Christians in the Marketplace - Part 1

Dr. Charles Stanley: Listen, the Christian in the marketplace needs to be very, very sensitive to this. That our right conduct and our proper response of submission to authority, responding, honoring and respecting those who have authority over us, He said what we are doing by being obedient to those in authority is that we are defending the truth of the gospel.
Guest (Male): Would people consider you a Sunday-only Christian? That is, when the service is over, do you put away your Bible and your faith until the next week? Today on In Touch, the teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley, we'll see that as believers, it's very important that we live a life consistent with our faith. Stay with us for Dr. Stanley's teaching on Christians in the Marketplace.
Dr. Charles Stanley: Because the Lord loves us and wants the very best for our life, He's spoken to every area of our life from His word. And especially as He dealt with relationships. For example, relationships in the family, relationships in the church, relationship to the government. And one of the areas to which He has spoken so clearly in His word is the area of relationships in the marketplace. That is, with employers and employees. An area in which there's been a lot of strife in some towns and cities and throughout the nation, causing division, disharmony, slowed production. In fact, there've been whole cities that have been tied up because of dissension among labor and management. What in the world does God have to say about this area of strife in this area of relationship that all of us have to deal with? That is every person who's working outside the home, and I suppose maybe some people working inside the home might have a problem in this area. But God gives us a very clear word concerning this matter of relationships between employees and employers. So I want us to begin by looking at what the scripture says, first of all, in admonitions to those who are employees. What does God have to say to all of us who work for someone else? Does He have anything specific to say? And if you will notice in all of these passages, and if you look first of all in Ephesians 6, then Colossians 3, and then 1 Timothy 6, and then Titus 2. In every one of these sections of scripture, each one begins with the same admonition. And the admonition is this: that employees are to be submissive to their employers. Now you say, "That's talking about slaves, man. That's exactly the way I feel. You mean I'm to be submissive as a slave?" No, let me give you a little background of why we're talking about slaves here and coming over to employees. Paul wrote these principles to a society in which there were 60 million slaves. That is, one-third of the whole Roman Empire was made up of slaves. And those slaves were considered human tools. They were not considered people. A slave was not a person but a human tool. In the Roman Empire, their attitude was this: because we manage and rule the world, why should we do any work? Let those whom we own do the labor while we satisfy ourselves. That was the whole Roman perspective. You had very wealthy people and then you had slaves. These people could not marry. They could cohabitate. They could have children. But even their children were the possessions of the slave owners. A slave had absolutely no rights whatsoever. Anything a slave owner wanted to do to a slave, he had the right to do so and there was no justice for the slaves. So that a slave was a possession, a thing, a tool, something that could carry out labor for the slave owner. But on the other hand, those slaves were doctors, slaves were teachers, they were stewards, they were secretaries, they were artists, they were musicians. And oftentimes the slave owner, the master, dearly loved the slave. Well, in many of these churches, there were slave owners and slaves who seated side-by-side. Sometimes it was the slave who was the man who stood in the pulpit, so to speak, or who did the preaching and the slave owner was sitting out there listening. He was doing the teaching and the slave owner was doing the learning. So now the slave and the master, worshipping God together, something began to happen in their spirit and their attitude toward each other. And here comes Paul talking about God loving everyone equally, and God loves us all unconditionally, and God loves us no matter what our performance is. And we're to love one another and to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. I'll tell you what happened. Something began to happen in the relationships of slaves and slave owners. And so when you read the little book of Philemon, here is Paul writing to this slave owner about his slave and how he should treat him as a brother. Well, the same principles that applied to slaves and slave owners, the same principles today, some 2,000 years later, apply to employers and employees. Now, you may feel like a slave where you work. We're not talking about slaves and slave owners, we're talking about employers and employees and the principles are the same. And the first admonition to employees is that employees are to be submissive to, that they are to obey their employers. You say, "Well, now you don't know my employer." Now, that's not even the issue. The issue is what does God say and what does He mean by what He says? Now, I want us to look at several of these passages. Look if you will, first of all, in Ephesians chapter 6. Beginning in verse 5, he says, "Slaves or employees, now let me just let's just remember we're talking about employees and employers. And no matter what you think about the person who employs you, remember what God is saying. Slaves or employees are to be obedient to those who are their employers or their bosses according to the flesh." That is, they are your boss according to the flesh, not according to the spirit because God the Heavenly Father is. And He says this is to be done with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart. That is, it is to be a sincere recognition. Not only does He say we are to be obedient, but in other verses, for example, He says in Colossians chapter 3, verse 22, "Slaves in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service as those who merely please men, but with the sincerity of the heart, fearing the Lord." Then again, for example, in 1 Timothy chapter 6, verse 1, "Let all who are under the yoke as slaves regard their own masters as worthy of all honor." And then again, He says in Titus, chapter 2, verse 9, "Urge employees to be subject to their own masters in everything, be well-pleasing, not argumentative." Now, He says in two of these passages here that submission is to be in everything, in every aspect. Here and again, for example, He says in 1 