Part Timers

Today we are going to talk about our job as Christians. I say it is a job because we should see our responsibilities as Christians as more important than anything else including our jobs. It is not that hard to tell someone that you can’t do something because you have to work. What I mean is if someone asked you to come over for lunch tomorrow and you had to work you would automatically say I can’t because I have to work. Most Christians have no problem dedicating at least 40 hours a week to their worldly responsibilities. I know people have to work to make money to pay for the water, electricity, house, cable, internet, the third car, retirement, health insurance, life insurance, building fund, cell phone, land line, another wardrobe, and of course all of our vanity items like, make-up, razors, wax, shower gel, nail polish, jewelry, etc. You know the necessities. Most of these things are just things that we as people of this world think we need to have. I am so sick of hearing people say things like, God wants me to have nice things, He wants me to be comfortable. Where is this in God’s word, and don’t say it says it in my Message bible because that is not a bible. I want to go over the things that make us part time workers for God. The title of this message is Part-timers. I have met thousands of people in my life that called themselves Christians but they must have only been part time Christians. I am going to compare Christianity with employment. If you have a job and you need to support a family and pay for a house and a car and food, then you are probably not going to look for a part-time job. If you are wanting to get into Heaven so you can live in eternity with our Lord then you should be willing to work full time for your King. Let’s look at the difference between part-time and full-time.

Part time

Employment that is less than a full-time organizational commitment on the part of the employee. Part-time employees usually do not receive the same health insurance, retirement, and other benefits full-time employees receive. For qualified retirement plan vesting purposes, part-time refers to an employee with less than 1,000 hours of service during a 12-month period.

Full Time

A permanent full-time job usually has benefits (such as health insurance), while temporary full-time jobs usually do not have benefits. Full-time jobs are often considered careers. They usually pay more than part-time jobs, and always carry more hours per week.

According to this a part-time job offers less money, less commitment, less insurance, no retirement. This requires less than 1,000 hours of service during 12 months. This averages out to about 2 hours 45 minutes a day in 1 year. How many Christians give God this much time in a year? Do we need to be a career Christians or do we need to work for a temp service? I have mentioned many things here that many people will not agree with and that is ok. All I ask is that you show me where God’s word tells us we need these things. Let’s look at retirement. I have known many Christians that truly believe saving for retierement is biblical. They spend their entire life preparing so they can take off the last part of their life. Is this in the bible, NO?!!

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matt 6:25-34 (KJV)

Can it be any clearer? If we are told to take not thought for tomorrow then why do we go to college so we can have a better life tomorrow? I know this is a controversial subject but I think Jesus made it as clear as he could. It is easier to be a part time Christian and be a full time worldling. This is an area that God has convicted me in so much. Since I do not have my salary and my garaunteed 40 hours a week I have to rely on God. He has taken care of me and my family in so many ways, I felt guilty looking for a steady job. God has proven his faithfulness and I must do the same. Notice in the passage it says, SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD. This does not say first you must make sure you have a back up plan just in case. Seek ye first and all of these things shall be added to you. We have enough problems today to worry about tomorrow. I worked for an oil company for 7 years and I had many promotions in that time. I felt like I was accomplishing something every time I got a promotion. I was moving up in the World (system). I felt I was supposed to move to another job and I made excuses about how I can’t just start over. Guess what, God was right and I was wrong again. Imagine that. God has shown me that my false hopes of false securities in this world hinder my relationship with him. We all need money to survive but our worldly jobs should be our part-time jobs. We should have our Christian work on our minds all the time. I have heard many people say they need to focus on their work sometimes and not on God. This sounds good through worldly ears but do you really think God feels this way. He is a jealous God who demands our all. We must work for the Kingdom of God as if our everyday life depended on it. We should be afraid of getting fired from our full time job if we do not do what is expected of us.

1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. 6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. 2 Tim 4:1-8 (KJV)

Does this sound like a man on a part time mission? NO!! This is a man that is willing to work 24/7, yes even weekends. He is willing to give all to God above. Paul was a tent maker, but do you think he spent most of his time making tents? Peter was a fisherman. Did he spend most of his time fishing? Ok let’s look at another area that stops us from being full time Christians.

What about when you go on vacation? Do you ever want to just take a break from being a Christian? There is a common attitude in today’s churches where people need to take a sabbatical from the church. They feel they are doing too much for the church and other people and they need to stop and focus on their family. The truth in this is usually the people are willing to sacrifice their Christianity before they are willing to sacrifice their hobby, tv, and other recreational time. How many people have went on vacation to be with God. Millions of so-called Christians go to Disney World, Gatlinburg, Branson, Sea World, The Georgia Aquarium, and so on and so on. Then there are Christians who go to places to enjoy Gods creation but they leave God at home. You know camping and bike riding and other outdoor activities. We should still be working for God even when we are by ourselves. If you ever feel being a Christian is too hard or if you feel you need to at least take a break from being a Christian then you are lukewarm and you are double minded and you do not know the Lord. That is a mighty powerful statement isn’t it? Is it true? That is what God’s word says. I do not want anybody to think I am telling them to quit their job, I’m not. I am saying that if you spend more time working to make money then you do working on eternity and spreading the Good News then you are a part-time Christian. If you give God 10% of your life you would dedicate 2.4 hours a day to God. I know this is a radical concept in our modern anti-Christian world. It is a good thing the early church did not try to live the American dream. I am so glad that so many of them sold all they had and lived in communities to glorify God and not themselves. They suffered greatly for their faithfulness to their heavenly occupation. I want to be a career Christian working for my retirement. I want to help employ as many people as possible to this job that has the greatest of all benefits. Let’s quit making excuses of why we must dedicate our lives to this world system. We need to quit saying we need to do this and that and sacrifice our Christian beliefs because we HAVE to have that car, house, boat, or any other materialistic possession. Quit killing yourself so your children or you can go to college, or have the newest styles or the latest electronics. This is not a Christian attitude. This is so far from what Jesus would do. Who is your employer? Do you serve God or Money? All people have to do is look at you to tell. I hope you have a plan. I hope you are planning to be a career Christian.