Ephesians 6:5-9
God’s Word can give us a great wisdom when all around us things are in an uproar. Consider, for instance, the life and times of Baruch, who helped Jeremiah. In the Book of Jeremiah, chapters 32-45, we find episodes in the life of this man, Baruch[i], as he assisted Jeremiah.
In Times of Upheaval
As you know, those were times of catastrophic upheaval in the land of Judah. Jeremiah had prophesied that the Chaldeans would conquer the land. In chapters 32-34 they besieged Jerusalem, just as Jeremiah had predicted. His message was almost completely rejected by the leaders at Jerusalem according to chapters 35-38. Nevertheless, Jerusalem was captured, just as Jeremiah had predicted (ch. 39). But Jeremiah (and Baruch) were released by the Chaldeans (ch. 40-42) and the prophet continued preaching God’s truth to the people remaining in the land. Some spoke of fleeing to Egypt to try to escape the Chaldean domination; but Jeremiah warned them not to do this.
Where do we find wisdom for today in these stories about Jeremiah and Baruch? Well, put yourself in the sandals of this man named Baruch. In fact, the shortest chapter in the Book of Jeremiah was devoted to giving Baruch advice. In Jeremiah 45:3 we learn that the Lord told him that He knew exactly what Baruch was thinking and saying: “Woe is me now! For the Lord has added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing and groaning and I find no rest.” And in answer to that the Lord asked Baruch if he were seeking great things for himself – and to stop pursuing those things in light of the coming disaster.
God’s Word gives us great wisdom when all around us things are in an uproar. For instance, the Lord’s response to Baruch seems like a tailor-made response for those who insist on the American dream of prosperity. In our current situation, it’s helpful to remember that the Lord knows all about what we think and say. Israel’s iniquity had placed it in bondage, and America’s rebellion will place our nation in bondage. So how should we respond in these strange times when anger and cynicism have spilled over into our workplaces? Should bosses and their employees take out their frustrations on each other? When questions like these arise, it helps us to turn to a passage such as Ephesians 6:5-9
“Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eye-service, as men-pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatever good thing any man does, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. And, you masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with Him.”
These verses overflow from Paul’s teaching about being filled by the Spirit of God (in Ephesians 5:17-21). Those verses teach us that believers can be joyful, thankful and humble in their responses. In essence, they can act rather than react (as we learned in a recent message).[ii]
According to today’s text, bosses and employees can be enabled by God’s Spirit to demonstrate the fear of God in the marketplace. An article[iii] published yesterday on August 7, stated that there are 9.8 million job openings in the U.S. right now, while there are 8.7 million workers who have been seeking employment. Of course, this situation has been complicated by the ongoing tension between “jobs and jabs”[iv] (or vocations and vaccinations) and the emergence of Covid-Delta virus mutation.
It’s important to remember that this passage addressed the relationship between slaves (Greek word [doulos]) and there masters. In our country, slavery is supposed to be illegal. So can we apply these verses in our American culture of employees and their employers? Yes, there are timeless principles here that can help us to move forward in a messy situation. Verse 8 says, “…whether he be bond or free” (a slave or paid employee). Bosses and employees can be enabled by God’s Spirit to demonstrate the fear of God in the marketplace.[v]
Serve your boss in the fear of God. 5-8
“Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eye-service, as men-pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatever good thing any man does, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.”
- Be obedient to those over you in the workplace.
The literal rendering for the word “obedient” would be “to listen under.” Today we would say, “Pay close attention” or “Listen carefully” or “carefully regard” what the boss says about the workplace. The next phrases in these verses qualify this obedience. But in any company it’s important for employees to listen carefully to those over them.
We’ve all been around employees who wanted to challenge every new order or request that came from those above them. But this is not the attitude of a Spirit-filled Christian. Verse 5 tells us that those who are employed should do their work in the fear of the Lord. Proverbs 8:13 describes the wise person this way: “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the forward [crooked] mouth, do I hate.” From this we learn that the fear of the Lord can be applied in specific ways, but it is not merely a list of things to be avoided. The key words are “to hate” [what] “I hate.”
Now think what the workplace would be like if even a few people made up their minds to respond to the boss in the fear of the Lord. What if they were genuinely concerned about the boss’s concerns? What if they loved the (God-honoring) actions and attitudes that he or she loved? What if they despised the same things that the boss rejected? Think about the harmony you would find in such a workplace! Have you ever worked with such a team? Even Daniel, who would not violate his convictions, looked for ways to maintain harmony (Daniel 1:7-16).
Perhaps you’ve heard about the man who was asked, “How long have your worked here?”
And his response was, “Well, at least since the day they threatened to fire me!”
By contrast, one of our men recently shared this testimony with me that was shared with him. One man said that the key to his success was that, in the interview process, he assured the employer that he had understood that his role was to make the boss’s concerns his concerns. The boss was stunned and asked him to repeat that answer. After he was hired, the man put the same approach into action, and every time the boss has been promoted, he has moved the employee up the ladder with him. This man found success by making his boss a success.
- Serve them while remembering that you serve the Lord Christ
Is it acceptable to serve Christ with carelessness? It is not acceptable to the Spirit-filled believer. Paul’s point is that every master/slave or boss/employee relationship is an opportunity to portray Christ – and obedience to Him, first and foremost.
