WORK HARD OR HARDLY WORK?
HEBREWS 13:20-21
LABOR DAY SUNDAY
SEPTEMBER 5, 2004
OSCEOLA, AR CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE
INTRO. Labor Day is tomorrow and one of the first things I think about when
I think of work is Fibber McGee, the old-time radio show. He would always
say, that he was too heavy for light work and too light for heavy work! We went
to church in Cincinnati with a guy like that. Dan was an older guy - he retired
while we lived there - and he worked a job fine, but he was no hand for any
kind of work around the house or church. I remember one time moving some
piece of furniture of his that was heavy and him just standing there,
encouraging me to be careful or saying something about the weather, just being
totally useless! You know, sometimes I think we get that idea of God, that he’s
glad to be with us and so on, but that he really doesn’t do anything. We see that
with false gods all the time - in the Old Testament, when Elijah was
confronting all the false prophets on Mount Carmel and their gods could not
deliver, he sarcastically told the false prophets, “Shout louder! Surely he is a
god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping
and must be awakened” (1 Kings 18:27). Is the true and living God like that?
How does God work?
I. GOD WORKS FOR US (20). It only makes sense to start here, because if
God is not at work for us, where would that leave us? How could we get
through life if God was not at work on our behalf? It seems too often, though,
that we have this sense of “I can do it myself” and, if God is involved, it is in
the role of advisor, or moral support, not in doing anything important. We see
and hear this all the time. “I will get through this.” “I will quit smoking.” “I will
lose weight.” On and on it goes! It is as if God does nothing of any value for us!
My attitude should be that of, where would I be without God, and not, where
would God be without me. God can get along without us just fine, but I don’t
think the opposite is true. Martin Luther, the spark plug of the Protestant
Reformation, understood this very well. When he was called before the church
leaders of his day to explain his beliefs and then told he would change his mind
or be in serious trouble, he refused to give in, he did the right thing and stood
by God and his Word. He wrote about that meeting, “God did it all. Phillip (the
friend who was with him) and I just sat around and drank beer.” Now, this is
not an endorsement of alcohol. It is an endorsement of trusting God! How does
he work for us?
A. He works for us in CREATION (20, through “eternal covenant”). We
have to start with creation, because nothing else would have happened if that
had not taken place. The Bible says, “God saw all that he had made, and it was
very good” (Genesis 1:31). God took great pride in his creation, and with good
reason. It was simply the best that he could do for us, and he did a great job! He
has placed so many resources at our disposal to live on this earth, and live a
good, satisfying life. Where would we be if we didn’t have enough water on
this earth, enough good air to breath, rich soil to grow crops, and on and on?
Scientists can tell you just how much life on earth depends on how far we are
from the sun, the angle at which the earth tilts, how fast it goes around, and so
many different factors. Who put all that together? God himself, and we should
be thankful he works for us in creation.
B. He works for us in CRUCIFIXION (20, “brought back” to end). We
had no chance of dealing with the results of sin in this world. Sin and its effects
had overwhelmed and defeated us. God’s response was to work for us through
Jesus Christ, his Son! The thing about crucifixion is that there was hardly any
more disgraceful way to be executed in Jesus’ day.
At one point early in Julius Caesar’s political career, feelings ran
so high against him that he thought it best to leave Rome. He sailed
for the Aegean island of Rhodes, but en route the ship was attacked
by pirates and Caesar was captured. The pirates demanded a
ransom of 12,000 gold pieces, and Caesar’s staff was sent away to
arrange the payment. Caesar spent almost 40 days with his captors,
jokingly telling the pirates on several occasions that he would
someday capture and crucify them to a man. The kidnappers were
greatly amused, but when the ransom was paid and Caesar was
freed, the first thing he did was gather a fleet and pursue the
pirates. They were captured and crucified ... to a man! Such was
the Romans’ attitude toward crucifixion. It was to be reserved for
the worst of criminals, a means of showing extreme contempt for
the condemned. The suffering and humiliation of a Roman
crucifixion were unequaled (Today in the Word, November 23,
1992).
