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“More Than a Job”

Genesis 3:17-19

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Pastor Troy Dobbs

Grace Church Eden Prairie

September 11, 2016

In preparation for the new “Work that

Matters” series I jotted down every job

I’ve had throughout the years:

Early on:

Lawn mower / dish washer / floor

sweeper. (All done with a

begrudging heart and bad attitude).

Teenage years:

Baled hay / painted barns.

Helped haul hogs/ cattle with a

local farmer.

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College years:

7UP factory / sorting bottles

Gym supervisor

Print shop / “making copies”

Sold shoes – LS Ayers

Right out of College:

Probation officer – supervised 125

adult felony offenders

In Seminary:

I worked at an inner city rec center

called The Cabbage Patch.

The Rivendale Psychiatric hospital.

After Seminary:

I took a job as a pastor where I

only work 1 day a week.

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Obviously, I enjoyed some of those jobs

more than others but (ultimately) I

learned “through working” that work is

work.i

To that end I’d say most people have 1

of 2 experiences at work…

Some days:

You get out of the house (10 minutes

late) and you sit in traffic & get stuck

at every red light.

You get to the office and the coffee is

gone.

Then you turn and focus on work, and

work is warring against you the entire

day: people are late – projects are

late and e-mail is down.

By noon you're ready to tap out.

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You're like, "I want to go home."

By the end of the day you get into bed

(close your eyes) and you mumble to

yourself – "Thank you this day over

– God!”

Because that's the only (good) thing you

could say about it.

Other days:

You wake up feeling great!

You catch all the green lights.

You get to work early and you're in

the zone. You're like a work ninja.

You're knocking stuff out, getting

things done. You’re high-fiving

everyone and loving life.

You go home at the end of the day

and you're of proud and happy.

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You love your job and every single

coworker and customer!

My guess is that the first type of day is

far more prevalent than the second type,

isn't it?

Sometimes it feels like work is cursed!

I mean have you noticed there seems to

be a constant frustration with work.

Even on your best day there's almost

always something that annoys you.

It may be one reason (not an excuse)

people waste so much time at work!

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(To that end) I did a little research and

found that 64 percent of employees visit

non-work-related websites every day.

For Millennials (18-35) approximately 73

percent of their time spent is trolling

websites that are not for work while at

work.ii

So we waste lots of time because we

are: bored / annoyed / frustrated.

And yet here’s the thing – work is a

monumental part of our lives:

An average worker will spend 90,000

(plus) hours at work over a lifetime.iii

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So our theology of work is vitally

important.

So what does the Bible say about work?

First off – the Bible says we were

created to work.iv

And believe it or not we were created to

work BEFORE the fall of humanity in

Genesis 3.

Genesis 2:15-17

15 The LORD God took the man and put

him in the garden of Eden TO WORK IT

and keep it. 16 And the LORD God

commanded the man, saying, “You may

surely eat of every tree of the garden,

17 but of the tree of the knowledge of

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good and evil you shall not eat, for in the

day that you eat of it you shall surely

die.”

One commentator said: Work could not

have had a more exalted beginning. It

was a God ordained endeavor!v

Interestingly, the word work (v15) is far

more than just the word to till the soil.

The word carries with it the idea of

bringing something to potential.

It’s working at something to see

something greater happen.vi

That’s why places like Home Depot and

Lowe’s exist.

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God has placed this desire in us to see

things and want to fix them and improve

them.

Homes

Yards

Decks

Driveways

Companies

Schools

God put that inside of us.

And so work (pre-fall) was intended by

God to provide us:

Purpose

Value

Enjoyment

Refreshment

Exhilaration

A sense of accomplishment.

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In hearing that you may be thinking –

work doesn’t do any of that for me!

So why is that?

Well that was WORK: PRE-SIN / PRE-

FALL in Genesis 2.

In Genesis 3, because of humankind's

rebellion against God we see sin's

devastating effects taint:

our relationship with God

each other

child bearing (for women)

but also work!

Work itself was profoundly impacted

by the curse.vii

How so?

