the writer Annie Dillard once said that how you spend your days is of course how you spend your life. And did you know that the average person here in America Over the course of their lifetime will work roughly 90,000 hours. And if we work 90,000 hours over the course of our lifetime, then it would make sense that we spend at least the next half hour and discuss how does our faith work with our work? If you picture this morning's message as a home having a home address, this really is gonna live at the intersection of faith and work, Having been a pastor for about 16 years. A common question or discussion I have is how is it that our faith impacts our work and then on the reverse, how does our work impact what we believe and our faith too often I see people and have discussions with people who then think there are two separate worlds. There is a sacred world, there is my personal faith and then there is a secular world or my public workplace and we tend to keep those things separate. But our faith is not just something for the weekend is not just something for a sunday morning, but really exists to shape every moment and every day of our lives. And so we want to speak into that today because here, today we are in week two of a series called soundtracks finding a better, better rhythms for your life and similar to how a soundtrack as a song that gets repeated in your head, what we're saying is a basis for our series. And we defined this way a soundtrack is a thought that often gets repeated in your mind and now we have good soundtracks and we have negative soundtracks and last week as a basis first year, which we talked about the mindset that you have going into each and every day and that we need to regularly proof the playlist of your mind, that you might not have put a thought or a song in there, but you do have the ability to proof or to edit the songs or the thoughts that are in your playlist for everyday life. And so today we want to try to spend the next few minutes addressing the playlists or the thought life when it comes to faith and work. And so if you're taking notes, I want you to write this down that your work matters to God and therefore God should matter to your work, Your work matters to God, and God should matter to your work. And so we're gonna break down these two categories in this way that the fact that your work matters to God, we're gonna try to establish really a theology of work. Theology means study of God. And so when we are taking a look at a theology of work, were saying, how does God care about what we do each and every day, like, where does that come in? What are the scripture principles that should apply to our lives? And we're gonna share three kinds of work that worships God and then we're gonna get real practical and talk about how then God should impact your work and influence your work And we're gonna share four ways or four reasons that god cares and impacts and influences your work. That should change the soundtrack that you have not just today on sunday, but as you head into work tomorrow on monday. So let's go ahead and dive in together and spend these next few minutes breaking down this concept of work and really given a theology of work because usually we think of it in two separate categories. Well there's church and then there's work and in reality everything is sacred to God and God cares about all those things and and I know that because it's from the very beginning, it's from the very beginning because your work matters to god. Writer and entrepreneur, Jordan Rainer puts it this way, he says these words, he says an entrepreneur is anyone who takes a risk to create something new for the good of others. You see three components here, it's anyone who creates something new to take a risk for the good of others. Now, considering that definition, let's read the very first couple verses of our bibles found in Genesis chapter one Genesis chapter one The very first verse reads this in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and the earth was without form and void and darkness was over the face of the deep and the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters and God said, let there be light and there was light. Here's what's interesting as God, Alpha and omega knows all things, the God of past, present future. And he knew that through creating the world, he knew that it was in God's plan that that we were gonna fall short and that the only solution to us sinning and separating ourselves from God was for then him to come down, jesus christ who was present there in creation to come down and to die on a cross for your sins and for mine. And so the question is if we consider that definition of what does it mean to be an entrepreneur is to risk something. Well what did God risk when he created the world? Everything God was perfectly content in his relationship of the trinity God, the father, jesus, the son and the holy Spirit. So when he spoke, the words let there be light in a way, it was also condemning, jesus to the cross because he knew what was going to unfold. And so God risked everything to create something new the universe for the good of others. So we can honestly say that God was the first entrepreneur, the first person to risk it, to create something that was going to help others, but it doesn't stop there, he creates the world and then he creates mankind. But I want you to notice what the bible says, what genesis one tells us about the creation of Men and women, verse 26 he says. Then God said let let us make man in our image and after our likeness and let them have Dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and every creeping thing that creeps on earth, bugs. Um and okay, more