagery. 

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That's part of who we are in 
God's image. 

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00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:11,440
That's part and I'll, I'll prove
that in a minute, but that's 

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also who we're supposed to be 
until we die. 

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00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:17,720
This, this isn't just about the 
career you're that that may be 

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some of the work you do during 
that season of your life, but 

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00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:24,920
this doesn't end that this never
ends in the way that we're 

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supposed to serve him according 
to his will for us, his purpose 

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for each of us. 
Now, work was designed then to 

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serve God. 
It was designed to fulfill his 

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purpose for mankind. 
And so here we are. 

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We're not designed to just sit 
around and do nothing. 

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That's not our purpose. 
That's not the way we're 

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created. 
That's not a part, that's not 

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part of the design of who we're 
supposed to be. 

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So work helps us in a couple of 
ways works. 

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Work helps to define who we are.
I mean, you often think about 

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this. 
What do you do for a living? 

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Or, or you might even introduce 
yourself. 

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Somebody says, who are you or, 
or what do you do for it? 

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00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:06,360
And you say, well, I'm a blank. 
And you often describe the job 

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00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:10,920
you had or the job you have. 
I'm a pastor or I'm a preacher 

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00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:16,600
or, you know, I'm a whatever I 
am at that time in my past life 

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00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:20,080
here, it's often, it was often 
difficult to describe exactly 

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00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:23,000
what it was. 
And so, but we often use that as

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00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:24,720
part of our identity, good or 
bad. 

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00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:27,840
But we often do that. 
But but the work we're supposed 

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00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:32,720
to do is actually part of a 
sovereign plan that God has for 

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00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:34,800
us. 
He has a personalized calling 

268
00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:38,080
and a personalized purpose for 
each one of us. 

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00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:42,120
And your vocation during that 
season of life is can certainly 

270
00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:44,400
be a part of that. 
But it's not all of that. 

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00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:47,760
That, that may be a way that you
make a living or you make money 

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00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:50,400
to provide for you to do the 
work that he really wants you to

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00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:53,160
do, which has nothing to do with
what you're getting paid for. 

274
00:14:53,680 --> 00:14:57,600
It has nothing to do with what, 
what the job title is at the 

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company. 
It's much more than that and, 

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00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:02,240
and even different than that. 
And we're going to expand upon 

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00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:05,800
that as well. 
And, and, and, and of course our

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00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:09,480
jobs and the use of our time are
all part of that personalized 

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00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:12,680
calling, that personalized 
purpose that he has for you. 

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00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:15,640
You've really got to think in 
terms of stewardship of life. 

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00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:19,080
He's given you a life and he 
wants you to do certain things 

282
00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:22,080
in that life. 
And we pray and say, God, should

283
00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:24,120
I take this job or should I take
that job? 

284
00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:26,640
Or should I go to this school or
should I go to that school or 

285
00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:28,800
should I study this or should I 
study that? 

286
00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:30,640
Depending upon the season that 
you're in. 

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00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:34,920
But but beyond all that, who you
are and what you're supposed to 

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00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:38,600
do that that that job or that 
vocation can certainly be a 

289
00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:40,640
platform. 
Just like I was talking about 

290
00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:43,440
earlier with missionaries. 
They can give you a platform. 

291
00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:46,240
But but my real job, for 
example, let me just tell you 

292
00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:49,080
this story. 
Let me, I think I can tell this 

293
00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:51,680
story out loud. 
I think it's okay. 

294
00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:58,160
It's not one of those stories. 
So, but, but I had a student, 

295
00:15:58,160 --> 00:15:59,920
I'm going to be a little generic
here. 

296
00:15:59,920 --> 00:16:03,640
There's some security questions 
in my head, but I had a student 

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00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:06,720
who was a relative of a certain 
doughnut company. 

298
00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:09,040
I've, I've alluded to this to 
some of you before. 

299
00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:12,440
He a very famous doughnut 
company that some of you know, 

300
00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:16,040
started in this state and, and 
some of you like to eat. 

301
00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:18,080
They tend to melt in your mouth 
and don't have a lot of 

302
00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:21,320
substance to them. 
I think they're 99.9% sugar, 

303
00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:23,160
especially if you're microwave 
them. 

304
00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:27,640
But, but he, he was the nephew 
of a Grand Pooh ball of the 

305
00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:31,240
doughnut company. 
And he was in a class that I 

306
00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:34,160
taught like this and he was 
taking those doughnuts to a 

307
00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:39,720
certain East Asian, very large 
communist nation and introducing

308
00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:42,080
them to the nation as a whole, 
which he has done. 

309
00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:46,720
And it has become a probably 
multi million to more business 

310
00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:50,320
in the process. 
But the real goal behind all of 

311
00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:54,480
that was to employ believers 
within that company in that very

312
00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:59,320
difficult place to be 1. 
And so, so you have the job, the

313
00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:02,120
vocation for which you're 
getting paid, but there's a much

314
00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:07,040
bigger purpose going on, a much 
bigger idea that just, I'm, I'm,

315
00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:11,440
I'm on the line working everyday
doing whatever I do, which is 

316
00:17:11,599 --> 00:17:15,200
honorable and wonderful, But at 
the same time, that's not really

317
00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:17,640
who you are. 
So your identity is much more 

318
00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:22,359
than just I'm a lawyer or I'm a 
doctor or I work, I work at the 

319
00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:24,960
Ford plant or, you know, 
whatever you, I'm a farmer or 

320
00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:27,920
whatever it is you do. 
And so our jobs and the use of 

321
00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:30,160
our time are part of this. 
But but some of you, some of you

322
00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:34,440
praise the Lord, have the 
privilege of being set free from

323
00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:38,240
earthly employment like that in 
a thing called retirement. 

324
00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:44,200
And now you have an even greater
way to serve him with more time,

325
00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:48,920
more freedom, and far more vigor
and energy than you ever had in 

326
00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:56,560
your entire existence. 
I appreciated the, the, the, the

327
00:17:56,560 --> 00:18:02,040
attempt at support. 
So work helps to define who we 

328
00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:04,880
are then then very practically, 
it also helps to deliver what we

329
00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:07,040
need. 
I mean, that's a part of this, 

330
00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:08,960
isn't it? 
It, you know, we, we, we get 

331
00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:13,640
food, we get resources, we're 
able to provide for ourselves 

332
00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:17,720
and our families and others 
because we have a means to 

333
00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:21,000
produce a means to earn things 
along the way. 

334
00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:26,280
And, but these two are things 
that can be used in worship and,

335
00:18:26,280 --> 00:18:29,600
and use for God's glory. 
Our resources, that stewardship 

336
00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:33,600
is also a part of the equation. 
You're not supposed to earn 

337
00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:36,640
resources just so that you can 
use them on yourself. 

338
00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:39,960
You're supposed to earn these 
resources so that you can 

339
00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:44,400
worship God with them and, and 
help his work and help others as

340
00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:46,640
well. 
So, so here we are in Genesis 2.

341
00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:49,600
All is well in the garden. 
Everything's great. 

342
00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:53,000
The fruit must have been 
perfect. 

343
00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:57,480
The vegetables must have been 
tasty and the lion and the lamb 

344
00:18:57,480 --> 00:19:00,360
are are snuggling together and 
everybody's happy. 

345
00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:06,520
He had a Adam had a great career
and then something horrible, 

346
00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:11,640
horrible went wrong. 
So then we have to see this 

347
00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:15,440
tragic transformation that 
revolves around work, which is 

348
00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:19,440
why you all, some of you all 
grown and groaned at the 

349
00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:21,560
beginning when you hear the word
work. 

350
00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:26,640
See grown everybody. 
Thank you very much appreciate 

351
00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:28,120
it. 
We need sound effects. 

352
00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:36,880
So so Genesis chapter 3 and we 
come in after the fall. 

353
00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:42,000
So Adam and Eve have sinned and 
here's the one of those results,

354
00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:46,560
some of the results of their 
sin, some of the results of 

355
00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:51,000
their fall beginning in verse 
17, it says and to Adam, he 

356
00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:53,800
said, because you have listened 
to the voice of your wife. 

357
00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:55,200
I always thought that you know, 
there you go. 

358
00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:58,920
You know, he's I mean, you got 
to remember he's sinful now, 

359
00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:00,640
right? 
So he's so he's blaming other 

360
00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:05,680
people and have eaten of the 
tree of which I commanded you. 

361
00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:10,560
You shall not eat of it. 
Cursed is the ground because of 

362
00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:11,720
you. 
Here's where we really picked 

363
00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:15,200
this up in pain. 
You shall eat of it all the days

364
00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:18,480
of your life. 
Thorns and thistles it shall 

365
00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:21,720
bring forth for you, and you 
shall eat the plants of the 

366
00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:26,800
field by the sweat of your face.
You shall eat bread till you 

367
00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:31,080
return to the ground, for out of
it you were taken, for you are 

368
00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:34,480
dust, and to dust you shall 
return. 

369
00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:38,160
And then in verse 23, therefore,
the Lord sent him out from the 

370
00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:42,240
Garden of Eden to work the 
ground from which he was taken. 

371
00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:48,560
But suddenly, tragically, work 
became something else. 

372
00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:52,000
It wasn't just an act of worship
anymore. 

373
00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:55,960
It wasn't a wonderful, glorious,
happy, joyful experience 

374
00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:57,920
anymore. 
It was a drudgery. 

375
00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:01,040
It was a it was a toil that took
place. 

376
00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:07,640
And so sin brings this curse to 
Adam's heart and mind, but also 

377
00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:11,080
a curse to the ground. 
You now have weeds, you now have

378
00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:14,120
thorns. 
You'll not have disease. 

379
00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:17,240
You'll now have everything else 
in the fallen creation that you 

380
00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:21,120
didn't have just before. 
Those things didn't exist. 

381
00:21:21,120 --> 00:21:24,760
And now in the fallenness of the
creation, which itself groans, 

382
00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:30,800
we see that the work then 
results in this toil and labor 

383
00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:34,160
by the sweaty of the face, by 
the sweat of the brow, which is 

384
00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:38,960
what often we associate now with
the word work. 

385
00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:45,480
I've got to go to work, you 
know, and, and it's not an act 

386
00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:48,760
of worship anymore. 
It's an act of survival and 

387
00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:53,120
drudgery in a fallen world. 
And so it becomes this twisted 

388
00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:56,160
thing. 
So sin spoils this pristine 

389
00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:58,760
relationship between man and his
environment. 

390
00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:03,800
Everything is twisted. 
And so work becomes difficult, 

391
00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:08,760
work becomes a chore, work 
becomes a labor, you know, and, 

392
00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:11,120
and, and often something we 
dread. 

393
00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:13,840
So the key here is to think of 
this. 

394
00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:18,600
Instead of work serving God, we 
came to serve our work. 

395
00:22:19,360 --> 00:22:21,000
And, and that's kind of what 
happens. 

396
00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:24,600
We become servants to the work. 
And and and the problem with 

397
00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:29,000
that is, is that earthly work 
sent in that sinful state can 

398
00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:32,040
lead us away from God. 
It can actually lead us deeper 

399
00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:34,720
into sin. 
It can dictate our schedule. 

400
00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:38,040
It can take our lives away. 
It can dominate our spirits. 

401
00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:40,760
Work can be a real pain. 
Any amens? 

402
00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:44,960
Yeah, it can be a real pain. 
It can destroy families. 

403
00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:48,640
It can destroy marriages because
it becomes a priority over 

404
00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:52,240
family or marriage. 
It can take a father or mother 

405
00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:54,640
away. 
It can compete with values. 

406
00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:59,080
It can exhaust you to the point 
of neglect of other obligations 

407
00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:01,080
to God. 
I have to work today. 

408
00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:03,280
I can't go to worship. 
I have to work today. 

409
00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:05,240
I can't do what God wants me to 
do. 

410
00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:08,120
I don't have the time or the 
energy or the money or whatever 

411
00:23:08,120 --> 00:23:10,040
it is. 
And so it actually becomes a 

412
00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:14,000
competing thing with God and to 
other services of God. 

413
00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:17,400
And so in the end, work can 
become an enemy of Shalom, which

414
00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:20,840
is the goal of this series. 
It takes us away from peace, 

415
00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:23,800
away from completeness, away 
from satisfaction. 

416
00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:28,280
And so fear, shame, blame, 
separation from God all entered 

417
00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:33,000
into the original workplace 
because of sin and frankly 

418
00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:37,160
continues today. 
And so maybe you work or have 

419
00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:41,800
worked in a in a hostile, sinful
environment in your in your 

420
00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:44,800
earthly career. 
Maybe you've had a lousy boss, 

421
00:23:45,360 --> 00:23:47,120
maybe you've had horrible Co 
workers. 

