The Letter to the Colossians part 7
Colossians 3:22-4:1 | The Lord of the Workplace
In our culture today, there is a tendency to compartmentalize our lives. “Work” goes into the work box. “Family” goes into the family box. “Church” goes into the church box. And, typically, those boxes do not interact with one another. In fact, there are some boxes that are not allowed with other boxes. Perhaps you’ve heard it said, “You shouldn’t talk about religion or politics at dinner.” It’s an interesting saying, considering we always seem to hear about politics these days.
But this phenomenon also plays out in how people see ‘church work’. Their devotion to God is measured by how much they do in the church building. Or, perhaps some may believe that God is not really interested in our mundane day-to-day work as much as He is in our willingness to do ‘something big’ or some ‘real Christian work’.
Martin Luther had this to say about this same phenomenon he saw in the 16th century:
“The idea that the service to God should have only to do with a church altar, singing, reading, sacrifice, and the like is without doubt but the worst trick of the devil. How could the devil have led us more effectively astray than by the narrow conception that service to God takes place only in a church and by the works done therein. The whole world could abound with the services to the Lord, ‘God’s work’ – not only in churches but also in the home, kitchen, workshop, field.”
Our work for God does not begin and end at the doorstep of the church. In fact, much of what we do here in the church house is recuperating from the work to be done outside these four walls.
We will only read six verses this week, because these verses point us to the reality that our vocation is just as much a part of our Christian growth as our families and our character. First, let’s take a moment to review chapter 3 so we can remember the pattern Paul is establishing in Christian growth. Then, we will slowly read through 3:22-4:1.
Review
Before we begin, I want to remind you the pattern in chapter 3. Paul begins with the individual and moves outward into a person’s sphere of influence. Notice in 3:1-4, Paul says set your mind on things above. Before we can do anything else, we must fix our minds. If we hope to influence others, especially our work places, we must start with our own minds.
Then in 3:5-11, Paul says to put to death the old passions and feelings. We are to fix our hearts in the right place. If our being has been transformed, if we have passed from death into life, then we fix our minds and fix our hearts toward the right passions and priorities. It is no longer about glorifying ourselves, it is about glorifying the Lord.
And so what do we fill in the place of those old passions? The new life given to us by Christ. In 3:12-17, Paul tells us to take hold of Christ and His transforming power in our own lives. With our minds and hearts anchored to Christ, our attitudes will demonstrate love, compassion, kindness, and patience. Take note, Paul spends 17 verses just on the individual. Before anything else, we must let Christ transform us. If we want God-honoring marriages, God-honoring children, and a God-honoring community, it must begin with us. Yes, it does begin with the man in the mirror.
And, then, once we have surrendered to the transforming power of Christ, then we can become the husbands and wives that we want to be. And now we move further out in our sphere of influence into the work place. How does the transforming power of Christ change our workplace attitude and service?
Christian maturity is reflected in our attitudes and actions concerning ourselves, our families, and our work places.
Colossians 3:22-4:1 : Do Work in the Name of the Lord
22 Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters,[f] not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.
4:1 Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
Colossians 3:22-4:1
First, notice in verse 23 is almost a restatement of verse 17, however there is a slight difference worth noting.
Verse 17 tells us whatever we do, we should do it in the name of the Lord Jesus, which as we looked at last week means that as we live life, we live it in the power and authority of Jesus Christ. It is through the power of Christ that we can have those transformed attitudes and character. It is through the power of Christ that we can become the family we desperately want in this world, and it is also through the power of Christ that we can conduct our business and work successfully. Now, whether or not we strike it rich is a whole other matter. Working in the Name of the Lord is not a promise of wealth, it is a promise that whatever vocation God has placed on your heart, He will sustain you through that vocation.
Which is why Paul can write in verse 23, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” The Lord has placed you in the place you work, so work well and with excellence.
Work is tool for worship when we work with excellence.
When we think back to Paul’s statement, “Fix our minds on things above”, part of that is how we view our workplace. The work is from the Lord. And so, as working for the Lord, we remember integrity matters. It is not enough to look like we are diligently doing our tasks, we must actually diligently do the task. He says in verse 22 to work “with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord,” because ultimately our reward comes from God, not our boss.
Highlight verses 23-24 if you have not already, because at the end of verse 24, Paul puts it very plainly. In the work place, we are still serving the Lord Jesus.
Your work is the Lord’s work when you are working for the Lord.
Now, there is also a clause in 24 which relates to 25. Paul mentions the inheritance that we will receive because we are in Christ. Then, in 25 he warns both employers and employees “the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.” These verses are reminding us of the End of this age. We know that one day Christ will return and usher in a new creation. At that time, those who have continued in their sin will be punished. Of course, God’s judgement is not restricted to the End. Many of us can testify to a bad employer whose selfishness, deceit, or otherwise lack of integrity caught up with them.
