Sunday Sermon Summary - 5th Sunday In Lent

Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)

                                    Diocese of Abuja

                         Cathedral Church of the Advent

5th Sunday In Lent - Sunday 02 April 2017

Today's Sermon

Theme:     "The Christian Work Ethic"

Topic:         The Labourer Deserves His Wages And Occupational Advancement

Key Text:    Luke 10: 7

Summary: 

A good starting point is to attempt a definition of some of the terms in this topic and understand the difference between wage and salary

Wage: "amount paid to an employee every week. It is usually based on the number of hours worked multiplied by the hourly amount agreed. The more hours an employee works, the more amount he gets

Salary: "amount paid to an employee monthly, usually the same amount irrespective of the quantum of work done.

Furthermore, there is a distinction between 'minimum', living, fair and just wage

Minimum wage: - the lowest wage employers can legally pay their workers according to legislation or contract. In Nigeria it is N18, 000.00

Fair wage: - minimum wage rate for specific occupations, working for governments with fair wage policies e.g. construction workers, trades, cleaning, security workers, e.t.c.

Living wage: - wage needed to provide the minimum to pay for basic needs on the cost of living in a particular Country; it varies from Country to Country

Just wage: - Fair and equitable compensation for work done. However this raises a question - Who determines what is 'just'?

A full time housewife can ask for a just wage - the just wage could be insufficient to lead a decent life

Occupational Advancement - refers to promotion in a person's job or profession i.e. career advancement.

Sometimes this is affected by favouritism and discrimination.

Some Countries had experienced differences between blacks and whites and between women and men.

In some instances geographical mobility had created an obstacle to the advancement of women in their choice profession or career.

Our key text says that the worker deserves his wages, yet we find that many rich people withhold their employee's wages (Mal. 3: 5)

In James 3: 15, many injustices committed  by the rich against the poor are pointed out including not paying their workers the wages that are due to them. As a result, they will face God's Judgment. This is a lesson for Christians to ensure that their workers are duly paid.

There are also instances in the Bible where people have performed well and been given more responsibilities e.g. Jeroboam (1 Kings 11: 28) and the two diligent servants in the Parable of the Talents (Matt. 25: 21 - 23)

Both are examples of occupational advancement which Christians should emulate