For any one else, crucifixion was a disgusting, horrible, embarrassing way to
die. Jesus used it as a tool to work for us in a way that we never could. God
works FOR us.
II. GOD WORKS IN US. When God works for us, it’s not like we have much
choice. God created us without asking for our permission. Jesus was crucified
for us whether or not we do anything in response to him. When God works IN
us, he freely offers to do so out of his love for us, but we choose to let him work
in us. It may be foolish, but we can reject God, we can close ourselves off to
him and never allow him to work in us. God is a gentleman - he will come in
if we open the door, but he will not break the door down. How does he work in
us when we allow him to do so?
A. He works in us in SALVATION. Some people like to think they can
save themselves, whether by living a clean life, doing good things for other
people, giving enough money, praying enough prayers, or some other way. The
truth, though, is that we can’t do it. We can only be saved through the working
of God in us. Without God, it doesn’t matter how much I beg, plead, or cry. It
happens only when he works.
In a survey conducted by the Barna Research Group in 1992,
nearly 1/3 of all born-again Christians stated that all good people
will go to heaven, whether they have embraced Jesus Christ or not.
While 88% in a recent Barna poll believe Jesus Christ was a real
person, what they believe about him differs sharply from scriptural
teaching. 42% (even 1/4th of the “born again” Christians) believe
that while on earth Jesus sinned just like other people. 61% believe
the devil is just a symbol of evil, not a living being. And 54% think
that if people are good enough, they will earn a place in heaven
regardless of their religious beliefs (Barna Research Group, Nov.
2, 1994).
You know, salvation is not a people thing. It is a God for people thing. Have
you allowed God to work in you for salvation?
B. He works in us in SANCTIFICATION. Once again, here is something
I cannot do on my own! I cannot be holy and pure and Christlike in my own
strength - trying that is a sure route to failure! Living that life of total
commitment to God requires that we allow God to work that in us.
The great Scottish Bible expositor Alexander MacLaren once
wrote: ‘‘We may have as much of God as we will. Christ puts the
key of the treasure-chamber into our hand, and bids us take all that
we want. If a man is admitted into the bullion vault of a bank and
told to help himself, and comes out with one cent, whose fault is it
that he is poor” (Today in the Word, October, 1997, p. 24)?
If God is to make me what he created me to be, what Jesus was crucified so I
could be, what I was saved to be, it is only as I let him work in me to sanctify
and live that holy life that it will happen! We sing about holiness to the Lord,
but we can give God that kind of holiness only after we have first received that
kind of holy love from him. It is God working in us that allows us to be holy.
III. GOD WORKS THROUGH US. God works for us and God works in us.
With all that, though, we are not all that different from Fibber McGee. Sure, we
have a part in salvation and sanctification, but a lot of it boils down to us
standing there and letting God do the heavy lifting, just like my friend Dan
would let me do. But God works for us and in us for a reason - he wants to
work THROUGH us! He wants to take the kind of person we are, the child of
God he has made us to be, and use us for his purposes! God does not bless us
so richly so we can just sit on a pew and collect dust. He has a purpose for us.
If Moses knew all that God had in store for him, do you think he would have
gone to Egypt?
What would have happened had Moses tried to figure out what was
needed to accomplish God’s command? One of the biggest
arithmetical miracles in the world was required in the desert.
Moses led the people of Israel into the desert....Now what was he
going to do with them? They had to be fed, and feeding 3-1/2
million people required a lot of food. According to the U. S.
Army’s Quartermaster General, Moses needed 1500 tons of food
a day, filling two freight trains, each a mile long. Besides, you must
remember, they were cooking the food (not to mention for keeping
warm, and if anyone tells you it doesn’t get cold in the desert don’t
believe them!). Just for cooking this took 4000 tons of firewood
and a few more freight trains, each a mile long and this is only for
one day! They were for forty YEARS in transit!
