God's Word For The Overworked

God’s Word For

The Overworked

January 12, 2003

"You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the Good News of Peace through Jesus Christ."

Acts 10:37

Are you tired, overworked, run down? Is the pace of your life getting you down?

No, this is not a Geritol commercial. But, if you feel like you are overworked. If you feel like you can’t keep up. God has a Word for you.

His Word is "Peace!" Peter gave this Word to Cornelius’ family in his sermon, "You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the Good News of Peace through Jesus Christ." Acts 10:37

His word is in Luke ???, come unto me all you that travail,…"

His Word is, "Do not call impure something I have already made clean…"

Many of us live hectic, frenetic, driven lives because we are trying to prove our value and quiet our guilty conscience. We work hard trying to earn what the Bible calls righteousness. Righteousness is Bible shorthand to simply say that we know how we’re doing with God.

Overworked is relative…

Illustration…, my friend sitting on a bucket at Parker’s ferry, NC, complaining about being overworked…, too many cars.., had to go over that creek 6 times yesterday…

He felt OVERWORKED

Point: Not the amount, not the purpose.., not the importance, not even if it is part of your spiritual gifts..,

It is WHY you’re doing it..

Not always doing things that zing your heart, your passion, your call.

But must do it "as to the Lord" or "As for Jesus’

Why husbands and wives love and submit.., not because they love each other enough.., but out of reverence for Christ..

Why care for poor and sick…, needy…, "When did we see you sick or in prison or …, when you have done for the least of these you

have done it for me…

Why turn the other cheek? For jesus

Why submit to authority…, esp. one that doesn’t deserve it…? Out of reverence, love for Christ!

The Length to which you will go in your work is no longer than the extent of your love for Jesus.

Jesus told us that in Luke 7:44..,

Love for God is not based on the height of our righteousness…,

but the awareness of forgiveness that you have in your life…

Overworked is not necessarily the amount of work, activity that you are doing…

It is not even completely that you are working within your spiritual gifts and passion…

IT IS WHY you are doing it.

A BIG statement: unless you are doing it, no matter what, out of reverence, love for your savior.., it will deplete you.., suck you dry…

Compensation

And then you will seek compensation..

Yes, compensation is your pay.., but it is how you reward yourself…., and when you are trying to compensate for the spiritual shallowness of your work…, you will always reward the flesh….

Galatians 5:16, ‘live by the Spirit, and you will not reward the desires of the Flesh.’ Paraphrase.

How are you compensating yourself right now?

For some it is an extravagance of some sort, be that a small luxury, an over-indulgence, a hidden activity…,

for some, the really tenacious, it is more work.. they will not be beaten.., at least for a while..

Does your compensation reveal a problem…?

All in the quest to feel better about yourself…, to feel valuable… to feel PEACE…

A Quest for RIGHTEOUSNESS

Rigteousness…

There are two types of righteousness -- God’s righteousness and self-righteousness.

Basically our IDENTITY…

Self-righteousness is earned in the caldron of work, work, and more work. Trying to please yourself… oh, I know, the way you describe it is that you are trying to please others…,

Please your wife, please your boss, please your family, please your friend…, even please your God…

but in reality you know, deep down, that you are only trying to please yourself, that is earn their favor, earn that fleeting compliment.., earn that one quick, "you’re so good…, so loving, so capable…, so ….

God’s righteousness is received

Philippians 3:9, "not having a righteousness of my own that comes through law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith"

God’s Righteousness is received only in the loving arms of conversion.

Torn from Self-righteousness by Conversion…,

because we are all self-righteous, believing that we deserve what we have, and therefore we must be converted, or literally torn from the claws of our hard earned self-righteousness.

Conversion

When you have been told something all your life by someone with authority in your life, it is life changing to hear otherwise.

President John Kennedy…, Youthful president…, learned later of many indiscretions..,