I know I've shared this story in the past, but I wanted to share it again today because it fits so well with today's text. When I was newly saved, this particular incident showed me just how important, how impactful a Christian life can be over and against our words, if that makes sense. Let me describe the story. Many moons ago, as a student at Western Washington University, I worked for Black Angus. I was one of the newest employees at the restaurant, and day after day, my manager, I was one of the guys that received everybody there, and it was a long way so we could see everybody coming into the restaurant. And day after day, my manager would get me to try to laugh at all of his dirty jokes. and he would try to get me to look at all the women who were coming into the restaurant. I was young in the faith, I was single, and I tried not to laugh, and I told him that I was saving those looks for my future wife. Well, he mocked me, of course, with some not-so-kind words. And then I asked him, I said this, do you think, I asked him if his wife would mind that he was looking at other women the way that he was. Well, obviously he got a little defensive and he told me that he was only looking, which didn't hurt anybody. Well, it wasn't too long after that incident that he approached me and asked me if I would be willing to look after his house while he and his wife were on vacation. And I was sincerely surprised, since I was one of the newest employees there, and he certainly didn't know me like the other employees. So I asked him this, before I said yes or no, I said, well, why are you asking me since I'm one of the newest employees here? And I'll never forget what he said. He said, because Kerry, you're the only one here that I can trust. That came after months of mocking. Coming as it did on the heels of all of his jokes and mockery, that taught me a huge lesson. And that lesson is this, our character matters greatly as a testimony in the workplace, in the outside world. So why are we talking about character in the workplace? because that's exactly what the Apostle Paul addresses next in Titus chapter two. And in light of that, please stand with me for the reading of God's most beautiful word. And we're gonna read the whole text once again, chapter two, verses one through 10. Titus two, one through 10, and we'll focus on the last two verses. Paul writing to Titus says this, but as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith and love in perseverance. Older women, likewise, are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, verse four, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, look at this, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. Likewise, urge the young men to be sensible. And all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds with purity and doctrine dignified. Sound in speech, which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us. Now look at this, verses nine and 10. Urge bond slaves to be subject to their own masters in everything. to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect. May God bless the reading of his word. You may be seated. Is that a glorious text? That's why we spent three weeks on this. by way of review, three times in 10 verses, Paul says that the body of Christ, that is the church, should be beautiful so as to attract others to our Savior. And he says that in verses five, eight, and 10. So how exactly does a church do that? How does CBC do that? And I know you're gonna ask me this, so I'll ask you, how do you do that? How do you do that? And first and foremost, we attract others to our Savior by having sound doctrine, which Paul also mentions three times in verses one, seven, and 10. Sound doctrine and godly living, Paul is saying in these 10 verses, must go what? Hand in hand. The one should never be absent of the other. Does that make sense? Again, it's that two sides of that one coin. Does no good to do kind and loving deeds for others, but at the same time give them a false gospel, right? The cults do that all the time, and we're surrounded by that false teaching. Rather, we must have our theology straight. And so after mentioning the foundation of sound doctrine, Paul addresses five different groups of people within the church. And this is, again, by way of review. The older men were in verse two, we saw that. The older women in verse three. The younger women in verses four and five. The younger men in verses six, seven, and eight. And now finally, he mentions slaves, verses nine and 10. Again, that's the group we'll be focusing on this morning. Historians estimate that approximately one third of the population of the early Roman Empire were slaves. One third. So they comprise a very significant segment of the population, including among the new churches springing up all across the Middle East and Europe. So this passage is addressed to bond slaves, right? Or bond servants, depending upon your translation. However, the principle that Paul lays out here applies very directly to the employer-employee relationship that we find in our own day and age. Because you might be thinking, well, I'm not a slave, right? I'm not a bond servant or a bond slave. Oh, yes you are. The slave worked for a room and board, did he not? The employee works for a paycheck, so he can pay for what? Room and board. But the same principles of behaving biblically in the workplace apply to every single one of us. So again, let me ask you, how many of you have worked or work as an employee somewhere at some point in time? Okay, and how many of you expect to work as an employee sometime in your life? I dare say this would pretty much include almost all of us, correct? Thus, this passage is of extreme importance for every