422
00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:50,200
Maybe that's just a part of your
existence today. 

423
00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:53,800
Maybe you came tonight hoping 
you could escape that a little 

424
00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:56,480
bit. 
And so integrity can suffer, 

425
00:23:56,480 --> 00:24:00,120
immoral practices occur. 
Money can become more important 

426
00:24:00,120 --> 00:24:05,520
than people and purpose and, and
we attempt to satisfy needs 

427
00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:08,720
often apart from God. 
And so it can become even an 

428
00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:13,560
idol that separates us from what
its original purpose was. 

429
00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:18,040
And then, and then you're back 
into stress and anger and guilt 

430
00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:21,480
and, and fear and the other 
things that we've talked about 

431
00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:23,400
over these weeks. 
And so this is actually a 

432
00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:26,600
producer of some of these 
emotional and spiritual 

433
00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:29,200
reactions that we've talked 
about in past times. 

434
00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:32,960
And so we see that in fact 
Ecclesiastes, Solomon in his 

435
00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:38,920
wisdom said this in 6-7, 
Ecclesiastes 6-7 all the toil of

436
00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:43,880
man, As for his mouth, yet his 
appetite is not satisfied. 

437
00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:48,000
And so no matter how hard you 
work, no matter how hard, it 

438
00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:53,520
never completely satisfies man. 
And so God, God can take our 

439
00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:56,480
mistakes, though, and God can 
cause good things to come out of

440
00:24:56,480 --> 00:24:59,200
them. 
And So what, what do we do? 

441
00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:02,120
We're in the middle of this. 
We can't escape the fact that we

442
00:25:02,120 --> 00:25:05,600
live in a sinful condition. 
We live in a sinful environment.

443
00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:08,400
We're, we're going to be 
surrounded by sinful people. 

444
00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:11,320
We live in the fallen creation. 
So what are we going to do about

445
00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:13,040
this? 
Well, Paul actually helps us. 

446
00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:18,360
So Paul writes to a church that 
was struggling with work, and he

447
00:25:18,360 --> 00:25:23,200
clearly proclaims #3 he shares 
this clear expectation to the 

448
00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:26,440
church at Thessalonica, which 
was actually struggling with 

449
00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:29,520
this for some very odd reasons, 
but they were struggling with 

450
00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:32,800
the idea of work. 
And so in this in Second 

451
00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:36,120
Thessalonians chapter 3, let's 
look at verse 6. 

452
00:25:36,120 --> 00:25:38,760
We're going to skip a couple of 
verses, but look at verse 6. 

453
00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:44,160
Now we command you brothers, in 
the name of our Lord Jesus 

454
00:25:44,160 --> 00:25:47,400
Christ, that you keep away from 
any brother who is walking in 

455
00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:51,320
idleness and not in accord with 
the tradition that you receive 

456
00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:54,240
from us. 
Well, we, we need to, we need 

457
00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:55,720
more than that. 
We need to understand what he's 

458
00:25:55,720 --> 00:25:56,800
saying. 
Look at verse 10. 

459
00:25:57,800 --> 00:26:02,360
For even when we were with you, 
we would give you this command. 

460
00:26:03,120 --> 00:26:07,000
If anyone is not willing to 
work, let him not eat. 

461
00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:11,720
For we hear that some among you 
walking idleness, not busy at 

462
00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:16,360
work, but busy bodies. 
Now such persons we command and 

463
00:26:16,360 --> 00:26:19,440
encourage in the Lord Jesus 
Christ to do their work quietly 

464
00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:23,280
and to earn their own living. 
As for you brothers, do not grow

465
00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:25,840
weary in doing good. 
If anyone does not obey what we 

466
00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:28,840
say in this letter, take note of
that person and have nothing to 

467
00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:30,880
do with him, that he may be 
ashamed. 

468
00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:34,280
Do not regard him as an enemy, 
but warn him as a brother. 

469
00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:37,800
It's pretty serious, isn't it? 
It's like you got people who are

470
00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:40,880
lazy and idle in the church. 
You're supposed to discipline 

471
00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:41,840
them. 
You're supposed to call 

472
00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:44,440
attention to this. 
You're, you're supposed to just 

473
00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:47,480
say stop it. 
This is not who we are supposed 

474
00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:49,440
to be. 
We're supposed to be productive.

475
00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:52,800
We're supposed to be purposeful.
We're supposed to to take care 

476
00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:55,480
of ourselves. 
So, so first of all, Paul simply

477
00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:59,720
pretty well says work. 
That's what he says if you can 

478
00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:03,920
work, right? 
And so some scholars believe, 

479
00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:05,960
and it's always been an 
interesting, I've read this so 

480
00:27:05,960 --> 00:27:09,480
many times over the centuries 
I've been alive, that some 

481
00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:13,720
scholars believe that that in 
Thessalonica, these believers 

482
00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:17,600
were so preoccupied with the 
return of Christ that they 

483
00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:20,800
neglected their daily duties, 
their necessities of living. 

484
00:27:21,120 --> 00:27:23,360
And we're kind of and they were 
sponging off others. 

485
00:27:23,360 --> 00:27:26,200
That part's clear. 
They're sponging off others and 

486
00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:29,960
creating disruption. 
And some, some scholars actually

487
00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:32,720
paint this because of the 
context of this, this entire 

488
00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:36,560
book and the other chapters that
this really was related to the 

489
00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:38,280
second coming. 
It's like they're sitting up on 

490
00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:42,000
the hillside staring at the sky 
and not and not doing anything 

491
00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:44,720
but expecting other people to 
provide for them while they go 

492
00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:47,320
sit and on the hillside staring 
at the sky. 

493
00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:50,760
Now, we're not certain about 
that because it really doesn't 

494
00:27:50,760 --> 00:27:54,200
say that in this text. 
So that that's, some scholars 

495
00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:56,760
believe that and I've seen many 
commentaries that will say that.

496
00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:59,760
But we do know there was a 
serious problem here because 

497
00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:01,560
these are these are strong 
words. 

498
00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:04,440
These are strong words. 
I'll show you that in a minute. 

499
00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:07,000
These are stronger words in the 
original language and sometimes 

500
00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:08,400
the English will kind of present
to us. 

501
00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:11,760
But these people weren't 
working, but they were still 

502
00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:14,600
expecting to be cared for. 
I don't know if you have you 

503
00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:19,920
ever heard such thing? 
People who are who who could 

504
00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:21,000
work. 
Now we're not talking about 

505
00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:23,080
people who can't work. 
We're talking about people who 

506
00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:26,880
could work and should work but 
weren't working but expected 

507
00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:27,960
everybody else take care of 
them. 

508
00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:30,520
I really we have that in our 
world today. 

509
00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:37,280
So Paul commands them to work. 
And those that refuse to work 

510
00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:39,800
were to be disciplined by the 
church. 

511
00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:42,960
It's interesting. 
Now, listen, you can understand 

512
00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:46,920
he's about as blunt as he can be
in his language. 

513
00:28:47,120 --> 00:28:49,760
I mean, he means business. 
I mean, if all the things were 

514
00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:52,160
Paul's blunt in his language, 
and there's more than one time 

515
00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:55,520
when Paul's pretty blunt. 
This is a this is a pretty 

516
00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:58,760
strong passage. 
They were to withdraw fellowship

517
00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:01,240
from the idol, from the lazy 
people. 

518
00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:04,960
OK. 
And, and they weren't only idol,

519
00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:09,040
but but they were also expecting
others to support them 

520
00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:12,960
financially by giving them food 
and other supplies. 

521
00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:17,200
And so this word doesn't just 
mean lazy. 

522
00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:19,480
The word idle here is a strong 
word. 

523
00:29:19,680 --> 00:29:22,840
It actually means undisciplined 
and disorderly. 

524
00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:25,640
So they're, they're far more 
than, they're not just sitting 

525
00:29:25,640 --> 00:29:28,800
around quietly about this, 
they're actually causing 

526
00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:32,440
trouble. 
And so the word is actually used

527
00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:36,360
in the Septuagint when it refers
to a disorderly mob. 

528
00:29:37,040 --> 00:29:39,320
And, and this word can actually 
mean chaos. 

529
00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:44,480
They're causing chaos in the 
church by their laziness, by 

530
00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:48,240
their idleness, by their lack 
of, of production. 

531
00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:51,680
And so they were a burden to the
rest of the congregation. 

532
00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:54,760
They're capable of supporting 
themselves, but they're looking 

533
00:29:54,880 --> 00:29:59,960
to others for support 
intentionally, deliberately 

534
00:29:59,960 --> 00:30:02,440
neglecting their own 
responsibilities. 

535
00:30:02,720 --> 00:30:06,760
And so if you don't work, you 
don't what you don't eat. 

536
00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:10,160
Now, gang, hang in there with 
me. 

537
00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:11,960
Buckle your seatbelts for a 
minute. 

538
00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:15,000
Watch your toes. 
Because this also applies to 

539
00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:19,200
church service. 
You know, if you're able to 

540
00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:21,840
serve in the church and to work 
in the church and you're just 

541
00:30:21,840 --> 00:30:25,480
sitting back and letting 
everybody else do it, shame on 

542
00:30:25,480 --> 00:30:33,720
you say your idol because that's
not the purpose. 

543
00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:36,440
That's not what Ephesians says. 
We're all supposed to do our 

544
00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:38,480
part. 
The Bible says the body works 

545
00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:42,400
when every part does its share. 
And so if you can work and you 

546
00:30:42,400 --> 00:30:46,160
can serve and you're just 
sitting back and enjoying the 

547
00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:50,400
the proceeds and the fruit stop 
it work. 

548
00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:54,800
How was that that good? 
We OK, you are a Wednesday night

549
00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:56,800
crowd. 
You all like that All right, so 

550
00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:00,760
and say that on a Sunday 
morning, half that section walks

551
00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:05,480
out and I'm kidding. 
So everybody just turned off the

552
00:31:05,480 --> 00:31:08,120
podcast. 
So hello, you're still there. 

553
00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:11,480
Hello. 
So, but this also applies to 

554
00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:13,280
school. 
If you're a student in here, we 

555
00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:16,000
have some young people in here 
might be going to college and 

556
00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:18,360
and those of you listening, this
also applies to you as a 

557
00:31:18,360 --> 00:31:20,280
student. 
You need to be the best student.

558
00:31:20,320 --> 00:31:22,840
That's work for you. 
That's, that's a job for you and

559
00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:25,400
you need to apply yourself. 
And, and we'll talk more about 

560
00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:27,520
that in a minute. 
But, but if you're capable 

561
00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:30,960
feeding and serving and sitting 
back expecting everybody else to

562
00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:34,680
do, to do that for them and, and
sometimes criticizing probably 

563
00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:37,800
the way they do it because they 
were creating chaos. 

564
00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:40,960
They, they weren't just sitting 
there, they were creating a 

565
00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:44,040
problem in the church in 
Thessalonica. 

566
00:31:44,760 --> 00:31:48,320
And so if your primary career 
right now is, is that of a 

567
00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:51,400
student or, or that of a 
certain, a servant in the 

568
00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:54,080
church, you need to work hard to
fulfill those obligations. 

569
00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:57,320
Don't be disorderly, don't be 
undisciplined because in, as he 

570
00:31:57,320 --> 00:32:00,680
says in this passage, it's 
actually a word play in the 

571
00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:03,640
original language, he said. 
Some of you, some of you are not

572
00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:09,560
busy, you're just busy bodies. 
And, and these people, these 

573
00:32:09,560 --> 00:32:13,000
people didn't work in useful 
ways, but they did work in 

574
00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:15,640
useless ways. 
And so they were actively 

575
00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:20,240
causing problems as well. 
So it's not that these people 

576
00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:22,360
were inactive, but they were 
active and unproductive, 

577
00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:24,000
irresponsible, disruptive 
manner. 

578
00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:26,480
They were actually meddling in 
one another's affairs is kind of

579
00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:28,880
what that wording means. 
And so they're sticking their 

580
00:32:28,880 --> 00:32:30,240
nose into everybody else's 
business. 

581
00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:34,480
So busy with busy with everybody
else's problems, but failing to 

582
00:32:34,480 --> 00:32:37,880
take care of their own lives. 
I think I've known people like 

583
00:32:37,880 --> 00:32:41,320
that. 
Anybody ever any testimony? 

584
00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:43,920
No, maybe not. 
OK, we'll get those later. 

585
00:32:44,320 --> 00:32:46,920
And so Paul basically is just 
saying, especially in verse 12, 

586
00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:49,080
he's basically saying, why don't
you just settle down and work? 