than that, but just they pretty creepy anyway. Um so God created man in his own image, in the image of God, he created him male and female, he created them. Now notice this next verse verse 28 he creates us in verse 27 he says. And God blessed them and God said to them be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. Have Dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on earth. And so the first thing that God does when he creates us in his image is he gives us a job God creates and then he creates us in his image. So it makes sense that naturally there is a desire in us to create. And what's also interesting is when you consider the creation story, don't just think about what God created. Think also about what God did not create. why did God leave some things for us to do? I believe he did so because he invited us into the process. He created the universe as we know it. But he didn't create smartphones. He left up for us to do things like technology and and medical advances, everything from farming to health care to education. He invites us into the work so he creates all of the animals. But rather than name them, he gives us the job of naming them. So being made in his image and likeness, he invites us into his work. And so we see that God cares about work. He gives Adam and Eve a job and this is before sin even enters the world. So we know that God values work because before sin even came into the picture, we were given a job. Then all throughout scripture, we see that God cares about our actions and everything that we do First. Corinthians 1031, whether you eat or drink or whatsoever you do do it all to the glory of God. The idea of whatever you do and do all. There are two ways of saying everything counts. Have you ever been to class and says, hey, teacher, is this going to be on the test? This verse tells us everything is on the test, like everything is there like he's like this counts, this counts. But in this section of your life, do whatever you want. No, he wants everything. Because if God is not Lord of all in your life of everything in your life, then you have to ask yourself is God even Lord at all. If we don't give him everything, then are we really giving God anything? Because he cares about every portion of your life and that includes what you do and how you work Colossians 3 23 put it this way he says, whatever you do the same, phrasing their work heartily as for the Lord and not for men. And what's interesting about this passage is that paul is writing this letter to the church in Colossi and has people gathered together and there are political rulers and there is white collar and blue collar workers and then there's also slaves in the mix. And so right before this first, it talks about masters and slaves and it says, and all across the board, no matter what you do, do it for the glory of God, I'm gonna come back to that a little bit later in this morning's message. But for right now, just notice that God cares about everything. Even our identity were connected to the very work of God. Paul writes to the church in Ephesus Ephesians 2 10, he says, for we are his workmanship created. We are a work of art created in christ, jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. So he invites us into the work that invites us into serving others for the good of the world that God has called us into Stewart and take care of. And then we see Peter is writing a letter to the church, he says this in first Peter 29, he says, but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own possession. So we're all in ministry. There's maybe vocational ministry like maybe now everyone might be called to be a pastor, but in this passage, everyone is called to be a part of the royal priesthood. In other words, every single person here is called to do what it says here in that verse, to proclaim the excellencies of him, who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. And then as you work, there are spoils, there are rewards that are riches for your work. But then God doesn't say those are for us either, that even the resources that we have, the riches that we have, God has a purpose for those things. So paul is writing the first two timothy and in first timothy six, a few verses earlier, he says, fight the good fight of faith and gives a charge to those who have the resources before them, he says, As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be hottie, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. It says, these are there to do good to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. I love that phrasing at the end to take hold of what life really means. Now we've seen in genesis one before sin enters the world that God gave us a job to do. And then we see throughout the scriptures that God values our work. But spoiler alert, God wins in the end if we have access to the end of the movie and God gets rid of sin and throw satan and all who have rejected God into the lake of Fire and then creates a new heaven and new earth. So finally we get to retire and play shuffleboard together, right, and do a man the pickleball pickleball tournaments in heaven are gonna be sweet, right? But I want you to notice how God actually describes the new heaven and new earth. He says this in revelation 21 verse two, So sin is no longer in the picture and he says, and I saw he was talking about john the writer here, he says, I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Well, if it's described as a city And it goes on in chapters in chapter 21 and 22 to describe the facets in relationships that we have with one another and talks about the river of life and there's there's jewelry, there's there is light, there's there's a