Sermon by Chip Zachary for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 03 Feb 2013
On Sunday nights, we have been studying the book of Ephesians. This is a great book full of wonderful doctrinal truths that is balanced with practical application of these truths for the believer. In Chap 1, Paul praises God for his great plan of redemption that he predestined before the foundation of the world and he prays that we would understand the great blessings that we experience as being chosen and adopted by God as his children. In Chapter 2, Paul reminds us of our desperate natural state as children of wrath. But he also reminds us of the great news of the gospel that we are saved by grace through faith and that although we were formerly far off from God, we were aliens and strangers, we have now been brought near to him and are part of the household of God. In Chapter 3, we are told of the mystery that the Gospel also included the Gentiles and that through the church the wisdom of God is revealed to spiritual beings in the heavenly places. In Chapter 4, Paul transitions from doctrine and our position in Christ to the practice of these truths in our daily lives, what he calls “walking in a manner worthy of our calling.” He talks about the members of the body of Christ helping one another to “grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” He then relates what I like to call the replacement principle, where we must put away our old sinful desires/actions and put on or replace them with new godly desires and actions. In Chapter 5, he elaborates on this in more detail and in v 18 tells us not to get drunk with wine, but to be filled with the Spirit.
He mentions that a spirit filled believer encourages and addresses others with spiritual truths. A spirit filled believer is joyful and thankful toward God. And a spirit filled believer is submissive. Submissive first to Christ, but also to a number of God ordained authorities he has placed in our lives. Paul elaborates on three: wives/husbands, children/parents, and slaves/masters. In the last few weeks we have looked in detail at the first two relationships and so today I would like to look at the last: slaves/masters.
In the time that Paul wrote this letter, the function of society was much more home centered. It was common for homes, in addition to having husbands, wives & children to have servants or slaves as well. So it seems natural for Paul to address this 3rd submissive relationship, when initially at face value it may not seem to fit with the previous two. Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t have any slaves in my house (no comment from the Zachary kids), so how does this apply to us in the 21st century?
It seems that the closest relationship that we can apply to this particular passage is work relationships- those between the employee and employer or between the worker and the supervisor/foreman or the one in authority over us in our work environment. So as we look at this passage and you see slave, think of yourself in relationship to your boss/employer and when you see master, think of yourself, if you are the boss or employer. If you are a student, your work is your studies. So when you see slave, think of yourself and when you see master, think of your teachers. So let’s take a look at what Spirit filled work relations should be like.
Eph 6:5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ,
Eph 6:6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
Eph 6:7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man,
Eph 6:8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.
Eph 6:9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.
Paul first addresses the slave/worker. He gives a command, speaks to our attitude, and reminds us of a reward. First the command: v. 5 “Slaves obey your earthly masters.” The term earthly masters (or masters according to the flesh) is used to distinguish between the Master mentioned in verse 9 to whom which both slaves and earthly masters are under. The Greek for obey here is hupakouō (hoop-ak-oo'-o) meaning: to hear under (as a subordinate), that is, to listen attentively; by implication to heed or conform to a command or authority: - hearken, be obedient to, obey, to submit to. So you might ask, “What are we to obey?” Collosians 3:22 & Titus 2:9 tells us that we are to obey “in everything.” Now obviously if your employer tells you do something that is illegal or against God’s will, we do not have to obey that; and in fact we are told in Acts 5:29 that in that kind of situation we are “ to obey God rather than men.” Of course, if we do this, we also must be willing to suffer persecution for the decision to disobey, just as the apostles did for their decision. But in most circumstance we are to obey or submit to the will of our boss/employer.
So first Paul commands us to obey/be submissive to our employers/bosses and next he addresses our attitude in obedience. Paul tells us first to obey with fear and trembling. This speaks to an attitude of humility, honor, and respect toward our employer/boss. He also mentions a sincerity or singleness of heart. Titus 2:9 additionally tells us to be well pleasing, not being argumentative, and showing a good faith. Because it is so uncommon, when we do things without complaining or arguing, we “shine like stars in the universe.” (Phil 2:14-15, NIV) We should also be loyal to our employers/boss. The days of working at the same place for one’s entire career seem to be a memory of the past. However, we can still be faithful and committed to the success of our employer in the time we serve under their authority. Paul mentions, relating back to 5:21, that this fear and trembling and sincerity of heart is motivated by our reverence of Christ.
Next in v6&7, Paul mentions not obeying “by way of eye-service, as people pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man.” We are all familiar with people pleasers at work, you know the Eddie Haskell type. They feign hard work, follow the rules, and are most respectful when the boss is around. But as the saying goes, “When the cat’s away, the mice will play,” and as soon as the boss leaves the room; they slack, goof off, and make disparaging comments about the boss. If we do this, 1 Tim 6:1 tells us we revile the name of God and His teaching. May that never be the case with us. Our true character is revealed in what we do when no one is watching, remembering the children’s catechism question. Can you see God? Answer: No--I cannot see God, but he can always see me.
