Month: October 2015

God’s will in this age is that his people be scattered like salt and light in all legitimate vocations. His aim is to be known, because knowing him is life and joy. He does not call us out of the world. He does not remove the need to work.

He does not destroy society and culture. Through his scattered saints he spreads a passion for his supremacy in all things for the joy of all peoples. If you work like the world, you will waste your life, no matter how rich you get. But if your work creates a web of redemptive relationships and becomes an adornment for the Gospel of the glory of Christ, your satisfaction will last forever and God will be exalted in your joy.
–John Piper

Why do you work?
Is it so you can make money to have more stuff for yourself? Or to do more of the things you want to do? That is working like the world. Self is the focus.

God tells us to work so that we can share with those in need.
Ephesians 4:28 – He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.

God also tells us to work not as those working for our employer, but as if we are working for Him.
Colossians 3:23 – Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.
Ephesians 6:6-7 – …Not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men.

So what does working for the Lord look like? Self no longer is the focus. The Lord and others become the focus. Using our position and sphere of influence to develop redemptive relationships that help people know Christ more through their relationship with you. Can your co-workers say that they know Christ better because of their relationship with you? Can your employer say that? Can your employees say that? Can your clients say that?

God may not be calling you out of your current vocation to work in a church. More than likely, He is calling you to use the position He has placed you in to build relationships with those around you that will exalt and glorify and honor Him and lead those people around you to know Him better.

Working for Him exalts Him instead of self.

A thought about Truth and Error:
Error does not become Truth because it is widely accepted;
Truth does not become error, even when it stands alone.
–Unknown

Since God is truth and since He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, truth never changes.
Though there are many people who would like to change truth to fit their circumstances, the Bible is clear that truth does not change. Therefore we can either come to a place of agreeing with God’s truth, or we can stand against God.

The crowds were important to Jesus because of the people in them. Crowds are not trophies to be won. Neither are the crowds “projects” to be completed. Influencing masses of people is not for the leader’s affirmation or self-worth. Crowds are important because of the incredible worth of people.
–Ed Stetzer & Thom Rainer

Wow, the day almost got away from me. I started my morning off with Bible reading and prayer, then did some tweaking on my sermon for tomorrow, then got busy working in the yard, and just now got to a place of sitting down to rest and I had the thought – Oh! I forgot to post something this morning! So here is something that we all need to remember as we think about wanting the adoration of the large numbers that we equate with success.

So there are three levels of how to live with things:
(1) you can steal to get,
(2) or you can work to get,
(3) or you can work to get in order to give.

Many of us live on level two.
Almost all of the forces of our culture urge us to live on level two.
But the Bible is unrelenting in pushing us to level three.
–John Piper

Ephesians 4:28 states that we should not be in level one and that we should move past level two straight into level three: “He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.”

In what level do you find yourself living?
Are you following our cultural norms and expectations and living in level 2?
Or have you allowed God to transform you so that you are living in level 3 where life is not about you, but about pleasing Him and serving others?

Keep moving from where you are to where God wants you to be.

Religion today is not transforming people; rather it is being transformed by the people. It is not raising the moral level of society; it is descending to society’s own level, and congratulating itself that it has scored a victory because society is smilingly accepting its surrender.
–A. W. Tozer (1897-1963)

Tozer could see this occurring more than 50 years ago. And the trend has neither changed nor slowed, but instead has continued to pick up speed and our understanding of God’s Word continues being transformed more and more, such that this powerfully dangerous Word of God is being changed into something tame and safe.

God’s Word has never been safe when taken at face value and understood to truly mean death to oneself in the trading of my will, desire, plans, and goals for God’s will, desire, plans, and goals.

Are you standing on the timeless Word of God allowing it to transform you?
Or Are you working to transform the Word of God to be more palatable to yourself and those around you?
Are you consuming the teachings of God and being changed?
Or are you finding ways to change God’s teachings so that they become safe and powerless?