The below includes suggested answers to the Message Based Discussion Questions for the message presented on Jun. 15, 2014. The suggested answers are personal and designed to stimulate thinking, not prevent it. Use in order to foster a better discussion in your group.

Genesis 2:15

How should you work on your job?

1) Honor Your Supervisor like you would honor Jesus 6:1-2

• a bondservant was a _slave___ without ___rights____
• Ex. 21:2, 26-27
• A master was a __despot_ with __absolute authority___       
• Acts 26:11; Rom. 2:24; 1 Tim. 1:13; Jam. 2:7; 1 Pet. 4:14; 2 Pet. 2:2; Tit. 2:5Eph. 6:5-9; 1 Pet. 2:18-21   
• The master should be _blessed____ 1 Pet. 3:8-10

2) Honor Jesus by withdrawing from contentiousness 6:3-5

• Phil. 2:14

Jesus is my Boss! Work with excellence and without grumbling!

• Believers should do their work as if Christ was the boss. Spiritual equality does not set aside authority. God loves the believer in management as much as the labor. There is a tendency to take advantage of Christian management. Working for a believer should intensify production. No believer has the right to be late or have privileges not given to others. As a Christian, I should be the best employee. Brotherhood demands better service, not less.
• No matter how menial the job, it should be done with maximum efficiency. We have a tendency of comparison. Why can’t I have what they have? Remember those with more (Christians) have greater responsibility and accountability.       Always rejoice with what you have, because if we are not content with what we have, we will not be content with more.
• God sees every situation Heb. 4:13 Do your best.

Message Based Discussion Questions

1) What was your first work assignment like?

• When I was 7, I washed my dad’s car for .02/minute
• When I was 13, I cut grass, raked and shoveled snow
• When I was 14, I took in a dock, pulled weeds, cleaned gutters
• When I was 16, I was a carryout, stock, and cashier
• When I was 22, I was an infantryman…
• I learned at each stage and recognized the rewards would reflect how and how much I worked. I learned there was a reward that may not have seemed “fun,” but the rewards were greater than what I desired in fun.

Digging Deeper:

2) Do people think work is good or bad? _most think it is bad_ Is work good or bad? _good_ How would you help a young person understand that work is good? What passages of Scripture would you dig up to help them see God’s way?

• Guide them through Gen. 31:42; Ex. 20:9; Pro. 10:16; 12:24; 13:11; 14:23; 2 Thes. 3:8-10; Col. 1:29
• Guide them through Genesis 2:15; 3:17-19; 4:3-4

3) Is slavery permissible in Scripture? _yes__ What do the following passages teach about the master/slave relationship (Lev. 25:39-46; Deut. 24:18-22; Rom. 6:16-22)?Deut. 24:18-22 Israel was to remember they were slaves in Egypt and to treat others with respect by leaving food for them.

• Rom. 6:16-22 We are all slaves to sin or to righteousness. We choose to whom we will be a slave. The slave of righteousness is a good thing.
• Lev. 25:39-46 The master was not to be a despot, but treat like a brother with wages. The slave shall leave after six years of work with his children. The master shall not rule with rigor. Children could be purchased from strangers in the land, but you still had to treat them with respect.

4) In 1 Peter 2:18-25, did Peter communicate that his audience should rebel against masters if they were slaves? _no__ What did he communicate? What do we learn from Christ’s example?

• If they suffered for their own wrongdoing, then they deserved it and they were to take it patiently. Jesus was submissive to the unjustness of man, for our sakes. How much more should we be submissive for the sake of blessing others?
• If they suffered even though they not doing wrong, but were doing what was right, then they were to accept it was commendable before GOD.
• He communicated that slaves were to be submissive to their masters, whether good or not.

Making Application to life:

5) How should this passage influence our attitude and actions in the work environment today?

• I can do many things that make light of God, which is called blasphemy!
• I am to withdraw from grumblers and those who take away from the Lordship of Jesus in my life.
• I am to bless my supervisor, not look down or speak against him/her.
• We should honor supervisors all the more. Any rights we have are gravy!

6) What does God want for us as believers in a lost world to reflect through our work?

• That we will be efficient, on time, good stewards and always thinking of ways to bless the supervisor and company.That if we suffer from others for doing good, that we are doing it because we believe God will richly reward the labor, whether anything is seen on earth.
• That our work will be so good it is noticed by others, because that is the way God is with us.
• That we will be the best workers, because we know our boss is Jesus, not the person who gives us a paycheck.

7) If a young person has not been taught how to work at home and hasn’t been assigned chores to teach ownership in the family, how would you disciple him/her to God’s way?

• Come alongside of him and show him how to work, do it with him and then have him show me how to do the work (as well as teach someone else where possible)Affirm the work along the way, so as to encourage him to excel.
• Give him opportunities to do the work on his own, without supervision. Inspect the work to make sure it was done according to the standard.
• The example is what we did with the youth down at Springhill Camp.
• Teach the principles of work, rather than assume he knows.