Trails Church Base Camp

What is the significance of the family?

Three common views from the World around us about parenthood:

1) idol

2) tool

3) obstacle

God’s view of parenthood.

Scripture teaches that a primary purpose of the family is nothing less than presenting the whole world with a series of three images—God’s triune nature (who He is), the gospel, and the church. See, In the family, God has embedded pictures of himself, and of his plan of salvation (the gospel), and of his redeemed people (the church”).

Bruce Ware writes,

It is as if God said, “I created the first and original pair of human beings in my very image, and I could continue creating them unilaterally so that you would have no part to play. But instead, you are now to bring about human beings; you are to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth with my greatest of all creations, humans made in my very image” (Father, Son, & Holy Spirit, p. 58).

how sin enters the scene in our view of parenthood and family.

Tim Keller: “we are more sinful and flawed than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”

Welcome to BaseCamp, a resource ministry created by the pastors of The Trails Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to assist us in discipling and equipping our church members to live out their faith in the cracks of everyday life. For the last couple of weeks, we have been asking what resources might be beneficial for our church and the two biggest ones that came up were Parenthood and the Fear of Man. So, what we decided to do, is to give a few episodes a week to parenthood and the Fear of Man. So, that way, if you aren’t a parent but are part of our church, then you can learn what it means to be a good parent and to come alongside of, and encourage, our parents in equipping and pastoring the kids of the Trails. And we need you to do so. My kids think that some of the single men and women of our church are the coolest people ever - and they need you to speak into their lives, to help them come to love and know and trust in Jesus. So, listening to these discussions on parenting are also helpful for our single friends and church members. And then, for all of us, the Fear of man is something that we constantly walk through; in parenthood, in our jobs, on social media, and, really, everywhere. We don’t want to be misunderstood, and we, sadly, often fear man more than God. So, my prayer is that both of these studies will be beneficial to us, as we continue to grow in our love and understanding of what it means to live out our faith in everyday contexts.

1. We have a Freedom to Trust

Worry at work.

Important truths from Scripture when we face worry:

1) God is in control. Of everything. Of allowing whether fear comes true.

2) Second, God’s promised to use everything for our good and his glory.

3) God loves you.

4) Jesus is your ultimate boss.

2. Second, we have a Freedom to rest

Rest is a good thing that God has built into our lives

Proverbs 23:4 tells us: “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.”

3. and, thirdly, we have Freedom to serve

Be a servant at work.

4. Freedom to excel

Mediocrity?

The gospel frees us to pursue excellence.

Proverbs 22:29 tells us: “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men.” (Prov. 22:29).

In Christ, you are free to pursue excellence.

Conclusion

Finally, to conclude, let’s talk about joy.

“I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked” (Ps. 84:10).

True joy in your work will flow from your joy in Jesus. Grow in knowledge of and love for the gospel, and you will grow in joy. And that joy will shine through whatever callings the Lord gives you.

Jesus’ Work Changes Everything.

We Work for a New Master

- Where we once were slaves to sin, we are now slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:18).

- Colossians 3: “whatever you do…it is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

We Have a New Assignment, given to us by Jesus - to view work entirely different.

- 1 Corinthians 10:31 that, “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Job #1 - show off how amazing he is; ultimately you are in your job so that you can glorify God. This is your new assignment; this is all of our new assignment when we become Christians.

AW Tozer’s The Knowledge of the Holy

- Psalm 50:12, “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.”

God doesn’t need us

- God’s ultimate aim is not our productivity, but our worship

So we have a new boss, Jesus.

And a new assignment: to worship him in our work.

But also, We Have New Hearts.

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezek. 36:26).

The New Rewards of Work.

What are you working for? Money, power, fame, and comfort? A school building named after you? A house at the beach? Helping lots of people? Using your talents? The rewards Jesus provides are far greater than anything the world offers. And they last forever!

Distortions and “Callings”

What are some examples of how being a Christian has changed what you do at your job? and, an even better question of exploring our hearts could be: Has being a Christian changed what we do at our jobs?

Distortions

1. Catholic Distortion

2. Protestant Distortion

Our Callings as Christians

Two callings:

1. Primary Calling

We are called by Christ, 2 Thessalonians 2:14, “He called you to this salvation through our gospel, so that you may possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We are called to Christ, Romans 1:6: “And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.”

We are called for Christ, Ephesians 2: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

So what is God calling for you? Primarily, he’s calling you to himself.

2. Secondary Callings

Ephesians 2:10 | do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

The key truth we need to understand here is that all of our secondary callings exist to support our primary calling. “Whatever you do,” Paul says (Colossians 3:22-24), “work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men . . . . It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Twin perils of the workplace (part 2).

Since Genesis 3, the problem of work in a fallen world is that it’s so easy for us to fail to accomplish God’s plans for our work. As we talked about in the last episode, we can make an idol or our work: we can worship it. But the other option is that we can become idle at work: lazy or inactive in our work.

Colossians 3:22 – 24:

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

1. Your work is merely a means to an end, a place to serve your own needs.

2. Your work totally frustrates you.

3. Your work becomes divorced from your Christian discipleship.

WHAT’S THE FIX FOR IDLENESS IN WORK?

Here’s the bottom line: our jobs matter to God. He created us to work, and even though frustration at work is an unescapable fruit of sin, God still uses our jobs to bring himself glory and to do good in and through our lives.

So what’s the solution to idleness? Repent. Turn from wrong ways of thinking, recognize idleness in work as sin, and recommit yourself to God’s purposes for your job.

Conclusion

Which of these mindsets do you lean towards more often? Work as an idol? Or an idle worker?

Twin perils of the Workplace (Part 1).

What are some of the problems of doing work in a fallen world?

This episode focuses on the first of these: How work can become an IDOL.

An idol is something that you desire more than you desire Jesus.

DO YOU MAKE AN IDOL OF YOUR WORK? Do you desire what you gain from work (the money, status, identity, pleasure, or purpose) more than you desire Jesus?

Warning signs:

Conclusion: So, as we are wrapping up this episode, I wanted to leave you with these questions:

In this episode, we cover Acts 3 and 4 of our 4-Part Story of Work.

In this episode, we cover Act 1 and 2 of our 4-Part Discussion on the Story of Work

Welcome to Base Camp, a resource for the men and women of The Trails Church to help equip us to live out our faith, right here in Winnipeg, in everyday contexts. Base Camp is part of the training and equipping ministry of The Trails and includes in-person classes and training seminars, as well as this online presence so that the men and women of the Trails can study deeply practical and deeply theological material that we don’t have time to cover in other formats.

In this podcast, we will have bonus material on the various sermon series that we are walking through as a church, answer common questions, share stories and testimonies of God’s grace, have a few book reviews and other materials, in order to provide a way for our church to learn at our own pace in podcast form.

Our hope is that this space will be mutually beneficial; that we we will grow in our understanding of who God is and how we have been called to join Him in the mission that He has given us to make disciples who make disciples who make disciples as we teach all of the things that Jesus has commanded us.

For more information, please visit trailschurch.ca.