2. Lordship.
I once heard my favorite radio preacher expound on Ephesians 6:5-9, which commands slaves to obey their masters “just as you would obey Christ.” The pastor began by apologizing to his congregation, because when he checked his files he found that he had rarely preached about work.
Since the people spend one-third of their lives on the job, he said he should have. He went on to give an inspiring message on how we should work, but he never explained why our work is service to Christ.
Here’s why. The companion letter to Ephesians is Colossians, and there Paul tells slaves to work with all their heart because “it is the Lord Christ you are serving” (3:23-24).
Why are they serving Jesus? Because Jesus is the God who created all things (1:15-17; 2:15).
So when we go to work, we are obeying the very first command that Jesus ever gave us. We are not merely earning a paycheck; we are literally serving Jesus.
There are two ways to become worldly.
The obvious way is to become so enamored with the world that we forget about Jesus altogether.
But the “pious” way is to be so focused on spiritual activities that we relegate our worldly affairs to a less significant place and thus give little thought to what we do there.
What if just the Christian mortgage brokers had refused to give loans to those they knew could not afford them? What if just the Christian homebuyers had been content to live within their means? If only American Christians had submitted their jobs and purchases to Jesus, we might not have suffered the Great Recession of 2009.
Pastor, do your people know that Jesus cares just as much about how they choose their entertainment, treat their family and do their jobs as he does that they read their Bibles and pray? Can they explain why everything they do matters to God?
