When You Work 9/2/2018
One thing I love about the Lord is that he works? He works and I was just thinking about this from the scriptures and we're going to go through them real quick. It says this and
scriptures that Psalms 19:1 says the heavens declare the glory of God the skies proclaim the work of his hands. So you have this proclamation of David in the Psalms that he would see God is able to see the heavens a man. They declare your glory god the skies proclaim the work of his hands just amazing. The word says He created the heavens and the Earth. The next scripture says in Psalms that says when I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers the moon and the stars you said in place. These are just some scriptures who worshiper through his medicine just kind of understanding who God and how powerful he is in the things that you did and he's accomplished. I love this one. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name great is our Lord and mighty in power of His understanding has no limit. There's no limit to his understanding or his comprehension. It matter fact. He says his thoughts are way above ours and it just amazing the vastness of his knowledge and understanding and it's amazing any challenge does he says ask for wisdom Gabe asked for Wisdom. Ask for these things.
my love this this next one the highest Heavens belong to the Lord, but the Earth he has given to us to mankind. The heavens belong to the Lord, but the Earth he has given to mankind. Now so when God works, he just does amazing things. He's created us. He's giving us life and he can go before us and accomplish things on your behalf and an open doors that nobody can shut up. I'm telling you for employment. I want everybody that wants a job. I believe for divine employment. I really do I believe that God has a job for everybody says Hey, I want to work. I want to move forward. He will has a way of placing you in the right place at the right time and nobody can take that from you. Nobody I've experienced that someone God works. It's just amazing that can Captivate your mind in your imagination and just cause your heart to just like wow up there yesterday. I'm looking across the piece of those high places where there's no trees. It's just Boulders and rocks and I'm just going man father. You did all this and I can enjoy it. I'm up there and I love I love pictures of beautiful places, but I'd rather be there. You can have it. I love that someday, maybe go to Paris, but you can have the Eiffel Tower. Give me a big boulder in a rock and a canyon any day. I love going places that like I said, we've seen pictures before we were younger to hike so we would not have experienced this I got to see this up close and personal. I love it. So when God works it just amazing that he does and it's in us it's instilled in us, but he created us in His image. to work So this when you work as a picture of a job, I did it start. It's right. I had to throw something I did on there. I've had I've had two careers in my life some people switch a lot of different jobs. I kind of stayed with the same thing. Some people would say. Oh that's boring. But I'm like, no it was actually really good because I should have a master's degree in two things. Right. I should have Honore I was thinking about that today. I'm going to call certain business. They can you guys give me an honorary master's degree because I've Master 2 trades in my life. I've mastered these two things one is when I became a Christian. I just I got a job with construction crew and cement business in which is very difficult. Very hard strenuous work, but I loved it. I love the creativity. I love doing certain things in that field tonight. And I got so good that after a certain amount of time at a young age. I was driving the company truck. I was the guy that was given the blueprints to I'm like, wow, how far up is the Lord brought me, right? And then some years later I had to transition cuz Marlon died we drew this blueprints out. And I knew that I would being self-employed have my own business somehow. I member on the couch her and I drawn these plans out. We drew a trailer with you all these things the tools that I needed and we were just dreaming and like we're going to have our own business and then and that's a good thing. I just want to have my own business and be free and I just wanted to actually it's not for your lot of doing a lot of work, but I wanted to have my own business and we still have her own business, but around 29 or 30 years old at changed and I had an opportunity to go to work with my brother and family with him and partner with him in the flooring business and it was hard for me to make that change. I took a huge cut in pay and and it was just it was difficult because we already had kids but I feel like the Lord said you're being set up in a good way. Right as you're being so I took a step of faith and I just changed total Direction my life, but with the thought still I'm going to be self-employed. I'm still going to have my own business. So night and I did that in the 90s 1994. I