WHY SHOULD WE WORK FOR CHRIST NOW?
Acts 9:1-6
Introduction: I was listening to a preacher one night on the radio. He
made this statement that I say "Amen" in one breathe and "Oh, me!" in the
other. He was preaching about the rapture. His statement was thus: "if we
knew exactly what day and hour when He would return, we would lost one of
the greatest motivation for Christian service." We do not know the day or
the hour when Jesus will come for His saints. One thing I know for
certain, he is going to come.
In our text we see Paul on his way to kill others in what he thought was
in service of God. Upon the way, he met the Lord Jesus. That encounter
left him with the void. He was ready and willing to serve God in whatever
capacity he could. If God had told him that he was to clean the church,
he would have done so with joy in that he knew he was in the middle of
God’s will. There are no little jobs in the Lord’s work. Those who clean
the floors or change the diapers for the cause of Christ are just as much
in God’s work as I am in the pulpit.
I want to encourage us to day as I give you eight reasons why we should
serve the Lord today.
I. WE SHOULD WORK FOR CHRIST TODAY BECAUSE THE FIELD IS LARGE.
Matthew 13:38
"The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom;
but the tares are the children of the wicked one"
Our verse tells us that the field that we have to work is the world. You
and I can not literally be in every place in the world but we can do our
best in the place that God has placed us.
Many times we say to ourselves that we could be in this certain place,
our growth would be bigger. If we would do things differently, our church
would be bigger. We are not satisfied to be where God has placed.
We affect the world with missions giving. We affect the world in which we
live with faithful living. We affect the whole with faithful telling of
the Gospel story. Charles Kimball probably thought himself to be a
failure by just being a Sunday School teacher. This man won a man to
Christ that preached and thousands got saved. His name was Dwight L.
Moody.
Too many people want to build upon someone else’s work. The field that we
have is the world. Recently in a city not far from here there was a
vacancy in the pulpit. I was told that there were one hundred and twenty
men wanting that pulpit. There are plenty of places even in this country
that needs a Bible believing church built. We have a large field.
II. WE SHOULD WORK FOR CHRIST TODAY BECAUSE THE NEED IS GREAT.
John 4:35
"Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold,
I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are
white already to harvest."
What is the need great? There are over 95 million people who are dying
yearly and most of them without Christ or even ever hearing the name of
Christ not even the first time. The need is great because there are fewer
people who want to do the job that is expected of them.
I found this little so what humorous article in a newspaper this week.
Church Members
10%- Can’t find them- Gone
20%- Never Attend
25%- Never Pray
45%- Never Tithe
60%- Never Study their Bible
70%- Never Attend Sunday Night Services
75%- Never assume any responsibility
85%- Never invite anyone else to church
95%- Never lead anyone to Christ
100% Expect to go to Heaven.
Isn’t that a sad commentary? The work is there for everyone who is
willing and wanting to serve the Lord.
III. WE SHOULD WORK FOR CHRIST TODAY BECAUSE THE TIME IS NOW.
Galatians 6:10
"As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men,
especially unto them who are of the household of faith."
You and I do not know how long we will be able to serve the Lord. Cancer
could visit us. Heart disease could debilitate us. Death may be at the
door. We have the opportunity to do something for Christ.
We must serve the Lord today. Jesus may come today. Won’t it be so much
better to be found in His work than at some other activity that has no
eternal value? We live in a time of misplaced priorities. Let me list a
few.
What is more important? Is a soul bound for hell or a scratch on your new
car more important? Is your missing the worship services or missing a
day’s work more important? Is a sermon ten minutes too long or lunch a
half-hour late more important? Is the church not growing or the garden
not growing more important? Is your Bible being unopened or your
newspaper not being read more important? Is your children being late for
school or being late for Sunday school more important? Is the offerings
being down or your income being down more important? Is your church work
being neglected or your housework being neglected more important? Is
missing a good Bible lesson or missing a football game or TV program more
important?
