Dr Charles Stanley - Christians in the Marketplace - Part 2

0:00When you and I are mistreated on the job, we have to respond like the Lord Jesus Christ responded in so doing. What do we do? We establish the truth of the gospel that we who profess the name, the name of Jesus Christ not only profess that, but we demonstrated 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. What's your attitude about your job? Before you talk about working conditions, recognition or pay, listen to in touch the teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley. God calls believers to think differently about our jobs. Stay with us for a lesson in how to become an influential Christian in the marketplace. Do you work for somebody you don't like? Do you like the way you paid?

1:01Are you satisfied with how much you paid? When you leave work on Friday afternoon, do you spend about half the way home blessing out your employer? Do you think if you could just get rid of half of your employees that you'd feel so much better? If you could just about every three months go by and get yourself a whole new cast. Things will be better in your business. Do you pray for your employer? Do you pray for your employees? Are you honest and just and fair with those you work for? Do you have a critical spirit? Or do you go the second mile and helping them to do their best and to prosper in their business? What is your attitude? Now the attitude of an unbeliever is one thing. But God says for the believer there are some very definite attitudes, some very definite actions that ought to be true in all of us who are employers or employees who name the name of Christ. So I want us to begin by looking at what the Scripture says first of all in admonitions

2:08to those who are employees. What does God have to say to all of us who work for someone else? Well, let's look if you will in 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 18. Jesus 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 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 can manage 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 those 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

3:11after in this whole matter of relationships between employees and employers. Listen to what he says now in verse 19. He says for this fine's favor what fine's favor when employees submit to the requirements of employers where to be submissive he says even to those who are not gentle those who are harsh those who ugly those who are unreasonable those who are tasked upon us that are more than we think is right. He says for this fine's favor if for the sake of conscience toward God a man or woman bears up under sorrowous 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 mone 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

4:11violating the word of God. And I think it 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 he said listen he says now for this fine's favor if for the sake of conscience toward God a man bears up under sorrowous when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if when you sin and a harshly treated you endure it with patience or if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it this fine's favor with God. Now he says when you and I sin and then we get penalized then we're mistreated he said there's no reward in that but when we are mistreated credit unjustly requirements a 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 fine's favor with God.

5:12Our 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 puts you in a bad position allows you to be in a tough position what he's doing is giving you the privilege of what demonstrating the life of the Lord Jesus Christ invisible 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 and 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

6:16nobody 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 now that is the attitude the employees to have to the employer but now what about our service what kind of service is this that you and I are to render so I want you to turn back if you will to Ephesians chapter 6 and also in Colossians chapter 3 listen to what he says verse 5 says employees be obedient to those who master the corner the flesh with fear and trembling in the sincerity of your heart as to Christ now he says this service of ours and our work he says we have to view our work in this life first of all

7:20it is not to be done as to the employer but it is to be done as if we are doing it to Christ or for him as to Christ not by way of our service that is only working when somebody is looking over your shoulder to see that you're doing a good job as men pleases that is working our hardest to impress someone else but as employees of Christ did you get that as employees of Christ doing the will of God from the heart he said no wait a minute you don't mean to tell me that I'm to work to my employer as if he were Jesus let me ask you this which is easier in your thinking that a slave submit in authority with no rights whatsoever to a slave master as if he were Christ or you in this society in which we live in submitting to your employee as if you were submitting to Christ if he says that for slaves my friend the principal is still here that employees are to work

8:24and they're to carry out their labor as if the labor is for the Lord not for a human employer let me ask you a question wouldn't that result in better production better products the time listen own time if we were doing it is it for Jesus he says that an employee is the work as if the work is unto Christ but I want to tell you something there's not a single one of us who cut corners or punch out ahead of time if Jesus were the employer and for the believer for the believer listen this isn't an option this isn't a suggestion this is the way Christian employees are to work their service as unto the Lord Jesus Christ who is their heavenly employer listen according to the scripture he says that no matter what our job is if you assume the responsibility on your job you have to carry it out as if listen you have to treat your employer as if he were

