If the average person works for at least 80-100,000 hours of their lives, it’s important for the believer to figure out how their Christian faith works in the workplace whether that workplace is the marketplace, a family business, a ministry, or the home. In this sermon from the book of Proverbs, Pastor Mark uses Patrick Lencioni’s idea of “The Ideal Team Player” as a framework to teach on how to worship at work.
How do you win at work?
40-50 hours a week (vs e.g. motherhood)
X 50 weeks a year = 2,000-2,500 hours a year
X 40 years = 80,000-100,000 hours a life
How does Christian faith work at work?
5 Ways to Worship at Work?
1. Since God works, work is godly
- Genesis 2:2 on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.
2. Work is now cursed
- The curse has made work toil (Genesis 3:16, 3:17-19).
3. We should work from our rest
- Exodus 31:15 For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD.
4. Your work is part of your worship
- Jesus spent 90% (30 years) working a regular job which was God’s will for Him
- Jesus spent 10% (3 years) working a ministry job which was God’ will for Him
5. Work is not sacred and secular, but workers are sacred and secular
Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
“Your work is a very sacred matter. God delights in it, and through it He wants to bestow His blessings on you. This praise of work should be inscribed on all tools, on the forehead and faces that sweat from toiling.” Martin Luther
Carpentry, tent making, fishing, medicine, teaching, farming, politics, metal work, music, investing, labor, construction, law, consulting, cooking, architecture, athletics, entertainment, banking, military, real estate, clothing, mothering, sales, etc. in Bible.
The Ideal Team Player (Patrick Lencioni)
Principle – a mediocre team always beats a world class superstar
God works as a team (Trinity, human team, angelic team)
1. Humble 2. Relationally Smart 3. Hungry
A Humble Team Player
Proverbs 3:7 [ESV] Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
- Humility begins with being under authority before being in authority
Proverbs 3:34 [ESV] Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.
- Humility admits a need for grace
Proverbs 27:18 He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored.
- Humility works hard and honors leadership
Proverbs 11:16b-17 …ruthless men gain only wealth. A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.
- Humility considers people and not just profit
Proverbs 15:22 Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.
- Humility sees life as a class that’s always in session
A Relationally Smart Team Player
Proverbs 14:16-17 A wise man fears the Lord and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless. A quick-tempered man does foolish things, and a crafty man is hated.
- Your relationship with God straightens out all other relationships
Proverbs 19:26 He who robs his father and drives out his mother is a son who brings shame and disgrace.
- Your relationship with your family reveals your character
Proverbs 28:15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked man ruling over a helpless people.
- Your relationships need to be based on God’s Kingdom, not the animal kingdom
Proverbs 11:13 A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.
- Your relationships need a bank vault
Proverbs 28:23 [NLT] In the end, people appreciate honest criticism far more than flattery.
- Your relationships are to be mirrors, not carnival mirrors
Proverbs 15:18 A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel.
- Your relationships needs a thermostat
Proverbs 17:14 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.
- Your relationships can be broken and flow downstream to other relationships
A Hungry Team Player
Proverbs 16:26 The laborer’s appetite works for him; his hunger drives him on.
- Hungry people start their own engine
Proverbs 10:4 Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.
- Hungry people are hardworking
Proverbs 14:23 All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
- Hungry people know that when all is said and done more is said than done
Proverbs 28:19-22 He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.
- Hungry people know a mirage when they see one
Proverbs 22:29 Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men.
- Hungry people are known for the quality of their work