street of gold, there's all these different aspects. Then we can understand that a city requires work. And so before sin enters the world, there is work, then we are called God's workmanship created to do good works. And then after sin exits the world and all that is left is us and God then we're called to even a greater work. And so we know this, that God cares about what we do and that it's not secular and sacred that everything is sacred. Let me just run through a couple of characters in the bible because God works through all kinds of professions. And if you want to note these later again, visit that digital bulletin there on mission group dot info. But let me just run through some of these characters in the bible, Joshua was in the military. Ezra was a scribe, Elijah was a farmer. David was a shepherd who became a king daniel, worked in education and in politics and then jesus christ himself was a carpenter, Think about that. He didn't start his earthly ministry, he was about 30 years old. And so a majority of his life was actually spent working now parents. If you are a parent of a teen or a young adult, I'm about to give something that's going to help you and you can take this phrase steal it, use it and bring it home because here's the truth, you're ready for it. Even jesus, got a job, think about that. If anybody had an excuse, if anybody had a reason not to work, it would be the savior of the world. But he spent a majority of his time working. And guess what, We don't really have much writing about that. We don't have like furniture that's in existence today that I'm aware of, that's like crafted by jesus if so, it's gotta be pretty awesome, right? But you know what, that tells me, It tells me that God loves work and God even loves the jobs and the things that we do that others don't see that all of our work in some way, shape or form tells the world who we worship. So let me share with you three kinds of work that truly worships God. That when we see from scripture, scripture, when we see this theology of work, when we see that God cares about what we do, We find in scripture, the three categories of work that matter to God. Number one work that worships God is work that creates that as a christian or as a little christ as God created the world for many of us, he puts God puts in our hearts the desire to create something and maybe it's in the form of the arts and song or story or writing or music, but maybe it's in a business, maybe it's an idea. I love watching the show shark tank with my kiddos. Why? Because people get this idea in their head and think, oh this is going to risk something for the good of the world. We're gonna bring an idea or a function or a process to move mankind forward. Now, we're still the same broken world. So there's still all kinds of issues. But that desire actually worships God when we create something. But the second form of work that worships God is work that cultivates because when I say that God has called us to create something, some of you like not me, But if the world was only filled with entrepreneurs, businesses would start and then fall right away. And so our world needs people to steward, to manage to make better, to make healthier to invest in, to build and connect. And so those that are called to steward, what God's placed in their hands and what God's placed in front of them matters because we get better and we honor God and we worship God when we Stewart regardless, placed before us. And so work that worships God is is the work that creates work that cultivates. And thirdly work that cares work that cares work is not separate from our emotions but attached to it. And so there's a fulfillment that comes when we take care of what God has placed before us, you see the idea of work, sometimes we separate it safe from our relationships. But some here watching today your greatest contribution to this world might not be something you do, but a person you raise or the relationships and friendships that you build because God has placed that person, that child, that spouse, that sibling, that family member, those those coworkers before you. And so how you treat somebody matters. Do you think of education or in health care? How you care for somebody, whether it's in the beginning of days or the end of days matter think about the lady who took in moses in the basket and could have discarded the baby but brought the baby in the household and then ended up bringing in someone to take care of that baby who ended up being his mom. And so I got to go through and so like God cares about those who nanny, God cares about those who serve because you are stewarding the most precious gift a person of God made in his image. You think about the life of mary who is exalted and joseph and and teaching jesus to trade and and raising him up that God cares how we parent God cares how we treat one another so that you see In these three categories work that worship God is work that creates that cultivates that cares guess what that means. All of work can fit into one of those three categories. If you do it for God's glory and not your own. Because when you give your best in that email in the one on one in that meeting, in the presentation, in the serving coffee, in the scrubbing the toilet and like across the board whether you're ceo or you're the janitor on staff or your middle management or you're going through that, how you set the chair, how you plug in the cord? How are you doing that matters? And you know, it's true because we've ever gotten a cup of coffee and the person, you know didn't like their job. Good morning. What? Like how you speak to people matters right? I was reminded of that the other day when I was hanging out