587
00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:53,960
So quit that and settle down and
get busy about what you're 

588
00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:56,640
supposed to be doing. 
So instead of being fussy, 

589
00:32:56,640 --> 00:32:59,400
instead of being agitated, 
instead of being undisciplined, 

590
00:32:59,880 --> 00:33:01,720
you, you need to do what's 
right. 

591
00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:05,880
And, and I, you know, I think 
about this passage and, and I, 

592
00:33:05,960 --> 00:33:09,840
and I, I, I appreciate Paul in 
this passage because I often 

593
00:33:09,840 --> 00:33:13,400
think, you know, for example, 
in, in verse 13, as he says, As 

594
00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:15,840
for you, brothers, do not grow 
weary and doing good. 

595
00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:17,640
You know, it's always 
interesting to me. 

596
00:33:17,640 --> 00:33:20,920
I don't know about you, but, 
but, but in church life 

597
00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:23,600
especially, you know, people 
come up and this may shock you. 

598
00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:26,040
You know, those of you who are 
listening online, you need to 

599
00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:28,400
sit down wherever you are. 
And if you're jogging, stop. 

600
00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:29,840
I don't want you to have an 
accident. 

601
00:33:30,120 --> 00:33:31,920
If you're driving the car, be 
careful. 

602
00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:34,800
Those of you here, I'm glad 
you're sitting down because this

603
00:33:34,800 --> 00:33:37,240
may shock you. 
But, but as a pastor, people 

604
00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:39,120
come up and have opinions. 
They want to tell me. 

605
00:33:43,320 --> 00:33:47,440
I know it's shocking and so, but
I find it. 

606
00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:48,760
See if this is true in your 
life. 

607
00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:53,360
I always respect the opinions of
those who are pitching in and 

608
00:33:53,360 --> 00:33:57,680
standing alongside working hard,
rather than those who are just 

609
00:33:57,680 --> 00:34:00,280
sitting back and criticizing 
from the easy chairs. 

610
00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:03,000
Don't you? 
I mean, if you, if you're, 

611
00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:05,960
you're a servant really working 
hard, I'll sit down and I'll be 

612
00:34:05,960 --> 00:34:08,639
quiet and I want to listen 
because you, you know, I 

613
00:34:08,639 --> 00:34:11,840
appreciate you and I, I want to 
hear what you have to say. 

614
00:34:12,239 --> 00:34:14,199
And I very likely will learn 
something. 

615
00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:18,480
But I, I probably don't react as
positively to the person who 

616
00:34:18,480 --> 00:34:22,280
just sits back and and critiques
and doesn't actually pitch in 

617
00:34:22,280 --> 00:34:25,159
and help, you know, so, and 
that's probably you all too. 

618
00:34:25,440 --> 00:34:30,239
So, so we need to recognize I 
will be busy for the body, not a

619
00:34:30,239 --> 00:34:33,679
busy body. 
Yeah, repeat that with me. 

620
00:34:33,719 --> 00:34:37,960
I will be busy for the body, but
not a busy body. 

621
00:34:37,960 --> 00:34:40,560
That's right. 
Yeah, that's right. 

622
00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:43,480
We're going to pitch in. 
So, so work can become a good 

623
00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:44,960
thing to do again. 
That's that. 

624
00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:49,239
That's what I want you to grab. 
We can regain a piece of Eden, 

625
00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:53,800
we can regain a piece of our 
original created imagery. 

626
00:34:54,520 --> 00:34:59,320
We can regain a bit of our 
created purpose if we can see 

627
00:34:59,320 --> 00:35:02,960
work as something positive, as 
something that's beneficial, as 

628
00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:06,560
something that we can actually 
plug into and actually help 

629
00:35:06,560 --> 00:35:08,720
others. 
So it can become this act of 

630
00:35:08,720 --> 00:35:11,040
worship again. 
I don't care whether that's work

631
00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:14,880
in the, in a, in an office or 
that's work as a retiree and 

632
00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:17,960
your volunteer service and what 
you're doing here at the church,

633
00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:21,760
it's still work. 
And so, and so we can regain 

634
00:35:21,760 --> 00:35:25,760
this garden perspective, find a 
little bit of Shalom and, and, 

635
00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:30,080
and we can, we can be challenged
to work for our and take care of

636
00:35:30,080 --> 00:35:33,080
our own needs on the practical 
level for those who are out in 

637
00:35:33,080 --> 00:35:37,080
the place earning a living. 
But, but some, some honestly 

638
00:35:37,080 --> 00:35:39,320
can't do that. 
Some have lost their capability.

639
00:35:40,080 --> 00:35:42,600
And, and we recognize that and 
we want to take care of you. 

640
00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:46,440
You know, if you, if you can't 
honestly work you, you, you've 

641
00:35:46,480 --> 00:35:48,800
reached that place in your life 
and where maybe you're 

642
00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:51,560
physically not able to do that. 
Well, we, we want to take care 

643
00:35:51,560 --> 00:35:53,040
of you. 
That's part of the church too. 

644
00:35:53,480 --> 00:35:56,000
And that's part of our work. 
Part of our work is to take care

645
00:35:56,000 --> 00:35:58,120
of you. 
So, so we're not talking about 

646
00:35:58,120 --> 00:35:59,800
you at all. 
Thank you for allowing us the 

647
00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:03,400
privilege of helping you. 
But, but if you can, you better 

648
00:36:03,800 --> 00:36:06,720
because it's, it's, it's not 
about a vocation, it's about 

649
00:36:06,720 --> 00:36:09,280
purpose. 
Work is about purpose. 

650
00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:12,560
Why are we created? 
Why are we here? 

651
00:36:12,960 --> 00:36:17,200
And so in its purest form, it's 
an act of worship, just like an 

652
00:36:17,200 --> 00:36:19,880
Eden. 
So then Paul goes on and he even

653
00:36:19,880 --> 00:36:24,680
shares a personal example. 
So in chapter 3, verse seven, he

654
00:36:24,680 --> 00:36:29,800
says, for you yourselves know 
how you ought to imitate us 

655
00:36:30,360 --> 00:36:34,680
because we were not idle. 
Same word used here when we were

656
00:36:34,680 --> 00:36:36,960
with you. 
Nor did we eat anyone's bread 

657
00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:39,880
without paying for it, but with 
toil and labor. 

658
00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:43,240
We worked night and day that we 
might not be a burden to any of 

659
00:36:43,240 --> 00:36:45,640
you. 
It was not because we do not 

660
00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:49,120
have that right, but to give you
in our but to give you in 

661
00:36:49,120 --> 00:36:52,040
ourselves as an example to 
imitate. 

662
00:36:52,560 --> 00:36:54,680
We wanted to be an example to 
you. 

663
00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:57,960
And so we want to be an example 
to others. 

664
00:36:58,080 --> 00:37:00,800
Whether you're working in an 
office, whether you're studying 

665
00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:04,200
at school, whether you're 
serving at the church, you know,

666
00:37:04,200 --> 00:37:07,240
or you're volunteering some 
other place in the community, we

667
00:37:07,280 --> 00:37:09,520
need to be an example to other 
people. 

668
00:37:09,640 --> 00:37:12,560
So Paul gave him examples and 
reasons to show why this 

669
00:37:12,560 --> 00:37:15,080
negative behavior in the church 
shouldn't be tolerated. 

670
00:37:15,240 --> 00:37:18,440
This idleness, this 
disruptiveness, this this, this 

671
00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:21,840
charity concept when you don't 
deserve that you don't need it 

672
00:37:22,520 --> 00:37:27,320
to sponge off of other people is
not something that's worthy. 

673
00:37:27,400 --> 00:37:32,120
There's no excuse for a 
parasitic lifestyle unless you 

674
00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:36,680
just truly are unable to take 
care of yourself. 

675
00:37:38,240 --> 00:37:41,080
And so they knew he worked hard.
They saw that. 

676
00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:44,480
In verse 9, he talks about that.
We were an example. 

677
00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:49,680
Your translation might say 
model, and this word means to 

678
00:37:49,680 --> 00:37:52,360
strike an image. 
Like you're like you're casting 

679
00:37:52,360 --> 00:37:56,000
a coin, you're striking an image
on a coin or, or you're putting 

680
00:37:56,000 --> 00:37:57,840
a signet ring and a piece of 
clay. 

681
00:37:58,240 --> 00:38:01,160
So you strike an image. 
It's an imprint, it's an 

682
00:38:01,160 --> 00:38:05,440
impression, it's a pattern to be
imitated over and over again. 

683
00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:09,040
So so you're stamping something 
that can be repeated. 

684
00:38:09,480 --> 00:38:14,560
And so Christians need to 
develop a reputation for that 

685
00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:18,160
kind of model, that kind of 
example, that kind of reputation

686
00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:22,040
and discipline in in the work, 
in the service that they're 

687
00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:25,440
providing, because it's an act 
of worship, it's an act of 

688
00:38:25,440 --> 00:38:28,520
discipleship, it's an act of 
obedience. 

689
00:38:28,800 --> 00:38:33,800
It it's reclaiming our original 
reason for breathing and 

690
00:38:33,800 --> 00:38:37,600
existing, right. 
In fact, in Colossians 323, 

691
00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:43,080
remember he says whatever you 
do, work heartily As for the 

692
00:38:43,080 --> 00:38:48,160
Lord and not just for men. 
So whatever we're doing, whether

693
00:38:48,160 --> 00:38:51,520
it's what I'm getting paid to do
or or what I'm doing out of of 

694
00:38:51,520 --> 00:38:55,640
love and service to him, to his 
church, to the community, to an 

695
00:38:55,640 --> 00:38:58,720
organization, you help what I'm 
doing to serve and to help. 

696
00:38:58,920 --> 00:39:02,320
I'm doing this as as a way to 
glorify him. 

697
00:39:02,960 --> 00:39:07,880
So the apostles were standing in
sharp contrast to this 

698
00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:11,040
disorderly, undisciplined church
membership. 

699
00:39:11,560 --> 00:39:16,600
And so these lazy, undisciplined
people were not helping the 

700
00:39:16,600 --> 00:39:21,320
reputation of the church or or 
their families for that matter. 

701
00:39:21,840 --> 00:39:24,320
They they were hurting the 
reputation of Thessalonica. 

702
00:39:24,320 --> 00:39:26,920
They were not good examples. 
They were not good models. 

703
00:39:27,480 --> 00:39:29,760
They were not showing what we 
ought to be. 

704
00:39:29,920 --> 00:39:34,520
So they what they needed to 
abandon their own selfishness 

705
00:39:34,520 --> 00:39:39,400
and self focus and, and, and 
give me Gimme, Gimme, Gimme type

706
00:39:39,400 --> 00:39:42,960
attitude and, and take on a God 
focus. 

707
00:39:43,760 --> 00:39:46,480
There are some who just seem to 
take on such a spirit of 

708
00:39:46,480 --> 00:39:48,640
victimization in our culture 
today. 

709
00:39:49,800 --> 00:39:54,320
And, and it's difficult at times
and being in a tough job. 

710
00:39:54,320 --> 00:39:56,920
If you're out there in the 
workforce still and you have a 

711
00:39:56,920 --> 00:40:01,080
tough job, I appreciate it. 
I do, but it's still no excuse. 

712
00:40:01,680 --> 00:40:04,440
That's still not an excuse for 
us to be anything other than 

713
00:40:04,440 --> 00:40:06,040
what we're supposed to be in 
Christ. 

714
00:40:06,840 --> 00:40:09,920
And so it's not an excuse. 
And because Paul certainly 

715
00:40:09,920 --> 00:40:13,800
didn't have it easy. 
He made tense and worked hard at

716
00:40:13,800 --> 00:40:17,240
it. 
And so, but, but, but God may 

717
00:40:17,240 --> 00:40:19,240
even put you, you got to 
recognize this. 

718
00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:24,640
God may even put you in the 
midst of adversity on purpose so

719
00:40:24,640 --> 00:40:28,360
that you can be that model so 
that he can be glorified. 

720
00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:31,760
He might put you in the middle 
of a very difficult circumstance

721
00:40:31,760 --> 00:40:36,040
with with horrible people, 
frankly, in order for you to 

722
00:40:36,040 --> 00:40:40,120
have influence upon them. 
And we can't overlook that. 

723
00:40:40,360 --> 00:40:43,760
And so challenges at work are 
not enemies. 

724
00:40:43,760 --> 00:40:47,120
They're they're opportunities. 
And I know that's difficult and 

725
00:40:47,120 --> 00:40:51,120
I know you, you might not like 
that, but we got to quit having 

726
00:40:51,120 --> 00:40:53,600
a give me spirit. 
We got to quit waiting to see 

727
00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:55,000
what others are going to do for 
us. 

