Pilgrims in a Fallen World: Pilgrims in the Workplace - I Peter 2:18-23

 

Pilgrims in a Fallen World: Pilgrims in the Workplace

I Peter 2:18-23

Introduction: Peter is writing to pilgrims, to “exiles” scattered among the nations, and encouraging them (and us!) to persevere and to stay “on mission” despite the trials they are encountering.  In this section of his letter, he has been urging his readers, for the sake of the Gospel, to submit to the authorities that God has placed in their lives: Government, the workplace, he’ll even talk next about the family. He says that there is motivation to accept authorities, despite that fact that we may not be treated fairly.  

1) God is sovereign, He is the ultimate authority, and He has arranged the circumstances of our life. Jesus said, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.” We can trust him, as we entrust ourselves to him.

2) We are pilgrims, passing through the world, we are here, on assignment, for just a little while, but we were created for eternity. 

3) Because we are in a fallen world we should expect trials, hardship, even injustice to touch our lives, but we can be encouraged because like another apostle said, “The sufferings of this present world are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed to us” (Rom 8:18).  The best is yet to come!  Today we’ll be reminded that,

4) Jesus is our example. Jesus, the perfect and sinless Son of God suffered, and in his suffering accomplished God’s good purpose.  As pilgrims in a fallen world, we shouldn’t be surprised by suffering...

       Because of the language in these verses, we have to say something about how passages like this one have been abused by some in Western History. We might well read texts like this and ask about those who misused the Bible to defend slavery in our history. The Bible is clear that all humans, regardless of race or ethnicity, are created equal, all of us bear the image of God. The abusive and humiliating practice of slavery in our past is a sad chapter in American history and a testimony to human depravity. Slavery in the first century, in the Roman world of the NT, was different.

       It was essentially the working class, and could also include teachers and tutors, accountants, doctors, and even ship captains. Bond-servants were essentially in an employment contract they could buy out of. And this is important: it wasn’t about race. It was something that most servants, by the age of 30 or so, could expect to be released from (if they desired it).  If you want to know the attitude of the apostles toward slavery, consider what Paul meant when he said that in Christ “...there is neither slave nor free...” but we are all “one.” Think about what he told his friend Philemon, that is, to receive the runaway slave Onesimus back, not as a slave, but as a brother in Christ.

       I don’t think we are stretching the application too far here to say that in our day, in our economy, and in our culture, the principle this text addresses can be applied to our attitude toward our employer, our supervisor, or our foreman. The person or people that we answer to in our day-to-day work. And so the sermon title today: Pilgrims in the Workplace. It is from that perspective we’ll consider these verses. It is a practical question: What is your attitude at work?

The BIG Idea:  As Jesus faithfully carried out his mission in the world, we should respect the authorities God has placed over us... including our employer, for the sake of the Gospel, for the glory of God. We’ll consider our attitude from three perspectives: we are called 1) to be respectful, 2) to be gracious, and 3) to be faithful. It is an important part of our witness. First,

I. Be Respectful: As followers of Jesus, we should respect the authority of our employer or supervisor (18). Peter writes, “Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.” 

       Peter is talking about submitting to authority for the sake of the Gospel in this section of his letter. If we truly consider ourselves pilgrims in a fallen world, our rights, or what we are “entitled to,” won’t be our first priority. Because we are in this world on assignment, and know God has a sure future planned for us, and a present mission that He has entrusted to us, we need to keep the main thing in focus. We want to prioritize living out our faith, and pointing the people to whom we are sent to Jesus. That is why we are here right? Think about it, what is the one thing you can do now that you can’t do better in heaven? Worship? The second after your get there you’ll be worshipping at the throne, with a pure heart in His presence. Fellowship? We’ll be together, unaffected by the flesh or by jealousy or sin. Our love for one another will be perfect and pure. Prayer? Our prayer will be with right motives and a right heart. Study the Bible? We will know fully, even as we are fully known. Those are all necessary things now that we will also do in heaven… but better, with a pure heart. And witness to the unsaved? That is why we’re here, to bring the message of his grace to the world! We can’t share the gospel with the unsaved in heaven! That mission will have been completed. God was in Christ reconciling sinners to himself. He has committed to us a ministry of reconciliation. Our work is part of our witness.

       So, we respect government authority and pray for those who maintain order. And we respect those we work for, and fulfill our obligations to them, cheerfully, and thankfully, so we can feed our families, and also, so that we can be a witness in the workplace. It may not be your lifelong career, but where you are working now is not by chance, God has you there for a purpose for this moment. [Now it may be that some of you are self-employed. If you have a problem with your boss you’ve got another problem!] 

