Turning back to Ephesians 6,
the Lord commanded Adam in the Garden
of Eden that he could eat of all the fruit of all the trees
that were in the garden except one. One tree. He was not to eat of
that fruit. And Adam rebelled against God. And he took of that fruit, Eve,
the scripture said, was beguiled. Satan fooled her. But Adam knew better. Adam sinned against God with
his eyes wide open. He knew what he was doing. And he took of the fruit and
ate of the fruit and the result of him eating of that fruit was
spiritual death. There was no love for God. There was no hungering after
thirsting. Everything that is imparted to
a believer in life, true life, was gone. It wasn't fair. He didn't want to have anything
to do with God. What did he do? He hid. He hid
from God, or thought he did. Knew he was naked, so he got
some fig leaves. I'm going to cover myself. No knowledge, no love, no truth,
no hunger, no desire. Because of his rebellion against
God, I want you to mark Ephesians 6 and turn with me to Genesis
3. Genesis chapter 3. Because of
his rebellion, the Lord pronounced some consequences upon mankind,
upon the earth, because of Adam's sin. Now I broke down these consequences,
these pronouncements, these consequences of man's rebellion. I broke them
down into five. I looked at them and I could
have broken them down into maybe seven, but I just kind of joined
some of them. There's five things that happened
as a result of Adam's rebellion. And those five consequences because
of sin is found in Genesis chapter 3 verses 17 to 19. And this is
what God said because of Adam's sin. Look at verse 17. Unto Adam
he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and
has eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou
shalt not eat of it." Now here's the first one. Cursed is the
ground for thy sake because of Adam's sin. In the creation,
man was made that he might enjoy. The use of this earth. God made this earth. You go back
and look at the creation. Everything that God did was good. Everything God did was good.
He created the earth, the firmaments, the stars, the sun, moon, birds,
all the animals, all the herbs, and it was good. It was good.
When Adam sinned, the ground was cursed because of Adam. And now instead of Adam being
able to have and live and enjoy this earth in comfort and pleasure,
now this earthly blessing has a curse upon it because of sin. Everything that we see up until
this day, right now, everything that you see, whether it's a
famine, whether it's some cataclysmic disaster, tornadoes, earthquakes,
volcanoes, whatever, everything that you see now of this earth
groaning and in travail is because of One man's disobedience. The whole earth is cursed. It's just in turmoil because
of rebellion right until right now. And it will be just like
that until the Lord comes back. Here's the second thing in verse
17. In sorrow shalt thou eat of it
all the days of thy life. what the earth naturally produced,
good things. Now, they're going to be brought
forth with much toil and trouble, and this earth is going to have
to be cultivated because of sin. Verse 18, the third thing, thorns
also and thistles. shall it bring forth to thee
noxious plants," that's what that is, thorns and thistles
that are not for man's advantage, but actually what they're doing
is these plants that grow naturally and cause him more fatigue and
more sorrow. He's got to root them up. Now
you know that. Leave a place to itself. Don't do anything
to it. Don't do anything to it for one
year. Tell me what it looks like. It's just overrun. It's just because of one man's
rebellion. Fourth thing, Scripture says,
"...and I shall eat the herb of the field." Now, Adam was
in the Garden of Eden. It doesn't say what the fruits
were, what the trees, what kind. It doesn't say that. There was
one that he was forbidden to eat and he knew which one it
was. But now, the Lord said, you're going to eat the herb
of the field because man was not content with what Almighty
God had provided for him in the garden, and he desired the forbidden
fruit. Now this herb of the field, this
is what it means. Herbs that are common fruits
for animals too. I mean just, we all eat the same
thing. I like berries, birds like them
too, you know. You eat corn, So do animals today. It's the herb of the field. You're
going to eat common. Common. And then in verse 19,
here's the fifth one. In the sweat of thy face shalt
thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground, for out of it
wast thou taken, for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou
return. In the sweat of thy face, you're
going to eat bread." This is what the Lord said. Now, man
was created and placed in the garden to keep the garden. Now he's going to have to cultivate
the earth, and he's going to have to fool with thorns and
thistles, and he's going to have to eat the herbs of the field. He's going to have to work. He's
going to have to go to work. Work for His food, and no longer
will the earth bring forth without man's labor and sweat that which
he daily needs, his sustenance. And the Lord's going to provide.
But man, until the day he returns to the ground, is going to have
to work. He's going to have to labor,
toil. You say, well, I'll just retire.
How many of you have retired and just quit everything? It
just never ends. It just doesn't end. Now this
evening, I'd like for us to look at one of those pronouncements
of God's justice. upon mankind because of his sin. And that one is that last one
we just read. In the sweat of thy face shalt
thou eat bread till thou return to the ground. I want us to deal
with this thing back in Ephesians chapter 6. Now you can turn back
there now. And I want us to deal with this issue of having to work in our attitude
toward it. Now I can read, I got to reading
that as we go through this book. I got to reading these verses
and I see what they said. Servants and masters, that's
what I've entitled this message, servants and masters. I understand,
I read what it's saying, but why? Why is it like this? And
this is the reason why, back in Genesis 3. Because we've got
to now work by the sweat of our brow. Now listen, work is a blessing. It's a blessing to mankind. But I'll tell you what it is
also. It's a reminder of what we are. The Lord pronounced this judgment,
if I can say it like that. Not that God's people were ever
under the judgment of God. You know what I mean. But when
I say this, God pronounced this judgment. Because of man's rebellion,
He said, now you're going to work. You're going to have to
go to work. And by the sweat of your brow, you're going to
work until the day you die for your sustenance and for your
food. So work is a blessing. It's a blessing that we're reminded
what we are. Now just with this undertone,
remember what it is. When you go to work, you go to
work. Remember this, the Lord is the
one that has provided that work in mercy and compassion. But
there's a reminder there of why we're having to go to work. We
go to work and we labor and we toil and we get tired. Men and
women are sinners against God. Now, I'm talking tonight to believers. Unbelievers are not going to
understand what I'm talking about, so you that believe, this is
why. This is why we have to work. It's of the Lord's mercy that
He would remind us what we are. Even having to go to work, it's
of the Lord's mercy in providing a job. But let me tell you what,
when we see in having to go to work, there's a reminder too
of the glory of God in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. He
came into this world as a servant, as God's servant. Now I want
us to look at Ephesians 4, we're in Ephesians 6, but look at Ephesians
4, verse 28. Ephesians 4.28, "...Let him that stole steal
no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing
which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth."
It is good. It's good to go to work. It's good to have a job. I mean, you go to work, I remember
I would be doing a job, whatever I was doing. I've worked construction,
I've done smart work, I've done this and that. Whatever I did,
whatever I did, and I'd get back and look at it after it was done,
and either I was real, real pleased with it or I wish I'd done it
a little differently, but it was good that I'd gone to work.
Scripture says it's good for us to labor with our hands. God sent manna. from heaven. People there in the wilderness
would get up every morning except on the Sabbath. The day before
there was two days worth, but every other day they had to go
every day and go out and gather the manna. They had to grind
it, bake it, so that they could have something to eat. The Lord
provided it for them, but they were reminded every day in having
to go out there You're going to get this by the sweat of your
brow, because you're a sinner. But they were always reminded,
the Lord has never forsaken His people, even in their having
to go by the sweat of their brow and work. Look what the Lord's
done for them. So knowing therefore the reason
for labor in this world, that we're sinners against God. And
I'm telling you, you get up and go to work, there's a lot of
things that we're going to say that's good, but I'm telling
you the first reason, remember this, is that man is a rebel
against God. But let's consider the attitude
of our labor. Let's consider how we're to act
as we behold the mercy of God toward us toward His people. A believer is to act, walk in
such a way that you give credit and honor and glory to the gospel
that we believe. I can say this, I'm going to
work because I realize that man has rebelled against God, but
oh the mercy of God. in the provision of the Lord,
and let my attitude be such." Alright, now, with that being
the foundation, let's look at these scriptures. Servants, be
obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh,
with fear and trembling and singleness of your heart as unto Christ. Knowing that the Lord is the
one who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will."
That where we are, we are by divine appointment. The Lord
has placed every one of His people exactly where they are. Where you that have jobs or whether
you ladies that work in a home, I've heard ladies say, well,
I'm just a housewife. No, you're not just a housewife.
That is the high calling of God, that God Almighty would put you
as a homemaker. I'm telling you, if you have
a job and you work out somewhere, God Almighty puts you there.
But wherever you are, be thankful. Be thankful that God has placed
you where you are. And we are to work obediently
in the position that He's placed us. Now, if you're working for
someone else, and one writer said that these servants were
actually slaves. Well, maybe so. I don't know.
I don't know. Could be. But if you are one
and you work under someone else, be obedient to them that are
your masters according to the flesh. And do it with fear and
trembling, not only toward them out of respect to those that
are your bosses, but to the Lord. Remember, it's the Lord that
worketh all things, after the counsel. In singleness of heart,
with a principle of uprightness. And do it for the glory of the
Lord Jesus Christ. I am a sinner. And I am a sinner
by birth and by choice, by practice, but Almighty God has shown mercy
to me. And He's given me a job. If you work for somebody, listen,
do what you're instructed to do. This thing of somebody telling
you, they write your check. And they say, now listen, this
is what I want you to do. And you say, well I'm just not
going to do that. Well, when I was in Louisiana and Tennessee,
I had men that would work for me, and I never did have any
of them that ever told me they weren't going to do it, because
I tell you what I'd do, I'd just write them a check that day and
we'd be done with it. But I'll tell you this, if you're working
for somebody and they ask you to do something or give you instruction
to do something, do it. Do it. You're being paid to do
it, and do it with fear and trembling to the Lord. Do it for the glory
of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord has provided you the
job, and do it with respect, and do it with humility to your
employer. You work that job, According
to these Scriptures right here, as unto Christ, that's the last
part of verse 5, you do this job because you are. You say, it's not as if I'm doing
it, you're doing it as unto the Lord Jesus Christ, in obedience
to Him. Listen, when you have a job,
you say, I'm a servant according to these Scriptures, a servant.
Someone that is in obedience to somebody else. Somebody that's
under somebody else. Well, I'm just a worker. No, you're not just a worker.
Let me tell you what you are. You are a picture and a type
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Hold your place right there.
Turn to Isaiah 42.1. Isaiah 42.1. Behold My servant, whom I uphold,
Mine elect, in whom My soul delighteth. I have put My Spirit upon him.
He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles." Behold My servant. The Lord Jesus Christ humbled
Himself and made Himself of no reputation, took upon Himself
The form of a servant. It is not a position of demeaning,
of lowliness or something. No. That the Lord would give
you a job and you would be a servant. I understand why we're doing
it. By the sweat of our brow, we're going to work. But you're
a picture, a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. What was his attitude
toward his calling? This is what he said. I do only,
always, those things that please Him. Your boss asks you to do something,
asks you to do a job, and you say, That's not my pay grade. Listen, they're paying you. Do it. Do it. And do it as unto
the Lord, out of fear and reverence and respect. This is my beloved
Son in whom I'm well pleased. I'm telling you, what a compliment
that a boss would tell somebody, that's one of the best workers
I've got right there. That's one of the best men, that's
one of the best women I've got right there. I'm telling you,
you ask them to do something, they'll do it in a heartbeat.
Drop what they're doing. I'm telling you, do it as unto
the Lord. You have a job. I quoted this,
1 Corinthians 10.31, "...whether therefore you eat or drink or
whatsoever you do, do it to the glory of God." Do it to God's
glory. All of our deeds are to be done
for the Lord's glory. Alright, back in Ephesians 6,
verses 6 and 7, listen to this, "...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. Now listen, I know just enough
about myself and about depravity to know how easy it is to pretend
to work with great diligence, you know, while the boss is standing
around. You see the boss coming, or the
boss is going to be here, or something like that, and you're
trying to impress him. But when no one else is around,
that means the easiest thing in the world, I know, to just
see, how little can I get by with? I'll bet you, I'll bet
you, that either you know somebody, or heard somebody, and it's just
like they're almost like a professional slacker. They look like they're
doing something. They look like they're performing.
But really, when it comes right down to it, they just didn't
get anything done. They just didn't do it. Not with our servants 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. I tell you, you take a man or
woman, they've got this attitude. I want to do this job as I'm
doing it for the Lord. Just how much do you want to
slack off if you know that you're doing it as unto the Lord, as
unto Christ? Do it as a servant of the Lord
Jesus Christ, as one striving. for obedience to the Lord and
not merely to men. You can fool men, but not long. Believe me, your bosses, you
know, they know what's going on. I mean, they can tell. Remember this, it was the Lord
that provided the job. He did it according to His good
pleasure. And another thing, He sees. He knows. The boss may not be standing
there, but the Lord knows. The Lord knows. Work with a good
attitude. Going beyond what you merely
expected to do. I tell you what, I'm going to
do this, but I ain't going to do any more than this. This is
it. And do it with thanksgiving. In all things, 2 Thessalonians
5, in everything give thanks. This is the will of God in Christ
Jesus concerning you. Be thankful that the Lord's given
you a job. Be thankful the Lord's given you the health to work
and to provide for yourself and for your family. Be thankful
that the Lord's given you an attitude to do it as unto the
Lord. And back in Ephesians 6 verse
8, knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same
shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. Knowing that whatever you do, whatever a man or woman does
out of a right motive and principle of heart, for the glory of Christ,
though it may appear that he's been slighted, though it may appear that he's
been overlooked, the Lord will bless him. He's doing what he's
doing as unto the Lord. You've got a job and many times
you see an honest worker And whatever it is, politics, that's
usually what it is. But he's slighted. He's overlooked
by those that writes his check. Maybe he's passed over for a
promotion or some way things are made hard on him for nothing
that he did. It was just, you know how it
is. You know how the game works.
You know how it is. The Lord knows. The Lord knows. And knowing that we believe that
all things work together for good, why is it that I was overlooked? I don't know. The Lord knows.
Why was I slighted for that? Why did he get that? He ain't
been here that long. I've been here a lot longer than
he has. How about this? I've been here a long time. He
came in, I trained him to replace me. Buddy, that's a hard pill
to swallow, isn't it? The Scripture says, knowing that
whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive
of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. Sometimes Things just don't go
the way we think they ought to go. And there's resentment and
there's turmoil and there's just... Believer, do it as unto the Lord. Do your
job. The Lord gave it to you. The
Lord's put you there. The Lord's going to teach and
the Lord's going to provide. The Lord will provide. And then
in verse 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. Now, some of you fellows, maybe
you women are bosses, and you've got men, women under you. They work for you. Here's the instruction that the
Lord gives us. You that has been placed in positions
of authority, you perform your work and your responsibility
as you would have those that work under you perform theirs. Do it with the right attitude. Treat those that work for you,
under you. Treat them with respect. Treat them the way you would
want to be treated and pay them a fair wage and speak respectfully
to them even in times of correction. Man, there'd be times that I'd
had some men working for me and it just wasn't going the way
I wanted it. Man, I'm telling you, especially
when I realized it was getting into my pocket, you know? We're going to have to go back
and do this again. And I'm going to have to correct
them. But when you do it, do it with
an attitude and thoughtfulness of how does the Lord deal with
me when He corrects me? whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth."
And there's times that the Lord chastens His people, but He does
it out of love for us, in correcting us. You have a master, the Scripture
says, in heaven. And He sees, and you are His
servant, even though He's placed you in a position of leadership.
That position has been delegated to you by God Almighty, and you
are to be a good steward of that position and authority. And the Lord is no respecter,
that's what it says, neither is there respect of persons with
Him. You say, well, I'm the boss. Well, you've got a bigger boss.
Well, I'll tell you this, you can go all the way to the top
in that corporation. And this guy right here, he's
got a boss in heaven. God is not a respecter of persons. What does that mean? That means
that your riches and position doesn't move the Lord to show
you more respect than those that work for you. The one at the
bottom, he has a responsibility too. He's a servant. You're his master. You have a
master also. 1 Samuel 2, 6 and 7 says this,
The Lord killeth and maketh alive. He bringeth down to the grave
and bringeth up. The Lord maketh poor and maketh
rich. He bringeth low and lifteth up. Who are we? We may have a little higher elevation
place in an earthly job right now, but we have a master in
heaven. Believers, remember, the Lord
has put us in a position where we're going to work. Let us have
an attitude that is becoming of a Christian, of one who is
a servant of the Lord. Our job reminds us of our fallen
Adam. Knowing that we are going to
work. Knowing that we are going to work for the sweat of our
brow until the day we die. Do it with the right attitude. Ask the Lord. Lord help me. Help me to have a right attitude. Help me to do what I do as unto
you. And let me do it to the best
of my ability. Because I, as a servant, am a
picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom, as I said a moment ago,
the Father said of Him, this is my beloved Son, whom I'm well
pleased. You hear Him. I pray the Lord
bless these words to our heart. We live in a real world and we
have responsibilities. We have jobs and we have, and
the Lord provides for us through our job, through our work, through
our labor. Always reminding us of why we're
there, because of our rebellion. But when we go to work, let's
go to work in submission to the Lord. Be thankful for the position
that He's given us, given us a job, given us some health. But He's given us knowledge of
Himself and His mercy to us. Okay, Brother Patrick.