Let’s not forget about water, shall we? If they only had enough to
drink and wash a few dishes (no bathing?!), it took 11,000,000
gallons EACH DAY - enough to fill a train of tanker cars 1800
miles long.
And another thing! They had to get across the Red Sea in one
night. Now if they went on a narrow path, double file, the line
would be 800 miles long and require 35 days and nights to
complete the crossing. So to get it over in one night there had to be
a space in the Red Sea 3 miles wide so that they could walk 5,000
abreast. Think about this; every time they camped at the end of the
day, a camp ground the size of Rhode Island was required, or 750
square miles.
Do you think that Moses sat down and figured out the logistics of
what God told him to do before he set out from Egypt? I doubt it.
He had faith that God would take care of everything. Let us have
courage, we share the very same God (Source unknown)!
God worked in a great way through Moses - how does he want to work through
us?
A. He wants to work through us in MATURITY. We decide that we want
to let God help us grow up. Working out in the public like I do, I see my share
of immature children who act like spoiled brats. They do have some excuse,
though, usually going back to parents who aren’t raising them right. One thing
that really gets my goat, though, are adults who have never grown up, who are
emotionally spoiled brats. They have never matured, and some I have known
seem like they never will.
I met a young man not long ago who dives for exotic fish for
aquariums. He told me that one of the most popular aquarium fish
is the shark. He explained that if you catch a small shark and
confine it, it will stay a size proportionate to the aquarium you put
it in. Sharks can be six inches long yet fully matured. But if you
turn them loose in the ocean, they grow to their normal length of
eight feet.
That is like what happens to some Christians. I have seen some of
the cutest little six-inch Christians who swim around in a little
puddle. You can look at them and comment on how fine they are.
But if you were to put them out into a larger arena - into the broad
view of a whole creation - they might become great (Pastoral
Renewal, February 1985, p. 111).
Just like the sharks need to grow up, God wants to bust us out of the aquariums
that seem so warm and safe and secure, and throw us out into the sea where can
swim for all we’re worth! He wants to help us grow up! Will we let him?
B. He wants to work through us in ACTIVITY. I realize that we live in
a busy world. Between work and family, there is not always a lot of time
available. However, God expects his fair share of our time and energy. I have
been known to mention occasionally that I like the Kentucky Wildcats. What
if I never wore any of the Wildcats caps or shirts or shorts I have? What if I
never watched Kentucky on TV when I could, or listened to them on the radio
when I could? What if I never mentioned that I liked them when talking to other
people about college basketball? What kind of fan would I be for Kentucky?
Not much of one, that’s for sure. How do you think God feels when we never
spend time with him, never do anything for him, never talk to him or mention
him to anyone else? What kind of fan of God’s does that make us? Not a very
active one, that’s for sure. God knows that you work a job, have a family, and
have hobbies and things you like to do. I am not here to send you on a guilt trip,
but if we never have any time or energy or money left for God, what kind of
Christian does that make us? We are surrounded by people who are hurting and
need to hear about Jesus. God wants to work through us, to use our hands, our
feet, our eyes, our voice to share the good news of the Gospel with others.
CON. A few years ago, I went to a Martin Luther King Jr. service at one of the
churches here in Osceola. I remembered that the speaker challenged us to make
the holiday a day on, not a day off, to do things for others in the community. I
know Labor Day is a holiday, too. I know most of us will do fun things - grill
out, play, spend time with family and friends. That is all good. As you
celebrate, though, remember that it is God who works the hardest and the most
in our world, and he will work for you and in you and through you. He will, if
you will let him do that, if you will cooperate with him. God is working hard,
my friends. What are we doing - working hard, too, or are we hardly working?
The answer - and the choice - is up to us.
Illustrations from www.bible.org
