GOD AT WORK

D R F L E T C H E R L T I N KT A Y T A Y C H U R C H O F T H E N A Z A R E N E

M A R C H 1 2 , 2 0 1 7

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS FLETCHER TINK?

HE COULD BE IN JOHN KNOX’S HOUSE IN ED INBURGH

HE COULD BE IN NEPAL WITH DEAR CHILDREN

HE COULD BE AT THE NAZARENE SEMINARY IN KANSAS C ITY

OR HE COULD BE IN V IETNAM

BUT THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THAT HE IS

TEACHING “THEOLOGY OF WORK”

SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD, L IKE IN

PAKISTAN

Also called “Joy at Work” or

“God at Work”

WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT “THEOLOGY OF WORK?

We mean, “What Does God Think about Work?”Two important verses: “"My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.“ John 5:17My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work (John 4:34).

SO WHEN DID GOD WORK?

The very first verse in the Bible shows us “God at Work”!“In the beginning, God created. . . Massive creation, Unbelievable creation, Beyond imagination creation. God is “Mega-Worker”!!!!!!!!!And He still is working. . . For you and for me.

SO HOW DID HE CREATE?

God pulls a fast one! He makes things out of nothing! (ex nihilo). We can’t do that. Someone has said that God can’t use us, until we are willing to become “nothing”. It is only when we become nothing that God makes us Something!But also God mixes and rearranges things in His creation, using elements of what He has already created. And Yes, we can do that!!!!!!

A READING OF “THE CREATION” BY JAMES WELDON JOHNSONAnd God stepped out on space,

And he looked around and said:I'm lonely--I'll make me a world.

And far as the eye of God could seeDarkness covered everything,Blacker than a hundred midnightsDown in a cypress swamp.

Then God smiled,And the light broke,And the darkness rolled up on one side,And the light stood shining on the other,And God said: That's good!

• Then God reached out and took the light in his hands,And God rolled the light around in his handsUntil he made the sun;And he set that sun a-blazing in the heavens.And the light that was left from making the sunGod gathered it up in a shining ballAnd flung it against the darkness,Spangling the night with the moon and stars.Then down betweenThe darkness and the lightHe hurled the world;And God said: That's good!

Then God himself stepped down--And the sun was on his right hand,And the moon was on his left;The stars were clustered about his head,And the earth was under his feet.And God walked, and where he trodHis footsteps hollowed the valleys outAnd bulged the mountains up.

• Then he stopped and looked and sawThat the earth was hot and barren.So God stepped over to the edge of the worldAnd he spat out the seven seas--He batted his eyes, and the lightnings flashed--He clapped his hands, and the thunders rolled--And the waters above the earth came down,The cooling waters came down.

• Then the green grass sprouted,And the little red flowers blossomed,The pine tree pointed his finger to the sky,And the oak spread out his arms,The lakes cuddled down in the hollows of the ground,And the rivers ran down to the sea;And God smiled again, And the rainbow appeared,And curled itself around his shoulder.

• Then God raised his arm and he waved his handOver the sea and over the land,And he said: Bring forth! Bring forth!And quicker than God could drop his hand,Fishes and fowlsAnd beasts and birdsSwam the rivers and the seas,Roamed the forests and the woods,And split the air with their wings.And God said: That's good!

Then God walked around,And God looked aroundOn all that he had made.He looked at his sun, And he looked at his moon,And he looked at his little stars;He looked on his worldWith all its living things,And God said: I'm lonely still.

• Then God sat down--On the side of a hill where he could think;By a deep, wide river he sat down;With his head in his hands,God thought and thought,Till he thought: I'll make me a man!

Up from the bed of the riverGod scooped the clay;And by the bank of the riverHe kneeled him down;And there the great God AlmightyWho lit the sun and fixed it in the sky, Who flung the stars to the most far corner of the night,Who rounded the earth in the middle of his hand;This great God,Like a mammy bending over her baby,Kneeled down in the dustToiling over a lump of clayTill he shaped it in is his own image;

Then into it he blew the breath of life,And man became a living soul.Amen. Amen.

SO WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY “WORK”?