employee who names the name of Jesus Christ. Paul tells each group of people within the church, listen, you guys, this is how you need to live if you are going to attract a diseased, decaying, demoralized, depressed world to the Savior that they so desperately need. This is how we have to live, you guys. I don't know of a better place for unbelievers to have the opportunity to watch your very own redeemed life on a consistent basis than in the workplace. I mean, where else do you spend this much time? Most of us never spend that much time at home unless you're a stay-at-home mom. Now think about this. Here in the workplace, let's say it's 40 hours a week, they get to see you day in and day out and to see whether or not you're patient or impatient, right? Whether you're kind or uncaring, whether you're selfish or selfless, whether you're honest or dishonest, whether you're clean or vulgar, whether you're giving or greedy, whether you're worldly or Christlike, and I can go on and on and on. Folks, the workplaces where unbelievers have the opportunity of seeing how well your life matches up with this. And how well your life matches up to the Lord and Savior who bought you and saved you. I've been a Christian for almost 35 years now. And I've seen a plethora of techniques, methodologies, strategies come and go for winning, preferably large numbers of people to Christ, right? The secret evangelistic weapon. However, when you look to the New Testament, nowhere do we find a strategy for mass evangelism. Have you noticed that? Instead, what we find, what we see here, is how to capture the attention of individuals, like right here in Titus chapter two. The apostle Paul tells Titus what is going to draw people to Jesus Christ. And here he says in no uncertain terms that it will be, listen to me, our personal character. Both inside the home and outside the home. Our character is what is going to attract people to Christ. So let's look here in Titus chapter 2 at this fifth and final category of people within the church to see what kind of character should be true of us as Christian employees. Look at verses 9 and 10. Let's read these again together. This is number 1A in your outline. He says, urge bond slaves. He's talking to Titus, right? Titus, you, the pastor, urge your fellow employees, right? In other words, putting in a modern-day vernacular. Urge bond slaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect. Now, unlike the first four categories of people, this last one has nothing to do with age or gender, but rather with one's place in society. The word that Paul used here, bond slaves, comes from the Greek word, you know what it is? due loss. You've heard that one a lot. It refers to literal slaves, those who were owned by their masters. Now, Paul didn't qualify any conditions that must be met. He simply said, hey, older men, older or younger men, older women, younger women, right? And now he just says slaves. So if you are a slave, then this is how you must live so as to draw attention to the saving power of the gospel. Again, the Roman Empire depended on slaves for the vast majority of its labor, and many were captured as slaves during the wars of conquest that they had. However, by New Testament times, most slaves were being born into that segment of society. At some point in history, slaves were not even considered persons. They were just bought and sold, exchanged. They were given away and seized just like any other piece of property. However, by New Testament times, slavery was actually changing for the better in Rome. Slaves begin gaining some legal rights within the Roman Empire, like the rights to a fair trial. That was a right that was given to them. It's in Roman law. Go look it up. And despite the many cruelties and injustices with the institution of slavery, believe it or not, and again, don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting we go back to something like that, right, or defending it, but believe it or not, there were some positive things. Well, pastor, tell me what you're thinking. Thanks for asking. Slaves were often materially better off than poor freemen. Slaves were assured of food, clothing, and shelter. Some slaves even held very prestigious positions as doctors and lawyers. It was not uncommon for slaves to become apprentices of their masters and to learn to practice their master's trades. That was all very common by this time. It's also important to understand that neither the Old nor the New Testament ever called for the abolition of the practice of slavery. You can search high and low in the 1,189 chapters that are in the Bible. But slavery among the Jews was carefully regulated underneath Mosaic law. And the New Testament offers no judgment as to the basic morality of slavery. Rather, the Bible writers make repeated appeals to Christian love and obedience. That's what we see over and over and over again. Paul, along with the other New Testament writers, recognized that slavery existed, and he dealt primarily with the attitude and the actions of believers within that system, whether slave or master. But even though Christianity never called for the outright abolition of slavery, it nonetheless eventually led to its eradication. It was Christianity that eventually led to the eradication of slavery. Just as one scholar put it, he said this, Christianity sowed the seeds of the destruction of slavery. It would be destroyed, not by social upheaval, but by changed hearts. I mean, you guys have ever heard of William Wilberforce? This guy was constantly preaching against slavery to the English Empire. And finally, at the end of his life, he saw that happen. That same author went on to say this, New Testament teaching does not focus on reforming