Work is a topic that’s seldom tackled in our local church sermons, and yet it is an integral part of many of our lives. For a large percentage of the population, the workplace is where we spent most of our waking hours. For years, Every Nation Malaysia has placed an emphasis on discipleship, particularly among the young, and this month they embarked on a series of weekly sermons that took a deep look at work from a Christian perspective.
The series explores what it means to see work through God’s original design and to rediscover His intention for labor, productivity, and purpose. Across the last four Sundays, the series unpacked what it means to be fruitful, multiply, influence, and steward well — themes rooted in Genesis 1:28, God’s creation mandate.
The sermon series, under the banner “Work Redeemed,” was inaugurated with a powerful message on fruitfulness by Pr Po Seng, who opened by defining the Christian spirit of excellence as an act of worship to God. “The Christian spirit of excellence,” he said, “is not to please men, but to glorify God.”
The Dignity of Work
Pr Po Seng began by reminding the congregation that work was God’s idea from the very start. In Genesis 2:2, the Bible records the first mention of work. In that verse a reference was made to God Himself. “On the seventh day, God finished His work, and He rested.”
“Because God worked,” Pr Po Seng explained, “work is dignified. It is honorable.” Work was never meant to be demeaning or a result of the Fall. It carries divine worth because it reflects the nature of a Creator who Himself labored and delighted in what He made.
Whether you are a banker, a homemaker, a retiree, or a student, work is not just a means to survival but an avenue for worship. “Work has dignity,” he emphasized. “When we work, we reflect the image of a working God.”
Work That Fulfills
Quoting Genesis 1:31, Pr Po Seng noted how God “saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” God took satisfaction in His creation. This speaks of a sense of fulfillment, not fatigue.
But why, Pr Po Seng asked, did a perfect God not call His work perfect? “If everything were perfect,” he suggested, “there would be nothing left for man to do.”
In leaving creation “very good,” God invited humanity into partnership. Adam – and through him, we – were given the important and privileged roles to cultivate, improve, and steward what God had made. “God intends for us to join Him in making creation better,” Pr Po Seng said. “That’s where stewardship comes in. We partner with Him in work that brings improvement, not merely completion.”
Work is therefore not just productive. It’s participatory. It draws us into God’s ongoing creative process, where every task, big or small, contributes to flourishing.
Work That Is Restful
Few people today associate work with rest. Yet Genesis 2:15 paints a different picture: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”
In Hebrew, the word “put” means to cause to rest. Reframing the verse, Pr Po Seng explained: “The Lord God took man and caused him to rest in the garden; to work it and keep it.”
Meaningful work, then, brings rest to the soul. Rest does not mean idleness; it is a posture of peace and purpose. “God designed work to be restful. Work is not meant to be burdensome,” he said. “But because we abuse our work, it becomes stressful. We separate our work from His presence.”
When seen through God’s lens, work, worship, and rest are not three separate compartments but one integrated life. “God didn’t separate work from marriage or family,” Pr Po Seng said. “It’s all part of the abundant life He gives. Fruitfulness comes from dwelling in His presence.”
From the Garden to the Grind
God’s original design for work was wholesome. Yet sin changed everything. When humanity disobeyed, we lost our connection with God’s presence in the garden and with it, the source of fruitfulness. Work was not cursed, but the ground was (Genesis 3:17). As a result, labor became toil.
“The whole of creation now opposes human labor,” said Pr Po Seng. “We work hard to get results. Because of that, man has turned to performance and rewards as a source of fulfillment.”
He described this as the rise of the hustle culture – a mindset driven by self-effort, control, and the endless pursuit of success. “Performance and reward are powerful motivators,” he said, “but they can consume us. You are only as good as your last achievement.”
Drawing from his years in corporate life, Pr Po Seng recalled the intense pressure of climbing the ladder. “We were doing well, but I was so stressed,” he said. “Every success demanded another. It was never enough.”
It was in that relentless cycle that he encountered Jesus. “On September 16, 1991, I knelt down and received Christ,” he shared. “Because it was crazy. I was doing great but I was empty.”
The Trap of Independence
The danger of the hustle culture, Pr Po Seng explained, is not in hard work or excellence – both of which are good – but in the independence it fosters. “God has never meant for us to be independent,” he said. “He wants us to be dependent on Him.”
When success becomes our source, it displaces God. “Eventually,” he warned, “the goals, KPIs, and achievements become your idol. You lose your relationship with Him.”
God’s Better Way: Fruitfulness
Turning to Genesis 1:28, Pr Po Seng read aloud the divine mandate:
“And God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.’”
This, he said, is God’s blueprint for work and flourishing – a fourfold calling to be fruitful (produce), multiply (reproduce), fill (influence), and subdue (steward). “This is how we were meant to work,” he said. “Fruitfulness comes when we dwell with Him.”
Unlike hustle culture, which depends on self-effort, fruitfulness is partnership. Our work becomes fruitful when we are working with God, not apart from Him. “When we are fruitful,” Pr Po Seng explained, “we flourish in our work and our lives, not through striving, but through abiding.” By abiding in God, the Holy Spirit works within us, moulding and shaping the way we approach our work. Our excellence in the workplace results from the fruits of the Spirit that will show in our lives.
Abide and Bear Fruit
Quoting John 15:4–5, Pr Po Seng concluded with Jesus’ words:
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me.”
“Jesus says, ‘I am the vine, you are the branches.’ Apart from Me, you can do nothing,” Pr Po Seng emphasized. The imagery of the vine and branches reminds believers that fruitfulness comes not from performance, but proximity.
“The Old Testament Israel was meant to be God’s vine,” he noted, “but they failed because of disobedience. Jesus now says, ‘I am the true vine.’ When we abide in Him, His life flows through us. The fruit is the result, not the goal.”
The key word here, abide, also means “to dwell.” Fruitfulness is born from intimacy – the same intimacy Adam once had in Eden. “Abiding is mutual,” Pr Po Seng said. “Jesus abides in us as we abide in Him. That’s where true rest, joy, and fruitfulness are found.”
From Striving to Abiding
Pr Po Seng’s message ended on a quiet but challenging note: to shift from striving to abiding. “God’s way is better,” he said. “He calls us not to hustle, but to be fruitful. Not to burn out, but to abide. Not to chase success, but to dwell in His presence and let fruit naturally grow.”
In a world that glorifies speed, performance, and control, the call to fruitfulness is deeply countercultural. It reminds believers that work, when redeemed by Christ, is not a race for recognition but a rhythm of grace; dignified, fulfilling, and restful.
Key Takeaways:
– Work is dignified because God Himself worked.
– Work is fulfilling when done in partnership with Him.
– Work is restful when rooted in His presence.
– Fruitfulness, not hustle, is God’s way.
– True success comes from abiding, not striving.
This is an independent initiative, written through the impartation the writer has received from the sermon. It is not connected directly with Every Nation Malaysia or with Pr Po Seng. The sermon series can be followed on Every Nation Malaysia’s sermon page or their YouTube channel.
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