728
00:40:55,240 --> 00:40:59,560
And, and we need to seek ways to
do for them and to be an example

729
00:40:59,560 --> 00:41:02,520
as we serve God. 
So you might say this is a hard 

730
00:41:02,520 --> 00:41:04,720
place to work. 
Well, that's why God put you 

731
00:41:04,720 --> 00:41:07,400
there. 
That's why God put you there. 

732
00:41:07,400 --> 00:41:10,160
These people don't know what 
they're doing, frankly, these 

733
00:41:10,160 --> 00:41:13,120
people are struggling with life 
and they need somebody right in 

734
00:41:13,120 --> 00:41:16,960
the middle of them who can tell 
them about how to live and, and 

735
00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:20,760
how to be saved and how to grow.
And so that's why God sent you 

736
00:41:20,760 --> 00:41:23,360
there. 
And so don't don't ever overlook

737
00:41:23,360 --> 00:41:25,880
that. 
And this is also why you retired

738
00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:29,880
people are where you are. 
You're living where you're 

739
00:41:29,880 --> 00:41:33,480
living next to the people you 
live with, rubbing elbows with 

740
00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:37,840
people, enjoying hobbies, 
playing balls with Pickles and 

741
00:41:37,840 --> 00:41:43,000
things and, and whatnot. 
And because those are people who

742
00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:46,640
need a model. 
Those people are people who need

743
00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:49,520
you and, and, and, and need an 
example. 

744
00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:53,280
And hopefully you're serving 
your church or, or Christ in 

745
00:41:53,280 --> 00:41:56,440
other ways. 
And so listen to me, I'm going 

746
00:41:56,440 --> 00:41:59,680
to say a couple hard things 
here, but I mean these things 

747
00:41:59,680 --> 00:42:01,680
and you might not even agree 
with these things. 

748
00:42:01,680 --> 00:42:04,600
It's, it's just fine. 
Everybody has the right to be 

749
00:42:04,600 --> 00:42:09,120
wrong. 
So listen, listen, don't expect 

750
00:42:09,120 --> 00:42:12,000
appreciation from the secular 
folks you work with. 

751
00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:16,200
Don't expect that. 
Don't, don't expect to be filled

752
00:42:16,200 --> 00:42:21,440
somehow by those people. 
See, appreciation is for 

753
00:42:21,440 --> 00:42:25,240
personal relationships. 
Have your personal relationships

754
00:42:25,240 --> 00:42:28,160
on your own time. 
You got to find that someplace 

755
00:42:28,160 --> 00:42:31,000
else. 
Get a life and be affirmed at 

756
00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:34,440
home and at church and with 
friends. 

757
00:42:34,600 --> 00:42:38,200
Don't depend upon your secular 
workplace to give you that 

758
00:42:38,880 --> 00:42:42,880
that's not what it's designed 
for, that that maybe that's not 

759
00:42:42,880 --> 00:42:46,360
why you're even there, perhaps. 
And some people are so dependent

760
00:42:46,360 --> 00:42:49,040
upon that. 
Stop trying to make your job do 

761
00:42:49,040 --> 00:42:51,800
something it was not created or 
supposed to do in the first 

762
00:42:51,800 --> 00:42:55,640
place. 
And so now, if you're the boss, 

763
00:42:56,280 --> 00:42:58,040
shame on you for creating that 
environment. 

764
00:42:59,320 --> 00:43:02,120
And you need to do your very 
best to create an affirming, 

765
00:43:02,120 --> 00:43:05,600
positive environment for your 
workers because you also need to

766
00:43:05,600 --> 00:43:07,320
be a model from a whole 
different place on the flow 

767
00:43:07,320 --> 00:43:09,920
chart and need to help create 
the environment. 

768
00:43:10,080 --> 00:43:13,320
But stop going to work with a 
chip on your shoulder, upset 

769
00:43:13,320 --> 00:43:16,200
that they don't treat you right.
How do you think lost people are

770
00:43:16,200 --> 00:43:21,120
going to treat you? 
Satan's going to help them treat

771
00:43:21,120 --> 00:43:23,560
you that way. 
Am I talking to anybody yet? 

772
00:43:24,640 --> 00:43:25,960
Yeah. 
Everybody got real quiet. 

773
00:43:26,080 --> 00:43:28,600
This section just left. 
That's good. 

774
00:43:31,560 --> 00:43:35,600
I mean, if you have to keep 
getting encouragement every 

775
00:43:35,600 --> 00:43:39,240
minute on your job, after a 
while, somebody else might just,

776
00:43:39,240 --> 00:43:41,920
well, just take it over, do it 
themselves, you know? 

777
00:43:42,880 --> 00:43:46,040
And so be careful about what 
you're trying to make your 

778
00:43:46,040 --> 00:43:50,480
secular employment provide for. 
You get a life. 

779
00:43:51,360 --> 00:43:54,680
Be thankful to have purpose. 
Be thankful you have you have a 

780
00:43:54,680 --> 00:44:00,440
job because so many do not. 
And be an example and seek the 

781
00:44:00,440 --> 00:44:02,920
opportunity to change the 
atmosphere. 

782
00:44:03,880 --> 00:44:07,160
Be the one that creates a better
environment, but don't let that 

783
00:44:07,160 --> 00:44:11,520
environment get inside of you. 
So do your job well, but don't 

784
00:44:11,520 --> 00:44:14,240
forget your mission. 
And making money is not your 

785
00:44:14,240 --> 00:44:17,240
mission. 
That's not why you were created.

786
00:44:18,680 --> 00:44:24,320
It's not why you exist. 
So if you make money, you're, if

787
00:44:24,320 --> 00:44:27,000
you make money, your mission, 
you, you're just going to get 

788
00:44:27,000 --> 00:44:29,800
frustrated because you're always
going to believe you're not 

789
00:44:29,800 --> 00:44:32,760
getting paid enough. 
You're never going to get enough

790
00:44:32,760 --> 00:44:37,160
to be satisfied. 
And so don't simply don't simply

791
00:44:37,160 --> 00:44:39,320
sell yourself to the highest 
bidder in your life. 

792
00:44:39,320 --> 00:44:42,960
Money's not your God. 
So the primary reason God put 

793
00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:45,480
you in that place was not to 
receive revenue. 

794
00:44:45,800 --> 00:44:51,360
That that's an expectation. 
It's a real expectation, but he 

795
00:44:51,360 --> 00:44:54,960
puts you there to be a light. 
He puts you there to be a 

796
00:44:54,960 --> 00:44:58,880
witness, a testimony, an 
example, a model. 

797
00:44:59,280 --> 00:45:02,080
That's your real work. 
Now, did you understand what I 

798
00:45:02,080 --> 00:45:05,040
just did there? 
Your real work's not the job 

799
00:45:05,040 --> 00:45:07,600
you're doing. 
Your real work is to be an 

800
00:45:07,600 --> 00:45:11,800
example and a model and a light 
in that place of work that pays 

801
00:45:11,800 --> 00:45:15,680
you money. 
You following me and so we've 

802
00:45:15,680 --> 00:45:19,320
got to be careful what we think 
we're really here for and and if

803
00:45:19,320 --> 00:45:21,680
you can do your job well in in 
the middle of a hostile 

804
00:45:21,680 --> 00:45:24,120
environment that that, that what
a blessing. 

805
00:45:24,320 --> 00:45:26,560
Do your job well, that's a 
ministry. 

806
00:45:27,160 --> 00:45:29,480
If you can do it in a hostile 
environment, that's a double 

807
00:45:29,480 --> 00:45:31,880
ministry. 
But by sharing and praying and 

808
00:45:31,880 --> 00:45:34,760
through stewardship, if God 
blesses, you're going to bless 

809
00:45:34,760 --> 00:45:37,360
other people. 
Listen to what Paul wrote to the

810
00:45:37,360 --> 00:45:42,480
Ephesians in Ephesians 428. 
Let the thief no longer steal, 

811
00:45:42,960 --> 00:45:47,080
but rather let him labor doing 
honest work with his own hands 

812
00:45:47,400 --> 00:45:51,200
so that he might have something 
to share with anyone in need. 

813
00:45:52,600 --> 00:45:55,600
And so why do you think God has 
blessed you with a job when 

814
00:45:55,600 --> 00:45:59,960
others don't have it? 
And so we need to be a testimony

815
00:45:59,960 --> 00:46:03,800
by showing people that, that 
good attitude. 

816
00:46:04,480 --> 00:46:07,800
I, I, I, I wouldn't, I wouldn't 
brag on us much, but it was 

817
00:46:07,800 --> 00:46:09,640
really Teresa. 
So I'll brag on her. 

818
00:46:10,040 --> 00:46:12,400
So we're in the middle of all 
kinds of real estate nonsense. 

819
00:46:12,520 --> 00:46:14,400
And if you're in the real estate
business, God bless you. 

820
00:46:14,400 --> 00:46:16,360
I love you. 
I'm glad I'm not. 

821
00:46:16,800 --> 00:46:20,560
And so we're thankful for people
who, and we had a family friend 

822
00:46:20,560 --> 00:46:22,280
who's been helping us. 
We've known for a long time. 

823
00:46:22,640 --> 00:46:26,200
And but we were also working on 
a closing of our house in 

824
00:46:26,200 --> 00:46:27,880
Roseville, which we did a while 
back. 

825
00:46:27,880 --> 00:46:31,240
We no longer own a home in 
Roseville, praise the Lord, but 

826
00:46:32,440 --> 00:46:35,160
but in the closing, we had to go
to the lawyer's office. 

827
00:46:35,600 --> 00:46:37,880
Every state's different. 
We've owned homes in multiple 

828
00:46:37,880 --> 00:46:40,160
states. 
Every single state's different. 

829
00:46:40,160 --> 00:46:42,880
As to how you close your house. 
Sometimes you have to sit right 

830
00:46:42,880 --> 00:46:45,440
across the the table from the 
new buyer, which I always 

831
00:46:45,440 --> 00:46:47,320
thought found that was a little 
awkward. 

832
00:46:48,080 --> 00:46:49,880
Yes, the door squeaks. 
Sorry. 

833
00:46:53,800 --> 00:46:58,000
Yes, we had a dog anyway, but it
was just us and the lawyer. 

834
00:46:58,520 --> 00:47:01,280
And the lawyer was a, a good 
Presbyterian, I believe that's 

835
00:47:01,280 --> 00:47:04,360
what he said, right, 
Presbyterian, very pleasant, 

836
00:47:04,560 --> 00:47:08,040
pleasant young man. 
And afterwards we get an e-mail 

837
00:47:08,040 --> 00:47:10,160
from our realtor, who's an old 
family friend. 

838
00:47:10,160 --> 00:47:13,080
Actually, her husband was our 
son's football coach. 

839
00:47:13,080 --> 00:47:15,000
And we've known them for years 
and years and years and years 

840
00:47:15,000 --> 00:47:18,240
and years. 
And, and, and then the lawyer 

841
00:47:18,240 --> 00:47:21,360
actually said such and such came
into my office. 

842
00:47:21,640 --> 00:47:25,320
And it was just so pleasant to 
be around some people who had a 

843
00:47:25,320 --> 00:47:28,840
positive attitude because we, 
you know, we, they knew and 

844
00:47:28,840 --> 00:47:31,160
what, who we were and what we're
doing and why we're doing it. 

845
00:47:31,640 --> 00:47:34,800
And he was reacting to that. 
And, you know, and that's just a

846
00:47:34,800 --> 00:47:37,200
little touch that day to that 
lawyer. 

847
00:47:37,200 --> 00:47:38,840
It encouraged him. 
He was very happy. 

848
00:47:38,840 --> 00:47:40,560
He would probably sit there and 
talk to us all day long. 

849
00:47:41,160 --> 00:47:45,320
I didn't want to do that. 
But anyway, so, but, but, but 

850
00:47:45,320 --> 00:47:48,960
attitude, even in the workplace,
being on time, having integrity,

851
00:47:48,960 --> 00:47:52,120
be a testimony, hang in there 
when times are tough and be that

852
00:47:52,120 --> 00:47:54,440
testimony. 
And, and we're going to, we got 

853
00:47:54,440 --> 00:47:59,000
to see our work, whether it's in
an office or it's in the church,

854
00:47:59,160 --> 00:48:02,000
whether it's in pay or whether 
it's in retirement. 

