Work For The Night Is Coming Series

Intro: To get a picture of what Jesus may be saying

in this verse, I picture a hard working farmer in

days before modern farm machinery. He rose up early

each day in order to be in the field before "first

light" to take productive advantage of every minute

of daylight in cultivating his crop for harvest to

come. He knew that night would come, so he worked

hard all day and when the night came he "rested

hard"...well deserved rest for his dilligence in

the daylight. He knew that if he was going to have

a crop to harvest, he must work dilligently every

waking minute...time was short.

It is that picture that I want us to see today...

Let us consider the following applications

I. GOD HAS GIVEN US WORK TO DO (MATT 28:18-20)

A. GOING

B. MAKING DISCIPLES (EVANGELIZE)

C. BAPTIZING

D. TEACHING THEM TO FOLLOW CHRIST

II. GOD HAS GIVEN US LIMITED TIME "DAYLIGHT"

IN WHICH TO DO IT

A. JUST AS THE FARMER KNEW HE WAS TO MAKE

THE MOST OF EVERY MINUTE OF DAYLIGHT,

WE ARE TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE TIME GOD

HAS GIVEN US.

B. OUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED. WE ARE TEMPORARY ON

EARTH.

C. WHILE WE HAVE OPPORTUNITY, LET US TAKE FULL

ADVANTAGE, AND DO THE WORKS GOD SENT US

TO DO!!

D. THIS MAY REQUIRE TIME MANAGEMENT, SETTING

NEW PRIORITIES, OR JUST PLAIN "GETTING UP

FROM THE RECLINER".

E. IF WE ARE EVER GOING TO DO IT, IT SHOULD BE

NOW..

F. IN MY OPINION, IT IS "TWILIGHT" OUTSIDE!

III. GOD HAS TOLD US NIGHT IS COMING

A. NIGHT: A PERIOD OF DARKNESS

B. "LAST DAYS" "PERLOUS TIMES"

(SEE MATTHEW 24, AND 2 TIMOTHY 3)

C. SPIRITUAL DARKNESS IS CREEPING UP AROUND

US "BIT BY BIT" ...WE ARE ALMOST IN THE

"TWILIGHT ZONE"

D. CHRISTIAN MESSAGE IS NOT RECEIVED OR WELCOMED

IN MANY PLACES, AND CAUSES CONFLICT AND

CONTROVERSY IN OTHER PLACES.

E. MANY BELIEVERS BEING PERSECUTED TODAY (MARTYRS)

F. THERE IS COMING A "NIGHT" WHEN WE CAN NO

LONGER HAVE THE PRIVILIGE OF WITNESSING,

MEETING IN CHURCHES, TESTIFYING OPENLY,

AND HAVING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WE ALL TAKE

SO MUCH FOR GRANTED.

G. NIGHT COMES WHEN NO MAN CAN WORK

IV. BUT THERE IS A NEW DAY DAWNING

"WEEPING MAY COME FOR THE NIGHT, BUT JOY COMES

IN THE MORNING"

A. THE FARMER RESTED WELL DURING THE NIGHT

BECAUSE HE HAD FAITH THAT A NEW DAY WOULD

DAWN.

B. GOD PROMISES US A NEW DAY, A GLORIOUS DAWNING

1. WHEN MEN TURN SWORDS INTO PLOUGHSHARES

2. WHEN TRUE JUSTICE AND FULL PEACE WILL RULE

3. WHEN JESUS WILL REIGN SUPREME

4. WHEN ALL EVIL WILL BE FULLY AND FINALLY SUBDUED

5. WHEN THOSE WHO HAVE TRUSTED HIM, WORKED FOR

HIM "WHILE IT IS DAY" WILL WALK HAND IN HAND

WITH HIM FOR ETERNITY IN "ETERNAL REST"

CONCLUSION:

1. THERE IS WORK TO BE DONE

2. THERE IS LIMITED TIME TO DO IT

3. NIGHT IS COMING WHEN WE CAN NO LONGER WORK

4. A NEW DAY WILL COME WHEN WE CAN REST FROM OUR

LABORS

*ARE YOU WITNESSING, ARE YOU WORKING FOR CHRIST

ARE YOU A "LAZY CHRISTIAN TAKING IT EASY WHEN

GOD SAYS BE WORKING?

RECOMMIT YOURSELF THIS YEAR TO DO WHAT JESUS

SAID IN THE TEXT (JOHN 9:4)