By using the term “work”, we mean two things: “Work” is purposeful labor to accomplish a desired end. 1. It can be mental work or physical

work. 2. It can be paid work or unpaid

work, as in volunteering. Indeed for the Christian, there should be no “unemployment”. God always has a job for us!!!

BUT ISN’T THERE BAD WORK AND GOOD WORK?

Of course! There is “bad” work, like stealing, drug dealing, killing, gambling, sexual exploitation, bribing, lying, and many other things.And then there is good work which is productive and builds up society and honors God. Indeed, you are given work to make a positive difference in this world.

B U T W H AT M A K E S T H E D I F F E R E N C E B E T W E E N “ G O O D W O R K ” A N D “ B A D W O R K ” ?

Good work always gives “VALUE ADDED”. It makes the product more valuable, relationships more valuable, the economy more valuable. Bad work always “DESTROYS VALUE”. It diminishes or destroys the product, It diminishes or destroys lives, and corrupts the economy.

PLEASE G IVE US AN EXAMPLE OF GOOD WORKAh, I have one right here.

I love to visit the community of Taal in Batangas. There they make balisong, knives. You can make knives for good purposes or bad purposes. I prefer combs, that can only be made for good purposes.

AH, HERE HE IS ESTEBAN, AND MY GRANDDAUGHTER

BROOKLYNN

B U T I F G O D D O E S S U C H A G O O D J O B W O R K I N G , W H Y D O W E N E E D T O W O R K ?

Humans are created in the “image of God”. In other words, if God is a worker, and He had such fun doing work, in His amazing wild, wonderful universe, then we are made like Him to have fun doing work, in His amazing wild wonderful universe. Work was an expression of God’s creativity. Christians should be the most creative people in the world.

SO WHAT K IND OF WORK DID HE G IVE US?

God gave us the “Creation Mandate”, sometimes called the “Cultural Mandate”. 1. Four Job descriptions in the Garden of

Eden.

A. Be fruitful and multiply—take a little and make a lot. Expand and Grow

B. Till the ground---be good stewards of all that God has given us. Take good care of the resources that God has given us.

WHAT OTHER JOBS DID HE G IVE US?

Two other parts to our job description: C. “Not good to be alone”. You see, God himself is a community. “Let Us make man in our own image.” Adam needed Eve to be a community. And then they had at least seven children. Create “Beloved Communities.” D. Name the animals. Investigate, Organize, Discover everything that is in God’s creation. In other words, create science to efficiently and sensitively see the grandeur of God Himself, and use it for the betterment of society. You see, science is the art of naming and classifying things, then you can manipulate them.

BUT I THOUGHT THAT THE ONLY REAL MANDATE WAS THE REDEMPTIVE MANDATE TO GO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO ALL PEOPLE

Sorry! Wrong! The Bible has two major mandates: The Creation Mandate AND the Redemptive Mandate. Both are equally important. We all have responsibility for both mandates. Indeed, 95% of Christians are already placed in responsibilities where they can have influence in the Creation Mandate. These are the people in the pews: business people, hospital workers, teachers, social workers, housewives, politicians, bankers, car repairmen, construction workers.

SO WHAT DOES A CONSTRUCTION WORKERS HAVE TO DO WITH CREATION

MANDATE?

BUT ARE PREACHERS AND MISSIONARIES AND EVANGEL ISTS REALLY THE ONES THAT ARE DOING GOD’S BUSINESS?

Sorry! Wrong Again! Every Christian is called to be a missionary, a worker for God. Some people have a calling to minister within a church organization, but most of us have a calling to minister outside of the Church organization. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand” Eph 2:10

BUT AREN’T THERE TWO CLASSES OF CHRIST IANS- - -PROFESSIONAL CHRIST IANS AND LAY CHRIST IANS!

Sorry! Wrong Again. That is heresy. I’m throwing you out of the Church! In the Bible there are NOT two classes of Christians. It’s not like a plane where you have economy class and first class. For Christians, there is only one class---everyone is “FIRST CLASS!”

B U T T H E S E G U Y S LO O K R E A L LY L A Z Y I N T H E F I R S T C L A SS O N T H E P L A N E

No! God has given us First Class seats so that we may do First Class work for His Glory:

BUT ISN’T EVANGEL ISM MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN, FOR INSTANCE, SWEEPING STREETS?