got my we had our business license became Florent to the flooring company and and and I'm just like I'm looking back and thinking about that is just amazing journey that God has brought us on our family and what he's brought me from just from a instilling at himself inside of me and giving me confidence and hope and having to overcome a lot of intimidation and a lot of fears to get in the workplace. It was tough to break through. Very tough. So there's a couple scriptures. I just want to share with you that is kind of molded and shaped my life summer tough, but these things brought character and they brought a resolving me and and and just help me and strengthened me and gave me the courage to go forward love this in Genesis 2:15. It says the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it. Some people think what happened fall when Adam said he said from the earth you will toil and it will not yield its fruit. It's going to be painful and but he had them working before they send. You we were condition and made two to toil and two to work the ground and to dress in the end to keep what God had created. We were we were created to be productive in that since even before the fall of Man, but we just had to do it without him. Where to do it we had I call it on purpose work we had to do work and had no we have now. We have a Tennessee to do work that has no purpose and God doesn't want us to live that way. He wants to work with purpose and everything. We do and all of our jobs to ask whether you're a homemaker do CEO of your house ladies, right and CFO sometimes but you work and you do it unto the Lord, but I don't want to work on purpose and I've never felt like I have I wanted to matter. I wanted to have eternal significance and there was the separation when God left the garden when they were kicked out there was nothing there was no more purpose work no more God involved were no Eternal significance at all. And with the Christ coming back in our lives to the cross it give redeems our work every deems our purpose in our employment. They meant it really does. So I love this. So the Lord God took them and put them in the Garden of Eden to work it. Work it littering. I better be careful. work at the shop
anyways to work is I love you Hebrew scriptures to serve. And your employment pace place of employment your to serve? Your to serve others that means you're like the best interest of everybody else. I work with some heathens when I was younger. I made some foul people right? I mean construction guys number young guy and I've heard words before but I'm like these guys butterfly, you know, it was just amazing. I'd be set in the back of the truck and I remember saying hey guys can't tell you something.
What? I'm going to read you something. Says John 3:16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only son to you for you so you can have life and not perish.
Turn the music back up. Keep on Drive. I took my shots, right? I didn't let him win this guy over. I was always trying to win them over. But my heart is this and can I tell you something else is to serve to be a servant and also to work means to worship. It's an act of worship. It's an act of worship. You wouldn't think that but it is because it's part of our DNA spiritually to work matter fact, we're called to be stewards and that's part of our stewardship is to work it and I love this to create to perform. in our jobs to keep it that it that is to do this to guard and protect attend to preserve and primped and to protect put on there twice. I don't know how many times in certain jobs I'm through my career, even if they didn't deserve it. Even if they didn't deserve it. I was always guarding their interest. I always guarded my employer's interest and looked after their best interest even if they were Crooks. Cuz I want to have a clear conscience before God and man I toiled and I took care of what was there is because I thought you know what? God's going to take care of me. I'm going to take the high road at all times. I'm not going to get in the pit. I wouldn't do this on his thing, but I would look after their best interest and they always trust in me. They always trusted me and I was always trying to make other people better in my job. I wanted them my employer's to say. Thank God for Gabe. Hey, man, I wanted them to say thank God for me. Thank God for game. I wanted to be a blessing to that workplace in that environment no matter where it was at and I worked hard and tried to outwork not competitively, but I tried to do with everything in excellence. All the time and later on with the business part came in check this out there like cuz it's competitive out there right for raids, and I've never I've never competed to be the cheapest. never never lot of people do this is this is something for your business people. I didn't never strive to be the the cheapest always strive to be excellent. Always strive to be excellent and everything I did. I got a paper in there. Can you hand it to me, please? I got some notes. I had no, it's a 8 by 11. I think I brought it.
