Pastor Peter Mason - September 1, 2019

Wisdom for your Work

Wisdom For Our Walk

Wisdom for your Work   Proverbs 6:6-11

Introduction

According to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll (2019), Americans are divided on what values they prioritize
along both generational and party lines. Among the values discussed in the survey, “hard work” is king. Nearly 90%
of Americans in the survey have come to value “hard work” as “very important,” increasing from 83% in 1998 to 89%
in August 2019. Other values that increased in importance among Americans are community involvement (47% to 62%)
and money (31% to 41%).
The share citing religion as very important, meanwhile, dropped from 62% in 1998 to 48% today. Just 30% of respondents
identifying as Millennials or Generation Z (ages 18-38) say religion or belief in God is very important, while 67% of
those over 55 agree.
My conclusion is that people are working harder, even worshipping their work, but don’t have an eternal purpose for
their work. For followers of Christ, our work is an expression of our worship, rather than the object of our worship.

I. Created in the image of God to work (Genesis 1-2)
  a. Work shows the character of God (Col. 3:17, 23-24).
  b. Work fulfills our God-given design in the “image of God” (Genesis 1:26-28, 31; 2:1-4, 15).
  c. Work was distorted by rebelling against the Creator (Genesis 3:1-24).

II. Work at its best

WORK DILIGENTLY “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!” (Proverbs 6:6)
“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty” (14:23).

WORK SKILLFULLY

“Do you see a man skilled in his work?
He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men” (22:29).

WORK SMARTLY

“Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house” (24:27).

WORK HONESTLY

“Honest scales and balances are from the Lord; all the weights in the bag are of his making” (16:11).

III. Redemption is the work of God so we can work for His glory
  a. “Work out your salvation, not work for you salvation” (Philippians 2:13, Ephesians 2:8-10)
  b. Re-created to serve (Mark 10:45)

  ? Work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12, 16)

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds [pastors] and teachers,
to equip the saints for the work of ministry for building up the body of Christ . . .from whom the whole body,
joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly,
makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

  ? Work of leadership (1 Timothy 3:1, 5:17 and 2 Timothy 2:15)

  c. “Tentmaking” is a model of work that sustains ministry. The Apostle Paul is our example.

From Series: "Wisdom For Our Walk"

More Messages from Pastor Peter Mason...

Powered by Series Engine