The time is now that we must work for Christ.
IV. WE SHOULD WORK FOR CHRIST TODAY BECAUSE THE CALL IS URGENT.
Matthew 20:6
"And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle,
and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?"
There are many Christians doing nothing but there are not any Christians
with anything to do. We are shamefully idle. There are literally
thousands in our county alone that needs us to do the work now. There is
work for all of us.
Acts 16:9
"And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of
Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help
us."
If there had not been a sense of urgency in my beloved pastor, he would
not gone back to Marlinton for the third time and started the church. It
was in that third time that I got saved.
There are those who are calling to us to come over and help them that
live within rock throwing distance of this church or our homes. Yes, the
call is urgent. People need the Lord. God never left angels to do the
work of Christ. Redeemed man is the one God left to do His work.
V. WE SHOULD WORK FOR CHRIST TODAY BECAUSE THE WORK IS VARIED.
Matthew 13:34
"All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without
a parable spake he not unto them"
One of the greatest parts of the Christian work is that everyone’s job is
to help win souls to Christ. But God uses your personality and talents in
a unique way. Kristi plays the piano and flute helps in the work of God.
Seth loves children in a way that God can use him to win them to Christ.
Preaching is not the gift or calling of every believer. Some men can work
with their hands and could never stand in this pulpit. Personally I bend
many nails when I try to do carpentry work.
Everyone who is won to Christ is taken the Bible road. No one is ever
saved outside this Bible. I was in church when I got saved.
Some men are saved in the jail. Some people get saved at Wal-Mart.
Whatever or wherever they get saved, it is unique and different.
VI. WE SHOULD WORK FOR CHRIST TODAY BECAUSE OUR PARTNER IS MIGHTY. 2nd
Corinthians 6:1
"We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive
not the grace of God in vain."
What more could say about our partner? He is mighty to save. He is mighty
to send. He is mighty to stand at our side. He is mighty to secure. He is
might to separate. He is mighty to satisfy. Without Him, we are helpless
and weak and can no do nothing.
John 15:5
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him,
the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."
With Him, our enemy is defeated. With Him, our lives are useable. With
Him, our words are strong and powerful. With Him, our love is scriptural
and spiritual.
Matthew 28:20
"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
Hebrews 13:5-6
"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such
things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake
thee." "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not
fear what man shall do unto me."
VII. WE SHOULD WORK FOR CHRIST TODAY BECAUSE THE MEANS IS PROVIDED. Luke
19:13
"And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said
unto them, Occupy till I come."
The Lord has left us all that we need to able to the work that He wants
done. He left us with His complete revelation, which we call our Bible.
Nothing more is needed. No visions, no dreams and nothing else are
needed.
He left the Holy Spirit to help us and indwells us. That is part of His
mission.
John 16:13
"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into
all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall
hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come."
He left us with the means to do the work that is ahead of us. No need for
fundraisers, yard sales and chicken plates for sale to make the works go
on. Where God guides, He provides.
VIII. WE SHOULD WORK FOR CHRIST TODAY BECAUSE THE REWARD IS SURE.
Jeremiah 31:16
"Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from
tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall
come again from the land of the enemy."
Even though we are not working for rewards, there will be rewards to
those who do the work of God. If all that we would receive is those words
"Well done, thou good and faithful servant" would be much more than we
deserve. We will be rewarded.
Conclusion: So we have seen seven great reasons why we should work for
the Lord. We need not to wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow never comes. I
want to invite to come with me to promise our Lord that we will do what
we can to do the work of the Lord starting today.
IN CLOSING.......
LETS GET THE GOSPEL OUT TODAY!!!!!!
NOT EVERY ON READS MATT. MARK, LUKE, AND JOHN, WE THAT ARE SAVED ARE THE 5TH GOSPEL. THE ONLY BIBLE SOME PEOPLE WILL EVER READ.
