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Colin Smith: Now if you want to get a snapshot of Bible teaching about how to do well in your job, You can't do better than first Thessalonians chapter four and verse 11 and 12.

Steve Hiller: Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and Colin I got to ask you what do those verses say?

Colin Smith: Well here they are to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, to work with your hands so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. Now Steve we live in a culture of controversy if there's a fight people always want to go where there's a fight and the very first thing the apostle says to us here and he says it about work. He says you want to be the kind of person who lives quietly. Uh you want to be the kind of person who's not courting controversy all the time not looking for what the next fight is and getting on the bandwagon but actually contributing that's the point contributing to the needs of others.

So I think that we have something here that really points us to the way in which we should carry ourselves in the place where we work as well as everywhere else in life.

Steve Hiller: Yeah. Well that's what the verses say and that's the 30-second snapshot of them. Time to dig a little bit deeper. We're as Pastor Colin just said in first Thessalonians chapter four and we'll spend some time in chapter five today as well. So join us there as we continue the message the urgency of willing work. Here is Pastor Colin.

Colin Smith: Now if you want to get a snapshot of Bible teaching about how to do well in your job, you can't do better than first Thessalonians chapter four and verse 11 and 12. Paul describes here a working style that will enable you to have the respect that's the word he uses of your colleagues in the workplace and will ensure normally that you are able to hold and retain and succeed in a job so that you will be able to provide for yourself and for others and not become dependent on others. So that's the whole point of what he is saying here in this verse if you are not to be dependent on others then you need to be able to be successful in the work that God has given you to do and he's going to describe precisely what that looks like.

Three things very clearly in this verse. Look at it right there in the Bible. Make it verse 11 your ambition to lead a quiet life. And you notice from verse 12 he's talking about your ordinary daily life he's talking here about the workplace. Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life. Work quietly. Now just think about your work. In any workplace there are some folks who can't do a thing without making a fuss. You know that? Recognize that? Uh the simplest thing they've got to draw attention to what they're doing and usually how difficult it was and what an effort it was for them actually to do this they have to make a fuss.

And Paul's saying here in regard to working life if you want to win the respect of your colleagues in the workplace respect is the issue. If you want not to be dependent on other people in other words if you want to succeed in your job to hold the job and do well in a job then here's the first principle work quietly. We'll make a big fuss in the workplace about everything that you do. For as a Christian believer you do not need to be attracting attention to yourself or what you're doing all the time in the workplace and God will honor the quietness of your works biblical principle.

Second work peacefully. Work peacefully. Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and to mind your own business. Now I have underlined that phrase in my Bible. Biblical principle for working life mind your own business. Now in any workplace there is usually some element of intrigue, office politics, right? And you know what it's like who has said what and to whom? What's happening about this person's work? Why has the manager made that particular decision and why is he on that project and not her and so forth and so on? Now here's the biblical principle and as we take it seriously it will feed into success in your working life.

Mind your own business. It's the word of God. There are no perfect working environments and the kind of person who is always trying to sort everyone else out will not have the respect of others. And Paul's commending to us the kind of life that will not only succeed but the kind of life that will glorify God and that means working quietly, it means working peacefully. Thirdly it means working productively. Look still at this verse make it your ambition to work with your hands just as we told you. Now just as we told you isn't that interesting?

So teaching about the importance of being a provider was part of the foundational Christian teaching delivered by the apostle Paul just as we told you. We taught about the value of work and of independence and of not being dependent on others. Now it's very clear from reading Thessalonians and especially from reading the second letter that there were some people in the church who just plain were work shy. There are folks like that don't like to work. And uh Paul describes them here as the idol folks who are idol and he uses that phrase in chapter five and verse 14 and he also uses it three times in second Thessalonians chapter three.

And uh Paul is commending throughout these letters the value of working hard especially as he's speaking to those who have a tendency to be slackers or to be idol. So the principle that we're learning here in relation to all working life whether it be paid work or whether it be work in which we volunteer is to aim to be productive. Aim in your work to be a person who's known for getting it done. Aim to be a person who is reliable, deliver good work, well done, on time to the glory of God. And what Paul is saying is that if you pursue these things you will have the respect of other people.

You'll win their respect. See there's a kind of respect that is due because we're created in the image of God. There's a kind of respect that is earned and that's what Paul talks about here. You win the respect of others and others will be so glad that they have the privilege and the joy of serving alongside of you. So the Bible is full then of teaching about our working life this largest part of so many of our lives to be lived to the glory of God and to be understood as an expression of love. It's love that works quietly and love that works peacefully and love that works productively.

It is love that says I'm going to go into my work today and I'm going to put in a good day and I am going to accomplish something. I'm going to seek to accomplish something useful and significant for others so that others will thank God for the work that he has enabled me to do. And all this to the glory of God it's a wonderful thing. So love, working for the good of others. Now here's a second a rather different application that I think is important for us from these verses that are before us today.