and restructuring human systems, which are never the root cause of human problems. The issue is always, listen to this, the issue is always the heart of man, which when wicked will corrupt the best of systems, and when righteous will improve the worst. Amen. He goes on, if men's sinful hearts are not changed, they will find ways to oppress others, regardless of whether or not there is actual slavery. Is that true today? You bet it is. On the other hand, Spirit-filled believers will have just and harmonious relationships with each other, no matter what system they live under. Man's basic problems and needs are not political, social, or economic. but spiritual, and all God's people said what? Amen. Does it matter how much money we pump into our public school systems? We're gonna continue to get the same result over and over and over again. I don't care how much more money they want, every couple years it comes back around again, right? Things aren't getting better, and the issue is the heart. The New Testament actually has quite a lot to say about how masters and servants or employers and employees are to behave. Titus 2 deals only with the employees. And why is that? I think because in general, most Christians will come from the lower echelons of society, just as Paul indicated in his letter to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 1 26. You remember this one? He said this for consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many what? wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many, what? Noble. In other words, you guys are gonna come, the vast majority of you, from the lower echelons of society. However, there are two other passages in the epistles that do address both masters and employers, and they both give the same solemn warning to the men who hold those positions, or position, and we'll look at those at the very end this morning. So right now, let's look at our text once again, where we find five characteristics that should be true of every slave, again, I'm gonna say employee, that's out there. Look at verse nine. It says this, urge bond slaves to be, next word, subject to their own masters in what? In everything. We'll stop right there. This is a hard pill to swallow, isn't it? It's one of those big fat horse pills where you're like, I'm not sure I can get that thing down, right? If I choke, it's gonna be horrible. Stop right there. The very first character quality that Paul brings up, so that we can be a beautiful bride, so as to attract others to the Savior, is the fact of that God honoring employees must be subject to their own masters. And that is the Greek word hupotasso. It's a military term which literally means this. This is the word he used to be subject to, to get into rank, to fall in, to get in line or to line up under. That is a literal definition out of the dictionary, Greek New Testament dictionary. Just as we saw last week that a wife is to willingly subject herself, right, submit herself, same word, to her husband, so too must the employee make that same choice and subject himself or herself to her master, his boss. Nowhere does the Bible call Christian employers to demand that submission. Does that make sense? So if you're an employer, nowhere are you called to pull out God's word and to use it as a hammer. The choice is to submit, the choice to submit is to come from the heart of the believing employee. Because he wants to honor his God and king, he's gonna do this. Next, I want you to notice how far an employee is to submit to his or her boss. Verse nine again, urge bond slaves to be subject to their own masters. Last two words, you guys. You guys are sounding a little sleepy this morning. What? In everything. Paul, are you sure? Yep. Friend, Paul gives no conditions here. This command is both absolute and inescapable. Regardless of how difficult or immoral, impatient, greedy, ungodly, atheistic, agnostic an employer might be, the faithful employee must submit himself or herself and everything to his employer as long as he holds that job. Now you know I'm gonna give you a caveat there, right? Obviously, and please hear me loud and clear, this only applies for things that are not unbiblical. Just like a wife is to submit to her husband in all things, that's what the text says. just like children are to submit to their parents, once again, in all things, just like Colossians says, or citizens are to submit to the government in all things, that only applies as long as that boss, that husband, that parent, that government, is not asking them to do things that are unbiblical, illegal, unethical, or immoral. You guys following me? God's laws and commands always, and I mean always, and I have to use this word, trump man's laws and commands. It does. Employees, you need to submit to your employer in everything. Once again, as long as he doesn't ask you to do something that's unbiblical. Now you may not like what he says. A lot of times we don't like what they say. You might not even think, you might even think it's a complete waste of time. It's a complete waste of money. It's a complete waste of your skills and abilities. But guess what? Another hard pill to swallow. That's not your call to make. That's not your call to make. According to Paul's command here, You need to get in rank. You need to fall in. You need to get in line or line up under that authority. You need to carry through with everything your boss says, regardless of whether or not you agree with it, like it, or think it's the wisest course of action. Obviously, and if you have that kind of relationship that would allow you to share your thoughts, your concerns, your opinions with him, then by all means, go and do that in a respectful manner. This text has