855
00:48:02,400 --> 00:48:05,560
We've got to see our work as an 
opportunity for Kingdom 

856
00:48:05,560 --> 00:48:08,320
influence. 
So that that's just a place, a 

857
00:48:08,320 --> 00:48:12,040
platform for me to be in touch 
with people, people that I might

858
00:48:12,200 --> 00:48:13,560
see. 
Some of you all get to do 

859
00:48:13,560 --> 00:48:15,320
things. 
You get to see people I never 

860
00:48:15,320 --> 00:48:16,960
get to see. 
And you and you can sit there 

861
00:48:16,960 --> 00:48:18,960
and say, we'll preach to the 
people I say you wouldn't want 

862
00:48:18,960 --> 00:48:20,320
to see. 
Well, I don't know. 

863
00:48:21,120 --> 00:48:24,080
I don't scare that easy. 
Most of them wouldn't want to 

864
00:48:24,080 --> 00:48:25,400
see me. 
That's kind of like some of you.

865
00:48:25,400 --> 00:48:27,400
I appreciated you wanted me to 
be your neighbor in your 

866
00:48:27,400 --> 00:48:28,560
neighborhood. 
And I always laugh. 

867
00:48:28,560 --> 00:48:30,480
I'm so are you really sure you 
want the preacher to be your 

868
00:48:30,480 --> 00:48:34,240
neighbor? 
But anyway, so so but but you 

869
00:48:34,240 --> 00:48:37,560
are around people that I don't 
ever get to be around, you know,

870
00:48:37,560 --> 00:48:41,840
people in the workplace, people,
school, etcetera. 

871
00:48:41,840 --> 00:48:43,640
What a blessing, what an 
opportunity. 

872
00:48:43,880 --> 00:48:47,640
So what do your Co workers see 
and retired folks, what do your 

873
00:48:47,640 --> 00:48:51,240
neighbors see? 
What does your family see? 

874
00:48:51,760 --> 00:48:55,200
What are you doing with your 
time and your energy? 

875
00:48:55,440 --> 00:48:59,760
And frankly, your created 
purpose And part of your created

876
00:48:59,760 --> 00:49:02,120
purpose was either. 
If you don't want to call it 

877
00:49:02,120 --> 00:49:05,960
work anymore, call IT service 
because it's the same thing 

878
00:49:06,880 --> 00:49:10,160
you're supposed to produce. 
You're supposed to help. 

879
00:49:10,920 --> 00:49:12,720
And so God calls each of us to 
work. 

880
00:49:12,720 --> 00:49:15,040
We all all have different kinds 
of jobs, different kinds of 

881
00:49:15,040 --> 00:49:16,680
roles. 
But remember, it's not the 

882
00:49:16,680 --> 00:49:18,600
nature of the work that makes it
holy. 

883
00:49:18,840 --> 00:49:21,600
It's the nature of our 
relationship with God that makes

884
00:49:21,600 --> 00:49:25,520
the difference. 
This is this is real thing. 

885
00:49:25,720 --> 00:49:28,000
You know, sometimes I try to say
things that are funny. 

886
00:49:28,000 --> 00:49:30,720
I rarely succeed. 
But this, this is funny to me. 

887
00:49:30,720 --> 00:49:31,920
And it, it's not even supposed 
to be. 

888
00:49:31,920 --> 00:49:36,040
I, I was in a store Halloween 
one year at Walmart or somewhere

889
00:49:36,120 --> 00:49:39,240
and there's a Superman costume 
and it actually has a, has a 

890
00:49:39,520 --> 00:49:43,680
disclaimer, a warning label. 
This costume will not enable 

891
00:49:43,680 --> 00:49:47,680
your children to fly because 
they had an image and had an 

892
00:49:47,680 --> 00:49:51,000
image of a kid on the label in 
the costume flying like 

893
00:49:51,000 --> 00:49:52,600
Superman. 
And so they have to give a 

894
00:49:52,600 --> 00:49:55,640
disclaimer. 
So you, you know, you know what 

895
00:49:55,640 --> 00:50:01,320
I'm saying? 
That's like a package of 

896
00:50:01,320 --> 00:50:04,480
fishhooks that say don't, don't 
eat these or don't swallow 

897
00:50:04,480 --> 00:50:07,120
these. 
That that's a true story too. 

898
00:50:08,120 --> 00:50:15,640
So, so, so he calls us to a 
higher work, a Kingdom work, 

899
00:50:16,200 --> 00:50:18,680
right. 
So, so listen to me and don't 

900
00:50:18,680 --> 00:50:22,400
throw anything yet. 
But there's no unemployment and 

901
00:50:22,400 --> 00:50:25,120
there's no retirement in Kingdom
work. 

902
00:50:26,080 --> 00:50:28,480
There's a name for retirement. 
I'll get to that in a minute. 

903
00:50:28,480 --> 00:50:33,800
We'll call it corporate 
relocation, but but you're never

904
00:50:33,800 --> 00:50:39,120
out of work with the Lord. 
Listen, I've had friends who 

905
00:50:39,120 --> 00:50:42,480
were shut insurance, 90 
something year old shut 

906
00:50:42,480 --> 00:50:45,920
insurance who were not 
physically able to go. 

907
00:50:45,960 --> 00:50:47,080
They're not going to be able to 
work. 

908
00:50:47,080 --> 00:50:49,520
They're not, they can't move 
chairs, they can't, they can't 

909
00:50:49,520 --> 00:50:51,320
help load the food pantry. 
They can't do it. 

910
00:50:51,560 --> 00:50:55,040
But but they were my prayer 
partners and man, their work was

911
00:50:55,040 --> 00:50:58,640
felt right. 
They still had Kingdom 

912
00:50:58,640 --> 00:51:02,200
influence, Kingdom impact. 
So there are things that we can 

913
00:51:02,200 --> 00:51:05,920
do even when we think we can't 
do anymore. 

914
00:51:06,280 --> 00:51:09,120
So you still have purpose or you
wouldn't be here. 

915
00:51:09,880 --> 00:51:11,520
There's no such thing as 
spiritual looking. 

916
00:51:11,680 --> 00:51:14,400
When you're done, you're going 
to experience corporate 

917
00:51:14,400 --> 00:51:17,120
relocation. 
That's called death. 

918
00:51:19,600 --> 00:51:26,440
And until then, God's calling us
to do something for him, to work

919
00:51:26,440 --> 00:51:29,200
for him. 
And he seeks to hire you. 

920
00:51:29,880 --> 00:51:31,600
He, he wants you to work for 
Him. 

921
00:51:31,600 --> 00:51:36,080
Listen to what the Gospel of 
John says in verse 6. 

922
00:51:36,640 --> 00:51:41,040
It says, do not work for the 
food that perishes, but for the 

923
00:51:41,040 --> 00:51:45,080
food that endures to eternal 
life, which the Son of Man will 

924
00:51:45,080 --> 00:51:48,520
give to you. 
For on him God the Father has 

925
00:51:48,520 --> 00:51:51,520
set his seal. 
Then they said to him, What must

926
00:51:51,520 --> 00:51:53,720
we do to be doing the works of 
God? 

927
00:51:54,280 --> 00:51:58,360
And Jesus answered them, This is
the work of God that you believe

928
00:51:58,360 --> 00:52:04,640
in him whom He has sent. 
A chapter earlier in chapter 5, 

929
00:52:04,680 --> 00:52:09,920
verse 17, they were asking Jesus
some questions and kind of 

930
00:52:09,920 --> 00:52:12,000
wondering about what he was 
doing. 

931
00:52:12,000 --> 00:52:15,360
And Jesus answered them, My 
Father is working until now and 

932
00:52:15,360 --> 00:52:19,760
I am working. 
So we serve a God who's at work.

933
00:52:20,840 --> 00:52:24,240
That's His word, and we work in 
partnership with Him in His 

934
00:52:24,240 --> 00:52:28,400
image, and so our work is part 
of the stewardship and 

935
00:52:28,400 --> 00:52:32,760
responsibility of life toward 
God's creation and toward His 

936
00:52:32,760 --> 00:52:35,440
purpose. 
So once again, back in Genesis 1

937
00:52:35,440 --> 00:52:41,560
and 2, to circle back in Genesis
one and two, God gives work to 

938
00:52:41,560 --> 00:52:45,800
Adam and Eve as part of that 
image, bearing opportunity and 

939
00:52:45,800 --> 00:52:48,280
responsibility. 
That's part of who they were. 

940
00:52:48,360 --> 00:52:51,040
They weren't just going to sit 
around idly in the Garden of 

941
00:52:51,040 --> 00:52:53,880
Eden. 
The perfect existence included 

942
00:52:53,920 --> 00:52:58,840
service. 
And so we recognize that work 

943
00:52:58,840 --> 00:53:01,560
was good and we can contribute 
to God's work. 

944
00:53:01,720 --> 00:53:04,760
And God made the garden to where
it's still think about this. 

945
00:53:04,920 --> 00:53:08,160
The garden still needed the work
from Adam and Eve. 

946
00:53:09,360 --> 00:53:13,240
It wasn't imperfect, but it it, 
it was also in process. 

947
00:53:13,440 --> 00:53:15,880
And he used them in that 
process. 

948
00:53:16,160 --> 00:53:20,560
It was joyful act of worship, 
but then after the fall it 

949
00:53:20,560 --> 00:53:24,240
becomes difficult and painful, 
and it began to lean away from 

950
00:53:24,240 --> 00:53:27,480
God's original purpose. 
In fact, 11 scholar writes this 

951
00:53:27,800 --> 00:53:31,920
Since Adam and Eve were created 
in the image of God, they were 

952
00:53:31,920 --> 00:53:36,760
made with an inerrant capacity 
for and need to be engaged in 

953
00:53:36,760 --> 00:53:41,080
creative activity. 
When humans engage in creative, 

954
00:53:41,360 --> 00:53:45,160
meaningful work that grows out 
of relationships and gives back 

955
00:53:45,160 --> 00:53:48,240
to the community, they become 
more deeply human. 

956
00:53:48,920 --> 00:53:54,480
So part of who we're intended to
be are people who create and who

957
00:53:54,480 --> 00:53:57,920
work and who serve. 
Another scholar wrote it this 

958
00:53:57,920 --> 00:54:00,400
way. 
To dream of a workless paradise 

959
00:54:00,760 --> 00:54:04,960
is to seek something other than 
the purpose and plan of God. 

960
00:54:06,000 --> 00:54:07,800
So to think that we're just 
going to sit around and do 

961
00:54:07,800 --> 00:54:10,840
nothing is not even part of the 
scheme. 

962
00:54:11,400 --> 00:54:15,440
It's never been that part, which
is why the imagery of heaven 

963
00:54:15,440 --> 00:54:18,800
sitting around strumming harps 
laying on clouds or something is

964
00:54:19,080 --> 00:54:21,320
is absolutely cartoonish and 
fictitious. 

965
00:54:22,440 --> 00:54:25,160
So, so works good. 
It's good for the creation. 

966
00:54:25,360 --> 00:54:27,960
It was good for our neighbors, 
it was good for us. 

967
00:54:28,600 --> 00:54:31,440
And and work is what creatures 
do with God's creation. 

968
00:54:31,440 --> 00:54:35,240
So vocation is the way in which 
we make ourselves useful to 

969
00:54:35,240 --> 00:54:37,120
others. 
And so we're created and 

970
00:54:37,120 --> 00:54:41,240
mandated and gifted to do this 
work and we provide for 

971
00:54:41,240 --> 00:54:43,840
ourselves and we provide for our
neighbors this way. 

972
00:54:44,280 --> 00:54:46,800
In fact, the only long think 
about the world in which I've 

973
00:54:46,800 --> 00:54:52,480
worked in for a long time is a 
world of of deep third, you 

974
00:54:52,520 --> 00:54:57,680
know, deep developing nation, 
deep poverty where people can't 

975
00:54:57,680 --> 00:54:59,520
scrape 2 pennies together to get
a cent. 

976
00:55:00,560 --> 00:55:06,360
And the only long term solution 
to poverty is work beyond the 

977
00:55:06,360 --> 00:55:10,720
gospel. 
And so we recognize and we argue

978
00:55:10,720 --> 00:55:16,000
that every Christ follower is a 
minister by virtue of his or her

979
00:55:16,000 --> 00:55:18,920
relationship to God and the 
world around them. 

980
00:55:18,920 --> 00:55:23,320
Listen to Ephesians 4 again. 
I, therefore a prisoner for the 

981
00:55:23,320 --> 00:55:28,480
Lord, urge you to walk in a 
manner worthy of the calling to 

982
00:55:28,480 --> 00:55:32,680
which you have been called. 
We each have a unique calling 

983
00:55:32,680 --> 00:55:34,800
and purpose in our life. 
And you may sit there and think 

984
00:55:34,800 --> 00:55:37,360
that has nothing to do with it. 
That has everything to do with 

985
00:55:37,360 --> 00:55:40,480
this. 
Your vocation has everything to 

986
00:55:40,480 --> 00:55:43,640
do with this. 
Why do you think I'm a pastor? 