9:29Christ you are to be obedient respectful of him or of her and the work is to be done of the same character as if Christ were going to examine the work now brother that puts a whole new twist in our labor well that's what he's saying that's what he said look if you will in Colossians chapter three same thing almost slaves or employees and all things obey those who are your employers on earth not with external service that is just doing it to get by your hearts not in it you listen did you know that a clock watcher is a poor testimony you know what he's talking about he's talking about clock watching employees not with external service as those who merely please men but with sincerity of heart fearing the Lord you are subject to the Lord in your employment

10:32whatever you do do your work heartily put your whole heart into it as for the Lord rather than men if you look at it coming from him you want to fight you want to get ugly you want to say some things you shouldn't say but you see the key is where we sit coming from now I don't believe you can do a sloppy job with a clear conscience you say well they mistreat me that's not the issue other folks get by with it that's not it I deserve more than they're paying me you should have said that before you got there listen you can give 40 reasons for doing a poor job but you can't give me one single biblical reason acceptable before God not a one that's the spirit he's talking about here now look if you will back over into Titus just a few moments a few moments and I want you to notice something he says and makes it very very clear chapter two verse nine and it's

11:35amazing how people do this so Christians and brag about it chapter two verse nine urge he says urged employees to be subject to their own employers and everything to be well pleasing not argumentive for destroyed it you don't argue with him secondly not pill-fringer stealing from them if you don't have the authority to walk out 30 minutes early you have just stolen what you paid for working for 30 minutes that's stealing now I can understand lost man doing that but God says for believers I'm telling you my friend he says no way can you justify that lost man can't justify either but I mean he says no argumentation and no stealing listen but showing all good faith that they may adorn the doctrine of God our savior and ever respect our good righteous just fair conduct is going to draw them to the savior but I wonder how many Christians are willing to

12:42give a little bit and compromise a little here in order to gain just a little bit more he says no there's no way that you and I can justify that now he says we are to be submissive that our spirit is to be one of whole-hearted service we're to be honest and it's interesting here that in first Timothy no go back to first Timothy a moment he says if you work for a Christian employer you know what he says let those who have believers as their employees not be disrespectful to them but brother but listen because their brethren let them serve them all the more you to work harder listen you have to do more if you work for a Christian employer you says that what that means there's only one way to interpret that verse because you're working for a brother assistant Christ you do a little bit more now you say where is my security that is what does God say about

13:47if I'm willing to do this first of all he we just read in first Peter that he says we're going to be favored by God that is God's going to favor us for a good testimony then if you'll go back to chapter 6 of Ephesians he says verse 8 when you and I are good responders he says knowing that whatever good thing each one does this he will receive back from the Lord with a slave of free that is God rewards us for our faithfulness now your employer gives you a paycheck but he says God will reward you in great a ways if you and I are faithful to him so there is accountability in our labor for those who whoever we work for whoever it might be he says we are going to receive a reward we're going to be held accountable before him now so for the employee the responsibility looks pretty heavy submission service our spirit must be that of submission throwing our whole

14:56heart into it giving it our best because we're serving him not serving man now what about the employer he said oh I'm waiting to get to that one well it's very interesting what he says in collotions and Ephesians go back to Ephesians chapter 6 listen to what he says verse 9 masters or employers do the same things to them that is the goal and rule is the rule for employers treat your employees exactly the way you want to be treated listen and he says you don't do it by intimidation and threats employers are not to lord it over their employees with intimidations and threats of firing he says give up threatening knowing that both your master is your master and your employees master is in heaven and there's no partiality with him if the employee mistreats the

15:56employer they have to pay the penalty if the employer mistreats the employee have to pay the penalty back over to collotions chapter 3 he says chapter 4 verse 1 masters grant to your employees justice and fairness knowing that you two have a master in heaven it is the responsibility of the employer to pay a fair wage and to provide the right kind of working conditions and the have the right kind of spirit and to treat the employees with respect and honor for the truth is employers and employees who know the Lord Jesus Christ are brothers and sisters in the Lord and you see the principle of love always prevails over everything else there is in no fashion for no reason are we to mistreat our brother or sister that doesn't mean there not be sometimes