nothing, it doesn't say anything against that. Does that make sense? And that brings me to another situation that I wanna make mention of. What if your employer asks you to do something unsafe? Or asks you to lift something that is beyond your physical ability? Kind of one of those gray areas, right? In those situations, I would say this. Please try appealing to your boss. Let him know that the ladder you want to use is old and rickety. and then have a solution ready for him if he doesn't have one. Hey chief, would you mind if I go and get the new ladder from inside the shop? This one's really wobbly. Or, hey chief, would you mind if I ask Joe to come over here and hold the ladder for me because this one is really unstable and I don't feel safe getting up on the higher rungs. Whatever it might be. A wise appeal to one's superior usually works wonders. Just be respectful when you do it. Now let's take a closer look at the kind of submission that we are to give our employers. This is number 2C in your outline. In Ephesians 6, listen to me, this is the spirit of submission. So not just are you supposed to submit, but you're to have a good attitude about it. Right? You can like, you know, put your hands on your hips and just walk off all mad and you're like, I didn't say anything. Yeah, but your body language said it all. Right? You parents out there who have kids, right? Teenagers. Ephesians 6 and Colossians 3 both tell us that our submission is to be accompanied with the right kind of attitude. How about this? Ephesians 6 verses 5 and 6. Same topic. Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh. Look what he says here. With fear and trembling in the sincerity of your heart as to who? Christ. Wow. How about the next verse? Not by way of eye service as men pleasers, but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart. Does that deal with attitude, you guys? You bet it does. The kind of submission that God says is honoring to him is the kind that comes from the sincerity of our hearts. One of the very first jobs I ever had, besides a paper at 12 years old, 13 years old, was working at McDonald's at age 16. And the policy back then, I doubt it is today, but the policy back then that they beat into our heads, and I still remember to this day, is if there's time to lean, there's time to clean. Well, sad to say, me and my fellow employees, I wasn't saved. And neither were they. Only thought that that policy applied if the boss were there and looking. And if not, and if there was a lull between customers, we thought it was a perfect time to goof off and play practical jokes on each other ad infinitum. Brothers and sisters, need I say that this is not at all the type of work ethic that the Apostle Paul said should characterize the men and women who claim to name the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If we call ourselves Christians, then we must be obedient to our employers from the heart, and not just according to eye service, right? In other words, not just when they're looking, but all the time. Now flip over to two books, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Colossians three. Give you another couple of verses that hit this topic. Verse 22 says this, slaves, in all things, obey those who are your masters on earth. You guys, this is three times now, right? Ephesians, Colossians, Titus. Slaves, in all things, obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do you work heartily as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom, what? Whom you serve. Wow. These verses are they should be. They're very convicting. For all of us, as Paul reminds us that it is the Lord Christ whom you serve. Folks, I don't know of a better motivation than that one right there. There's not a better motivation. And I don't care if you're self-employed or you're working for somebody. Right. I don't care at all. God sees it as you are working for Christ and Christ himself. And that's how he accepts it, and that's how he takes it. And that should change your attitude about all of it, correct? So let me ask you, is that your heart attitude when you go to work Monday through Friday? Do you have that same attitude that you are actually, do you have that attitude that you are actually serving the Lord Jesus Christ? Now you might be thinking now, oh, pastor, pastor, hold on. You have no idea what my boss is like. He's the most crooked man, the most hardened atheist in our company. Not only that, but he mocks God every chance he gets. He doesn't deserve to be treated that way. And my answer to that is, you're right. I don't know your employer. I don't know your boss. And you're right. He doesn't deserve to be treated like that. None of us do. But notice that the Apostle Paul places no stipulation, no conditions upon this text. He simply says, if you are an employee, i.e. slave, then this is how you need to behave. And remember, by serving your boss, you're really serving who? Christ, so listen, if a person's born again, then listen, if you're born again, your employer, I don't care who it is, should think of you as being the very, very, very best employee that he's ever had, or she's ever had. That you can be trusted blindly. And not just waiting for him or her to look at you, right? Oh, and then I'm cleaning, right? Having that attitude makes all the difference in the world. Not only will it make our burdens easier to bear, but it will be a powerful testimony to all those around us in the workplace. Now listen to 1 Timothy 6, one. If you still have your finger in Titus, that's okay. He says this, so all who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters, look at this, as worthy of, next word, all honor. So that, love those so