Worth It
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INTRO
INTRO
I worked at McDonalds for WAY to long. However, I can tell you I was the best and fastest cook there. I learned little shortcuts that would make things go a little faster. At one point I could crack 5 eggs at the same time. When cooking burgers on the grill I could time it just perfectly so that at all times the grill was full. I had techniques worked out so that I could put ketchup and mustard on at the same time and could precisely place the pickles perfectly with one hand and the correct amount of onions with the other.
One day it was time for a raises to be handed out and you could either get a nickel, a dime, or a quarter per hour raise. They had the audacity to give me only a nickel while at the same time promoting me to trainer. When I asked why I didn’t get the quarter they had the audacity to tell me I needed to work on my speed.
The next day during a busy lunch I sent everyone in the kitchen on break and brought the kitchen crew of 5 to just me and handled the lunch all by myself. They gave me my quarter.
It was glorious. I was the best.
At some point though. It just wasn’t worth it. The pay wasn’t there. The politics of restaurant just wasn’t worth it. Eventually like the Michael Jordan of McDonald’s, I had to leave. The struggles I had, the hard work I put in, just at some point didn’t matter.
Granted, it was nice being the best. But being the best burger flipper in all of South Carolina simply was not the goal I was after. It just was not enough.
EXP
EXP
However, there is something worth every amount of work. Every struggle, every trial, every bad political decision, every burn on my finger. All of it worth it. But the best burger isn’t the goal, the promotion… nothing. Christ and His mission is the goal.
Sometimes we work hard to show an act of kindness, an act of love, some opportunity for grace and joy and we are slapped in the face. Mostly figuratively and rarely actually. But .... this passage tells us.... about a glory that makes all this stuff worth it.
27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
As we go through this passage, we are going to look at a man who struggled. But while we struggle and work through various things… the hope of Glory is the message.
Christ in You, the Hope of Glory.
Christ in You, the Hope of Glory.
Who Do We Suffer For?
Who Do We Suffer For?
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,
About Paul - found a reason to rejoice in suffering.
He suffered for the sake of the church.
Filling up what is lacking?
His death was sufficient.
There are still struggles
The struggles we go through for the church, are his struggles...
4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
So what we see is the sufferings that we go through for his sake and the sake of His body - the Church - he suffers with us.
For the sake of His body. the church.
Struggles Through Working
Struggles Through Working
Proclaim
Proclaim
We proclaim a warning
We proclaim a lesson
We proclaim because is the warning is headed, and the lesson is learned, we are presented mature
With His Energy
With His Energy
I am not wise enough, strong enough, and present enough.
Only through His Spirit can we accomplish anything.
Remember last week we talked about how in all things Christ is first.
Luke 10
Jesus sends the 72 with a message of peace
Same were going to accept, Some were not.
If they did… awesome. If not.. shake the dust off your feet.
We work with his energy … when we suffer even though we are doing our best, we don’t need to where the pain. It is Christ persecuted. but when there is a return for the labor, what a blessing.
Benefits of the Struggle.
Benefits of the Struggle.
Encouraged hearts v. 2
Those hearts knit together in love v.2
RICHES of understanding (worth more than money or things)
RICHES of the knowledge of Christ (WAY more worth than ANYTHING)
The Minister’s Struggle (not just me)
The Minister’s Struggle (not just me)
When I was 17 I got saved I almost immediately went in the ministry.
It was not easy.
Overcoming fear of speaking.
I’m shy and an introvert called to a job where you have to be an extrovert.
As I pursued ministry, I was often looked down upon because I was too young and by the time I wasn’t, I was too old.
I’ve made choices to pursue Christ in such a way that negatively impacted my life financially.
When you enter the narrow gate and walk the hard path, sometimes it’s lonely.
However, while it has not always been easy, it has always been worth it.
But I Love You
Peace that passes understanding
Joy unspeakable
And above all.... watching His plan work.