No way, Jose! All wrong! Every Christian has a calling. No one calling is more important than another. The range of influence may be greater, but God values everybody’s work if it is done for His glory. “Evangelism” is presenting “good news”. We do it in many different ways.

L IKE WHAT?There are many ways:Overt Christian ways: 1. Showing love and care for your fellow

workers2. Giving Christian counsel3. Praying before we work, or having prayer

with others4. Organizing a Bible study5. Inviting people to Church6. Being an example of integrity and quality

of work7. Sharing a personal testimony with fellow

workmates.

IS THAT ALL? SOUNDS PRET TY TRADIT IONAL .

No, there are many other ways of glorifying God:1. Helping the workplace in creating ethical

standards.2. Helping the workplace live up to social

responsibility to the community3. Creating an atmosphere of mutual

respect 4. Helping people find their gifts (given by

God) and doing creative things5. Helping the workplace to be people-

oriented rather than just profit-oriented.

COME ON! G IVE ME AN EXAMPLE!

• Quotation by Martin Luther King!• • If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”•  

“BY FAITH”: 

Shirley’s Unisex Hair and Beauty Salon,4th Anniversary Service

atThe Church of the Nazarene,

Bank Hall,St Michael

on12th of November 2006

at10:30 a.m.

 The inside order of service included hymns: “Great is Thy Faithfulness”; “To

God be the Glory”; and choruses: “See what the Lord has done for us!” “He is a miracle working God,” “When I think about the Lord” and “How can I say

Thanks!”  

A poem is offered, along with acknowledgements including from the District Superintendent and the head of the Urban Development Commission, Scripture Reading, Congregational greeting song, offertory and instrumental, a section on

“health tips”, a song sung by Shirley herself, the Ministry of the Word, and a time of “Altar Ministry”. It seems like a rather full service.

 The quotation on the subsequent page says: “Keep your dreams alive.

Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” On the back page is the business’ address on Advent

Avenue.

BUT AREN’T PEOPLE WHO WORK IN CHURCH DOING THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK?

Not necessarily! So what do you think the “Church” is? Is it a building?Is it an organization? Is it a program?Is it what we do on Sunday mornings?

I ’M CONFUSED, SO THEN WHAT IS THE CHURCH?

Let’s sing together! I am the Church, you are the Church, we are the Church together. All who follow Jesus all around the world, yes, we’re the Church together.”

“The church is not a building, the church is not a steeple; the church is not a resting place, the church is a people.

REALLY, YOU MUST BE KIDDING ME!

We're many kinds of people, with many kinds of faces, all colors and all ages, too, from all times and places.

“And when the people gather, there's singing and there's praying; there's laughing and there's crying sometimes, all of it saying:

“At Pentecost some people received the Holy Spirit and told the Good News through the world to all who would hear it.”

SO YOU’RE SAY ING THAT THE CHURCH IS “PEOPLE”?

Yes, the Church is “people”.

But there are two forms of Church. There is the CHURCH GATHERED, like we are today together here. There is also the CHURCH SCATTERED, throughout the systems, and in places where people can influence in the “creative mandate”.

BUT THIS IS SORT OF A NEW AND CRAZY IDEA!

Yes, it is, because we never thought about the “Creation Mandate” and the four job descriptions that God gave humans. In fact God’s work can be described in three ways: 1. Creative (like God the Father)2. Redemptive (fixing things that

are broken, like Jesus the Son)3. Empowering (strengthening,

revitalizing, like the Holy Spirit)

BUT AREN’T THOSE JUST THE SAME WAY THAT WE D O WORK?

Yes, Exactly. You’re getting the point! Some of us are very creative. We love making new things. Just like God the Father. Some of us love to fix things that are broken. That was the mission of Jesus, the great “fixer-upper”. And some of us keep the machinery of life going, energizing, invigorating, encouraging just like the work of the Holy Spirit. In other words our gifting, our passions and our understanding of the needs of the world, vary, uniquely for each one of us. Only each one of us can fulfill the unique calling of God in this world.

SO IT SEEMS L IKE WE REFLECT THE WORK OF GOD, DOESN’T IT?

