A WILLINGNESS TO DO WHAT’S NEEDED
1. Over the years, I’ve sat in business meetings and elders meetings where the subject of involvement would be discussed. Many times, I’ve heard the same question "What can we do to get people motivated to do more for the Lord?" That is an excellent question. We would agree that the key to involvement is motivation. People need to want to work for Christ. But how do we motivate those who aren’t self-starters? How do we get people involved when it’s their nature to be wallflowers sitting on the sidelines watching others carry the load?
2. Some think that the problem is laziness. You’ll here some folks say, "People are just too lazy to do much church work anymore!" That might be true for some people. Paul called the people of Crete "lazy gluttons" [Titus 1:12]. The book of Proverbs has numerous warnings against the sluggard or "lazy man." There may be some church members who are just too lazy to do much work for the Lord.
3. However, I do not believe this is our primary problem. Those who stand on the sidelines in the church are often actively involved in other kinds of activities. So it’s not that they won’t do anything; it’s that they don’t understand the need to do the main thing. A church sign marquee along a North Carolina highway declared, "The main thing is to see that the main thing is the main thing." I think I know what that means. Prioritize things so that what’s most important gets the attention it deserves.
4. Look at Malachi 1:6-10 (NKJV) "A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the LORD of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ’In what way have we despised Your name?’ 7 "You offer defiled food on My altar. But say, ’In what way have we defiled You?’ By saying, ’The table of the LORD is contemptible.’ 8 And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?" Says the LORD of hosts. 9 "But now entreat God’s favor, That He may be gracious to us. While this is being done by your hands, Will He accept you favorably?" Says the LORD of hosts. 10 "Who is there even among you who would shut the doors, So that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you," Says the LORD of hosts, "Nor will I accept an offering from your hands.
a. Old Testament priests were dishonoring God because they were not giving the best to Him.
(1) They had despised the name of God by offering defiled food on Hs altar.
(2) Blind, lame, and sick animals were offered as sacrifices while they kept the healthy animals for themselves.
(3) Their approach was to give God what no one else wanted.
b. Kindling a fire on God’s altar would be in vain when worship was offered with that kind of attitude.
c. God says simply, "I have no pleasure in you." He refused to accept an offering from the hands of those priests.
5. It’s important for us to bring this scenario up to the present day. We aren’t concerned with offering animals as sacrifices on an altar. But the main thing remains the question of what we owe God.
a. We don’t give animal sacrifices to God.
b. Instead, we give ourselves [Romans 12:1 (NKJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.] This living sacrifice is presenting what we have as an offering of worship to God. What we have includes:
(1) Our money -- must be given from a willing mind [2 Corinthians 8:12]
(2) Our time -- a commodity more precious than money for many people today
(3) Our energy and effort -- it’s ironic that those who seem to have time in abundant supply often come up short in the energy department.
c. Everyone operates under certain restrictions. Just as we don’t have unlimited money, we don’t have unlimited time or talent or strength. We have to set boundaries for ourselves. But it is here that we reach a critical difference which separates those motivated to serve from those who aren’t willing to give of themselves freely for the Lord’s work. What is the attitude ruling our hearts as we reach the limit of what we’re going to do for Christ?
(1) Do we honestly say, "I really wish I could do more" instead of "That’s all I’m going to do; I’ve done my share."?
(a) Do we pray for the Lord to bless us with more money so we can use it in some needed way to advance the cause of Christ? Selfish prayers probably won’t get answered [James 4:3 (NKJV) You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.]
(b) Do we really wish we could spend more time doing God’s work? As you make retirement plans, what thoughts do you have about spending that extra time working for the Lord?
(c) Do we pray for more strength and better health so we can better serve the Lord? Is that the genuine desire of our hearts?
(2) Nehemiah 4:6 describes the people of Nehemiah’s day building the walls of Jerusalem -- "for the people had a mind to work." That’s the spirit needed in the church today.
The church today needs certain things so this spirit will prevail among us.
I. THE CHURCH NEEDS A HEART TO CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER.
A. John 13:34 (NKJV) "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
B. Part of caring for one another is participating in one’s another’s feelings. One of our recent presidents was noted for saying, "I feel your pain." We actually do need to empathize with one another -- feel one another’s pain and one another’s joy. Romans 12:15 (NKJV) Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. If we can create within ourselves a heart that really cares about what is happening in the lives of our brothers and sisters, we will be motivated to do the Lord’s work. The Lord’s work is helping people either physically or spiritually.
C. Illustration of tsunami . . . there may be ways we can help . . . the most important thing we can do for people in Hindu India, Buddhist Thailand, and Moslem Indonesia is take advantage of the questioning going on in the minds of people and teach them about God and His Son Jesus Christ. But first of all, we have to care about hundreds of thousands of families who have lost loved ones.
D. It is easy to have your heart touched with the plight of those who have suffered one of the most terrible disasters in history. But we must also care about people whose needs are not so emotionally heart-wrenching. Drug addicts, alcoholics, and prostitutes may not be lovable people . . . but the need of their souls is just as great . . . and we should care for them just as much.
II. THE CHURCH NEEDS EYES TO SEE THE VALUE OF SERVING CHRIST.
A. Matthew 25:36-40 (NKJV) ’I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ 37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ’Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 ’When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 ’Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 "And the King will answer and say to them, ’Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ Serving others is serving Christ.
B. If we continue reading in Matthew 25, we see the other side of the coin. Failing to serve others is failing to serve Christ [Matthew 25:44-45 (NKJV) "Then they also will answer Him, saying, ’Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 "Then He will answer them, saying, ’Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’]
C. It’s so easy for us to dismiss great mountains of spiritual and physical need with the simple judgment, "It won’t do any good." Let us approach the Lord’s work with the philosophy that we should do what we can, and trust in God to make something good happen from it. A woman used a flask of costly oil to anoint the head of Jesus. Some criticized her action as a waste of something which could have been sold and the money used to support the poor. Jesus rebuked her critics and commended her saying, "She has done what she could." [Mark 14:3-8] Let the same be said of us! Let us plant or water the gospel seed and trust that God will give the increase! [1 Corinthians 3:6].
III. THE CHURCH NEEDS TONGUES TIED TO KEEP US FROM SPEAKING HURTFUL WORDS.
A. It is so easy to destroy the church’s initiative to work by demonstrating a critical spirit.
1. It’s easy to find things wrong. Things that are really wrong (i.e., sinful) need to be opposed and rebuked [2 Timothy 4:2 (NKJV) Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.]
2. However, the great majority of our criticisms don’t really need to be said. They turn us into discouragers instead of encouragers. Our aim needs to be building up the church, not tearing it down. [Colossians 2:6-7 (NKJV) As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.]
a. Rooted
b. Built up in Him
c. Established in the faith
d. Abounding with thanksgiving
B. Be determined to love fault-finders in spite of their fault. [Matthew 5:44 (NKJV) "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,] Don’t allow Satan to get the upper hand on you by using harpers, complainers, mumblers, and fault-finders to keep you from giving the service to God that you really want to offer to Him. Don’t let anyone put a detour in your way . . . keep going down the royal road of service to Christ.
CONCLUSION
1. This sermon is called "A Willingness To Do What’s Needed." That spirit should characterize every member of the church every day. If you’re not quite there yet (in having that willing heart every day), it gives us something to work on and grow toward.
2. A good way to demonstrate that desire to grow is offered by our workshop next weekend.
3. Invitation