with my buddy brody. We shared his brodie's story a year ago online encourage you to visit that. And and brody has this love for life. And we were at circle K. And and sometimes employees circle K are happy. Sometimes they're not. I'll just leave it at that. And the lady was just there at the cash register and birdie, we're just getting gas and some slushies and we're walking out and right before you walk out Birdie looks at it. Hey, I want you to know something. I'm like, oh brody, what are you gonna say buddy. Mm hmm. And he looks right at the lady and if he's watching right now, hey brody, he looks right the ladies, I want you to know that you're beautiful. God loves you and I hope you have a great day and her whole countenance changed. And there was just this warmth in this conversation and we walked out and we enjoyed our slushies and we move forward and just one sentence and one moment can change the countenance of people's day. You know when you have somebody who enjoys their job, don't you? You know when somebody cares about their work, it matters excellence matter effort matters why? Because our work matters to God. But also we need to understand that God should matter to our work and let's get real practical here because I understand some of you might be distracted or thinking about that big presentation you have this week or that meeting or the trip coming or the sales call or whatever that might be coming up or if your teachers, your like just get to june already okay. It's okay parents get it too. Like if you have to pack a lunch or a snack that you start out and you're like cutting things and shapes and by the end of the year it's like what do we have here you go? Right. I mean it's true. It's just we were all tired at the end. All tired. Kids are ready to be done. Teachers already be done. Parents, although parents are scared for the summer at the same time, right? But everything matters and God matters. So let me share with you four ways that God matters to our work. Number one, our faith gives us meaning to the work christians should behave differently in the workplace because our identity doesn't come from the workplace. This is really important because it's really easy for work to become your identity and then your idol, The problem with that is what happens if you get success now you become prideful and if you lose that job or the business fails, now you become broken. And when you attach your identity to what you do, you ride the rollercoaster of where that goes and there's no different in ministry by the way, right, I'll go to a pastor's conference like, oh, hi, nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. Like, what do you do? I'm this, what do you do? Okay. And the next question tends to be, oh, how many people are at your church? And then it becomes well okay. And it, it goes across the board, doesn't it, that we so often attach what we do with who we are, that we get lost. And so some people, they retire and they don't know who they are or if your identity is in raising kids, your kids move out of the house and then where's the relationship at that point? Or you get a job and your business fails or it has to go bankrupt, or or you get acquired and the job changes? Or the market changes? Or the world gets hit with a pandemic? Okay, that will never happen. Oh wait, it did right. And everything changes. And you're left wondering who am I having faith? And God in your life is that for me, my identity is not as a pastor, but as a child of God and with my identity be secure. I don't have to live for my identity. I can live from my identity. And so as a child of God, I am loved as I am right now and then, therefore I can celebrate and walk in and worship God through my calling to be a pastor and to do the things of ministry. So faith and God gives us meaning to our work. But second, God gives us motivation for our work. It gives meaning even to the small tasks. In fact, there are no small task to God. God cares about those little things. God cares about changing the diaper at 2:00 AM. He cares about being fully honest in that report, you might be doing a job that you hate, but God might have you there for a reason. God might put you on the road to come across to someone so that you could be the good samaritan God might have you in this place so that you can usher in the kingdom of God and your world, you might not be able to change the entire world, but you can change somebody's world. And so pause for a moment and think who's in my world right now, who's on the other end of that meeting, that email that chain the students in your classroom, the patient on your hospital floor, the family members who come to visit the patient on the hospital floor that what you do in and around the meal or going for a walk or cleaning up someone's house. See all the task, here's what's great is that when we are motivated by glorifying God, everything counts. At that point, there is ministry when we value excellence. Tim Keller was having a pastor in new york city, was talking to a pilot and the pilot came to him and said, Hey, uh Pastor Keller, how what does it mean to be a christian pilot? And his response was really deep. He said, land the plane, do your job, do what you've called been called to do but do it well and then treat people well. So he gives us the third component here. Faith gives us a moral compass. Faith gives us a moral compass, so not just what you do, but how you do, it matters a good leadership principle is this that we are called to work twice as hard on our character as our competency because there will be times and we've seen this in our world today where someone's capacity or competency surpasses their character and