      Whatever the job you do, you are guided by a contract, either written or verbal. Are you striving, with a good attitude, to do your work in a way that honors your word, that gives your best?  Students, let’s apply it to your attitude to your teachers and administrators at school (further down Peter will talk about our responsibilities in the family). Are you respectful, doing your best while at school? There is something here for each of us.

       Peter addresses “servants,” but Peter doesn’t use one of the more common words for slave or servant. The word here, “oiketes,” occurs only four times in the NT. It is derived from the Greek word oikos, “house” or “household”. Though most English versions translate “servants” or “slaves,” it is probably better to translate “household servants” or “domestic helpers.” One of the four times the word appears is in Acts 10. After Cornelius received the vision and a word from the angel, he sent two of his “household servants,” along with a devout soldier, to get Peter. They were people who he trusted, who worked within his “household.” Remember before Abraham had a son, “Eliezer of Damascus,” a household servant, was his heir? The idea is similar here.

       Peter says the household servants are called to “be subject” to their masters. It’s the same word that was used in v.13 for submitting to every authority God has allowed over us, including government. It will next be used of wives submitting to their husbands (3:1) and of those who are younger submitting to their elders (5:5). The idea seems to be recognizing and respecting the authority God has delegated to them in their position. Remember in the military sense it speaks to falling in line behind our leader.

       Peter speaks to the household servants, and calls them to properly respect and submit to the authority of the head of the house, “with all fear” (“respect” in the ESV). Fear who? To what or to whom is he referring? 1) It may be that he means respect for the “master,” that is certainly fits in the context. 2) It could be He is referring to the previous verse, where he says, “...fear God...” The two ideas seem to go together: our reverence for God should lead us to respect those that He has allowed to have authority over us, including our boss. We respect them because we fear the Lord.  In fact, we see in the NT the idea that whatever we do, we should do it “as unto the Lord.”  That will help our attitude!  

       Do you feel your job is important, or do you just view it as a paycheck?  Do you think God knows about and cares about your job? Of course He does! He has you there for a purpose. Bill Hybels in his book, The Christian in the Marketplace, says,

"Dignity is available to every person in every legitimate profession. The farmer who plows the straight furrow, the accountant whose books balance, the trucker who backs a 40’ rig into a narrow loading dock, the teacher who delivers a well-prepared lesson, the carpenter who crafts a piece of furniture, the secretary who types the paper accurately, the mother who tends to her children faithfully... all experience dignity as they commit themselves to their labors. A lot of our self-worth comes from our jobs." 

Whatever we do, we are to do our best, for the Lord. Remember 1 Peter 2:12, “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation…” (cf. I Tim 6:1,2). The respect we show enhances our witness, and preempts an excuse that someone might use to not believe. So, we honor Him by submitting to the authorities He has placed over us, including our employer, for God’s glory, and for the sake of the Gospel. First, be respectful,

II. Be Gracious: We should model grace by respecting their authority not only when they are kind and gentle, but even when we are treated unfairly (19,20).

For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 

        We see some literary devises used in the Bible, that serves to emphasize or highlight aspects of what the biblical writers are saying, is repetition.  In verses 19 and 20 the writer begins and ends with the same phrase, “...this is a gracious thing...”  We could even translate the phrase more succinctly, “...this is grace...”  Peter has talked already about the gracious salvation we have received. We were not a people, but now, by His intervention and grace, we are GOD’s people. That is undeserved favor. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us!  That is Grace:  God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. 

       Today, many Americans feel “entitled.” It is a like a scene in A Charlie Brown Christmas, where Charlie’s little sister is dictating to him her “Christmas list.”  After a while she says, “Why don’t you make it easy on yourself and just send cash. Tens and twenties would be nice.” When Charlie objects, she says “I only want my fair share! I only want what I have coming to me!”  That thinking seems to be quite pervasive today. We can begin to feel entitled. You want what you have coming to you? Really? The wages of sin is death! That is what we deserve. But Jesus died, he took our sins, so that we could get what we don’t deserve, to live forever in relationship with God. That is yours if you know Him! 

       Think about this in relation to your job. You have contracted to work for someone. You should do your best to cheerfully and respectfully carry out your job, no matter what you think of your boss.  They may not be fair or likeable. But you do your job, you do it as unto the Lord. You can look for another job, if you give proper notice. That is part of your contract. But, while you are there, you do your best. Whether or not you feel your boss deserves respect, you show it. Recall Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles: “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (Jer 29:7). That same principle applies to our work. What is best for the company? In it’s welfare, our will find your welfare.