that's, the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against. Wow, there it is again. Very similar. all the ones that we've looked at. Beloved, when we honor our employer and work hard for him, then we are protecting the gracious name of our God from slander. We're also giving the enemy no opportunity to point a finger at us and mock our beliefs on the basis of our shoddy work and uncooperative attitudes. Even the most hardened employer will appreciate hard work done excellently. He may not like you personally, but he's still got to admit, he's still my best employee. I can't stand his own personal morality, right? I think it's, you know, should have gone the way of the dodo bird, but I cannot deny that he is my best employee. Men and women, do you want to be effective in your evangelism? Do you want people to sit up and take notice of our Savior? then trust God through his word that he knows best on how to accomplish that. You can pass out ultimate questions, that green little booklet, until you're blue in the face. You can talk to all your fellow employees about the Lord until management comes and tells you, orders you to stop. But all of that will be for naught if you aren't working the way that God wants you to work in your job. Furthermore, by not working hard and for the glory of God, you're giving all those around you ammunition to speak against Christianity and the God you claim to know, love, and serve. I've heard that so many times of people saying, I will never, ever hire another Christian. They are the worst employees. That should never be. Just because somebody names or claims to be a Christian, does it really mean that they are one? No, you know the answer to that. Matthew 7, 21 through 23. Folks, do you want to be salt and light to a dark and decaying world? Then submit to your employer and work wholeheartedly for him or her. But there's another side to this issue as well. Perhaps you're not working for a hard-hearted unbeliever. Perhaps you're actually working for a brother or sister in the Lord. Well, what then? Well, 1 Timothy tells us what then. It's in chapter 6, verse 2. Those who have believers, listen to this, as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but must serve them all the more because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved, teach and preach these principles." Timothy. Brothers, if we have the privilege of working for a brother or sister in the Lord, if they're in upper level management above us, then we should honor him and work all the harder for him or her. And again, what does the Bible say? All the more. All the more. Why? Once again, because he's a fellow brother in the Lord. He's a part of our spiritual family, so he is, by nature, beloved. We should be so glad that our labors can benefit a brother that we even work harder to be a blessing for him. When it comes to preferencing unbelievers or believers, what does Galatians tell us? We're to preference believers, correct? That's what the Bible says. Now, before we go back to Titus and look at the next characteristic of a godly employee, I wanna make something crystal clear here. These passages do not mean that you, as a free employee, cannot look for a new job, okay? Now, that's something that the slaves back 2,000 years ago did not have, as far as I know. They didn't have that luxury. But you, as a modern-day slave, I say that with all the kindness I can, right? All of us in one way or another, right? You can look for a new job. As a matter of fact, if for whatever reason you cannot do what Paul is commanding you to do here, then I would highly, highly, highly recommend that you begin looking for a new job where you can joyfully obey this command. But the slaves, again, whom Paul was addressing, didn't have that option. They simply had to live in such a way as to be the brightest light for Christ that they could be in a very, very dark and decaying world all around them. Peter dresses this in his first epistle as well, just so you don't think this is only exclusive to Titus or Paul. Peter says this, 1 Peter 2, 18 through 20, servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. Wow, Peter takes it even a little further. For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if when you sin, and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience. But if when you do what is right and suffer for it, you patiently endure it, guess what? Peter says this finds favor with God. Amen. We've all been, we've all suffered unjustly at times. Perhaps you too feel that you suffer for doing what is right, and if that's the case, then brothers, sisters, these words are for you. Continue to persevere under those circumstances and maintain a righteous life, for you will find favor with God. Who cares about anything else, correct? Now look back at Titus 2. Let's finish up. Where we find the next characteristic, Paul says must be true of employees. He says this in the second part of verse nine, urge bond slaves to be well-pleasing. The very next thing that Paul mentions is that employees need to be well-pleasing to their employers. But the natural question that comes up is, well, it's just as well-pleasing to whom then? Are employees to be, are they to seek to be well-pleasing to God or to their employer? Again, it's a great question. In almost every case that this word is translated in the New Testament, it refers to being acceptable and well-pleasing to God. For example, let me just give you a couple. Romans 12, one and two, therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, here it is, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. We just translate that a little differently. And then verse two, and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. There it is