Exactly! Whatever we do, we do it for the glory of God. If that is the case, then what we do on Thursday morning is just as important as what we do on Sunday morning! In other words, ALL of life, is a worship to God---my studies, the way I treat people, the quality of my service, all of it is a form of Worship!

THEN SUNDAY IS NOT SUCH A SPEC IAL DAY, IS I T?

Yes, it is a special day, because it is a day dedicated to “corporate worship”, that is worshipping together. But the rest of the week is lived out as our “private worship” to God. Indeed, in the Garden of Eden, “work” was the first expression of “worship”, that is giving “worth-ship” to God. Work predated Church and worship services, because it was THE way to worship God.

SO WHAT HAPPENS TO THIS IDEA THAT THERE IS SACRED WORK AND SECULAR WORK?

Junk it! A bad idea! To the obedient Christian, there is NO SUCH THING as Secular Work. All work which is done for the glory of God is sacred work! The Westminster Creed Says: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1Corinthians 10:31, KJV).

?

BUT WHY IS WORK SO DISTASTEFUL? SO UNPRODUCTIVE? SO T IR ING?

Good Question! Simply put, because Adam and Eve sinned, and were thrown out of the Garden of Eden and a number of hardships resulted. Work was never cursed! But the ground was cursed. Everything we get, comes out of the ground, and it all has both positive and negative qualities. It is tough to live off of the ground. Earthquakes, droughts, volcanic explosions, flooding, disease, snakes, ants and rodents, all are disruptive of our best plans.

By the way, the Philippines experiences more natural calamities out of the ground than any other country except China.

EVEN THE ENGLISH WORDS WE USE SHOW HOW DISTASTEFUL WORK IS , DO THEY NOT?

“Occupation”--- “occupy”, fill space, busy???

“Employment”--- “doing stuff”“Job”--- “sort of like suffering Job”“Business”--- “busy-ness”“Profession”--- “what do you profess?”“Work”--- “sound tedious” There’s nothing noble, transcendent, no big picture of meaning.

BUT THEN, HOW DOES A CHRIST IAN SEE IT?

A Christian sees it as “vocation”---(“vocare” as a “calling”). This implies that there is a Caller--- God Himself who has designed you to give “VALUE ADDED” in what we do in His name. And we seek to learn what we are called to do. . . That is, “our Vocation”, our CALLING.

BUT WASN’T JESUS ONLY EFFECT IVE AS THE MESSIAH?

Jesus was called to be a student---his did extraordinary well, as a 12 year old in the temple.Jesus was a “techton”, an engineer, working in all sorts of media. Jesus was a teacher, a Rabbi, the best one who ever lived.Jesus was a physician, who offered great healing.Jesus was a counselor, who sat down with people and touched their hearts.

HOW DID HE DEAL WITH PEOPLE?

So many times we misfire, by treating people as less than human. 1. Not as extension of machinery.2. Not as extension of landscape3. But as special people created in

God’s image.“Every meeting is a divine encounter; every meeting is an exchange of gifts”. St Augustine

BU T W H AT A B OU T A LL O F T H E RE L I G I OU S H E ROE S I N TH E B I B LE ?

Wrong again. Most weren’t religious heroes? Noah---massive carpentry projectAbraham---a rancherMoses---a farmerDavid---a shepherdMary---a housewifeDisciples---entrepreneurial businessmen; writers, terrorists. Very few were priests, or prophets, and almost all had other jobs.

BUT JESUS HANGS AROUND IN THE TEMPLE, DOESN’T HE. AREN’T TEMPLE PEOPLE IMPORTANT.

Yes, if that is their calling! It is important. But almost all of the stories of Jesus take place outside of “church”---in judges chambers, in the marketplace, on the farm, in the home. Where does God “touch” people? In church? Or on the streets---the blind, the lepers, the dead, and in the home with weary disciples.

BUT HOW ARE WE TO TREAT WORK WHEN IT IS SO D IFF ICULT?

It’s not easy. But it is crucial! As Christians, we are called not just to present salvation to people. We are called to “redeem” work. To create such a quality of work, by our attitude, by our creativity, by our integrity, our honesty, and our effort, that God is truly pleased, and great value is given to what we do, to the benefit of all.