Love not only works for the good of others but love discerns how best to serve others. Now this is very important in the workplace as it is important in family life and it speaks directly to attention that I think many of us experience and it's attention perhaps not often addressed from the Bible. Here you are a Christian and you have a heart of love. Paul says in chapter four and verse nine that we've been taught by God love the spirit of love dwells within us. If you're a Christian you have compassion. But here you are a Christian guy running a business a Christian woman running a business.

And you're running a business not a charity. And you have people who are accountable to you. And sometimes they do marvelous work and sometimes they do work that's not so good. And you find yourself very very torn by all of that because you have this impulse to love but you have responsibilities in relation to work and how do you tie these things together? How do love and work tie together? That's what we're at right here in Thessalonians. Now these are very very difficult and practical decisions and they relate to family life as well. I mean how many have been in a situation where there's a friend or a family member and they've got themselves into debt or they've got themselves into some difficulty and you helped them out last time and you helped them out the time before but this is now the fifth time.

And your question is am I actually helping by helping or am I actually making it worse by helping? And compassion and the responsibilities related to work pull apart in your mind and it's not easy to know what to do about these kinds of things. Now there are no easy answers but God has given us two wonderful gifts. The first of course is the gift or the impulse of his spirit. Paul's talking about this when he says that love is within us because we have been taught by God chapter four and verse nine. Don't underestimate the value of the spirit's prompting within your heart.

You know most weeks I have the privilege of someone asking a question about a difficult practical decision to which there's no easy answer. Pastor you know I'm wondering what I should do about this. And quite often I'll tell you honestly I I will say you know what in your heart of hearts do you think that you should do? And they'll say well in my heart of hearts this is what I think and nine times out of 10 I find myself saying you know the Holy Spirit has already guided you and your impulse seems good and wise to me pursue it.

And that's the gift of God. The spirit of God lives within you. Now learn to have some confidence in the torturous decisions of life. In the impulse of the spirit you have been taught by God. And we should not underestimate that. Thank God that he didn't give us a library of books with detailed instructions for every situation in family and in the workplace the world couldn't contain the library. But he has given you his spirit he's with you.

Steve Hiller: You're listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and we're going to pause here but we'll get back to this message the urgency of willing work in just a moment. Our message is part of a larger series from the book of first Thessalonians called living like there's no tomorrow. And if you ever miss a program in the series come and listen online at openthebible.org or you can listen on demand through the free Open the Bible app which you'll find at your app store. If you did join us a little bit late we're in first Thessalonians chapter five.

Back to the message here is Pastor Colin.

Colin Smith: Now remember that along with the impulse of the spirit we're given the guidance of the word of God the instruction of the word. And it is the same spirit who lives within you who is the spirit who gave and breathed out the scriptures. And so whenever you are trying to make a decision and discern in a difficult practical choice then it's always good to check the impulse of your heart against the word of God because the spirit never contradicts himself. And right here in this passage we are given some very clear biblical instruction about how to help different kinds of people, how love serves different kinds of people.

And this relates to the workplace as much as it relates to the family or the church. Now I'm want to draw your attention then to um chapter five and verse 14 where Paul lays this out. We urge you brothers warn those who are idol, encourage the timid and help the weak. Help the weak. Now this is telling us something very important in terms of how love serves other people. You don't treat everybody the same. The idea that you somehow relate to everybody in the same way is a complete mistake. Paul is saying here that wise leadership within a family two different children who are very different in the workplace with different folks within the church you relate in different ways according to discernment of a particular condition.

And he gives three examples. Here's someone who's weak. Now that means honestly they are not in a position to get themselves out of the situation that they're in. What does love do then? Love helps them. Love helps them. But here's another person who is timid. Now that's a very different situation. This is someone who does have capacity to do something but they're they lack confidence. Now what does love do with regard to the son or the daughter or the person in the workplace who who can do something but they lack confidence? Well you see the last thing in the world you should do is help them because if you help them you know you say oh here I'll do this for you you merely reinforce their timidity their lack of confidence.

You don't help in that situation you encourage you say now look you're going to do this and you can do this and I'm going to stand with you but you're going to be the one who does it. And I'm going to be the cheerleader for you as you step up to the plate. Love encourages the timid. Here's another person very very different situation. A son or a daughter or someone in the workplace who's idol. And the last thing in the world you should do is help the idol because that merely reinforces dependence and makes their idleness worse.

The last thing you should do is to encourage the idol. What do you do with the idol? You warn the idol. You warn the idol. You say to someone who is unwilling to take any responsibility in their own life. Now look and love says this. If you're not prepared to take responsibility here don't look to me to bail you out. Don't expect me to pick up the slack. If you help the idol you encourage the idol you reinforce the idleness. So this is where the gift of the spirit together with the guidance of the word is such a rich treasure for God's people.

