I WANT TO BE A WORKER FOR THE LORD
Introduction
A. Text: 2 Tim. 2:15. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who
does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth
B. Staying busy is hardly a problem in our society — the difficulty lies in focusing
our efforts in the right direction.
C. "It is not enough to be busy. The question is: what are we busy about?"
D. Being actively involved in the Lord's work ought to be a
top priority.Mat 25;14-30 ¶ "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.15 "And to
one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according
to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.16 "Then he who had
received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five
talents.17 "And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.18 "But
he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.
19 "After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with
them.20 "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other
talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five
more talents besides them.'21 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and
faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, Iwill make you ruler over
many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'22 "He also who had received two
talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have
gained two more talents besides them.'23 "His lord said to him, 'Well done,
good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make
you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'24 "Then he who had
received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man,
reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered
seed.25 'And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look,
there you have what is yours.'26 "But his lord answered and said to him, 'You
wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather
where I have not scattered seed.27 'So you ought to have deposited my money
with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with
interest.28 'Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten
talents.29 'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have
abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken
away.30 'And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
Lets notice what Jesus called the one who did not use his abilities for his master.
v 26 he said you wicked and lazy servant.
Also lets notice the fate of lazy servant in v 30,, And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
Reading these verses should scare the laziness and indifference out of us..
E. "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in
the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Cor.
15:58).
F. We should want to ,desire to, be workers for the Lord.
I. THE WORK OF THE LORD IS THE GREATEST WORK WE MAY DO
A. Just as marriage requires a "leaving" and a "cleaving" (cf. Gen. 2:24), so the
Lord's work often requires a "leaving" of the good and the better in order to
devote attention to the best.
Cf. Mt. 4:18-22.
¶ And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.19 Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee,and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them,22 and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
We know that these men never turned back, but went on to become apostles for
Christ.. They chose not to be like the lazy servant we just read about...
B. Being workers for the Lord involves a decision , A decision to devote relatively
less attention to other concerns.
Lk 14;16-24 gives an account of people making excuses for not serving God.
Then He said to him, "A certain man gave a great supper and invited many,17 "and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, 'Come, for all things are now ready.'18 "But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.'19 "And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.'20 "Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.'21 "So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.'22 "And the servant said, 'Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.'23 "Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.24 'For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.'"
Do we make excuses when there is work to be done for God
Jesus went on to say in verses 25 -27 "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
27 "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.Also in verse 33 he says, "So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
1. There are simply not enough hours in a week for us to do the Lord's work and
also pursue temporal ends as fully as the world pursues them.
2. We simply have to "let go" of some things that we would ordinarily be able to do.
C. Whether we truly want to be workers for the Lord is manifested by the choices we
make -
Lk. 9:57-62. ¶ Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."58 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."59 Then He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."60 Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."61 And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."62 But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
What choices do we make ?
D. Making the right choice to devote ourselves to the Lord's work is easy when we
begin to glimpse the greatness of the work.
and hold such in reputation: because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me" (Phil. 2:29,30).
2. It is worth being "addicted" to: "I urge you, brethren — you know the household of
Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves
to the ministry of the saints" (1 Cor. 16:15). Cf. the KJV translates the word devoted
as "Addicted" we all know what that means
E. It is a privilege to be a part of the Lord's work, even in the most "insignificant" of
ways.
1. "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not
in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace
of God which was with me" (1 Cor. 15:10).
2. "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted
me faithful, putting me into the ministry" (1 Tim. 1:12).
II. FOUR PRIMARY PROBLEMS HINDER OUR WORK IN THE LORD
A. The postponement of effort may be our number one problem.
1. One of the greatest of today's labor-saving inventions is a thing called
"tomorrow."
2. "He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will
not reap" (Eccl. 11:4).
B. We may be too picky about our assignment. ("Your assignment, should you
choose to accept it...!?!")
C. Then, in the actual doing of the Lord's work, we may put forth only a minimal
effort.
1. There may be a lack of "pride," diligence, etc. in our work.
2. "But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in
himself alone, and not in another" (Gal. 6:4).
3. "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not
need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15).
D. Finally, when we quit the work prematurely, we detract from the work that needs
to be done.
1. Short of "disability," there is no "retirement plan" for the Lord's workers.
2. As long as we live and are able, there is work for us to do.
3. "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap
of we do not lose heart" (Gal. 6:9).
4. "And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full
assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but
imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises" (Hb.
6:11,12).
III. IF WE TRULY WANT TO BE WORKERS, THE LORD WILL MAKE WORKERS OF US
A. Whatever problems may hinder us, it is possible to overcome them — we can be
vessels "for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good
work" (2 Tim. 2:21).
B. God is willing to make us servants through whom He can do His work.
1. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which
God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10).
2. "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure"
(Phil. 2:13).
3. "Now may the God of peace...make you complete in every good work to do
His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus
Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen" (Hb. 13:20,21).
4. "If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers,
let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God
may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the
dominion forever and ever. Amen" (1 Pt. 4:11).
C. He will do so, however, only if we will make a commitment that is consistent with
the importance of the work — wanting to be a worker for the Lord must be more
than a whim.
D. It takes work to become a worker!
1. We must develop the kind of commitment that views the work of the Father
as more important than life itself: "Jesus said to them, 'My food is to do the
will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work'" (Jn. 4:34).
2. We must be willing to "spend and be spent" (2 Cor. 12:15) in the work.
E. Diligence and devotion to the Scriptures will make us worthy workmen, thoroughly
equipped for every good work.
1. "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not
need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15).
2. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God
may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Tim.
3:16,17).
F. If we give ourselves entirely to the things of God, our progress will be evident:
"Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may
be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them,
for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you" (1 Tim.
4:15,16).
Conclusion
A. The Lord needs every one of His people to be workers: "Then He said to His
disciples, 'The harvest is truly plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray
the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest'" (Mt. 9:37,38).
B. The time to be workers for the Lord is now: Jesus said, "I must work the works of
Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work" (Jn.
9:4).
C. No joy in the world compares with the joy that comes from being a worker for the
Lord.
1. "So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you
not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become
dear to us" (1 Thess. 2:8).
2. "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the
presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?" (1 Thess. 2:19,20).
D. "Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes" (Lk.
12:43).
Gary Henry -