right there. Use this once again in 2 Corinthians 5. Verse nine, therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, that means to be at home in heaven with God or to be absent here in this world, to be what? Pleasing to Him, that should be your ambition, that should be your goal. So what about our text? Once again, does this word apply to God or to your employer? And I honestly think this can be applied to both. Your first and foremost goal, whenever you enter your place of employment, is to be pleasing to God. Before you get out of your car on Monday morning, Tuesday morning, Wednesday morning, Thursday morning, Friday morning, sit in the parking lot, if you're not late, and ask God, God, help me to be well pleasing to you today. Help me to deal with so and so, or this person or that person, to bring you glory. Everything, our worship, our evangelism, our Christian service, and even our work ethic is to reflect the fact that we have died to self and now belong to whom? Jesus Christ. Remember, that's one of the definitions of being a Christian. You've died to yourself. Cary Green is dead. He died a long time ago. Why? Since we belong to him. since we are his ambassadors, then we must reflect his goals and values in this world. Thus, as God's children, knowing and pleasing him must be our overarching goal in all of life. But our very next goal in the workplace should be to be pleasing our employer. And folks, that is going to look a little different with every employer you have. And the point here is that no matter what we're doing, we are to be doing it in such an excellent degree that both the Lord and our employer are well pleased. That's the point. So again, what kind of work would you do if Jesus were your manager? What kind of work would you do? What if he were your supervisor or your employer? He signed your paycheck every week or every two weeks. Well guess what, you don't have to wonder. Because he is. He is. So ask yourself, am I well pleasing to God as an employee? Is my earthly employer well pleased with the work that I do? Would both God and my employer characterize my work as excellent? Would both God and my employer characterize my attitude as willing and respectful? Folks, those are all important questions that you need to ask yourself and then be honest with yourself. And if you're not known for doing excellent work at your place of employment, then you need to repent, and I say that with all the kindness that I possibly can, ask God for forgiveness, and then purpose from this day forward to be the most excellent employee that you possibly can every time you show up for work. And look in verse nine at the third characteristic that should be true of every employee. He says, urge bond slaves not to be, this is kind of hard, another hard pill, argumentative. Folks, this is probably one of the more difficult commands to obey, especially in our day and age when everyone prides themselves on speaking their own what? Their own mind. I'm a woman in these parts that pride themselves on speaking my own mind. What was that movie again? Anne of Green Gables, sorry. Sorry, that was not planned, as you guys know. We'll cut that from the recording. This word that Paul used here for argumentative is sometimes translated as obstinate. It's not a pretty word. No employee who names the name of Christ should ever talk back, mouth off, argue against, talk under their breath about or oppose what his or her boss thinks is best and wants them to do. Now think about that for a second. The very first command that Paul gave for employees had to do with being compliant with their actions, right? That was the very first command. Second had to do with them complying with their attitudes or their hearts, right? So far so good. Actions, attitudes. And now what does he say? And the third command is for employees to be compliant with their mouths. He's kind of going for the whole thing, isn't he? This wasn't easy 2,000 years ago, I can almost guarantee it, and it still isn't easy today. As a matter of fact, it's a common problem among employees. One scholar I read went so far as to say the following, in our day of self-centeredness and self-elevation, being argumentative is almost a way of life for some people, including, unfortunately, some Christians. The prohibition does not refer to standing up for our convictions, for what we believe is right, proper and God-honoring, but rather to standing up merely for our own self-interest and preferences. Wow. So does this mean that an employee can never question management? Is that what Paul's saying? Is that what I'm suggesting? And the answer is certainly not. If there is a proper forum for discussion, then by all means, use it. And if there's a proper dialogue structure built into that company that can be used to share your thoughts, your ideas, your creativity, maybe even your disagreements, then once again, by all means, take advantage of it. But understand that once the final decision has been made and the command has been given, then you need to do everything you can to make your job, your boss, and that decision a success. And never come back and say, well, if you had done it the way I suggested, then we wouldn't be in this mess. Oh, dear bossy poo. Right? and doing all that without arguing or complaining, that will blow your boss away. So going back to Titus 2 once again, we've seen that the believing slave was to be submissive, well-pleasing to his master, and not argumentative. And now the final two characteristics of a Christian slave or employee are found in verse 10. In the first one, he says this, not pilfering. Another way in which a bond slave is to be honoring to God and a good witness at work is by being honest, or as Paul puts