But, larger than just doing well to get rewarded or doing well to avoid punishment, these verses remind us that our vocations in life are steps toward that glorious return of Christ. It is not as though Jesus waits in heaven twiddling His thumbs as a giant countdown continues. He is actively working on Earth through His people. And each person, whether preacher, farmer, mechanic, business owner, maid, homemaker, programmer, or the myriad of other occupations that we could find ourselves doing on this earth, each person’s life and work mark steps toward Jesus’ return.
Work is a tool for witness when we work with excellence.
Last, we read 4:1. (Which probably should be 3:26, but none of us were around in 1227 to ask Archbishop of Canterbury Stephen Langton why he started a new chapter here.) For those who have employees under them, it reminds us that we are not the Lord of the workplace. We are stewards of God’s Kingdom, and it is His workplace. Your business, your farm, your hospital, or wherever you find yourself working, belongs to the Lord. It is the Golden Rule for a reason, so treat your employees as you would want to be treated.
But before we move on from here, I want to look closely at the word ‘bondservant’. In the Greek, it is doulos which can be translated as ‘bondservant’, ‘slave’, or ‘servant’. Now, whether the person has willingly gone into servitude or not, Paul tells masters to treat them fairly and justly. In the first century, servitude looked quite a bit differently, but today, we still have servitude. We go to business owners and managers and willingly serve them in exchange for a salary. And we also go to businesses and offer them money in exchange for their goods and services. Sometimes, we are contracting particular people in those businesses. How we treat those serving us matters. That waitress in your favorite restaurant may not be your doulos in the ‘slave’ sense of the word, but they are someone serving you. So, treat them well.
I remember my first year of college I took a job waiting tables at a local restaurant. It taught me several things, primarily that waiting tables requires a certain skillset the Lord did not give me. It also taught me that traditionally Sundays are the worst days to be a waiter. I will never forget those Sundays we would be very busy, and yet my tips were not as good as those days we were less busy. One of my co-workers explained, “Church people are the worst tippers.”
I also remember my days working in an electronics store where my manager complained one day about a particular customer. He said, “I can’t stand those guys.” I asked which guys, and he explained, “The guy that thinks because he’s a preacher or something that he should get free stuff or special discounts.”
Now, we could write these off as isolated cases and talk about the multitude of honest, fair and generous Christians out there, or we could recognize that enough bad apples have been around to ruin the reputation for the rest of us. Christians should be known as the best tippers, because we are the most generous people. Christians should be known as the best customers, because we seek fairness in all our dealings, not free handouts.
Consider why Chick-fil-A is so much better than every other fast food chain in this country. It is wonderful food served by wonderful people who are trained to bring their A-game to the work place. I had a student in my last school who was a so-so student. She was bright, but I could tell she wasn’t trying her hardest in school. One day, I went to Chick-fil-A and found her working there. She was the model worker. She smiled. She said, “My pleasure.” She got my order right. It was amazing. Now, I knew she could do better in her work ethic, so what was different? It was the culture around her. At the school she was surrounded by people who did not want excellence and routinely ridiculed those who showed excellence. But, at her work, it was a culture of excellence that did not allow mediocrity.
As Christians, we may find ourselves in places of work where excellence is not smiled upon, but we must always remember Who we work for. And in His eyes, excellence is always the standard.
So work heartily as unto the Lord, even if no one else is. And pay those who serve you generously, because the Lord has generously given to you.
True Gospel Transformation
Now, before we conclude, I want to address how much Paul has said in these relatively short chapters. If we take a large view of Colossians, we find verses 1:3—3:4 concern the supremacy and preeminence of Christ in Theology and Truth. Christ is Creator. Christ is Savior. Christ is our Rule of Faith. It is by Him and through Him we know what is true. Then, in 3:5—4:6, we see Christ is supreme and preeminent in how we live our lives. The Truth of who Christ is affects how we live day to day.
Because of Christ, I can be transformed from death to life.
Because of Christ, I can demonstrate the love God has for us all.
Because of Christ, I can lead my family in reverence and obedience to the Lord.
And because of Christ, I can demonstrate excellence and Christ’s love in the workplace.
Last, and for next week, we will see how Christ transforms how we pray.
And this is an all-encompassing transformation. By ‘fixing our minds on Christ’, we are transformed in how we think. By ‘putting to death’ the old passions, we are transformed in our hearts. And, as we have seen last week and this week, this same transformation will affect what we do.
True Gospel transformation is complete when it transforms how we think, feel, and do.
But once again I remind you of how this all starts. Paul says in 3:1, “If then you have been raised.” The great transformation of our hearts and lives only happens when we have surrendered to Jesus as Lord. Today, if you are still only going through the church motions, or still openly living for your own selfishness, then you have not been raised with Christ, and the power of Christ to bring you from death to life is still unavailable to you. And all the effort you can muster will not be enough—not enough for your today and not enough for your eternity. Go to Jesus while there is still time, because “the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality."