This message will explore the ways in which our faith shapes how we live each day with our work, establishing godly habits, entering into rhythms of work and rest, and letting God shape our use of time.
Matthew 28:18-20
Sermon Outline
Which word best describes your work situation: demanding, wonderful, meaningless, frustrating, satisfying, non-existent, stressful, joyful or other?
- Now, what word would Jesus use to describe your work?
Our work becomes most disoriented when we forget who has ultimate authority, what our true mission is, and that Jesus is with us.
The Bible says it’s important to orient ourselves with TRUST:
- Trust His authority
- Trust His mission
- Trust He is with us
Trust His authority: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
- The universe is His: The more we fight to control what can’t be controlled, the more out of control and anxious we become.
- Jesus speaks with authority: What He says and promises gives us confidence and clarity in issues of conflict, provision, leadership, discernment and decisions.
Trust His mission: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…”
- In our work it is wise and good to focus on His mission.
- To be preoccupied with discipleship empowers us to see and relate to others, ourselves, and our circumstances with greater wisdom, hope, and resilience.
- This means we actively prioritize God’s interests in others in all circumstances: meetings, projects, workplace dynamics, job searches, personal development, conflict, etc.
Trust He is with us: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
- Our work is meaningful because He is there and active.
- Our deepest needs are met in Christ, to know and be known, love and be loved, and to find meaningful connection with our Creator.
What prevents us from trusting Him in these ways?
- We cling to the illusion of control (wanting His authority to be ours).
- We are distracted by our own disordered desires (our mission replaces His).
- We deny the reality and power of His presence.
Jesus showed the way and made the way possible for us.
- Jesus lived perfectly under His Father’s authority, on His Father’s mission, trusting His Father’s presence—and through His death and resurrection, He brings us into that same relationship. We’re not imitating an example; we’re participating in His life.
Practice trusting Him.
- Start by asking God, “What do you want me to know about my work situation?” And then spend time with Him, e.g. Prayerfully read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5-7).
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
- Control vs. Authority: Think about a current work situation causing you stress or anxiety. What specifically are you trying to control that might actually be outside your authority? What would it look like to operate from Jesus’s authority in that situation instead of grasping for your own?
- Mission Gap: Where is there tension between “what you want from your work” and “what God might want to do through your work”? How would your approach to an upcoming meeting, project, or workplace relationship change if you prioritized God’s discipleship mission over your personal agenda?
- Functional Atheism: Jesus says “I am with you always,” yet we often work as if we’re essentially alone—as if everything depends on us. When do you most feel alone at work? What would practically change if you truly believed Jesus was present and active in that moment?
- The Illusion of Control: It was said, “The more we fight to control what can’t be controlled, the more out of control and anxious we become.” Can you identify a situation where your attempts to maintain control actually increased your anxiety rather than decreasing it? What were you afraid would happen if you let go?
- Discipleship: Pick someone at work you find challenging (difficult boss, frustrating colleague, competitive peer). If your mission was “God’s interests in this person’s discipleship,” how would that change how you see them and interact with them this week?
- Presence and Meaning: The sermon says “our work is meaningful because He is there and active,” not because of what we accomplish. How does this challenge your current source of meaning at work? What would it look like to find your work meaningful even if the outcomes aren’t what you hoped for?
DIG DEEPER
Read the below passages and prayerfully consider how these truths can shape your life at work:
- Matthew 5:43-44 – Love who?
- Matthew 5:11 – What’s a blessing?
- Matthew 7:1-3 – Where’s the problem?
- Matthew 6:9-15 & Matthew 7:7-8 – Ask for what?
- Matthew 6:19-24 – Where is my treasure?
- Matthew 6:25 – Why not worry?
- Matthew 7:13-14 – Which way?
- 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 – Where is my ambition?