it, not pilfering. And the Greek word that the apostle used here literally means to separate, just means to separate. So to take something from over here and to lay it side separate over there. Later, it came to mean embezzlement, taking out of the till, taking supplies from the business to your home with you. It became a euphemism for quiet, stealthy thievery. There were ample opportunities for slaves to steal all kinds of things all the time, from money to food to jewelry or anything else that might've been entrusted into their care. Are our modern times any different? No. Many employees have access to company funds and property that can easily be converted. to personal use. People also steal all the time from their workplace by taking home office supplies without getting permission, using the company phone for personal calls, surfing the internet on company time, or even taking the company car for personal use. An employee can certainly steal from his company by inflating a time sheet. But perhaps, listen to me, perhaps the most common infraction of pilfering from an employer is by not giving an honest day's work for an honest day's pay. If you can't say amen, you gotta say ouch, right? When you as an employee come to an agreement with your employer about an hourly wage, right, then it is your responsibility to give him one full hour of work for one full hour of pay. So this is just a small fraction of ways that people steal from their employer all the time. And those actions are not only unethical from a worldly standpoint, but they're damaging to the boss, they're damaging to the company, but they're devastating to the witness that Christians should have before an unbelieving world. You guys, we should be vastly different than our fellow unbelieving employees, right? I hope you guys are all on the same page here. Beloved, God's child should never steal but instead should be the kind of person that you can trust blindly when the boss isn't around. He's honest, he's dependable, he's a man of unquestionable integrity. He does not take what rightfully belongs to his boss from a paperclip to a corporate jet while justifying in his mind that he has somehow earned it. Right? This man will conduct himself with utter honesty and sterling integrity. After all, it's Christ and Christ alone whom he serves. And he would never, ever in a million billion, trillion years, think of stealing from his Lord and Master and Savior, Jesus, who is the Christ. Amen? That brings us right to the final characteristic of a slave employee. And that is he is faithful. Verse 10 once again, but showing all good faith. The particular Greek word that Paul used here can be translated faith as the new American standard and the ESV have it, but it can also legitimately be translated as faithfulness, probably a better one, trustworthiness, reliable, loyal, you get the idea, right? The NIV puts it like this, but to show that they can be fully trusted. A really modern way of putting that. New King James says like this, but showing all good fidelity. We don't use that word very often. And I think this is most likely the sense in which Paul means it, for that fits the context best. Here Paul is talking about fidelity, about being trustworthy, reliable, loyal. There used to be a time when loyalty was spoken highly of in one's commitment to one's spouse, correct? Let's talk about a loyal spouse, or loyalty in a job, loyalty to one's friend, one's country, even to one's church. However, all of that seems to have been lost in the milieu of our modern day society. We've lost that. As Americans, we've lost that concept by and large. And that's a shame. Most people have no idea what it means to be faithful or loyal in this me-centered culture that we are surrounded by. But look again at what Paul says here in verse 10. It says, but showing all good fidelity. Again, the word that Paul also used here for showing means to give ample evidence of something. In other words, give ample evidence of your loyalty, your fidelity. give lots of evidence for their faithfulness, their trustworthiness. And there shouldn't be the slightest hint that that isn't the case. If somebody's stealing somewhere, something in the company, the employer should never think, oh, yeah, that would be Kerry Green. I can't prove it yet. Right? You should be at the very last one that's ever suspected of anything, because it would never be true of you. Now as Paul wraps up this section, we see that all of these virtues have one goal in mind. Look at verse 10 again, which ties it all together. I love the so that statement. So that, I love the but God one too, right? So that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in what? Every respect. You will bring a great aroma to the name of Christian or Christianity, right, through your own life. The apostle isn't concerned with the outward appearance, he's concerned with the believer's character. Listen to me, you guys. Your reputation, I've heard this quote a long time ago, but I've never forgotten it. Your reputation is what or who people think you are. Your character is who God knows you are. Does that make sense? Big difference. Who cares about your reputation? That goes up and down. But God knows our character. The thing that makes the true church attractive to the weary souls of unbelievers is not its slick strategies, its popular programs, its beautiful buildings, or its pop star preachers. They can get plenty of that from the world's entertainment industry. The thing that really makes a true Church of God attractive to an unbeliever is the Christ-likeness of its members. The Lord wants us to be holy in the midst of a crooked and perverse world. He wants us to be light in a dark, dark world. He desires