then they have a major fall and our world celebrates success and fame, but just as much celebrates train wrecks and failures. That's why you see moral failures and things just plastered all over the news sites because our world will celebrate you and lift you up and idolize you in one moment and then turn in stone you the next for the sake of the news cycle. But for christians, it's not just what we do, but how we do it. You know, I think about our car place, I'll give a little plug for integrity. Auto. It's probably important that you have integrity right at an auto mechanic place. Well, they, they lived that out because one time we had work done in our car, we paid for it. And then a couple of weeks later he called back and said, hey, I just want you to know that this one piece was actually on warranty. And so I'm just calling you to let you know, I'm gonna refund you this money when you, when have you had a mechanic call you to say we're going to give you back money for something that has already been done. So your integrity matters. Then lastly, God gives us a sense of marvel. Now marvel. We tend to think of it as a verb to marvel at something, but marvel is also a noun. It is a person or experience that causes wonder and awe and here's the beauty for christians in the workplace is that we can always stand and hope and dream of a better future because you might not get this promotion that you're longing for. You might not complete the story that you think God's called you to write, you might not complete the masterpiece that God's laid on your heart, you might not reach the size of audience that you think God has called you to. But I'm here to tell you that one day you will realize and see the fulfillment of all desires of your heart when it comes to God in heaven and that desire for a better world is ultimately fulfilled, an eternity with God, where there will be a workplace without any sin, there will be production and fulfillment and meaning enjoy that comes ultimately and only found in God. And so here we find ourselves in between in the back and we're gonna I'm gonna jump in the back here because here we find ourselves in the story of God And the story of God has four major chapters, There's creation, then there's the fall or sin enters the world and much of the old testament is filled with mankind trying to make it on their own and falling short and then jesus comes down and provides redemption on the cross and rises again on the third day, giving us access to forgiveness, eternity, meaning purpose. Joy and then he says, I'm coming back and one day there will be ultimate restoration. And so here we find ourselves between chapters three and chapters four. So there's already availability to redemption, but then there is not yet complete restoration. And so what God is doing as God is inviting us into that story, into the ministry of reconciliation, into the ministry of restoring to how it's meant to be. And so you can invite God into your world and you offer yourself into God's world and now you say, you know what, I'm gonna make my little corner of God's Kingdom better. I'm gonna care for my students and know them by name. I'm going to go above and beyond what my employer asked me to do, I'm gonna give it my best and I'm gonna make a mistake, I'm actually gonna own it instead of blaming somebody else. And then together we're gonna make someone's day whether I'm serving a cup of coffee, whether I'm filling out a spreadsheet, well, I'm starting a business. I'm taking care of someone's kids. Well, they're starting a business. Whatever the role is, we get to be a part of the restoration process of the world. While already having experienced the redemption found in christ and so that when we see it, when we see God, we can marvel at what's to come and we see him working presently in our lives and that the world can look at us and see something different because at the end of the day, your work matters to God and therefore God should matter to your work. Will you pray with me, dear Emily Father? I pray that for everyone here today. I pray that we can find meaning in you. That we can find motivation in you in a moral compass of how we treat people that we can marvel and worship the marvel that is you and that we can work with excellence. But there are no small task before you and God. We invite you into the workplace and we give our work lives to you may what we do during the week and every day honor you and worship you and tell your story. God. You value work from the beginning to jesus himself to you God. In the end, you invite us to be a part of your restoration of the world. And so God let us usher in your kingdom and view our work as a form of worship, that whatever the profession is, we do it for your glory and not our own, their identity is not wrapped up and what we do but who you are and therefore because we are secure in who we are, It frees us to go after all that we do because we're doing it for you. We are doing it as an act of worship as an act of sacrifice, how we treat people, what we say, what we write, how we serve. We follow your example, jesus, we know that no task is a small task in your eyes, and we ask that you come into our world and into our workplace and let us live out our faith with how we love you with all our heart, soul, mind and strength as we love others. The way you have loved us. Help us God to create in your name. Help us to cultivate in your name and help us to care for those around you as you have cared for us. We love you and we give our work to you. Help us to trust you with this new soundtrack. This new way of viewing what we do throughout the week, we lift our workplace is up to you and your sons and we pray Amen.