- Not just when they are watching you – not just when they are monitoring you
- Not as mere “men pleasers” but as “God pleasers”
This Scripture explains what is wrong and how to make it right. Don’t just show a good attitude when the boss is present. Remember that the Lord is always present, and concentrate on pleasing Him.
This is not the “melpew” approach. What’s “melpew?” According to David Olive, “melpew” is the first word that comes out of the mouth of the jaded 16 year old who has to work at McDonald’s to pay for his car. This is the kind of person who has been taught to say, “May I help you?” but contracted it down to a less than interested, “Melpew?”[vi] We render service to God, and this enables us to serve others the right way.
- Doing the will of God sincerely from your heart
As we discussed in the last message,[vii] it is the goodness of God which leads men to repentance (Romans 2:4-5). Spirit-filled employees have the opportunity to demonstrate this goodness of God to their employers – both Christian and non-Christian employers. We can serve with a heart of good will for others. Take the time to read 2 Kings chapter 5 sometime soon. As you read, notice that the real heroes of the story are a captive slave girl (who served Naaman’s wife) and the servants who appealed to Naaman to obey the prophet. And the real villain of the story turned out to be Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, who lied to satisfy his greed.
- Serving with good will as to the Lord nor merely to men
Years ago, I was helping a young man employed in a computer shop. He asked me this question:
“How can I be a success?”
I asked him to picture a piece of paper with two columns. On the left column, I asked him to picture the names of his fellow employees who were only interested in their own success. On the other side, he was to picture names of the employees who were interested in helping each other. Then I asked, “Which people would you rather help?”
He answered, “That’s obvious. I want to help the people who are selflessly helping others.”
My next question was, “Which kind of person would you want to be – selfish or selfless?”
He asked, “How can I become the kind of person who helps others?”
I answered, “Let me introduce you to the greatest Servant-Leader of all time; His name is Jesus Christ.”
When even His own disciples were preoccupied with the question of who would be the greatest, Jesus Christ responded, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto [be served], but to minister [to serve], and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:20-28). [viii] Jesus Christ, our Lord, gave Himself as the one and only sacrifice for our sins. His lifeless body was placed in a tomb, but that tomb became the womb of Christianity, for He rose again the third day. This is the way that Jesus, the ultimate Servant-Leader, served us. Now He asks that we follow Him by serving Him and serving others.
Lead your employees in the fear of God. 9
And, you masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with Him.”
With the phrase, “do the same things” Paul is reminding every master, every employer, to respond to their employers in the fear of God – just as the servant/employees were to do. How should they do this?
- Motivate, don’t manipulate. Spirit-filled employers don’t need to use threats. There are better ways to motivate their employees to serve in harmony.
- Lead them while remembering that you serve your Master in heaven.
The Spirit-filled employer remembers that he is not the ultimate boss of his department. He serves Christ, His Master in heaven.
The Scriptures are chock-full of principles and illustrations about the relationships of masters and those who serve them. Genesis chapter 24 is worth studying to see this.[ix] Study those servants in 2 Kings 5. Study 2 Samuel 23, which introduced the last words of David. But in that chapter, read about David’s mighty men and their responses. When David longed for a drink of water from the well by the gate at Bethlehem, three of his mighty men broke through the enemy lines to get that water. But David rightly perceived that those men had really served the Lord, and offered up that water as a drink-offering sacrifice to the Lord God.
All of these things remind us not to lose heart in these days of turmoil. When our great dreams seem to be dashed to pieces, we cannot afford to respond like Baruch in Jeremiah 45. According to what we have found in Ephesians 5 and 6, bosses and employees can be enabled by God’s Spirit to demonstrate the fear of God in the marketplace. So serve your boss in the fear of the Lord. And lead your employees in the fear of the Lord. By doing this, we can point others to our precious Lord.
Pastor Gordon Dickson, Calvary Baptist Church, Findlay, Ohio www.cbcfindlay.org
[i] When the people attacked the prophet, they accused his assistant, Baruch, of manipulating Jeremiah’s message.
[ii] “7 Rules for Good Communication” accessed at https://www.cbcfindlay.org/7-rules-for-communication/
[iii] Jeff Cox, “There are 1 million more job openings than people looking for work,” CNBC, August 7, 2021, accessed at https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/07/there-are-about-1-million-more-job-openings-than-people-looking-for-work.html
See the dispute from the San Francisco Sheriff’s Union accessed at https://www.foxnews.com/politics/san-francisco-sheriffs-union-vaccinations and the article concerning the response of the health care and nursing home workers union, accessed at https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/health-care-and-nursing-home-worker-unions-working-hard-to-stop-vaccine-mandates/
[v] For a fuller discussion of the
[vi] Olive, David. Business Babble, A Cynic’s Dictionary of Corporate Jargon. New York:John Wiley and Sons, 1990. p. 99.
[vii] Spirit-filled Parents and Children, accessed at https://www.cbcfindlay.org/spirit-filled-parents-and-children/
[viii] The argument among them about who would be the greatest is evident from Mark 9:31-35
[ix] For a fuller description of the Scriptural teaching about masters and servants, see the series on Genesis 24 at SermonAudio.com/calvaryfindlay