Four Essentials for the Lord’s Work

Introduction.  What is necessary for us to succeed in the Lord's work?  Many things might come to mind but I would like for us to focus this morning on four things that are essential, that is you can’t get by without them.

First let’s ask, What is involved in the Lord’s Work? 

•         Teaching the gospel to others.

•         Faithful service in the local church.

•         Serving those who are in need.

•         Raising godly families.

•         Living as a Christian.

I.  “Out of the Abundance of the Heart...” (Matt. 12:33-35).

A.    What we think determines what we do. 

1.      What we think determines who we are (Prov. 23:7).

B.     This is true of misdeeds but it is also true of acts of righteousness.

1.      Why do people do what is right?  Why do they offer service to God?

2.      Because they have attained something within them which convinces them that they MUST act—they MUST serve. 

C.     The first thing that is essential in our service to God is...

A POWERFUL & GENUINE FAITH

D.    In the New Testament the initial motivation to service was a belief that Jesus was the risen Savior.

1.      Peter (Acts 4:7-12). Why did this fisherman become such a strong worker in the kingdom?  Because of who he believed in who Jesus was!

2.      Paul (Acts 26:1-5, 9-14, 19-23).  What moved this former persecuter of the church to courageously defend it? Because of what he believed.

E.     If we are to be profitable workers for the Lord we must have a genuine and powerful faith that is truly our own.

1.      Sometimes we see the problem of “second generation” Christians.  They have believing parents but they grow to have apathetic children.

2.      This was a problem seen in Scripture (Aaron:  Nadab and Abihu; David: Absalom).

3.      Does it have to be that way?  No!  (2 Tim. 1:3-5; 3:14,15).

F.      If we are not working for the Lord as we should, from time to time we need to go back and reevaluate our faith.  We need to ask ourself...

1.      Why do I believe there is a God?

2.      Why do I believe in Jesus?

3.      Do I really believe the Bible is God's word?

4.      Do I really believe there is a heaven and a hell?

G.    If you don’t do this from time to time what may happen is that without knowing it you will find yourself just going through the motions (with no true faith).

1.      Then when a trial comes, or a temptation, or simply weariness you find you don’t believe any more!

H.    Faith must be demonstrated.  We show our faith in many ways:

1.      At times of worship—By our attendance, by worship, by attention to God’s word, by encouraging our brethren, and by showing them our concern.

2.      During the week—By our treatment of our families, treatment of neighbors, the kind of workers we are, by our willingness to teach and serve others.

1.      All of these things come from a strong and genuine faith.

II.  “Our Fellowship is with the Father...”  (1 John 1:1-3, 7-9).

A.    John says here that Christians have fellowship with God and God’s people (vs. 3), but also that...

1.      Such fellowship must be maintained (vs. 7). 

B.     Fellowship is defined as “joint participation.”  We sometimes forget our role in this participation. 

1.      How do we participate with God?

•    Service.

•     Study.

•     Prayer.

C.     A second essential to our service to God is...

CONSTANT PRAYER

D.    I have some difficulty being constant in prayer. 

1.      Not because of a lack of faith, but largely because of having a difficulty knowing what to say.

E.     We sometimes tend to isolate prayer to God into one of two categories:

1.      “Please give me...” Prayers. Or...

2.      “Thank you for...” Prayers. 

F.      These types of prayers are scriptural (Phil. 4:6-7). 

1.      Yet there is another way of going to God as well, that involves simply talking to God (1 Pet. 5:6-7). 

G.    We cannot expect to be profitable, fruitful workers for the Lord if we do not view God as a constant, concerned participant in our lives.

H.    Biblical Examples.

1.      Elijah (James 5:16-17). Elijah accomplished what he did through prayer.  We must also work in prayer.

2.      Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego (Dan. 3:13-18). Nothing is said about prayer, but look at their attitude—God knows best!

I.       That is how we must be!  We must be confident that God can bring about His will without trying to tell Him what His will ought to be. 

