^ BigStock photo ^
Rev. 3:15-16 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold
nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and
neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
God calls us to do His work
Have you ever woken up on a cold brisk morning, felt the
comfort of the warm soft blankets surrounding you wishing you could rest for
the day right where you are? Sure you
have. Nobody feels like waking up and embracing the cold, getting wet, or
facing yet another back-breaking day at work. Rest, you just want rest.
We work because we have to; it puts food on our table, a
roof over our head and gets us to the next day where we do it over and over
again. Kinda mundane isn’t it, but you get rewarded with food, warmth and
comfort. The necessities of life are what carry you through your day-to-day
life. Without them you’d be homeless, right? Day after day you trudge along,
reaping the rewards, sometimes the smallest of rewards but you know your work
at the end of the day was worth all the toil and trouble.
Here lies the difference between a mere believer and a
Christian/follower of Christ; a believer believes, has faith and reads his/her
bible. A Christian is one who works for God, strives to be Christ-like, and
WORKS to be a better person. A believer wakes up, eats, takes a nice hot
shower, goes to work, comes home, eats, and rests knowing he paid his dues to
society.
Isa. 2: 8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the
work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made:
A Christian wakes each day and glorifies God. He/she begins
their workday for God. “Lord do with me what you will,” they say. Whether in
the workplace where every person surrounding them becomes an opportunity to
shower them with God and do His work; He’s in the boxes you stock on shelves,
He’s pushed out in the inkjet printer you use, He is the guide at your
fingertips as you type. God is everywhere to a Christian!
Sunday arrives. We did our work throughout the week and
Sunday arrives in flaming fire! There may be no sun but it arrives; it is our
day of rest. Do we sit at home on Sunday because it is the day of rest, no, we
go out in numbers and worship the God who gave us a fruitful week.
Jer. 7: 13 And now, because ye have done all these works,
saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye
heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not;
A Christian doesn’t attend church to show everyone, “Look at
me, I’m here. Look at my new shiny shoes. I wore my new dress. Hey, look at
me!”
No siree, a Christian wakes on Sunday, puts on his jeans
(possibly from the dirty laundry) puts on his/her tee-shirt, same old sneakers
they’ve worn all week to the work place then heads off to visit his family and
worship with them sharing their love of God.
You might say, “What? You go to church looking like THAT?”
I might say, “Does God care what I wear? If the people there
are judging me for my clothes, they NEED to be there, to learn the Truth! God
doesn’t care what you wear! He cares that you’re THERE!”
To a Christian, a church is a family of Christ. You might
rejoice in another building in another state, but to you, your brothers and
sisters are rejoicing in a building somewhere out there praising the same God
that you praise. The believers are sitting at home, tucked under their covers
awaiting the sun to shine in their window so they can trudge on yet another
mundane day. “I wake, I have faith, I read, I believe.” Such an empty life.
A Christian has a spirit-filled, God-filled life to live.
Sunday is our payday, our reward for all of our work we did throughout the
week. We get to celebrate the day by rejoicing in all the blessings the Lord
bestowed upon us throughout the week with our family, our brothers and sisters
and most importantly, with our Father!
Can you imagine a Buddhist calling himself a Buddhist but
never doing the work of a Buddhist? Can you imagine calling yourself a
Jehovah’s Witness, never doing the work required to BE a Jehovah’s Witness?
Then why do Christians call themselves Christians when they don’t feel the need
to do the Lord’s work for Him?
Rom. 16: 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus
Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the
hearts of the simple.
Did you know that upon doing a word search of the word WORK,
there are 964 entries in the Bible? Why is that? Because it is asked of ALL
Christians (not just some of us) to do the Lord’s work. He calls to us, we are
honored to act.
Pastor said something like this, “Do you know why the
atheist are gaining strength in society; Because people calling themselves
Christians don’t look Christ-like. They are demeaning a faith by their gossip,
drinking, cursing and sinning.”
Even churches across the world are separated; teaching/preaching
one thing then doing another and it confuses those who are seeking the One true
living God. Yes atheist are searching for SOMEthing to believe in. Believers
are searching too, but they sit at home forming their own truth.
Let me ask you this. Back when Jesus came into the world, do
you think people sat at home in the comfort of their beds, READING the Bible or
did they wake, embrace the cold or heat and walk miles and miles to HEAR the
gospel, from the Messiah who was delivering the message? They sat around in
groups of listeners, thus forming the first Christian Church, becoming the
first Christians.
Jesus is the CHURCH that they went to for comfort, a message
of hope, of promise, of everlasting love. They couldn’t get THAT from their
safety net called home. They LIVED for Christ, strived to be like Christ,
sinners were now accepted in Christ.
Jesus chose sinners to carry on His work. But He DID require
them to WORK. Yes you are saved by the blood of Christ, but remember that blood
was at a cost, Jesus’ LIFE on the cross. HE did that for you, what do YOU do
for Him?
As you seek out to BE a Christian, don’t demean the name of
Christ and Christianity. Call yourself a ‘believer’. When you seek out a church
that delivers Jesus’ message, and you listen intently as the Truth of the Word
washes over you and is filling your soul and you praise the Man that died for
you, when you LIVE for Christ, not sin, THEN call yourself a Christian.
“On Christ the solid Rock I stand all other ground is
sinking sand…all other ground is sinking sand.” ~ a Sunday worship song
Are you standing on the Rock or on sinking sand? Think about
it. I think about it everyday; and I’m STILL not done my work for Him.
Praise His Holy name!
Rom. 8: 28 And we know that all things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his
purpose.
Col. 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the
Lord, so walk ye in him:
