Workers In Christ
In Christ • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Over the last several Sunday mornings we have been studying through the theme “In Christ” with the hope and expectation that we could see those verses that demonstrate the desires of God for those of us in Christ whether byway of expectation or blessing.
Today we continue that theme by looking at “Workers In Christ.”
When we obeyed the gospel of our Lord Jesus the Christ we were created into a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) to walk newness of life (Romans 6:5).
Part of that transformation and walk is a new focus on our “job” so to speak.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
When we obey the gospel our entire mindset goes from “self preservation” to “divine promotion.”
In other words our concentration is on that which promotes our God and his word for all those around us.
So, with all that in mind “how can we be good workers in Christ?”
Give It Your All
Give It Your All
All Or Nothing.
All Or Nothing.
Here in America there has been a trend of declining work ethic.
By that I mean more and more people would rather simply “get by” than do an honest day’s work for an honest days pay.
We need look no further than that last stimulus checks wherein people would sit back and get unemployment than return to work even though their work was calling to come back.
We have seen this same trend amongst those in the church as well.
The church is struggling, here in America, like never before because the idea of “giving it your all” is not simply not there.
Yes, I know that times have changed religiously speaking here in America as well, but the same gospel that was prevalent there is prevalent now.
As, I said before one of the great issues is the issue of spiritual work ethic.
Paul would declare to the Colossian church…
23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
I know this is talking about physical labor but if God expects us to “give it our all” physically for him how much more will he expect this of us spiritually!
This same idea “doing our best” is found in 2 Timothy 2:15.
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
Summary
Summary
If we are not giving it our all we have failed to live up to what we were created for “in Christ Jesus.”
We are either “all in” with God and working for him or we are “all out,” there’s no fence straddling spiritually speaking.
That doesn’t mean that everything we do is spiritual, what it means is that everything we do is with the intent of glorify God whether in word or deed.
Something else “putting in 100%” doesn’t mean is that we won’t fail.
Failure is a part of life, even spiritual life, but as long as we are giving it our all we can stay optimistic even in failure.
This means, concerning our work for God, we should…
Be Proud
Be Proud
Satisfaction.
Satisfaction.
One of the reasons the last several generations in America have lost interest in hard work and giving it their all, outside of simply not being taught a good work ethic, is because they no longer know what it means to find satisfaction in accomplishment.
We live in a society that deems “1st place” as a pariah and anyone that suggests “winning” is somehow insensitive to the feelings of others.
This has led whole generations to not knowing what it really means to be grateful of the hard work it takes to accomplish something.
Spiritually speaking we understand we are not to brag about our work for God however, we ought to be…
Glorying In Christ.
Glorying In Christ.
In the book of Romans within the fifteenth chapter we find Paul addressing his work on behalf of the Gentiles and helping them get to heaven by way of the gospel of Christ.
It’s in this discourse Paul declares…
17 Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God.
17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God.
If we continue to look at what he says in the next verse, we read…
18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed,
In Christ, we the workmanship of God, should be proud or satisfied with our work for God.
That isn’t suggesting “we” are the reason for the glory, but that God is working through us as God would have it and there is nothing wrong with being proud to work for God and God through us.
Summary
Summary
Yes, pride can turn to arrogance if placed inward rather than upward but if we are truly working for God, in Christ, then we should be proud of what has been accomplished through us.
Listen we know that godly living (spiritual working) leads to persecution (2 Tim 3:12) and we also know that it is better to suffer for doing good than evil (1 Peter 3:13).
Therefore, let’s be proud of the work and thus suffering we endure in Christ.
Conclusion
Conclusion
To be a “Worker In Christ” means to…
Give everything we have for our Creator, while the day is there and to fill proud and satisfied with a good hard day of spiritual work, giving God the glory.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.