Sorry. Is a couple things I had highlighted here that I just want to to read but to just do things the Excellence to Garden protecting 210 to and it just part of our DNA and who we are I love this some quotes that I work with this guy one time. He used to quote this to me. His name was Gordon and cement days and and I can't remember his last name, but he would say this to me. I work in a ditch to bribe to buy bread to have strength enough to work in a ditch. I still think management is that all there is to this is that is that my life it might just work in to buy bread to have strength enough to work in a ditch anybody feel that way in their lives their work lives. Where to have a mind shift today we're going to change that we're going to we're going to somehow move that okay. How about this one? I owe I owe so off to work I go. Had to go Disney and they're right. That's not what they say. Is that what they say? It's I ho but we would say I owe right so off to work we go sometimes will work it just to serve our debt and our overextension and we've gotten ourselves in trouble sometimes and we're just like Burn by it. So we get up to go to work boy. That was still the joy out of everything. Right, maybe we've done that. I spy one of my life's a garden dig it. Joe Dirt bad bad pastor
right
Here's the part of this. We have faith. I remember the beginning stages my my Christian Life and and starting to build my life not understanding what God was doing. I had several key scriptures says by faith. It's if it does not have works is dead. I remember the day I prayed my guts out might be like I got to do something. I better get where I better get up doing something. I had a couple scriptures that depend on my bed on my on my wall that said it my God will supply all your needs according to his riches the man that inspired me faith without works is dead without works. I got to I got to do something. So I found an old 10 speed you guys have heard the story Pebbles went like this, you know, it would they wobble to and stuff the tire was flat fix that when driving around Exeter looking for work everywhere. I could nothing for like a month or two and then I'll send the door opened up was amazing got to work if I study the guy lived next door got a ride cuz I didn't have a car. Got a job at the working at the hospital doing cement work for $5 an hour kids. $5 an hour $5 an hour working doing the very difficult work adding on to the liquid Delta which is been finished for long-time man. Just met her got married. We're working hard trying to make it years later that $5 turned into $20 an hour because they had gotten sued by the labor unions and said they use taxpayers money. So we all got checks back for all the hours. We did. I'm like, thank you Jesus for leaving my feet. I just thought it was worth 19 or $20 hours. It was difficult work late everybody off that they had hired for that crew except for me. Cuz I worked hard and I honor God and everything. I did work wise.
I put my favorites my faith was I knew the date come where I had to get off. I had to go and use whatever resources I had in. That was a bicycle. how to throw every excuse out the window A humiliating myself on a bicycle in my twenties to go look for work. I could have just rolled over and said man I can't do that is embarrassing. It was ever all my for everybody. I knew had cars.
Hear what I'm saying? It was difficult is like breaking through the Earth's atmosphere man had the right trajectory. It was it was tough on me. Find out how to word from the Lord's man is going to do this thing's for me and I just jumped on it went for it.
Another scripture this this is shaped my life for I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord plans to prosper you and not to harm you plans to give you hope in the future. I am hung my head on that many times the Lord. You got a plan. You have a hope for my future. I still say that today. I'm going to and I love this and I wrote this to myself. I work corresponding to God partnering with this plan for me. And you I correspond corresponding with him. I'm like I keep an eye keep in connection with him because he I know he has a plan for me and I don't want to miss it. I'm not going to unloosen myself from him in the Restraint of God and miss the way I'm going to keep myself in close proximity to him at all time cuz I don't want to miss the plan. I don't want to miss the direction. He's going to take my life and it's been a journey and adventure and little Exeter. a man another scripture is this Oregon a scripture, but this work is a spiritual stewardship not a secular necessity. And there's where you need to change your mind about work. It's a spiritual stewardship being created in the image of God place in the garden to keep it to work at the keep it it's a spiritual stewardship. The job that you have is a stewardship from God. If you became a Christian in the employment, you're having now, it's all said your employment has changed. You Now understand Sam and I'm going to store this and I'm going to do it in excellence maybe you already did but you have a god factor involved in everything that you do now A spiritual stewardship. It's part of that matter fact. Somebody told me years ago. I don't feel called to work and I was like what? It makes sense. Now. I understand. I understand was an older guy, but now I understand as the older guy and you're wrong. It's part of our spiritual DNA and part of the call of God in our lives the steward this Earth to Steward the things that he's gave us and we all do it in different ways. But it's in it's in our DNA to do this. It's part of the matter fact. I'm going to be honest with you. Goddess spoke to me a money more times while I was working and I have been praying.
Wrong when I my hand to the plow when I'm doing something lot of times. I have this the Lord just spoke to me something. I'll have this the answer will come while it while I'm working when I'm idle. I'm not talking about resting Hildreth speak to me in my rest also, but when he has a way of meeting this that and that Garden in that place was he said in the cool of the Eevee came down to walk with Adam and Eve. I really believe in our workplace and when we work he has a tendency to show up. The show up and Whisper things to you and speak to you some answers that you might needed to hear. Or something Divine about that relationship in our workplace and being productive. Good scriptures hear this stuff right here, but these kind of molded me. You got me off of the couch and got going when I was younger anyone who does not provide for the relatives, especially their own household has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
That's Bible that stuff. That stuff scripture right there. I'm not going to spend on that. But these days would hit me between the eyes when I was younger right like this one a little sleep a little Slumber a little folding of the hands to rest and poverty will come on you like a thief of scarcity like an armed man. Like an army, man.
