KIND OF CHRISTIAN WORKER ARE YOU? part 1
One of our greatest privileges is to serve God. Throughout scripture we have many great examples of true service, and sadly we also find some examples of terrible service.
Let’s outline these examples:
The GO-WORKER
In the Bible, there are many men and women who surrendered to God’s call for ministry。
One that comes to mind is the Apostle Paul.
He went anywhere at any time. He was led by the Spirit, even though sometimes he had to change his own plans. You can read what happened in Acts 16.
But the ultimate Go person is the Lord Jesus. He came to us, He laid down His life despising the shame of the cross (Hebrews 12:12), despite all the ridicule he suffered. He hid His glory in human flesh. Remember… the angels of heaven are continually praising Him day and night. He laid aside all of those privileges to come to earth.
We always say the Gospel is good news; indeed, it is the best news anyone can give to another person. It is the remedy for man’s deepest problem, and that is SIN.
So what are the first two letters of the word GOSPEL,they are G O = GO.
We aren’t all called to be evangelists and pastors, but we are all called to be witnesses to our Savior. Let me remind you that the first apostles were mostly fishermen – not highly educated, but filled with a passion for Christ.
They had to, like Peter, tell people what they had seen and heard. It was like a Holy compulsion; they couldn’t help themselves. Look at what the Apostles said in Acts 4:20: “We can only tell what we have seen and heard.”
Let us be always be prepared to Go. I was never expecting to be sent to China. You may be surprised to see where the Lord sends you. I was surprised and so was Peter. Look at where God sent him too – to the Gentiles! Who did he use… a confirmed Jew, who had no time for the Gentiles.
The CO WORKER
Although all of us are called to share the gospel, there are many Christians who can’t go to far off places for some reason or another – maybe because of age, disability or family commitments.
In 2 Thess chapter 3:1, Paul says these final words to the church:
‘Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you.’
Every missionary in the field, every Go worker has thousands of co-workers or more importantly prayer partners or/and supporters.
The greatest example of this is in Exodus 17. Joshua was the Go worker. He was in the valley fighting the battle, but it was Moses up on the mount who was the powerful one. Battles in the Christian life are not won anywhere else but in the prayer closet. It was Moses who won the victory through prayer, not Joshua through carnal weapons. When Moses let down his arms the enemy prevailed; when he lifted them up with others help, God’s people won.
The same is the case with the Church, when the church has a focus on prayer. The Church moves forward in power. When it lets down its prayer guard the enemy advances.
There are many wonderful believers who cover me and Helen in prayer, our deepest thanks to you.
If you pray for others involved in any ministry, you are a vital part of that ministry. If you do that for us, you are such a partner with us as we share the gospel.
Prayer is paramount. Amen.
The ‘OH I DIDN’T KNOW’ WORKER (Mr/MS/MRS SLEEPY)
There are many in the church today who are like this. I have met lots of them, so have you.
These are the people who will say things like this
‘Well I didn’t know about that need in the church’.
‘It’s in Africa, so it doesn’t affect me’.
Or the ones who say this and this makes my blood boil:
“Why should I pray for the persecuted church, persecution doesn’t happen in the West.”
My answer to the last one is it will come, so watch out. We need to be informed; all Christian workers need to know what is happening in the world. We need to be aware of needs of workers out in the field.
Don’t close your mind and just live comfortably in isolation. Awake, Christian, and be informed.
THE WOE WORKER
One of the greatest chapters in the Bible is Isaiah 6.
Before any person can be a worker for God, he has to have an experience of God’s glory.
Please note that Isaiah says these words:
5 Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
It was only after saying these words that God commissioned Isaiah, so then God could say these words:
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then said I, ‘Here am I; send me.’
Moses also saw the glory of God, and then he was called.
If we are to serve God, then we have to see our Sin, we have to “see” (though not the same way as Moses and Isaiah did), the glory of God.
It is only when we say ‘Woe is me’, like Isaiah did, that God can say ‘GO’. We have to come to the end of our own effort and strength, so let God’s strength and power take over.
Every true Christian worker has had moments like Isaiah and Moses had. They saw God in His glory and knew they were sinners in the hands of a holy God.
Isaiah and Paul recognized the holiness of God and understood that they were lost sinners without Him, His grace and His forgiveness. This was their “woe” moment!
Have you had a ‘WOE’ moment like Isaiah and Moses had or even like the Apostle Paul had on the road to Damascus? Before you can be a GO worker you need to have your ‘WOE’ moment.
THE “NO” WORKER
We have a wonderful illustration in the Bible in the small OT book of Jonah. Here is the prime example of a “No” worker:
He was called to go to Nineveh, which was the enemy of Israel. What did he do? He disobeyed God and ran in the opposite direction. I’m sure none of us have ever done anything like Jonah did!
You realise that God didn’t pass Jonah’s calling on to someone else. He could easily give the job to another prophet, but He pursued Jonah. If God has called you to do a work, and you have run from it or are in the process of running from it, God will never let up. Whatever direction you take and what means you take, as they say, “You can run but you can’t hide.” especially from God.
Even after preaching in Nineveh, Jonah was unhappy that the whole city repented. Jonah was still saying “No.” Have you ever done that? Maybe you have served God in some area, but you have become bitter and angry like Jonah and told God He shouldn’t have acted like He did.
How many of us in Christian service are saying ‘No’ to how God acts? Are we like Jonah in chapter 4 verse 1? Jonah was angry and very displeased. Why?
People had repented. The whole city was transformed, and yet this sulking prophet was saying “NO” and telling the Lord what HE should and shouldn’t do.
How dare we do anything like this? Let’s remember it’s the Lord who gives the orders; we are here to carry out His instructions.