Sermon on Work

I don't know what your image of heaven is, but I believe that it's all about God. I can't even begin to describe what it might be like, but I think that it is centered on Almighty God, all-powerful and magnificent, and we spend eternity worshiping him. That's enough for me—I want to end up there. I'm not in a big hurry to get there, but I do believe that's the goal of humanity—complete union with God, existing within a loving relationship with no sin or brokenness present.

Now, the original disciples wanted to be in heaven, too. They were looking forward to Jesus establishing the Kingdom here on earth. We can debate until we're blue in the face exactly what they meant when they talked about the Kingdom, but we can all agree that whatever the Kingdom of God looks like, it's better than what we get when humans are in charge.

Now, Jesus told the disciples that it wasn't for them to know when the Kingdom would come in its fullness, and then he ascended into heaven. The disciples remained where they were, staring up into heaven in awe and wonder at Jesus Christ.

This is a good image for what heaven will be like—staring in awe and wonder at Jesus Christ.

But we're not there yet, and there is a world around us that needs to hear the Good News, and so we are sent to proclaim this Good News to the world, to live like we're in heaven here on earth, to let God do a work in and through us. In the case of Acts, the angels serve as the reminders to the disciples to stop staring into heaven and get to work.

The world around us seems filled with reminders that we aren't called to just stare into heaven. We need to take time to worship, but we need to take plenty of time to do more than worship in our sanctuaries. We are called to be lights in a dark world. Someone has described the church as a colony of heaven in a country of death. Well, this particular country of death has plenty of it. I can't help but mourn at the thought of what has taken place in Colorado, in Tuscaloosa, this past week. It's senseless. It's death and destruction, the taking of life, and it's human brokenness on full display. It's tragic. It is a too present reminder of the reality that we are not secure in this life, that danger and chaos lurk in every time and place, and that God alone can deliver us from the hand of evil. May we hold the country in prayer in these turbulent and chaotic times, and may we work for peace as much as we pray for it.

The world around us is filled with brokenness, filled with sin. Our work, too, is a reminder to us of the fall of humanity. When Adam and Eve were in the garden, they weren't busy working—they were communing with God, enjoying God's good creation. It was only after the fall that they were commanded to work, to toil, while they were alive. It would no longer be easy, God said, and work was one of the consequences of their sinful choice. And so we work.

I want to talk about work today—and why it's important.

Our work is important for a number of reasons. First of all, work is good stewardship. God has given us each gifts to use, and often we find uses of these in our work. Romans 12 talks about the different gifts God has given each and every one of us—and called us to use these gifts so that the body of Christ is filled with a diverse witness. Some are called to be teachers, while others ministers, while others artists, and so on and so forth. There is practically no end to the list of vocations to which we are called—the trick is to figure out what our gifts are and then discover a way to use them. One person described our vocation as the place where our greatest passion meets the world's greatest need. I like that definition—because the world needs each and every one of our witnesses. The church needs them, too.

So it is good stewardship to work. It is also a faithful example to work hard. 1 Thessalonians 2:8-10 describes how Paul endeavored to work hard to support himself when he visited the community in Thessalonica. They didn't want to be a burden to the community there. It's not a sin to rely on the community—Jesus himself relied on the economic support of individuals who worked hard. But if you have the gifts to support yourself and choose not to use them, Paul describes this as a sin in 1 Timothy 5. Your hard work is a witness to those around you of your integrity, of your trustworthiness. Our hard work can earn money that supports our family, that supports missionaries, that supports the church and helps to meet urgent needs around the world. Our hard work is important.

But the point I want to leave you with today is that our work is a chance to glorify God. We are called to do everything for the glory of God, and our work is included in that. It isn't just something we do to earn a paycheck—it is an opportunity to glorify the living God. Indeed, we believe that God is at work in the world today, bringing all of creation toward himself, and so when we work it's a chance to join in with the work God is doing. Whether you are sweeping a floor or giving a speech to an executive or tutoring a child, this is an opportunity to glorify God. Brother Laurence talked about how he could peel a potato to the glory of God. Imagine having such a mindset—so that each task was an opportunity to glorify God. This is what we should aspire to in our work—to see to glorify God in all things.

I'm going to close with a quote from Martin Luther. You may have heard of him—he is given credit for launching the Protestant Reformation some 500 years ago. He talks about this very idea, glorifying God in all that we do, and indeed, he takes it a step farther in an idea that this new father can certainly appreciate: he talks about how changing a diaper is an opportunity to be reminded of how everything is an opportunity to glorify God.

What then does Christian faith say to this? It opens its eyes, looks upon all these insignificant, distasteful, and despised duties in the Spirit, and is aware that they are all adorned with divine approval as with the costliest gold and jewels. It says, “O God, because I am certain that thou hast created me as a man and hast from my body begotten this child, I also know for a certainty that it meets with thy perfect pleasure. I confess to thee that I am not worthy to rock the little babe or wash its diapers. or to be entrusted with the care of the child and its mother. How is it that I, without any merit, have come to this distinction of being certain that I am serving thy creature and thy most precious will? O how gladly will I do so, though the duties should be even more insignificant and despised. Neither frost nor heat, neither drudgery nor labor, will distress or dissuade me, for I am certain that it is thus pleasing in thy sight.”

A wife too should regard her duties in the same light, as she suckles the child, rocks and bathes it, and cares for it in other ways; and as she busies herself with other duties and renders help and obedience to her husband. These are truly golden and noble works. . . .

Now you tell me, when a father goes ahead and washes diapers or performs some other mean task for his child, and someone ridicules him as an effeminate fool, though that father is acting in the spirit just described and in Christian faith, my dear fellow you tell me, which of the two is most keenly ridiculing the other? God, with all his angels and creatures, is smiling, not because that father is washing diapers, but because he is doing so in Christian faith. Those who sneer at him and see only the task but not the faith are ridiculing God with all his creatures, as the biggest fool on earth. Indeed, they are only ridiculing themselves; with all their cleverness they are nothing but devil’s fools.