Peter chapter 2, "Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable." So now He says that this submission should be in all things. So the question is, do you mean to tell me that I am to obey my employer in everything he tells me to do? Go back, if you will, to Acts chapter 5. There is a single verse that settles that issue. In verse 29 of chapter 5 of Acts, Peter and the apostles answered and said, "We must obey God rather than men." So that the limitation on submission to employers, the limitation of submission is whenever you're asked to do anything dishonest, violate a scriptural principle, violate the word of God, then you have a right to refuse to obey those who are in authority over us. So the first admonition here is the admonition of submission. Now, He says this is the spirit in which employees are to serve the employer. What is that? Well, let's look, if you will, in 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 18. He says, "Employees, be submissive to your employers with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable." You say, "Well, I was afraid we were going to get to that verse because sometimes you may work for someone who is extremely unreasonable." I did not say that they commanded you to violate a spiritual principle. They're just unreasonable. Listen to what He says: "With all respect, we are to be submissive, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable." How in the world could we ever justify God saying that we are to be submissive to those who require of us things that we consider very unreasonable and unfair? Well, there is a major verse in all of these passages that is the real key to what God's after in this whole matter of relationships between employees and employers. Listen to what He says now in verse 19. He says, "For this finds favor." What finds favor? When employees submit to the requirements of employers. We're to be submissive, He says, even to those who are not gentle, those who are harsh, those who are ugly, those who are unreasonable, those who put task upon us that are more than we think is right. He says, "For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a man or woman bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly." Now, He says when you and I do what is required of us, and we think it's tough, it's hard, it's harsh and unjust, He says when you and I obey those in authority over us, God says we will find favor in His eyes. Now, my friend, the next time you complain and moan and groan and go to somebody else that you work for and you just let your boss have it behind his back, you remember that you are violating the word of God. And I figured I wouldn't get a single "Amen" on that and I didn't. There's some things you can just naturally guess. Listen to what He says. Listen. He says now, "For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a man bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if when you sin and are harshly treated you endure it with patience? For if when you do what is right and suffer for it, you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God." Now, He says when you and I sin and then we get penalized and then we're mistreated, He said there's no reward in that. But when we are mistreated, treated unjustly, requirements are harsh, we don't think it's fair, and we endure it, we bear up under it and go ahead and do what is required of us, twice He says, "This finds favor with God." Now, listen to this: why does it find favor with God? I want you to look at a verse here and I'm going to come back to this in just a moment because it's very important in the whole idea of what He's saying. Look if you will in Titus chapter 2 for a moment. We'll come back to this but I want you to notice this because it relates to exactly what we're saying here. Titus chapter 2, and look if you will, let's read verses 9 and 10 because we will come back to them shortly. Verses 9 and 10 says, "Urge employees to be subject to their employers in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering or stealing from them, but showing all good faith, in order that..." That is, why is an employee to act this way? Why is their spirit, why is it so important their spirit be this way? "That they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect." That is, you see, our response on our job in our vocation is going to reflect upon the doctrine we believe and the very gospel of the kingdom of God. Go back, if you will, to 1 Timothy chapter 6. Listen to what He says again, verse 1. "Let all who are under the yoke as slaves, as employees, regard their own employer as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the doctrine may not be spoken against." Here's what He's saying. He says, "Listen, the Christian in the marketplace needs to be very, very sensitive to this. That our right conduct and our proper response of submission to authority, responding, honoring and respecting those who have authority over us." He says what we are doing by being obedient to those in authority is that we are defending the truth of the gospel. We are defending by our conduct the very message of the truth. He says and when we do so, one of these days they are going to adorn, they're going to respect the gospel that we preach. And my friend, it's one thing to sit in the church pew and sing songs and pray prayers and give money. Listen, where the Christian life needs to be lived out is where you're working. Those are the folks who are looking, and your employer has a right to examine your faith. Back to 1 Peter now. He says when you and I suffer unjustly on the job, He says this finds favor with God. He says God, listen, you say, "Wait a minute. You mean to tell me that when I hurt on the job, that that finds favor with God?" Yes, it does. You say, "Is that fair?" Yes, it is. What have I told you time and time again? God isn't interested in our ease, comfort and pleasure, but in the witness of our faith. So what happens when you and I are mistreated on the job and we endure that and respond properly? Listen to what He says, verse 21 of 1 Peter 2: "For you have been called for this purpose." You say, "Wait a minute. You mean to tell me that I'm called to suffer on the job?" Yes. "Since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example of how to suffer on your job for you to follow in His steps." Now let me ask you a question: was He mistreated because He deserved it? No. How did He respond? He didn't fight back, He didn't defend Himself. He always responded in love. What Peter is saying here is this: when you and I are mistreated on the job, we're to respond like the Lord Jesus Christ responded. And in so doing, what do we do? We establish the truth of the gospel. We establish the testimony that the word of God