Work As Divine Service

Work as Divine Service
Domenic Marbaniang
PCG, Itarsi 9 April 2005

Introduction
A.The Prattle About Work – Shopkeepers, Housewives, Office bearers, Teachers, etc.
B.Views About Work – Physics (Energy in transit), Sociology (“the expenditure of effort to supply goods or services, whether by physical, mental, or emotional labour, and for use by either self or others” /Encarta/), Philosophy, Economics, Psychology (Freud - “Will to Pleasure”, Adler- “Will to Power”, Frankl- “Will to Meaning”), Religion.

I.Work is a Dynamic Feature of the Triune God
God is love – Unity in Community within the Trinity. Communication, Conference, Consideration, Cooperation, Co-action.
God is Creator, Sustainer, Savior, and Judge. Heb. 1:3 (Sustains), Ps. 121:4 (Doesn’t Sleep), 2Chr. 16:9
Jesus Christ came to serve, save, and finish the God-given work. He intercedes, will come back to judge.

II.God Created & Authorized Man to Work on Earth In Service of God
Gen. 1: 27, 28; 2:15 – Exploitation of Nature for Selfish Purposes is being unjust stewards. Ps. 115: 16.
Why man & not angels – so that man might reflect God’s praise being created in His image. (Eph. 1:6; Isa. 43:21; Mat. 5:16; Dan. 11:32; 1 Pt. 2:9,12).
A person who doesn’t work should not eat. 2 Thes. 3: 10; I Thes. 4:11, 12; Eccl. 9:10 (Do whatever hand finds). Old (I Tim. 5:8); Poor (Deut. 24:19; Pro. 19:17).

III.Work Must be Divine Service.
•Two Kinds of Services
  a.Work in submission to God
  b.Work in rebellion against God

A.Work in submission to God begins at the Altar; Work in rebellion against God begins at the tree of knowledge and is self-centered.
Altar – Acceptability (Sacrifice of the Lamb)
Acknowledgement of Divine Pre-eminence (First fruits, Tithes)
Neh. 10:37; Mal. 3:10; e.g. Cain & Abel;
Purity of offerings (Isa. 1:11)
Accountability to God (The earth is the Lord’s. Ps. 24:1)

B. Work in submission to God has eternity with God in its perspective.
•Eccl. The vanity, ephemerality, transitoriness of a materialistic worldview.
True Treasures (Mat. 6:19), Doing the Lord’s work (I Cor. 15:58)
Honor God’s servants (1 Thes. 5:12,13) – They care for your spiritual soul, Looking Up (Heb. 12:2; Col. 3:1,2).

C.Work in submission to God is aims to please God.
Gal. 1:10; Col. 3: 17, 22; Eph. 6: 5-9; 1 Cor. 10:31; At House, At Study, At Play, At Workplace.