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Genesis 3:17-19

17 And to Adam he said,

“Because you have listened to the voice

of your wife and have eaten of the tree

of which I commanded you,

‘You shall not eat of it,’ CURSED IS

THE GROUND because of you; IN PAIN

you shall eat of it all the days of your life;

18 THORNS AND THISTLES it shall bring

forth for you; and you shall eat the plants

of the field.

19 BY THE SWEAT OF YOUR FACE you

shall eat bread, till you return to the

ground, for out of it you were taken; for

you are dust, and to dust you shall

return.”viii

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Here it is – because of the far-reaching

and long-lasting consequences of sin

described in Genesis 3 the very nature

of human work has fundamentally

changed.

Now work is work.

Now work is toilsome and difficult.ix

There will be:

thorns

and thistles

and sweat

and calluses

and stress

and pressure.

One theologian said:

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"God's curse after the fall expresses

the fact that alienation is inherent to

the human experience of work."x

So POST Fall - work is not what it

ought to be.

Our work is now difficult, distorted, and

disillusioning.xi

Bottom line:

Sin entering the world and corrupting

God's design has made work harder.xii

The systems, technologies, economics

and structure reflect a fallen, broken

world.

A few years ago:

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On the Discovery Channel there used to

be a TV show called Dirty Jobs.

The show took a humorous look at

some examples of what it's like to do a

job in this fallen world.

The show always started with the quote

(from the show's host Mike Rowe)

usually spoken while in the midst of a

particularly dirty task:

“My name's Mike Rowe, and this is

my job. I explore the country looking

for people who aren't afraid to get

dirty-hard-working men and women

who earn an honest living doing the

kinds of jobs that make civilized life

possible for the rest of us.

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Now, get ready to get dirty.”

The dirty jobs included

a roadkill collector,

a catfish noodler,

a shark suit tester,

a penguin keeper,

a bologna maker,

and a hot tar roofer.

The show – shows how work is

painfully difficult.

In addition, the writer of Ecclesiastes

transparently addresses the

disillusionment that is part of this fallen

world!

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The author's mad pursuit of power,

pleasure and comfort leads him to the

disillusioning conclusion that it's all a

colossal waste of time:

Satisfaction and fulfillment elude him in

his pursuits, particularly in his work.

Listen to these verses:

Ecclesiastes 2:17-18

17 So I hated life, because what is done

under the sun was grievous to me, for all

is vanity and a striving after wind.

18 I hated all my TOIL in which I TOIL

under the sun, seeing that I must leave it

to the man who will come after me.xiii

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Ecclesiastes 2:22-23

22 What has a man from all the TOIL and

striving of heart with which he TOILS

beneath the sun? 23 For all his days are

full of sorrow, and his WORK is a

vexation. Even in the night his heart

does not rest. This also is vanity.xiv

The writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us

that work in this broken and fallen world

is a mixed bag.

One commentator said:

together Genesis 2:15 and Genesis 3:17

affirm that the inescapable reality of

human sin makes work an ambiguous

reality.xv

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IT IS BOTH A NOBLE EXPRESSION OF

HUMAN CREATION IN THE IMAGE OF GOD

AND A PAINFUL TESTIMONY TO HUMAN

ESTRANGEMENT FROM GOD.xvi

To summarize:

We were created to work – but it’s

broken… however we don’t have to

respond to work in broken ways. xvii

OUTLINES

So let me give you 3 biblically healthy

ways to think about work:xviii

1.) We are right to seek meaningful

work!xix

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Lest you think the Bible is fatalistic

regarding work – remember God’s

original vision for work:

God ordained work to be a blessing to

us.

So work does give us a sense of value /

worth as we accomplish things.

That said:

we should seek meaningful work not to

find meaning – but rather:xx

A. To make a living. xxi

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2 Thessalonians 3:12

12 Now such persons we command

and encourage in the Lord Jesus

Christ to do their work quietly and

to earn their own living.xxii

One blessing of work is that it allows us

to make a living.

The second way to make a meaningful

work is to work:

B. To provide for your

household.xxiii

Proverbs 31:27

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27 She looks well to the ways of her

household and does not eat the

bread of idleness.xxiv

Work allows us to eat / care / provide for

ourselves and our families.