Love discerns how to serve others. And as we walk with the Lord and as we feed the truth of the scripture into our minds he will help us in the difficult decisions of practical life. Love and work tied together. Love works for the good of others. Love discerns how to serve others. And here's the very last thing. Love appreciates the work of others. Love appreciates the work of others chapter five and verse 12. We ask you brothers to respect those who work hard among you who over you in the Lord and admonish you hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.

What do we owe to those who work hard? We owe them respect and we owe it to them to hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Let me say on Father's Day to dads this word of encouragement. It is an awesome thing to be a provider. It is a glorious thing to be a provider. It is a godlike thing to be a provider. And when you get into your car or you get into the train or whatever that is for you to engage in the means by which you sustain yourself and others let your spirit be lifted by the fact that this is a godlike thing to do.

It is worthy of the highest respect and worthy of being held in love and affection. And let me say this word to kids and students and to all of us whose parents are still alive and we have the opportunity to express gratitude. Think of those who provide for you now. Your father and your mother work hard so that you should have home food and clothes and respect them. That's what Paul says here. Honor your father and mother. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Thank God for the benefit that comes from the work of others into your life as a child, as a young person.

And as you cast back in your own mind and recall the blessing of the work of others that has come into your life thank God and praise him for it especially today but every day. And then here's the last thing. Notice that Paul is speaking specifically about those who work hard in the church. Verse 12 we're to respect and hold in the highest regard those who work hard among you. He's talking about those who serve volunteers in the church. Love appreciates the work of others. Someone cleaned out the pew that you're sitting in today this week.

Just restocked what's there. And it was a volunteer who came in. Happens every week. Someone teaches your child in Sunday school and spends two three maybe more hours preparing a lesson so that your child may know more of the blessing of God and the truth of the gospel. There are thousand ways in which we benefit from the ministry of others and as a body we are to be thankful we are to say thank you to those whose ministry blesses us. And we are to hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.

And you know as we benefit from the ministry of others and as we think today about the way in which God's blessing pours into our lives because of what others do freely the question for us obviously is then what am I now going to do for the good and for the benefit of others? Where will you take responsibility? Where will you say you can count on me as that for that? It's a godlike thing to do. And love appreciates the work of others. And as we think about the work of others that's benefited us I find my mind going to the one whose work benefited me more than anything a father or a mother or a pastor or a volunteer or a friend or a colleague could ever do the one whose labor was under a cross and he came to help to save because I could not get out of the predicament I was in that would leave me bankrupt before God.

I'm thinking of Jesus Christ and his work. Brothers and sisters let us hold Christ in the highest regard in love because of his work. And let us then by his spirit serve him and one another.

Steve Hiller: You're listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called the urgency of willing work part of our series living like there's no tomorrow. And if you ever miss a broadcast in the series come and listen online at openthebible.org. Open the Bible is a listener supported program. It's your generosity that allows us to bring you Pastor Colin's teaching each day and as you give a gift of any amount this month we want to send you a copy of Tim Keller's book called what is wrong with the world? And Colin tell us about this book.

Colin Smith: Well I think everybody's heard the phrase that a picture is worth a thousand words. And the Bible answers the question what is wrong with the world? With the age-old answer the unchanging answer that it is sin that's got into the human bloodstream. But you see what God has done so wonderfully is he speaks to us in language that we can understand. He uses pictures. And what Tim Keller has done so wonderfully here is he's drawn out the pictures that God has used in scripture to explain what's wrong with the world to tell us what sin is and what it's like.

So for example it's like a predator like an animal in the story of Cain and Abel. God says sin is crouching at the door as if it was ready to attack and to destroy or it's like leprosy which we have in the story of Naaman. This goes through and it gets at the question what is it that's wrong with the world? That's a question that any thinking person really needs to grapple with and it enables us to grapple with it in a way that we are able to understand. It's beautifully written it's an easy read and it answers one of the most important questions we can ever face.

Steve Hiller: Well we would love to send you a copy of this book again it's called what is wrong with the world? As our thank you for your financial support this month. You can give online at openthebible.org or when you call 1 877 open 365. That's 1 877 673 6365 or openthebible.org. For Pastor Colin Smith I'm Steve Hiller. Thanks for listening and I hope you'll join us next time. This program is a listener supported production of Open the Bible.

Colin Smith: At Open the Bible we're grateful for like-minded organizations committed to sharing the gospel around the world. And to that end I'd like to commend the work of Global Fingerprints. You know in the book of James God calls us to help orphans in their distress. That's a clear command but it's not always clear how we should obey it. And this is where Global Fingerprints comes in. Through Global Fingerprints you can sponsor a vulnerable child to help meet their physical needs and ensure they hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. I want to commend Global Fingerprints to you.

They're focused on equipping the local church to care for children. And where there is no church they help to plant one. If you'd like to help a vulnerable child you can find more information on Global Fingerprints at our website openthebible.org/gf. That's openthebible.org/gf.