17:00difficulty and discipline and very difficult situations but the principle is what is our spirit it is the spirit of loving forgiveness discipline and instruction before you let somebody go to be sure they understand why that has nothing to do with you being angry it has to do with that you want the very best for them and an employer who has to let someone go because of wrongdoing or because of lack of discipline on the job or because of creating this harmony should explain to them why and in the spirit of Christian love say to that person I am responsible to God as your employer they may say don't give me this religious bit that I'm saying they want to acknowledge that you're responsible to God to be a good employer and you're going to have to give an account to God for the way you treat your employees and therefore to let them get by with wrongdoing you

18:03going to have to give an account to God there are clear he says there's no partiality with God in the treatment of employees and employers God says fair and just remembering that there is a day of accountability they said now why did Paul say so much to these churches to the slaves not very much to the slave owners because there were probably a hundred to one slaves versus slave masters in the church but it's clear how we should treat one another you see there is power in submission there's an awesome power in submission to authority Jesus was submissive to his father's authority he's given us an example he said only do the things that the father tells me to do we're to be submissive to authority and there is power in submission there is persuasiveness in

19:09loving submission and my friend if you're not a Christian I want to encourage you to surrender your life to Christ submit yourself to the authority of God you know why so many people are not submissive on the job I bet you if you take a little poll here's what you find if they're not submissive to their working authority they're not submissive to spiritual authorities and they're not submissive to God's authority it's amazing how that works in people's lives there is power in submission there is freedom in submission and God says there is blessing in submission because God assumes the responsibility for the blessing and I want to encourage you my friend to trust the Lord Jesus Christ as you save you submit to his authority submit to the authorities of government church labor and watch God began to free you liberate you promote you prosper you God will favor

20:16those who walk in submission to him and then I want to say it again to all of you who are Christians wherever you work you have a responsibility before God to leave this trail behind you wherever you're working a godly testimony of what the Christian life is all about that's what all of these admonitions have as their goal that our message the message of the truth of the gospel is unhindered and untarnished by our life thanks for joining us today on in touch the teaching ministry of dr. Charles Stanley how do you view your job is it misery or ministry if you see work as an opportunity to serve God it becomes a way to reach others for Jesus Christ if you'd like to find out more about how to live for Christ on your job visit our website at intouch.org and hear this message again click today on radio

21:23and order a copy of dr. Stanley's message today Christians in the marketplace visit our online store that's intouch.org or caller textus the number is simply 1-800-intouch and you can write to us at intouch p.o. box 7900 at Lanna, Georgia 30357 what's more important your job or your faith here a story coming up in today's moment with Charles Stanley from the pastor's heart is an in-depth teaching letter inspired by the teachings of dr. Charles Stanley to receive in touches from the pastor's heart letter call 1-800-intouch or visit intouch.org slash pastor's heart you're listening to intouch protecting your job might not always be the most important thing hear a story about that in a moment with Charles Stanley I was talking to a young lady about a story she told me she worked for this particular man and he asked her to do something that she didn't

22:30believe was really right in her eyes she says no I'm going not going to do it even though he's going to profit him and her she says no I'm not going to do it so he argued with her about how profitable it would be nobody would know but them and he rationalized all the things about his request and it sounded really good she says but deep down inside everything in me said no that is a violation of the truth it is deceptive now I wasn't an outright lie but it was deceptive which is the lie she said no so what did he do he fired him for two weeks two weeks let he calls a vac apologized said I want to ask you to forgive me you were right he said I'm not this man wasn't even a Christian he says I've not had a good night's sleep since the day I've heard you he when she told me this now he's going to church for the first time in his life a good witness

23:34someone who was willing listen who was willing to lose her job for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ he now is adorning her doctrine the gospel of Christ you can learn more about following Jesus regardless of the consequences at intouch.org and if today's program has encouraged you to become the person God intends you to be we'd love to hear from you when intouch returns are you under the protection of the good shepherd you are if you've trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation from the penalty of sin you can learn more about that when you join us again for intouch the teaching ministry of dr. Charles Stanley this program is a presentation of intouch ministry is at land of Georgia and remains on the station through the grace of God and your faithful prayers and gifts