YOUR JOB AND GOD

TEXT- 1 TIMOTHY 6:1-2

INTRODUCTION


THIS MORNING WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN A NEW CHAPTER AS WE CONTINUE WITH OUR STUDY FROM THE BOOK OF FIRST TIMOTHY.

THROUGHOUT THIS BOOK, PAUL HAS BEEN EMPHASIZING A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF THE CHURCH IN EACH CHAPTER.

IN CHAPTER ONE HE SPOKE ABOUT THE MESSAGE OF THE CHURCH.

IN CHAPTERS TWO AND THREE HE SPOKE ABOUT THE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH.

IN CHAPTER FOUR HE SPOKE ABOUT THE MINISTER OF THE CHURCH.

IN CHAPTER FIVE HE SPOKE ABOUT THE VARIOUS MINISTRIES WITHIN THE CHURCH.

NOW IN CHAPTER SIX PAUL SPEAKS TO US ABOUT THE ISSUE OF MONEY AND THE CHURCH.

IN VERSES 1-10 HE SPEAKS ABOUT THE LOVE OF MONEY.

IN VERSES 11-16 HE SPEAKS TO US ABOUT THE MAN OF GOD AND MONEY.

THEN IN VERSES 17-21 HE TALKS ABOUT MANAGING MONEY.

TODAY I AM GOING TO BEGIN A FOUR PART SERIES ON THE LOVE OF MONEY.

OUR TEXT IS FOUND IN 1 TIMOTHY 6:1-2 AND I WOULD LIKE US TO CONSIDER THE RELATIONSHIP OF MONEY TO OUR JOBS.

A MAN WAS BEING INTERVIEWED FOR A POSITION AND THE PERSONNEL MANAGER SAID TO HIM, "SO YOU WOULD LIKE A JOB IN THIS OFFICE? WELL, WHAT CAN YOU DO?"  THE MAN REPLIED, "NOTHING."  “WELL, I’M SORRY ” SAID THE PERSONNEL MANAGER, “BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE APPLIED SOONER. ALL THOSE HIGH- PAYING JOBS HAVE ALREADY BEEN FILLED."

A SURVEY OF AMERICAN WORKERS REVEALED THAT 70 PERCENT OF THEM DO NOT LIKE THEIR JOBS.  OF THAT 70 PERCENT, 90 PERCENT SAID THEY DID NOT FEEL LIKE GETTING UP IN THE MORNING TO GO TO WORK.

THE AVERAGE WORKER TODAY VIEWS HIS JOB SIMPLY AS A NECESSITY FOR MAKING MONEY AND PAYING FOR HIS BILLS AND TOYS.

THIS PHILOSOPHY CAN BE SEEN ON THE POPULAR BUMPER STICKER WHICH SAYS, “I OWE, I OWE, SO OFF TO WORK I GO.”

IF YOU THINK THAT MONEY IS THE ONLY REASON WHY WE ARE TO WORK YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF WORK.

THE BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE OF WORK WAS SET FORTH BY GOD HIMSELF AFTER HE CREATED MAN.

GENESIS 2:15  THE LORD GOD TOOK THE MAN AND PUT HIM IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN TO WORK IT AND TAKE CARE OF IT.

SINCE GOD DID THIS BEFORE THE FALL OF MAN IT SHOWS US THAT WORK IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE ARE TO DO AS A RESULT OF ADAM’S SIN, BUT RATHER, IT IS A PART OF GOD’S CREATIVE DESIGN FOR MAN.

THIS BEING THE CASE WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW OUR WORK IS CONNECTED TO OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.