987
00:55:44,040 --> 00:55:45,640
Why did you think I'm a 
seminary? 

988
00:55:45,640 --> 00:55:48,800
But those are vocations. 
But it's a part of my calling. 

989
00:55:49,160 --> 00:55:52,120
You're, you're no different. 
You're different in the sense 

990
00:55:52,120 --> 00:55:55,840
that you may not be in this 
role, but but it doesn't you're 

991
00:55:55,840 --> 00:55:57,760
the same. 
You have a calling, you have a 

992
00:55:57,760 --> 00:55:59,600
purpose. 
God wants you to. 

993
00:55:59,680 --> 00:56:01,960
My brother's a medical doctor 
and he and I have talked about 

994
00:56:01,960 --> 00:56:04,640
this over and over again. 
And he was going to be a medical

995
00:56:04,640 --> 00:56:07,360
doctor before he was a believer.
And I'll tell you the story of 

996
00:56:07,360 --> 00:56:11,240
his salvation at some point. 
But but for him to come to 

997
00:56:11,240 --> 00:56:15,320
Christ and he believes with all 
of his heart that his calling is

998
00:56:15,320 --> 00:56:17,920
to he's also an elder in his 
church now and preaches some for

999
00:56:17,920 --> 00:56:19,760
his church, which is an amazing 
thing for us. 

1000
00:56:19,760 --> 00:56:23,760
But but, but he believes with 
all of his heart that his 

1001
00:56:23,760 --> 00:56:27,720
calling is to be this medical 
Doctor Who helps people and 

1002
00:56:27,720 --> 00:56:29,320
that's his. 
And he believes that hit that's 

1003
00:56:29,320 --> 00:56:31,680
his calling as much as this is 
my calling. 

1004
00:56:32,360 --> 00:56:36,480
Just as significant, just as 
important, just as vital, just 

1005
00:56:36,480 --> 00:56:39,880
different. 
We're all different parts of the

1006
00:56:39,880 --> 00:56:44,040
body, but no part is 
insignificant if we believe that

1007
00:56:44,040 --> 00:56:47,120
we're Corinthians. 
Every part is important 

1008
00:56:47,120 --> 00:56:51,400
regardless of what you're doing,
but we need to do and so. 

1009
00:56:51,680 --> 00:56:55,320
So we're created and we're all 
priests and, and we see this 

1010
00:56:55,320 --> 00:56:57,200
ministry and this priesthood of 
believers. 

1011
00:56:57,320 --> 00:57:00,240
We see the ministry of work. 
So again, we provide. 

1012
00:57:00,560 --> 00:57:03,000
And so and so he says that we 
all have this unique calling. 

1013
00:57:03,200 --> 00:57:05,600
And then you go to the Proverbs 
and you just get slammed upside 

1014
00:57:05,600 --> 00:57:09,040
the head because the Proverbs 
will say stuff like this. 

1015
00:57:09,040 --> 00:57:14,040
Proverbs 12/24 The hand of the 
diligent will rule, while the 

1016
00:57:14,040 --> 00:57:16,640
slothful will be put to forced 
labor. 

1017
00:57:16,720 --> 00:57:21,680
That's Proverbs 12/24. 
Proverbs 1915 Slothfulness casts

1018
00:57:21,680 --> 00:57:25,080
into a deep sleep, and an idle 
person will suffer hunger. 

1019
00:57:25,840 --> 00:57:28,920
Or you could look at Proverbs 31
at the virtuous woman in this 

1020
00:57:28,920 --> 00:57:32,240
description of this incredible 
woman helping and leading in her

1021
00:57:32,240 --> 00:57:35,560
household and taking care of her
family and the work that she 

1022
00:57:35,560 --> 00:57:37,800
does. 
And she, she's not getting paid 

1023
00:57:37,800 --> 00:57:40,120
for that in a sense, she's, 
she's not getting, that's not a,

1024
00:57:40,200 --> 00:57:42,320
that's not a vocational job with
a salary. 

1025
00:57:42,440 --> 00:57:45,080
That's, that's a role in a 
service, a beautiful one that 

1026
00:57:45,080 --> 00:57:48,200
she's performing in the, in one 
of the highest levels of service

1027
00:57:48,200 --> 00:57:52,000
for her family. 
And then remember, as I said 

1028
00:57:52,000 --> 00:57:55,360
earlier, Paul's a tent maker. 
But you know, we don't remember 

1029
00:57:55,360 --> 00:58:00,640
Paul for his tents, right? 
I mean, he might have made, I, I

1030
00:58:00,640 --> 00:58:02,320
don't know, Paul. 
Paul made tents. 

1031
00:58:02,360 --> 00:58:04,320
You know, there's a lot of 
description because of where he 

1032
00:58:04,320 --> 00:58:07,760
was from that he, he probably 
made black tents out of a 

1033
00:58:07,760 --> 00:58:11,440
certain goat skin that came from
where, where he's originally 

1034
00:58:11,440 --> 00:58:12,680
from. 
That's probably what he learned 

1035
00:58:12,680 --> 00:58:14,680
to do. 
And so maybe he maybe he made 

1036
00:58:14,680 --> 00:58:18,760
the most glorious goat skin 
tarsus tents you could ever 

1037
00:58:18,760 --> 00:58:21,560
imagine. 
You see that anywhere in here. 

1038
00:58:22,840 --> 00:58:28,240
Paul's not known for his tents. 
He was known for his service and

1039
00:58:28,240 --> 00:58:33,080
work beyond his vocation or even
within his vocation because 

1040
00:58:33,080 --> 00:58:35,400
there were times when people 
would gather and listen to him. 

1041
00:58:35,400 --> 00:58:39,040
He was probably sewing the tent,
teaching and and and sharing the

1042
00:58:39,040 --> 00:58:42,440
gospel at the same time. 
So think about that. 

1043
00:58:42,440 --> 00:58:45,560
In fact, in First Corinthians 
Chapter 9, in a very long 

1044
00:58:45,560 --> 00:58:47,400
passage, let me just share this 
with you. 

1045
00:58:47,400 --> 00:58:50,400
It's worth it, it says. 
Or is it only Barnabas and I who

1046
00:58:50,400 --> 00:58:54,440
have no right to refrain from 
working for a living, who serves

1047
00:58:54,440 --> 00:58:57,200
as a soldier at his own expense,
who plants a vineyard without 

1048
00:58:57,200 --> 00:59:00,040
eating any of its fruit, or who 
tends A flock without getting 

1049
00:59:00,040 --> 00:59:02,640
some of the milk? 
Do I say these things on human 

1050
00:59:02,640 --> 00:59:03,520
authority? 
Does the law? 

1051
00:59:03,600 --> 00:59:06,720
Does the law not say the same? 
For it is written in the law of 

1052
00:59:06,720 --> 00:59:08,400
Moses. 
You shall not muzzle an ox when 

1053
00:59:08,400 --> 00:59:11,360
it treads out the grain. 
Is it for oxen that God is 

1054
00:59:11,360 --> 00:59:14,240
concerned? 
Does He not certainly speak for 

1055
00:59:14,240 --> 00:59:16,480
our sake? 
It was written for our sake, 

1056
00:59:16,480 --> 00:59:19,400
because the plowman should plow 
and hope, and the thresher 

1057
00:59:19,400 --> 00:59:21,320
threshing hope of sharing in the
crop. 

1058
00:59:22,080 --> 00:59:25,440
If we have sown spiritual things
among you, it is it too much if 

1059
00:59:25,440 --> 00:59:29,120
we reap material things from 
you, If others share this 

1060
00:59:29,120 --> 00:59:32,440
rightful claim on you, do we do 
not we even more? 

1061
00:59:33,040 --> 00:59:35,720
Nevertheless, we have not made 
use of this right, but we endure

1062
00:59:35,720 --> 00:59:37,880
anything rather than put an 
obstacle in the way of the 

1063
00:59:37,880 --> 00:59:39,880
gospel of Christ. 
Do you? 

1064
00:59:39,880 --> 00:59:42,200
Do you not know that those who 
are employed in the temple 

1065
00:59:42,200 --> 00:59:44,480
service get their food from the 
temple, and those who serve at 

1066
00:59:44,480 --> 00:59:46,520
the altar share in the 
sacrificial offerings? 

1067
00:59:47,080 --> 00:59:49,040
In the same way the Lord 
commanded that those who 

1068
00:59:49,040 --> 00:59:51,400
proclaim the gospel should get 
their living by the gospel. 

1069
00:59:51,920 --> 00:59:54,360
But I've made no use of any of 
these rights, nor am I writing 

1070
00:59:54,360 --> 00:59:56,240
these things to secure any such 
provision. 

1071
00:59:56,480 --> 00:59:59,800
For I would rather die than have
anyone deprived me of my ground 

1072
00:59:59,800 --> 01:00:02,440
for boasting. 
For if I preach the gospel, that

1073
01:00:02,440 --> 01:00:05,680
gives me no ground for boasting,
For necessity is laid upon me. 

1074
01:00:05,960 --> 01:00:08,120
Woe to me if I do not preach the
gospel. 

1075
01:00:08,440 --> 01:00:11,200
For if I do this in my own will,
I have a reward. 

1076
01:00:11,200 --> 01:00:14,120
But if not of my own will, I'm 
still entrusted with a 

1077
01:00:14,120 --> 01:00:16,400
stewardship. 
What then is my reward? 

1078
01:00:16,560 --> 01:00:19,040
That in my preaching I may 
present the gospel free of 

1079
01:00:19,040 --> 01:00:21,360
charge. 
So as not to make full use of my

1080
01:00:21,360 --> 01:00:24,000
right in the gospel. 
So he's Speaking of his work 

1081
01:00:24,000 --> 01:00:29,800
habits and how he worked so hard
that no one could judge him for 

1082
01:00:29,800 --> 01:00:32,320
his work habits. 
That they, they couldn't 

1083
01:00:32,320 --> 01:00:35,040
criticize him that he wasn't a 
freeloader, that he wasn't, he 

1084
01:00:35,040 --> 01:00:37,600
wasn't doing nothing and just 
sitting around preaching. 

1085
01:00:37,600 --> 01:00:41,720
He was working and serving. 
And in the same way, just as he 

1086
01:00:41,720 --> 01:00:45,680
wrote to the Thessalonicans, we 
ourselves need to make sure that

1087
01:00:45,680 --> 01:00:49,200
we're earning our way. 
So in 2nd Corinthians 11, he 

1088
01:00:49,200 --> 01:00:51,160
says this. 
And when I was with you and I 

1089
01:00:51,160 --> 01:00:53,040
was in need, I did not burden 
anyone. 

1090
01:00:53,120 --> 01:00:55,840
For the brothers who came from 
Macedonia supplied my need. 

1091
01:00:55,840 --> 01:00:59,800
So I refrained and I will 
refrain from burdening you in 

1092
01:00:59,800 --> 01:01:04,640
any way or back in a second 
Thessalonians again to remind us

1093
01:01:05,000 --> 01:01:06,800
in verse 6. 
Now we command your brothers in 

1094
01:01:06,800 --> 01:01:09,120
the name of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, that you keep away from 

1095
01:01:09,120 --> 01:01:12,080
any brother who's walking and 
idleness, and not in accord with

1096
01:01:12,080 --> 01:01:13,920
the tradition that you received 
from us. 

1097
01:01:14,280 --> 01:01:18,280
For you yourselves know how we 
ought, how you ought to imitate 

1098
01:01:18,280 --> 01:01:21,720
us, because we were not idle and
we were with you, nor did we eat

1099
01:01:21,720 --> 01:01:24,840
anyone's bread without paying 
for it, but with toil and labor 

1100
01:01:24,840 --> 01:01:27,240
we work night and day that we 
might not be a burden to any of 

1101
01:01:27,240 --> 01:01:29,200
you. 
It was not because we do not 

1102
01:01:29,200 --> 01:01:32,480
have that right, but to give you
in ourselves an example to 

1103
01:01:32,480 --> 01:01:34,880
imitate. 
For even when we were with you, 

1104
01:01:35,000 --> 01:01:38,280
we would give you this command. 
If anyone's not willing to work,

1105
01:01:38,680 --> 01:01:43,320
let him not eat. 
Self supporting, not idle, but 

1106
01:01:43,920 --> 01:01:46,240
our work is also limited. 
We've got to be careful and we 

1107
01:01:46,240 --> 01:01:49,320
need to mention this. 
Humankind was also created by 

1108
01:01:49,320 --> 01:01:55,360
God and like God to rest. 
And so work is not everything. 