works. That we who profess the name of Jesus Christ not only profess that but we demonstrate it on our job. When our employer knows he's mistreating us, we know he's mistreating us and we respond in love, I want to tell you, my friend, that is a far greater testimony than standing in a church building and doing anything. So He says, listen, verse 22: "Christ committed no sin, no deceit found in His mouth. While being reviled, He did not revile in return. While suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously." Did you get that? He entrusted Himself when He was being mistreated to Him who judges righteously. What is the employee to do when the employer mistreats him? He is to trust himself or herself into the hands of the one who makes all judgments righteously because He says something in a few moments that will encourage you. Now, verse 24: "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, for by His wounds you and I were healed." Now, isn't it interesting that one of the most important verses about the cross and about the death of the Lord Jesus Christ is a part of a whole passage that deals with the relationship of employees to employers? So He says that attitude of submission, no matter how you're treated, unless it violates a principle of the word of God, we are to be submissive and yield and submit and be in subjection to, respecting and honoring our employers, not in the spirit of criticism. Now, you may have a struggle with that, what He's saying here. But the goal, if you'll remember, go back to 1 Timothy. The goal, 1 Timothy chapter 6, is worthy of our suffering. So what is that goal? He says, chapter 6, verse 1: "Let all who are under the yoke as slaves regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and our doctrine may not be spoken against." So let me ask you a question: when you get irritated and you fret in your job, you've been mistreated, you've been put in a bad spot, you don't like your office, everybody's ignoring you, you've been put off doing something that you're not supposed to be doing. What is your response? The Bible says you're to respond in submission and in love, trusting Almighty God, who is the big boss, to righteously judge and to vindicate you. And I'm going to show you that's what He's going to say in a few moments. God is the one who takes care of that. Our responsibility is to respond in love, respecting and honoring the employer even when we're mistreated. And to remember this, He says, you and I find favor, listen, we find favor with God. Because what He's done is this: if God put you in a bad position, allows you to be in a tough position, what He's doing is He's giving you the privilege of what? Demonstrating the life of the Lord Jesus Christ in visible, living human form, so that those about you can see the way Jesus lived. You are where you work the living gospel of Jesus Christ. Now, usually the response is when you get mistreated, "I'm quitting, I'm going to find myself another job, I'm getting out of here." My friend, could it be that God has placed you there and trusted you with ill-will, and trusted you with mistreatment, in order that He may demonstrate through you His wonderful gospel? Is it that you're prone to just want to get out because you're mistreated? Nobody respects you, nobody loves you, they don't live up to what they promised you, so you want out. Is it better to get out or is it better to give a strong, undeniable, unforgettable witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ? According to the scripture, He says, you will pattern your conduct after the life of Christ if you hang in there and respond in love.
Guest (Male): You're listening to In Touch, the teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley. If you can see your job as an assignment from God, your life can be transformed into a seven-day-a-week outreach for Jesus. If you'd like to listen to this message again, click Today on Radio at intouch.org and look around for resources to help you live out your faith every day. And if you'd like to have a copy of this complete message, you can order online at the store. The title is Christians in the Marketplace. Our web address again is intouch.org. Call or text to 1-800-INTOUCH. If you prefer, you can write to us at In Touch, Post Office Box 7900, Atlanta, Georgia 30357. Have you ever had a hard boss and a tough job? The right attitude makes all the difference. Hear about that coming up in today's Moment with Charles Stanley.
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Guest (Male): You're listening to In Touch. Sometimes a work situation can seem unbearable and impossible. Here's a story that could change your whole attitude in a Moment with Charles Stanley.
Dr. Charles Stanley: Now listen. I've had some jobs in my life. They didn't last long, not because I didn't do a good job, but because I was on my way to doing something else. But one of the toughest jobs I ever had, I worked in the textile mill and within 30 minutes after I arrived on the job every day, every stitch on me was soaking sap and wet. Now I'll tell you, I didn't like the job to be honest. The only way I survived working in that hot place was reminding myself of that passage. "God, I'm doing this for you." Because the truth is my boss was very, very tough. He was mean and the only thing that mattered to him was "get it done." And if you were a college student, you were a slave. But I survived, and I survived every day because I knew that I was not serving him, I was serving God. You know what happens when you get that attitude? You get freed up. You don't care what he says. Doesn't make any difference. You're going to be obedient because you're serving the Lord. And all of a sudden it's amazing how you can serve your employer so freely if you see it coming from Jesus. So He says, whatever you do, do your work enthusiastically through your whole heart into it as for the Lord, rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. Did you hear that? It is not your employer, it is the Lord Christ whom you and I serve.
Guest (Male): You can learn more about how to live for God when you visit us at intouch.org. And if today's program has prompted you to consider how you could share the grace of God with others, please let us know. On the next edition of In Touch, it's easy to say we believe in Christ, but our actions are what really define our faith. Join us for a lesson to employers and employees on how to be influential Christians in the marketplace when we return on In Touch, the teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley. This program is a presentation of In Touch Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia and remains on this station through the grace of God and your faithful prayers and gifts.