Work for the glory of God
To watch or listen to the sermon of Graham Nicholls preaching on Sunday morning 25th March 2018 use the player above.. There is also a summary outline
Work for the Glory of God
(Gen 1:27-2:15; Col 3:22-24)
- Cultural context
- work is good, leisure is bad: you rest to work
- Work is necessary evil leisure is good
- Created for work (Gen 1:27-29; 2:1,2, 15)
- Adam & Eve given task to subdue, rule, care and guard, discover, categorise
- Bible commends hard work and condemns laziness (Proverbs 6:6-11; 1 Thess 4:11-12
- Created for rest (Gen 2:1-3 / Deut 5:12-15)
- Rest after work is modelled by and commanded by God
- It is time to cease work and to remember our God
- Cursed in work and rest (Gen 3:17-19)
Fallen in work
- We work selfishly and can exploit others
- The world seems to work against us
Fallen in rest
- We can make an idol of rest or ignore it all together
- We can be too busy for God
- Redeemed in work and rest
All work has meaning so we work hard (1 Cor 10:31; Col 3:22)
- Be diligent and honest as workers and fair as employers
- honour our superiors
- treat our workmates with kindness and respect
- expose fraud or dishonesty
- avoid complaining or grumbling
- refuse to make work and money our idols (Matt. 6:24; Ecc. 5:10-12).
- plan diligently for the future (Prov. 21:5).
- live simply and give generously (Prov. 22:9; 1 Tim. 6:17-19).
- approach every task spiritual values: Showing grace and forgiveness and gospel priorities
Rest because you trust God to run the world without you
- We delight in God’s creation
- We rejoice in our salvation
- God is glorified when we rest from work (Deut. 5:13-15; Ps. 46:10)
- We work and rest in hope
- In the new creation we will delight in glorifying God through work and service (Isaiah 65:21-22)
Series: One Off