1109
01:01:56,320 --> 01:02:00,640
There are times when we need to 
rest for his glory and consider 

1110
01:02:00,640 --> 01:02:06,040
what the Sabbath means to us in 
but but in First Corinthians 10,

1111
01:02:06,040 --> 01:02:08,480
as we've noticed before. 
So whether we eat or drink and 

1112
01:02:08,480 --> 01:02:10,680
whatever we do, we do it to the 
glory of God. 

1113
01:02:11,760 --> 01:02:15,600
And so we also rest for the 
glory of God when the time is 

1114
01:02:15,600 --> 01:02:18,880
right. 
And so it's appropriate to take 

1115
01:02:18,880 --> 01:02:21,880
time. 
And if we work for someone else,

1116
01:02:21,880 --> 01:02:24,840
we should work as if we were 
working for the Lord and not us.

1117
01:02:24,840 --> 01:02:27,360
And we should be thankful, as 
Wayne Grudem says the 

1118
01:02:27,360 --> 01:02:30,520
theologian, we should be 
thankful to God for money and 

1119
01:02:30,520 --> 01:02:34,200
profit, but we should never love
money or profit. 

1120
01:02:34,720 --> 01:02:38,240
We are to love God and our 
neighbor instead. 

1121
01:02:39,200 --> 01:02:42,640
And so we recognize that there 
are higher principles involved 

1122
01:02:42,640 --> 01:02:46,280
here. 
So work becomes a vehicle, work 

1123
01:02:46,280 --> 01:02:50,640
becomes a mechanism, Work 
becomes a pathway to achieve 

1124
01:02:50,760 --> 01:02:52,520
what we're really designed to 
do. 

1125
01:02:53,080 --> 01:02:57,080
So our real work is the result. 
Our real work is the end game 

1126
01:02:57,080 --> 01:03:00,840
that we're trying to get to. 
And and our vocations or our 

1127
01:03:00,840 --> 01:03:05,400
retirement are just vehicles. 
They're they're enablers, 

1128
01:03:05,680 --> 01:03:08,240
they're instruments. 
You've worked hard your whole 

1129
01:03:08,240 --> 01:03:10,000
life. 
You saved up a little money. 

1130
01:03:10,000 --> 01:03:13,400
You get to be retired now you're
probably on maybe on a fixed 

1131
01:03:13,400 --> 01:03:15,560
income. 
So things might not be, you 

1132
01:03:15,560 --> 01:03:18,200
know, real loose. 
They're pretty tight, but you 

1133
01:03:18,200 --> 01:03:22,400
still have time. 
What a resource time is that you

1134
01:03:22,400 --> 01:03:26,360
didn't have before to invest and
God has given you the ability 

1135
01:03:26,360 --> 01:03:28,840
now to invest even more. 
Or if you're still in the 

1136
01:03:28,840 --> 01:03:31,520
workforce, you're still in 
school, you're still working for

1137
01:03:31,520 --> 01:03:34,840
somebody else for a paycheck. 
This is that's a vehicle that's 

1138
01:03:34,840 --> 01:03:38,960
a that's a pathway for you to 
get to the real work of how can 

1139
01:03:38,960 --> 01:03:40,760
I be an influence? 
But it. 

1140
01:03:40,760 --> 01:03:45,600
But if you're the grumbling, 
mumbling, bumbling employee, if 

1141
01:03:45,600 --> 01:03:48,800
you're the the gossiping 
backbiter slanderer in the break

1142
01:03:48,800 --> 01:03:53,760
room, if you're the one laughing
at The Dirty jokes and and going

1143
01:03:53,760 --> 01:03:57,080
out and doing The Dirty things, 
we'll leave that there. 

1144
01:03:58,200 --> 01:04:02,280
Fill in the blank then what 
example? 

1145
01:04:02,280 --> 01:04:05,920
What model? 
You're missing the real point of

1146
01:04:05,920 --> 01:04:07,040
work. 
You might still take home a 

1147
01:04:07,040 --> 01:04:10,120
paycheck, but but you're missing
the point of work. 

1148
01:04:10,480 --> 01:04:12,720
You're missing the whole, you're
missing the whole idea here. 

1149
01:04:13,440 --> 01:04:16,960
It's to produce fruit. 
Adam and Eve weren't just to 

1150
01:04:16,960 --> 01:04:20,000
work the ground. 
They were to produce fruit. 

1151
01:04:20,280 --> 01:04:23,960
They were to produce food that 
would come out of that ground 

1152
01:04:24,720 --> 01:04:28,120
and we're to produce fruit. 
I am the vine. 

1153
01:04:29,080 --> 01:04:33,120
You're just the branches. 
He who abides in me and I am him

1154
01:04:33,120 --> 01:04:37,680
bears much fruit. 
So that that's the whole game. 

1155
01:04:37,680 --> 01:04:40,240
The game is not the game is not 
the the job. 

1156
01:04:40,240 --> 01:04:42,960
It's not the 9:00 to 5:00. 
It's what does the 9:00 to 5:00 

1157
01:04:42,960 --> 01:04:45,080
produce. 
Now you might be in the job 

1158
01:04:45,080 --> 01:04:47,080
where you're actually producing 
a product that really helps 

1159
01:04:47,080 --> 01:04:48,440
people. 
Well, that's a wonderful thing. 

1160
01:04:48,440 --> 01:04:51,720
What a double blessing you have.
So you're actually ministering 

1161
01:04:51,720 --> 01:04:54,000
to people by the actual product 
you produce. 

1162
01:04:55,760 --> 01:04:59,520
Or maybe what you produce is not
something that is necessarily a 

1163
01:04:59,520 --> 01:05:01,560
blessing to others. 
Maybe it's a necessity of some 

1164
01:05:01,560 --> 01:05:03,040
kind. 
Wonderful, Thank you for that. 

1165
01:05:03,480 --> 01:05:10,440
But then the work itself becomes
a means to an end, and the end 

1166
01:05:10,440 --> 01:05:13,440
is the real work. 
How can I be a blessing? 

1167
01:05:14,200 --> 01:05:18,040
How can I challenge others? 
How can I work with others? 

1168
01:05:18,080 --> 01:05:21,240
Right? 
And so Colossians 3 verse 23 

1169
01:05:21,240 --> 01:05:23,760
gives us a different version. 
Whatever you do, work heartily 

1170
01:05:23,760 --> 01:05:28,880
is for the Lord and not for men.
Knowing that from the Lord you 

1171
01:05:28,880 --> 01:05:31,280
will receive the inheritance as 
your reward. 

1172
01:05:31,680 --> 01:05:38,440
You are serving the Lord Christ.
And so one of the things we have

1173
01:05:38,440 --> 01:05:41,280
to recognize is that these 
things and the same thing will 

1174
01:05:41,280 --> 01:05:43,400
be true somewhat in the next 
episode with money. 

1175
01:05:44,360 --> 01:05:46,880
Money is a means to an end. 
Money is not a goal. 

1176
01:05:48,000 --> 01:05:52,120
Money is a means to an end. 
Work is a means to an end, and 

1177
01:05:52,120 --> 01:05:55,800
the end is the real work. 
And and so I hope that part of 

1178
01:05:55,800 --> 01:05:58,880
what you get to died is the fact
that work was created as an act 

1179
01:05:58,880 --> 01:06:00,920
of worship and we need to 
reverse it back to that. 

1180
01:06:00,920 --> 01:06:04,600
So when even, even if, even if 
I'm working in the worst place 

1181
01:06:04,600 --> 01:06:09,720
for the worst amount of money, 
for the worst people in the 

1182
01:06:09,720 --> 01:06:17,360
world who are just ugly, you got
to recognize you're there on 

1183
01:06:17,360 --> 01:06:23,000
mission and that the work may 
have nothing to do with the job.

1184
01:06:24,240 --> 01:06:28,440
It may have to do with the 
influence and the impact that 

1185
01:06:28,440 --> 01:06:31,840
you can have. 
I have a friend who's South 

1186
01:06:31,840 --> 01:06:36,360
Korean. 
It's one of the weirdest things 

1187
01:06:37,240 --> 01:06:38,720
I've ever seen on the mission 
field. 

1188
01:06:39,160 --> 01:06:41,400
Some of you who have served on 
the mission field maybe have 

1189
01:06:41,400 --> 01:06:43,720
seen things that are odder than 
this. 

1190
01:06:44,040 --> 01:06:48,400
He lives in Istanbul, Turkey. 
I was supposed to be in Istanbul

1191
01:06:48,400 --> 01:06:50,520
this last weekend in my previous
life. 

1192
01:06:50,520 --> 01:06:53,360
And so Doctor Aiken and others 
who were there, they're there 

1193
01:06:53,360 --> 01:06:55,960
for historic graduation. 
They were texting me and sending

1194
01:06:55,960 --> 01:06:58,120
me pictures. 
But all I could think about was 

1195
01:06:58,120 --> 01:07:02,080
my friend Peter Coe, who lives 
in Istanbul. 

1196
01:07:03,320 --> 01:07:07,560
And he has a business platform 
and his business platform is a 

1197
01:07:07,560 --> 01:07:12,280
golf driving range. 
And, and, and a long time ago, I

1198
01:07:12,280 --> 01:07:15,560
remember when Peter was just 
starting this, he, he, he 

1199
01:07:15,560 --> 01:07:17,720
actually has a degree in, in 
biblical counselling. 

1200
01:07:18,320 --> 01:07:20,160
And he also has a counselling 
ministry. 

1201
01:07:20,760 --> 01:07:23,480
And so he has a counselling 
ministry at the driving range. 

1202
01:07:25,480 --> 01:07:28,920
And I, and I, I, you know, he 
asked me early on, what do you 

1203
01:07:28,920 --> 01:07:32,800
think about the idea of a golf 
driving range in Istanbul, 

1204
01:07:32,800 --> 01:07:36,560
Turkey? 
And I have to admit that defied 

1205
01:07:36,560 --> 01:07:41,480
my expertise. 
But Peter not only started this 

1206
01:07:41,480 --> 01:07:45,760
ministry, but and, and, and, and
incredibly successful. 

1207
01:07:45,880 --> 01:07:50,080
He's, he's franchised, you know,
who knew that golf, you know, 

1208
01:07:51,080 --> 01:07:55,440
was, was ubiquitous in Turkey. 
And so he has a driving range 

1209
01:07:55,440 --> 01:07:57,160
there and he has more than one 
now. 

1210
01:07:57,360 --> 01:08:01,600
But then right by it in the, in 
the pro shop there, there's 

1211
01:08:01,600 --> 01:08:04,120
counseling ministry going on. 
And biblical counseling was an 

1212
01:08:04,120 --> 01:08:08,040
unknown thing there. 
And so the driving range, which 

1213
01:08:08,040 --> 01:08:12,720
earns him money, the job has 
been earning a lot of money, 

1214
01:08:12,720 --> 01:08:14,320
frankly. 
He's got other family members, 

1215
01:08:14,320 --> 01:08:17,080
other He's had other friends 
from South Korea come over and 

1216
01:08:17,080 --> 01:08:19,840
they're working with him now. 
He sends me newsletters on a 

1217
01:08:19,840 --> 01:08:23,120
regular basis thanking me for my
influence, for helping him start

1218
01:08:23,120 --> 01:08:25,319
the driving range. 
I write him back and I say, 

1219
01:08:25,319 --> 01:08:27,319
well, a percentage of that can 
go to the John Ewart 

1220
01:08:27,319 --> 01:08:30,600
Evangelistic Association. 
But so far the checks have not 

1221
01:08:30,600 --> 01:08:34,040
rolled in. 
Maybe I'll get some Turkish 

1222
01:08:34,040 --> 01:08:38,720
delight in the mail or 
something, but but that's the 

1223
01:08:38,720 --> 01:08:42,720
job and it's a fun job, you 
know, nothing, Nothing morally 

1224
01:08:42,720 --> 01:08:45,479
wrong with the driving range 
necessarily, I guess, you know. 

1225
01:08:46,439 --> 01:08:49,279
But then he's over here being 
able to offer biblical 

1226
01:08:49,279 --> 01:08:53,520
counselling for a low to no cost
sliding scales. 

1227
01:08:53,520 --> 01:08:57,000
What he tells me for people who 
would never have access, they 

1228
01:08:57,000 --> 01:08:58,880
don't have that. 
You got to think about this is 

1229
01:08:58,880 --> 01:09:03,160
Turkey, this is this is Islamic,
this is not they don't have this

1230
01:09:03,160 --> 01:09:06,080
idea, this influence for both 
people within the the church 

1231
01:09:06,080 --> 01:09:09,760
within Turkey and also for non 
believing Muslims who come there

1232
01:09:10,000 --> 01:09:12,399
and they don't get care like 
that anywhere else in their 

1233
01:09:12,399 --> 01:09:15,279
country. 
And he's able to provide this at

1234
01:09:15,279 --> 01:09:18,840
low to no cost because he's got 
a driving range over here. 