       That is not always easy. It may sometimes require grace. And it just may give someone an opportunity to see in you the attitude of Jesus.  Peter is saying here, that as recipients of grace, we can and should be gracious. We respect our employer, because we appreciate having a job and being able to feed and care for our family. And it allows us to live so that we can do our part in God’s mission in the world. Peter is saying we should submit to the authorities God has placed over us... including our employer, for the sake of the Gospel, for the glory of God. So be 1) respectful, 2) be gracious, and thirdly…

III. Be Faithful: Because Jesus is our model, we should seek to reflect the “mind of Christ” in our work (21-23). It might be good to ask, “What would Jesus do?”

²¹ For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, his did not revile in return; when he suffered He did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly…

       Charles Sheldon in 1896 published the now famous book, which has sold millions of copies, entitled, In His Steps, with the subtitle, “What would Jesus do?”  In the book a pastor challenged His congregation to ask themselves the question in every situation and every decision in life, “What would Jesus Do?” Remember the “WWJD?” wristbands? [For a while when we were in Sao Paulo, Brazil I started driving very aggressively, like many of the people in the city. Finally, I put on a little sticker in my car in the corner of the windshield, HWJD?, “How-would-Jesus-Drive?” Then I thought, no, that doesn’t work, if Jesus lived in Sao Paulo he would probably take the bus!”]. This verse is calling us to faithfulness, by following “In His Steps.” It starts in our heart, with our attitude, adopting the mind of Christ, because our attitude will guide our actions.

        Think about what Peter said in this passage. Jesus suffered for us. He chose to come into this world as a suffering servant. The next verses in I Peter allude to Isaiah 53, the great prophecy of a servant who, though without sin, would willingly take our sin upon himself, so that we could be reconciled to God. Was Jesus treated fairly (cf. Heb 12:2-3)? Did He get what he was entitled to? He took the punishment that we deserved so that we could be reconciled with the Creator, the Holy and Just King, our Almighty and awesome God. Thank God we didn’t get what we deserve! He is our example. Your willingness to do your best at your job is one way that you are His witness where He has placed you. Your attitude can give an opportunity to testify to His grace in your life. 

        Remember our theme in I Peter: “Pilgrims living in a Fallen World.” Because we live in a fallen world, we can expect the effects of sin and human rebellion to impact us all the time. God chose to leave us in the world for a purpose, to carry out His mission, to proclaim the gospel to those to whom we are sent. Our attitude is guided by our desire that God be glorified through the carrying out of His mission in the world. I. Howard Marshall said,

“...our conduct ought to be consistent with the obligations we assume in our relationship to [our employer] and [our] job... Our conduct ought to be determined by that relationship, not by what we think of the personal traits of the employer. When we disregard our relational contract with its obligations, we do disservice to the gospel... If we suffer as a result of our obligations, such suffering is both commendable and Christian; it is not unchristian to suffer!”

What is God saying to me in this passage?  Submit to the authorities God has placed over you... including your employer, for the sake of the Gospel, for the glory of God.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? As a part of God’s church we all share in His mission in the world. One key mission field is right where you live and work. Along with your family, God has put the people at work on the “front burner” of your life. Think of your job as a calling, for this moment in your life. You are strategically placed where you are by God on purpose, for a purpose. The people that you work with, the supervisor(s) that you answer to, are, at least for now, part of that group to whom you are sent. You interact with them for quite a few hours a day. What do they see? 

       If you’re a student, your teacher deserves your respect. If you are self-employed you need to treat your customers or clients with respect. If you have an employer or a supervisor, regardless of their personality or temperament, for your part, you give them the respect that their position merits. Do your job cheerfully. As a recipient of grace, you are to extend grace, for the sake of the gospel, for the glory of God.  

       For years Gordon MacDonald rode the same bus daily from his home to his church in New York City. One day the bus driver complained to MacDonald:

“You’ve got it a lot better than me. You have an interesting job and travel... I just drive this bus up and down the same streets every day.” MacDonald told the bus driver his job could be a Christian ministry too. “Every day, when you first get on this bus, before anyone else gets on, dedicate this bus to God... Declare it to be a sanctuary for God for that day. Consecrate it to God’s glory, and then act like it is a place where God dwells.” Several weeks later MacDonald returned from a trip and saw the bus driver. “You’ve transformed my life,” the man said. “I’ve been doing what you said every day, and it has made me see my job in an entirely new perspective.”

       That is grace. And if you have experienced God’s grace in your life, if you have put your trust in Jesus, allow him to renew your mind and adjust your attitude, for the sake of the Gospel, and for the glory of God. Dedicate your work, and your workplace, to God each day.  Jesus is building His church… and you have a part in that mission.  AMEN.