SOUNDS GREAT! BUT CAN YOU GIVE ME SOME EXAMPLES.

I have hundreds I can share. But here are four: 1. Fried Chicken in

Zamboanga2. Motorcycles in Manila3. Cesspool in China4. A Race Track in Paris: Eric

Liddell

SO WHO IS THIS ER IC L IDDELL?

THAT’S IT?????• I have no formula for winning the race. Everyone runs in her own way, or his own way. And where does the power come from, to see the race to its end? From within. Jesus said, 'Behold, the Kingdom of God is within you. If with all your hearts, you truly seek me, you shall ever surely find me.' If you commit yourself to the love of Christ, then that is how you run a straight race.

YEAH, BUT YOU HAVEN’T USED ENOUGH SCRIPTURE. NAIL IT FOR US!

OK, Your Turn.

We’ll act it out as a composite between two parables. Yet, in the parable of the minas (each mina 3 months wages,

in Luke 19:11-27, parable of the talents (each talent represented 16 and a half years of work) in Matthew 25:14-30.

Minas: Nobleman; Far Country to receive Kingdom, 10 servants, each 1 talents; engage in business; hated their nobleman. 1 = 10; 1 = 5; 1 = 1 (hid it in a handkerchief); why not put it in the bank?

Talent: Master, Journey, 3 Servant, 5 + 5; 2 +2; 1 + 0 (hid talent in the ground); why not put it in the bank?

SO WHAT REWARD DO I GET?

Faithfulness earns rewards: Minas: 10 (5) minas earn supervision of 10 (5) cities (not churches), plus an extra pasalubong mina. Evil servant: Killed Talents: 1. “Well done, you good and faithful

servant”2. “Enter into the Master’s joy”3. Pasalubong TalentEvil servant: “Lazy, Useless”; Thrown out.

SO WE’RE IN THIS JUST TO GET REWARDS?I don’t think so!

Another parable: Matthew 20:1-16Working in the Vineyard:Some come at 9; others at 12; others at 3; and finally others at 5.All get equal pay

BUT THAT’S SO WRONG!! ! I T ’S UNFAIR!Yes, you’re right. This is

very un-American, very anti-capitalistic! Those who work longer should be paid more.

SO WHAT IS THE POINT OF THE PARABLE?Ah. I’m glad you asked!

We don’t work for the rewards, the final pay-outs.

Let’s interview the workers!

YES, THE 5 :00 O ’CLOCK GUY BEAT THE SYSTEM!

No, you’ve got it all wrong!

The 5:00 o’clock guy regrets that he did not enjoy the fellowship with the vine owner. Working alongside of him, hearing his stories, learning his ways, enjoying his companionship, singing his songs, smelling the delicious grape smells in the company of One who loves and cares for him. The joy of service versus the ache of meaninglessness.

OH, I GET THE POINT!We work for God, not for the

PRESENTS at the end of the day,But for the PRESENCE throughout the day. To be in Jesus’ company, working for Him, completing the work of our God, doing our Master’s business. With Joy!!!!

WOULD YOU PRAY FOR US?

Our Father and our God: You have modeled for us what work is as Creator, as Redeemer and and Empowerer. Help us to reflect that image in the work that we do. May we find our calling whether it be as part of the Church Gathered or the Church Scattered. And if our calling is as the Church Scattered, help me to be a person of integrity, of diligence, of care and respect for those around me. May I do good work which glorifies You. May I do honest work that create value added to everything that I touch

May I think proactively rather than re-actively. May my life bless others with whom I have contact. May I think creatively about how best to do my work. May I be thankful for the work you have given me. May my witness at work, whether spoken or not, glorify you. As St Francis has said, “preach the Gospel and, if necessary use words”. May I live that way.

And may I look for opportunities to plant the flag of God’s presence in my work, and earn the right to share my own testimony. And when my life is done, may I look back and feel good that I did my work well, and look forward to the words of Jesus who says, “Well Done, You great servant, Enter into My Joy, because your work gave me great joy. This all is what my life is about, in the home, in my studies and in the workplace---all for your glory. Amen.