1.      We must not expect miracles, or claim that every answer to our prayers He offers is a miracle. 

2.      Rather, we must maintain our communion with Him so that we can accept life as the Lord sees fit to offer it to us.

3.      We also must do this so that we can grow to desire the things that concern His kingdom rather than our wishes.

J.       We need to offer prayer for the lost (Luke 10:2). 

1.      Not prayer for their salvation in rebellion, but for their repentance.

2.      We offer prayer for our fellow laborers, that they stay strong and endure.

III.  “The Love of Christ Constrains Us...” (2 Cor. 5:13-15).

A.    Paul demonstrates some self-consciousness here about how he is coming across.

1.      He says he might seem beside himself. 

2.      Have you ever been beside yourself?  This condition usually it comes from an intense interest in something and a devotion to it.

3.      Example:  As a child I was very obsessive.  Different interests:  Astronaut, insects, Daniel Boone, Star Trek.  Why was I so beside myself about these things?  Because I had a sincere love for these things.

B.     The third thing which is essential in our work for the Lord is...

SINCERE LOVE

1.      Biblical teaching on sincere or fervent Love (1 Pet. 1:22; 1 John 3:23; 4:21-21; 5:2).

C.     The Balance Between Love and Duty (Gal. 2:20).

1.      Did Christ love us?  Of course! 

2.      Did He want to suffer on the cross?  No! 

3.      We mustn’t think that love isn’t love when it is performed out of a sense of duty.

4.      At the same time, we must make sure that the motivation for performing our duty is always love!

5.      Example:  Men have a hard time with this.  We fall all over our wives to win them, but then in service to them we may work hard for them (to provide for their needs) yet fail to reaffirm that it is love that motivates our actions. 

D.    Serving the Lord with Love. 

1.      In service to the Lord we should be constant in our duty to Him.  But we must constantly reaffirm to ourselves, and to those we serve and to the Lord that...

•         “I am doing this because I love God”

•         “I am doing this because I love you as a child of God”.

E.     Henry Russel Lowell wrote a story about the fabled knight of Camelot, Lancelot.  In the myth, Lancelot was searching for the cup used in the Lord’s establishment of the Lord's Supper. 

1. Before he went on the search he had given to the poor (in haughtiness) but afterwards (supposedly) with true love.  He wrote...

In whatsoever we share with another’s need,

Not what we give, but what we share,

For the gift without the giver is bare.

Who gives himself with his alms feeds three,

Himself, his hungering neighbor and me.

From The Vision of Sir Launfaul

2.      Our love—our service must not come because we have found a “holy grail” to move us to sincere love. The love of God should compel us to sincere love.

IV.  “...If We Do Not Lose Heart” (Gal. 6:7-9).

A.    The admonition is do not lose heart! 

1.      God does great things through those who are consistent and faithful, constant in prayer, and who demonstrate a sincere love,...

2.      But when workers “lose heart” the Lord’s work grinds to a halt!

 

B.     The final essential which is required for the Lord’s work is...

PERSISTENCE

1.      Illustration:  Legend claims that the Scottish king Robert Bruce had fought the English six times and was defeated six times.  While in hiding he watched a spider try six times to swing itself from one rafter to another.  Six times it tried and failed.  The seventh time the spider succeeded.  Bruce took inspiration from this and fought the English again and was victorious.

C.     The child of God doesn’t always succeed! This is true whether you are talking about...

1.      Winning a prospective convert.

2.      Persuading someone to believe some element of the truth.

3.      Overcoming sin.

4.      Maintaining our commitment.

D.    What we are called to do is keep fighting. 

1.      If we keep fighting we are going to win!  

2.      Not in the sense of winning every prospect or overcoming all sin, but to die as a fighting, working servant of Christ is victory because to die in Christ is eternal victory!

E.     Paul's Advice (1 Cor. 15:58). “Always abounding in the work of the Lord.”

1.      We must continue to “press on” (Phil. 3:12-14).

Conclusion.  Let us all devote ourselves to the Lord’s work by applying these essential qualities to all that we do in service to Him.