Submitting at Work
Ephesians: Speaking the Truth in Love • Sermon • Submitted
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9/11 Anniversary
Big Idea: Rip a part of the darkness off and provide light and love by walking in wisdom and doing good by submitting with relationships in your work.
1. Why does submission matter?
1. Why does submission matter?
The challenge of submission
Relearning job in food service
The challenge of slavery
“Masters, do the same to them...”
Not about money…
The broad extremes
See Slide
2. How to Support Well
2. How to Support Well
With Integrity - the outside and inside of your life match up
With Appreciation of Your Own Vulnerability
Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary ((a) Imperative: Obey Masters (6:5–7))
It is used thirty times in the LXX (twenty times in the canonical books) and five times in the NT (Mark 16:8; 1 Cor 2:3; 2 Cor 7:15; Eph 6:5; Phil 2:12) and always has the idea of “shaking” or “trembling.” The term specifically denotes the outward manifestation of fear, fear so great that it cannot be concealed.
2 with fear and trembling, used to describe the anxiety of one who distrusts his ability completely to meet all requirements, but religiously does his utmost to fulfil his duty. Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (5156 τρόμος)
Anxiety amongst generations
Admitting of vulnerability - keeps you curious, open to opportunities, open to discovering your limitations
Genesis 2 - Adam could do the job on his own but it wasn’t good. Hints of the Trinity. Creating something with others, welcoming them and enjoying their contributions is vital to human flourishing.
It helps us keep our integrity. Your story is dependent on others contributing. It makes you vulnerable and somewhat anxious. Don’t deny it, work with it.
Without doing it simply to please people but instead to please Christ
Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary (a) Imperative: Obey Masters (6:5–7)
They are ones “who have no real interest in their work, but only aim at making a favourable impression on their owners by fits of ostentatious zeal,”
Not they are in the place of Christ but ultimately they are replaced by Christ (not like government)
Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary ((a) Imperative: Obey Masters (6:5–7))
Likely, slaves have endless reasons to harbor resentment, especially when masters perpetrate great injustices against them. Thus, Paul, realizing that slaves could harbor many justified resentments, reminds them that ultimately their obligation is to the Lord and not to people
The knowledge you need to support well.
God is watching and rewards better than men.
Potential “I’m going to own my own business” guys - it’s not always what is wise
3. How to Lead Well
3. How to Lead Well
With integrity
With appreciation for your own vulnerability
Without threatening
of harm or suffering (potentially “boastful promises”)
Seeking good… A lot of bosses seek invulnerability in regards to those underneath them. They protect themselves from criticism by showing up but not personally entering into the process. They demand their workers perform regardless of the circumstances and they demand the people in charge of them never set goals too ambitiously or ambiguously.
Queen Elizabeth… “I can give you my heart.”
Without threatening forces you to find ways to ensure things are mutually beneficial to the parties involved with the work.
The knowledge to lead well.
God doesn’t play favorites.
4. The Opportunity We Have
4. The Opportunity We Have
God is creating a new community for a new home. One that is vulnerable with each other and seeks to honor God as best they can in how they treat one another. By working together with those of different status and power to do good we honor God and live in peace. This requires us individually to accept some vulnerability and anxiety.
God becomes vulnerable in the person of Jesus.
Anxiety is part of human vulnerability.
Shame will take advantage of anxiety unacknowledged and cared for.
Submission allows vulnerability which allows productivity and doing good and being known, human flourishing and healing
Parable of the talents
God has integrity.
Our world is not.
Be wise.
14 throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse”—
Proverbs 18:1 (ESV)
1 Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.
12 Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.
25 The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. 26 Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the Lord that a man gets justice.
1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you, 2 and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite. 3 Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food.
This is better than Mein Kampf (My Suffering)
This is better than Atlas Shrugged (The suffering of capitalistic individuals)
Story of Pepper on the way to work in the rain
Rip a part of the darkness off and provide light and love by walking in wisdom and doing good with relationships in your work.