The 3rd

way to make work meaningful is

to work to:

C. Bless others.xxv

Ephesians 4:28

28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather

let him labor, doing honest work with his

own hands, so that he may have

something to share with anyone in

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need.xxvi

The idea behind Ephesians 4:28 is that

doing honest work helps make a

person honest and then sets that

person up to help other people in

need.xxvii

And so we should seek meaningful work

– not to find meaning but to help

ourselves and helps others in need.

Secondly – thinking biblically about

work:

2.) We are smart to maximize

relationships at work!xxviii

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One huge blessing (we often0 forget is

that work can give us FRIENDS!

That’s why one of the most

dehumanizing aspects of unemployment

is loneliness.xxix

Author Thomas Moore wrote a book

called, “The Care of a Soul” and in it

he said this:

“I always tell people looking for jobs /

interviewing that your last question to

your potential employer ought to be –

What are my chances for making

really good friends here at this

company?

Don’t forget:

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Work will be the main place to make

friends so maybe one goal of work

should be great friendships.”

That’s one way God blesses us!

Thirdly – thinking biblically about work:

3.) We are right to find satisfaction in

our work.xxx

Ecclesiastes 3:13

13 also that everyone should eat and

drink and take pleasure in all his toil—

this is God's gift to man.xxxi

Work is hard – but it’s also God’s gift to

us!

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God does want us to be grateful for the

work we have – all the while knowing

our jobs shouldn’t be

The source of our identity.

The source of our joy.

The source of our meaning.

If you don’t receive satisfaction from

doing your job – a sense that you are

fulfilling your life’s purpose – then

maybe the job you are doing now is not

all that God has in mind for you to do

with your life.

Of course every job has certain aspects

to it that make it difficult.

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Part of your job may be:

· tedious

· or frustrating

· or stressful

· or demanding

· or even boring… but the question

is:

Overall – does this job give a sense that

you are doing what you were created

to do?

God wants you to find fulfillment in your

work – this is His gift.

Work is not a punishment, it is a

blessing.

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Your job can be more than just 40 hours

of misery that you endure to pay the bills

– it can give you a sense of

fulfillment and purpose.

So ENJOY YOUR WORK… knowing

it’s WORK but also GOD’S GIFT TO

YOU!

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i Obviously, I enjoyed some of those jobs more than others but

(ultimately) I learned through working that work is work. ii If you’re a millennial (18-35) approximately 73 percent of your time

is on websites that are not for work while you are at work.

iii

An average worker will spend 90,000 hours at work over a lifetime.

iv First off – the Bible says we were created to work.

v Work could not have had a more exalted beginning. It was a God

ordained endeavor!

vi It’s working at something to see something greater happen.

vii

Work itself was profoundly impacted by the curse.

viii

Genesis 3:17-19

ix

Now work is work.

Now work is toilsome and difficult.

x "God's curse after the Fall expresses the fact that alienation is inherent

to the human experience of work."

xi

Our work is now difficult, distorted, and disillusioning.

xii

Sin entering the world and corrupting God's design has made work

harder.

xiii

Ecc 2:17-18

xiv

Ecc 2:22-23

xv

Together Genesis 2:15 and Genesis 3:17 affirm that the inescapable

reality of human sin makes work an ambiguous reality.

xvi

WORK IS BOTH A NOBLE EXPRESSION OF HUMAN

CREATION IN THE IMAGE OF GOD AND A PAINFUL

TESTIMONY TO HUMAN ESTRANGEMENT FROM GOD.

xvii

We were created to work – but it’s

broken… however we don’t have to

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respond to work in broken ways.

xviii

3 biblically healthy ways to think about work:

xix

1.) We are right to seek meaningful

work!

xx

we should seek meaningful work not to find meaning – but rather: xxi

1. rather to make a living.

xxii

2 Thessalonians 3:12

xxiii

B. To provide for your household.

xxiv

Proverbs 31:27

xxv

C. To bless others.

xxvi

Ephesians 4:28

xxvii

The idea behind Ephesians 4:28 is that doing honest work helps

make a person honest and then sets that person up to help other people

in need.

xxviii

2.) We are smart to maximize

relationships at work!

xxix

That’s why one of the most dehumanizing aspects of unemployment

is loneliness.

xxx

3.) We are right to find satisfaction in

our work.

xxxi

Ecclesiastes 3:13