I don't mind rest and sometimes I have my hands full to them. Like there I am there's that guy. If I don't rest like that, I keep my hands up. I love my work. We work we rest we try to rest. I love them surrounded by people the same same mindset and love this Paul. He says this for even when we were with you, we gave you this rule the one who is unwilling to work shall not that's not very politically, correct.
this is the day back and he said if you're not willing to work, you said it won't eat. that stuff Willing not unwilling some people just unwilling to do it. Some people can't Some people can't work, right we take care of them. We weave Vanessa Mets amazing were able to do that and it's a blessing.
The next one says this we hear that sum of money you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy. They are busy bodies. We have this we have this inside of us to be busy. But sometimes if we're not busy doing stuff, we kind of just become busy bodies and kind of metal in the things. We probably shouldn't Tupperware pastor
I've learned these things the hard way to
these are just some scriptures. This isn't it's not up there is it? I'm sorry. I don't know what's going on. It's the 2nd Thessalonians 3:10 to 12. I love this one says such people we command energy in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and heard the food they eat. That was me. I had to settle down because I wanted to go I want to get out of here. I wanted to leave I wanted to just take off and do something whatever. And I'm going to be said settle down Gabe calm down. Relax root in don't be scared the root in don't be scared to plant to grow where you're planted. You're staying in Exeter. I didn't want to
but that's was his plan for my life to build as much as I wanted to do for him. He wanted to do for me a hundred times more and build my life right next scripture in Proverbs. 12:11 is Lowe's and I love this. Those who work their land will have a bunch of food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.
I work two lands in my life 3 been Pastor now. When was in the construction world big cement work and I work that until I got it and I mastered it. I didn't work for the same company. I work for three different companies, but I stayed within my trade. I didn't want to go start something else. Maybe I just I didn't want to I love what I was doing. I thought it was a gift from God that work. But I mastered what I did. Work for three different companies before I change total occupational and there was a young when I did it.
Work your land. Where you at right now exhausted. Exhausted do the best you can.
Do the best you can win the where you're at and do the best you can to serve everybody that's involved. your teacher Blessings kids work hard serve them build them up. What amazing job. You're a doctor in York. PA in Jan was a p is a p a retired people that. Other things in the Craftsman and their skilled labor and whatever they do you do it work that land work it work it work it. Until another door opens or sometimes even if another door opens be cautious. I had many people try to draw me away and I'm like no I'm going to stay where I'm at and I benefited greatly from I never missed anything dangle a carrot in front of me to go chase some kind of dream or something that we might have been, you know, a hobby more than a actual work right now. I didn't go down that road. I stayed the road and stay the task until I until I mastered it.
Work your ground work the land where you're at. Gets killed and I love this and ecclesiastics for forces and I saw that all 12 and all achievements spring from one person's Envy of another. This too is meaningless a chasing after the wind. Our motivation should be our service to God and our family not it be our covetousness. What's most motivating us to work what's motivating us to go in and then pursue certain things? Should be the call of God in our life. Not from Envy not because they got a better boat seeing a lot of cool trailers yesterday up there in those mountains man. I wanted one seen a couple of them. I was envious over. Might get another one someday.
But that doesn't motivate my work ethic. my relationship with the Lord in my family does
another scriptures s in Corinth clausen's 323, whatever you do work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for human Masters. That right there will separate you have a bad boss. Don't worry about it. You're working for the Lord. You're working for the Lord you're working for him. He's the one that's what you're watching. Is your relationship with him. I'm going to work and I'm going to do in excellence as if I'm doing it to him every job I've ever had. I'm at a stop. My wife does the same thing? Anybody seen her Arrangements, you know, are you giving them to the Lord for those are amazing?
We ran into somebody on the trail up at 8000 feet yesterday, but she knew that she done arrangements for time like do you not have ever go anywhere without knowing somebody?
I was laughing.