that we be salt for a decaying, degenerate world. Folks, do you want to be evangelistic in your lives? And I hope the answer is absolutely yes. Do you want people of this world to know that there is a God because they've gotten to know you? Do you want to make a lasting impact for Christ in this world? And if so, if that's your heart's desire, then you need to live in a Titus 2 kind of way. God's church must adorn herself in the way that the Lord has prescribed. We need to be actively doing God's business, God's way, not our way. Men and women, boys and girls, I cannot stress how important it is that we who claim to know Christ live lives that match up with our lips. I've been a pastor for over 25 years now, and I cannot tell you how many times I've heard people talk about all the, I know you know this, hypocrites in the church. Over the last several weeks, we've walked through each one of these 10 verses, and Paul has outlined some very clear-cut commands for every person in the church who claims to know and love the Lord Jesus Christ. And folks, these are not suggestions, they're not optional, they're God's clear-cut commands for each and every one of us to take to heart. And if you're not, Listen to me, if you're not willing to live like Christ lived and to follow His clear-cut commands for your life, then don't bother calling yourself a Christian. I'll put it as gently as I can. Let me say it another way, because maybe that was a little too harsh. If your life hasn't been radically changed, changed at the very core of your being so that you will never be the same, think the same, act the same again, then it's highly likely that you've never truly met the Savior yet. How can I say that? Because God always, always changes those who know Him. He leaves nobody unfinished either. Now, before we close, I've got a couple more minutes. I told you I wanted to deal with just one really quick, just a couple pages on this. Masters and employers, because our text doesn't really deal with it, but it's a great time to deal with it. Very quickly. Let's look at what God, how God talks to masters or employers, because there are some of you out there, right? There are some of you who are in management positions. That's you, all right? And the simple reason why is because I don't see us getting to the books of Ephesians or Colossians anytime soon, because I got way too many plans, right? God can change those plans at any time, but here it is, Ephesians 6, 9. Pretty clear. And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their master and yours is where? In heaven, and there is no partiality with him. Ooh, okay. That's serious. How about Colossians 4.1? Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a master in heaven. Gulp. Here we see a clear cut call to employers to treat their employees with justice and fairness. And this is simply a reflection of our Lord's character. Just as their employees are to work hard and give a fair day's work, so employers are called on by God himself to treat their employees with justice and to give them a fair day's wage and a fair treatment on the job. There's no room in these verses for being an overbearing, self-centered tyrant. And if you're a believer and you have that position over people, they should say, this man, this woman has been the best person I've ever worked for in my entire life. Tell me about your God. Life at the office is to be far more about how much, far more about how much money his employees are making for him or the company. Rather, it's about the boss's responsibility to treat his employees in a God-honoring, God-glorifying way. And then the motivation Paul gives us is the same in both passages. This is both in the Ephesians passage and the Colossians. He says this, knowing that both their master and yours is in heaven. My dear brothers and sisters, that is a powerful motivator. An employer is to mirror Christ to his employees in the way that he speaks to them, treats them, pays them, and shows respect to them. The employee is to mirror Christ in the way that he submits to and works for his employer. That's the bottom line. So, in conclusion, did you catch the picture? Have you guys seen this overarching picture that we've been looking at these last three weeks? The workplace, and even today, the workplace is a platform where you, dear brother, dear sister in Christ, are on display, whether you're an employee or an employer. Your attitudes, your words, your actions, all the things that we talked about today should adorn the doctrines that you say that you know and you love. Too often, Christians who walk through the church doors on Sunday are vastly different people than the ones who shows up for work on Monday mornings. Brothers and sisters, that should never, ever be the case. The workplace is a God-given stage for playing out the story of the gospel, living out the doctrine that we say that we know, love, and obey. And by God's grace, may there be no hypocrites among any of us, amen? Father, I thank you. And as we're looking at all these things, Lord, I'm reminded once again we're talking about direction and not perfection. But as we say that, may we not use that as an excuse to continue to sin and to behave badly. God, be glorified. Adorn the doctrine of Christ, our Lord, our Savior, our Master, our Redeemer, our friend, through our lives, through our testimonies, And I pray, Lord, that we would just be the most adorning part of the gospel that we possibly can be. And Lord, use us in a mighty way and may many people get saved as a result of it. Lord, we love you and thank you for the encouragement from your word this morning. We pray these things in Jesus' name. All God's people said, amen. Let's stand for our last song.