Some may say, “But you don’t understand, you don’t know what a ruthless tyrant my boss is?” Remember the words of Peter (1Pe 2:18) “Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.” Remember the examples of Joseph and Daniel. They both worked for godless, ruthless, tyrants and yet their work was so noble that they were promoted to be the highest officials in the land, next to the king. Remember the proverb we read earlier today, (Pro 22:29) “Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” I cannot guarantee you that you will stand before a king, but I can assure you that employers know, appreciate, and recognize respectful and competent workers. Are you blessed to work for a Christian boss/employer? 1 Tim 6:2 reminds us not to be disrespectful to them. Don’t try to take advantage of their kindness and do not be jealous of them because of their higher position of authority. So honor your boss and be faithful in your work.
When we work, we need to remember that we are really working for the Lord, not for men. We are to serve with good will or kindness and we are to work heartily or with all our heart. Titus 2:10 reminds us that slaves/employees should not pilfer. We may not actually take any items from the job, but we do steal by being lazy, wasting time, or doing less than our best. In our OT responsive reading, we read a number of proverbs that commend diligence and hard work, while condemning laziness or slothfulness. The parable of the talents in Matt 25 commends productive work/management, while condemning those who squander. When we work, we are serving the Lord Christ (Col 3:23-24). Some good questions to ask ourselves are, “Would I use this language? Would I treat others or my boss this way? Would I put this kind of effort into a project, if I was working for Jesus?” The fact is you are working for Jesus and that should be a sobering thought. So Paul commands us to obey and be submissive to our employers/bosses, he addresses the proper attitudes in our obedience, and he also reminds us of the reward for our obedience.
Although we are saved by grace and there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation, we are saved unto good works which God has prepared for us to do (Eph 2:10). There are a number of passages in Scripture that speak to rewards that we will receive for obedience (eg Mt 6:19-21, 1 Cor 3:12-15, 2 Cor 5:10, 2 Tim 4:8) including this passage. We are told that when we do good, such as obeying and submitting to our masters/bosses/empolyers with a heart for serving Christ, we will receive good back from the Lord. This reward could be in this life, eg a promotion, salary increase or other benefit, or the satisfaction of doing a good deed; or we may never see it until the life to come. But, we will be rewarded. However, Col 3:23 reminds us that the converse is also true, “For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.”
So to summarize to this point, Paul exhorts us to obey or submit to those in authority in our work places with a sincere heart because we are really serving Christ and when we do so, we will receive blessing.
In v 9, Paul turns to the responsibility of masters/bosses/employers. His command to them: “Do the same to them.” Not that bosses/employers are to obey those under their authority, but that they are to have the same attitudes of sincerity of heart, good will and kindness, and render service to them as unto the Lord. Col 4:1 adds that masters are to treat slaves justly and fairly. “Are you in authority at your workplace?” Set the example for the environment you want.. Model gracious speech. Encourage good behavior and positive accomplishments. Take responsibility. Don’t blame employees for a mistake or failure that you made. If someone under your supervision makes a great suggestion to make the company or product work better, give them the credit and don’t take it as your own. If you are the employer, don’t skim all the profits for yourself, be generous and pay your employees well/provide them with a bonus.
Paul also adds that masters are to stop threatening. Nobody likes to be threatened. It is really a poor motivator. Instead, instruct and admonish gently, when needed. Last week, Nate preached on the Jesus’ parable of the unmerciful servant and we saw the result of his threatening toward another servant--he was cast out of the Master’s presence. Likewise, Paul reminds us that earthly masters are under the authority of our Master in heaven and with him there is no partiality. There is neither slave nor free (Gal 3:28, Col 3:11), we are all the same in his sight. Remember to whom much has been given, much will be required (Lk 12:48). Employers/bosses have a great responsibility for those whom God has entrusted to them; and the implication from Colossians is that if we treat them unjustly, we will be treated in a like manner.
Two closing comments on Spirit filled work relations, both from verse 6. Many people ask, “How can I know the will of God?” “Well here is one place we are told His will.” When we submit to the proper authority that God has placed in our lives, we are doing the will of God. Secondly, there is no sacred/secular distinction. We are all serving the Lord Christ. We are all in “full time Christian work,” whether we are a postal worker or a pastor. We therefore should work diligently and cheerfully for the Lord and not for men. When we do, we glorify God (1 Cor 10:31) and we adorn the doctrine of God our Savior (Titus 2:10). Let us endeavor to glorify Him this week as we do our work.