Could have made an arrangement from what was just around this right there and then it next ones. Whatever you do work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, right? Let's move on here. Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings boy that took that to heart. I wanted to be skilled in everything I did. Is best I could be. matter fact
I'mma tell you this cuz we want people to have careers. I want people to get educated. I want you to work hard and and rest hard and you know, when it comes time to rest when it comes time to your jobs to be skilled and Amber the Bible says and I love this is Solomon. He was asked if God would ask him anything you want from me and I'll give it to you. Solomon asked was he was he was the new man his father had passed and he was the new King & Solomon asked for wisdom. That's what he asked for. I could I tell you that if you ask for wisdom and and stuff like that that's going to take you further places than in any other any other career in whatever you do. You want to be wise and everything that you do? Want to be wise and everything you do.
Last what is this? I love this, too. So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work because that is their lot. Nothing better than enjoy your work. Does come home sometimes I was thanking God for my job this week and it was tough. I'm like instead of complaining my man. Thank you Lord that I get to go do this and I was just like trying to fool myself. I was really thankful really thankful. I love this when I finish on Friday sometimes and I don't work every day of the week sometimes but I when I'm done and I know that that portion of that week is over. I love to come home sometimes and enjoy it because I'm finished. I feel like I feel accomplished still.
still feel accomplished
when you work and I'mma tell you another one other thing. That that word work is used. When did Maya when they went to rebuild Jerusalem and they build the temple they use that same word work. It's divine whether you're pastoring Shepherd doing something in the in the Priestly office or whatever or your job. It's the same. It's the same motivation. It's the same service the way I do churches the way I do business the way I do work My Philosophy is still the same as to serve its the 10 to is to create it's the guard. It's the same concept Weatherby. You have a Priestly moment. God calls you to a task lot of you were going to start Freedom groups. You're going to the leaders are going to be serving. They're going to be tending to you. They're going to be guarding you while you go through the process. It's the same word Weatherby divine. For divine appointment or Weatherby for a secular position. It's the same word and in God's eyes. I don't think it sees any difference.
It's a Priestly role you have in your workplace. It's a Priestly role. A Priestly role and we have about 30 years to do it, right? And the day comes were like I'm glad that's over and maybe we get to retire or change positions a lot of us. Don't retire. We just keep going. And doing other things.
It's the same word the same concept with it being a Priestly environment. Or your workplace you are you might be the only representation of Christ in that job and where to serve everybody around us. We are to work hard have high morals high integrity and uncredible ethics.
Work your land work work work. Amen us pray. Have a great Labor Day weekend father. We thank you today Jesus. I thank you for the gift of work. I thank you for the blessing Board of provision Lord. I think you that were able to Desoto and reap in your kingdom Lord. I thank you Father for the jobs Lord, and I thank you for the jobs that are coming for our people or that want to work for I thank you for the opportunity opportunity to serve in our various position and workplaces Lord, and I'm praying today. I'm praying today and I want you to put your hand on your heart. If you have if you're working and you want to work and you're retired already, God bless you, you have done it and you done amazing.
The Lord anoint as for the place where we're at today annoying us to be the Priestly person you call us to be in the workplace and our retirement. For the call is there. The purpose is there weather.
Wherever that purposes. They were called to serve. We're call to excel we're called to be skillful. We're called to be creative. Recalled to guard what you have given us Lord. So blesses today Lord in end and we honor you with our jobs and we say thank you for employment. We say thank you for your provision, Amen in Jesus name. Amen. Well this morning closing. We're going to have if you guys need prayer for anything. We have a couple people that do praying this morning.
And I want again. Thank you for the worship team how awesome I'm going to come late more often. I was a blessing to walk in and hear the music and just Mike. I was impressed man those creative dudes hitting on that drum and everything going is like the one man band right? He's needed some symbols between his legs and going into it was just amazing. So I was man, I'll tell you what we're blessed here. So amen this morning. Also if you need prayer for anything, and if you need prayer for work, I believe cuz I have experiences that God will open doors for you and your employment for promotion to promote you as you do these steps you be faithful and have integrity your business not everybody else's business. It's your business right and take care of things and serve people. He's going to bless you. so everybody needs prayer for anything this morning about employment or whatever and I have a couple stories that I could share but I haven't got to talk to him yet, but they got David encounter God in miraculous ways with employment and someday we're going to assume we're going to share that and it closed and also we give you the chance to