1235
01:09:19,840 --> 01:09:23,920
Isn't that amazing? 
So the work is not really the 

1236
01:09:23,920 --> 01:09:29,040
work. 
The real work benefits and is 

1237
01:09:29,040 --> 01:09:33,760
driven by the job. 
And so whether you're in the 

1238
01:09:33,760 --> 01:09:38,200
workforce or you're retired now,
I pray that you'll find purpose.

1239
01:09:38,680 --> 01:09:45,439
You'll find usefulness in, in 
the job, but also in the end 

1240
01:09:45,439 --> 01:09:51,680
product of, of, of working and 
serving and, and, and glorifying

1241
01:09:51,680 --> 01:09:55,200
God as an act of worship. 
And, and, and again, this 

1242
01:09:55,200 --> 01:09:59,240
applies to school. 
So go home and tell your kids. 

1243
01:09:59,240 --> 01:10:02,240
I said you got to be good 
students because you need to be 

1244
01:10:02,240 --> 01:10:06,720
the most respectful, the most 
diligent example, you might not 

1245
01:10:06,720 --> 01:10:07,920
always be the straight A 
student. 

1246
01:10:07,920 --> 01:10:09,920
Maybe maybe that's beyond your 
capacity. 

1247
01:10:11,520 --> 01:10:14,560
Maybe you're not perfect in 
class, but but your behavior, 

1248
01:10:14,840 --> 01:10:19,440
your attitude, your drive. 
What a testimony that becomes. 

1249
01:10:19,440 --> 01:10:24,160
And I promise your teachers will
remember you and they'll be 

1250
01:10:24,160 --> 01:10:27,360
blessed by you because there 
will be those in class who are 

1251
01:10:27,360 --> 01:10:31,920
idle, who are disorderly, who 
are chaotic, who are 

1252
01:10:31,920 --> 01:10:35,160
disobedient, and they'll 
remember the testimony. 

1253
01:10:35,640 --> 01:10:39,480
And then to be able to share 
why, why you act the way you do,

1254
01:10:39,920 --> 01:10:44,160
to show them that this is 
because I love Jesus and he 

1255
01:10:44,160 --> 01:10:46,160
loves me. 
And to be able to share that 

1256
01:10:46,160 --> 01:10:50,600
testimony with them, right? 
And so to think about how we can

1257
01:10:50,600 --> 01:10:53,200
influence people by our work. 
And then those of you who 

1258
01:10:53,200 --> 01:10:58,200
retired again, your hobbies, 
your retirement, your yard work,

1259
01:10:59,160 --> 01:11:02,240
your church work. 
We need volunteers. 

1260
01:11:02,760 --> 01:11:03,760
I mean, you're going to hear it 
again. 

1261
01:11:03,760 --> 01:11:05,880
I mean Act 6 on Sunday. 
Y'all don't stand a chance this 

1262
01:11:05,880 --> 01:11:13,560
week. 
How can I, how can I invest my 

1263
01:11:13,560 --> 01:11:18,560
time and my energy to be a 
blessing to others and, and 

1264
01:11:18,560 --> 01:11:20,960
working in the nursery or 
working in the children's world 

1265
01:11:20,960 --> 01:11:24,040
or helping with, with ushers or 
helping with greeters or helping

1266
01:11:24,200 --> 01:11:26,920
in the in the many ways than 
many ministries we have here. 

1267
01:11:27,440 --> 01:11:29,880
That work is wonderful and it's 
a blessing, but it's going to be

1268
01:11:29,880 --> 01:11:32,760
the fruit that's produced. 
So you're helping, you're 

1269
01:11:32,760 --> 01:11:34,240
helping someone else pay 
attention. 

1270
01:11:34,360 --> 01:11:36,040
You're helping someone not be 
distracted. 

1271
01:11:36,200 --> 01:11:38,320
That single mom who doesn't 
stand a chance. 

1272
01:11:38,440 --> 01:11:40,480
I'm telling you, we've had 
parents who've said to me, this 

1273
01:11:40,480 --> 01:11:43,680
is the first time I've ever said
in a Bible study by myself and 

1274
01:11:43,680 --> 01:11:47,720
being able to listen because 
somebody's watching my child and

1275
01:11:47,720 --> 01:11:49,960
I trusted them. 
I believed in them. 

1276
01:11:49,960 --> 01:11:53,760
It's it's incredible work, but 
the real work is what's going on

1277
01:11:53,760 --> 01:11:56,600
in her heart and her mind and 
she's being able to do that 

1278
01:11:56,800 --> 01:11:59,720
right. 
So think about how you need to 

1279
01:11:59,720 --> 01:12:05,560
invest both here and out there 
and then think about the 

1280
01:12:05,560 --> 01:12:09,080
influence that you can be and 
sometimes you'll be persecuted 

1281
01:12:09,080 --> 01:12:11,400
for it. 
They're, they're a mean, nasty 

1282
01:12:11,400 --> 01:12:15,160
people and work forces out there
who, who don't want, who don't 

1283
01:12:15,160 --> 01:12:17,000
want you to be the good little 
Christian at work. 

1284
01:12:17,040 --> 01:12:19,040
I get it. 
I know. 

1285
01:12:19,760 --> 01:12:23,600
And they may mock you and they 
may give you a hard time, but 

1286
01:12:23,600 --> 01:12:27,840
you recognize who stands with 
you and what he's going to do 

1287
01:12:28,240 --> 01:12:34,200
for you and frankly to them. 
And so thank you for doing that.

1288
01:12:34,320 --> 01:12:38,400
Well, let's pray together. 
Father, what a joy it is to have

1289
01:12:38,400 --> 01:12:41,920
purpose. 
Father, you, you didn't just 

1290
01:12:41,920 --> 01:12:45,120
make us nebulous little blobs 
and put us down on a planet with

1291
01:12:45,120 --> 01:12:49,440
no reason. 
Father, you created us in your 

1292
01:12:49,440 --> 01:12:52,200
image, and you are a God who is 
at work. 

1293
01:12:52,240 --> 01:12:56,200
You're creative, you're 
blessing, you're you're 

1294
01:12:56,200 --> 01:13:00,800
redeeming, you're protecting, 
you're working, you're growing. 

1295
01:13:02,840 --> 01:13:05,680
And so, Father, let us recognize
that part of our image is to 

1296
01:13:05,680 --> 01:13:10,280
join in that work. 
That's why we were designed the 

1297
01:13:10,280 --> 01:13:14,040
way we are. 
And so, Father, forgive us when 

1298
01:13:14,040 --> 01:13:16,400
we have bad attitudes toward our
work. 

1299
01:13:17,480 --> 01:13:21,360
Forgive us when we're lazy. 
Forgive us, Father, for being 

1300
01:13:21,360 --> 01:13:24,480
idle. 
And Father, that's true of our 

1301
01:13:24,480 --> 01:13:29,320
physical revenue stream, 
vocational job. 

1302
01:13:29,320 --> 01:13:33,320
And that could also be true of 
our spiritual work, our 

1303
01:13:33,320 --> 01:13:35,800
discipleship, and our service in
the Kingdom. 

1304
01:13:37,320 --> 01:13:39,520
And so, Father, I pray that 
you'll bring a spirit of 

1305
01:13:39,520 --> 01:13:41,720
renewal. 
Help us to go into the 

1306
01:13:41,720 --> 01:13:45,480
workforce, seeing it as an act 
of worship, difficult worship 

1307
01:13:45,480 --> 01:13:48,960
place, perhaps a place when we 
may feel alone in our worship, 

1308
01:13:49,000 --> 01:13:52,560
but a place where we can serve 
in such a way that we can be a 

1309
01:13:52,560 --> 01:13:57,480
model and example and and 
eventually, Father, a testimony.

1310
01:13:57,680 --> 01:14:01,480
Lord, I pray that that as Paul 
prayed, prayed to the church at 

1311
01:14:01,480 --> 01:14:04,560
Colossae, that the door or the 
window of the gospel would be 

1312
01:14:04,560 --> 01:14:07,480
opened. 
And the fathers, we're showing 

1313
01:14:07,480 --> 01:14:09,920
them that, Father, you would 
give us opportunities to share 

1314
01:14:09,920 --> 01:14:12,680
with them what we believe and 
who we know. 

1315
01:14:14,280 --> 01:14:16,760
And so, Father, let it be more 
than just actions. 

1316
01:14:16,760 --> 01:14:20,920
Let it be words. 
And Father, I pray that you'll 

1317
01:14:20,920 --> 01:14:23,920
help us to recognize that your 
body is only as strong as the 

1318
01:14:23,920 --> 01:14:27,680
parts and that, Father, every 
single part matters. 

1319
01:14:28,280 --> 01:14:30,640
And when one part hurts, the 
whole body hurts. 

1320
01:14:30,960 --> 01:14:33,560
And when one part's lazy, the 
whole body suffers. 

1321
01:14:35,080 --> 01:14:38,440
And the Father, together we need
to work for your glory. 

1322
01:14:39,600 --> 01:14:43,480
Father, it's like a ship that 
has many sails, and every one of

1323
01:14:43,480 --> 01:14:46,720
those sails serves a purpose. 
And if any one of those sails is

1324
01:14:46,720 --> 01:14:49,440
not, is not fur unfurled the 
right way. 

1325
01:14:49,440 --> 01:14:52,120
If any one of those sails, 
Father, is not at the right 

1326
01:14:52,120 --> 01:14:55,800
angle to catch the wind, the 
whole ship is ineffective. 

1327
01:14:55,800 --> 01:14:58,880
The whole ship loses it's 
perfection. 

1328
01:14:59,880 --> 01:15:03,240
Father, the churches that way. 
When just one little sail, we 

1329
01:15:03,240 --> 01:15:05,760
might think we don't matter. 
We might think it doesn't matter

1330
01:15:05,760 --> 01:15:07,400
what I do. 
But Father help us to understand

1331
01:15:07,400 --> 01:15:11,240
that everybody matters. 
And if just one little sail is 

1332
01:15:11,400 --> 01:15:14,520
is not inferred the right way or
1 little sails at the wrong 

1333
01:15:14,520 --> 01:15:17,560
angle, we don't catch the wind, 
we don't catch your spirit the 

1334
01:15:17,560 --> 01:15:23,720
way we're supposed to, and the 
entire ships effectiveness is 

1335
01:15:23,720 --> 01:15:26,480
hurt. 
We're slowed down. 

1336
01:15:27,240 --> 01:15:28,880
We might even turn the wrong 
way. 

1337
01:15:30,360 --> 01:15:34,400
And so, Father, let us recognize
that as a believer, we don't get

1338
01:15:34,400 --> 01:15:38,840
to live our own way. 
As a believer, we're part of a 

1339
01:15:38,840 --> 01:15:42,000
corporate body. 
We're part of a family. 

1340
01:15:42,240 --> 01:15:44,960
We're part of a Kingdom. 
And that, Father, that 

1341
01:15:44,960 --> 01:15:48,680
corporateness means something. 
And Father, we have a corporate 

1342
01:15:48,680 --> 01:15:52,480
responsibility to serve and to 
help one another. 

1343
01:15:53,320 --> 01:15:56,760
And so, Father, bless us, bless 
us this week, Bless us as we 

1344
01:15:56,960 --> 01:16:00,840
head into this weekend, Father, 
that you would give us time to 

1345
01:16:01,040 --> 01:16:05,560
show and to model to others who 
we know and to whom we belong. 

1346
01:16:06,080 --> 01:16:07,480
Thank you, Father, for your 
word. 

1347
01:16:07,480 --> 01:16:10,400
Thank you, Father, for the 
Apostle Paul and the example he 

1348
01:16:10,400 --> 01:16:12,360
is for us. 
Thank you that we would gather 

1349
01:16:12,360 --> 01:16:15,000
together in this time to learn 
together. 

1350
01:16:15,360 --> 01:16:19,080
And I pray you'll bless us, 
Father, in Christ's name, Amen. 

1351
01:16:19,760 --> 01:16:21,840
Thank you all very much. 
God bless you all. 

1352
01:16:24,840 --> 01:16:27,360
Thank you so much for listening 
today, and I also hope that 

1353
01:16:27,360 --> 01:16:29,880
you'll go to 
ourwebsite@englewoodbaptist.com 

1354
01:16:29,880 --> 01:16:32,920
as well as our app and find many
other resources that will bless 

1355
01:16:32,920 --> 01:16:35,120
you and your families. 
Thank you once again.