THE “UM-OK” WORKER
The Bible contains some fine examples of these types of workers. This group really wanted to serve God, but they took an awful lot of persuading and gave many excuses.
The two primary examples or culprits are in no particular order:
Peter in Acts 10
Peter was told by Jesus in Acts 1, that he and his fellow apostles would take the Gospel to the uttermost ends of the world. Why, when the dream happened, did he doubt this?
Peter was a Jew and when faced with anything new or anything that intruded on his Jewishness, he reverted to stereotype. Remember that Paul had to withstand Peter face to face, when he refused to have fellowship with Gentiles for fear of the Jews (Galatians 2:11). Are we like this? When God calls us to a new work, do we revert to our own set ideas and say God couldn’t call me to that place or to that group of people?
For example: God calls you to minister to prostitutes or homosexuals. I understand that their practices are wrong, but Jesus would go to these people and we are to go with the good news of the Gospel. If He called you to this ministry, would you react by saying, “Not those people they are deep sinners and deserve nothing!” We know like Peter that we are called to reach out to every people regardless of race, ethnicity or religion, so why does the Lord have to persuade us to go?.
Moses in Exodus chapter 3-4
Will the real Mr. Excuse stand up? Peter had just one excuse, Moses had four. While part of this was his true belief that he couldn’t do it and “cultural humility,” within an honour/shame context, it was ok until God got to chapter 3 verse 9. Moses must have been going, ‘This is cool’, and then the bombshell exploded, when God said:
“I AM GOING TO SEND YOU MOSES.”
He took the utmost persuading, and he finally went, but God had to reassure and comfort him. These examples show the gracious mercy and patience of God. He doesn’t lose patience with us. He could become angry with us, but God acts in such a gentle way.
Other examples in Scripture include Gideon in Judges 6-7 and the two Sons in Matthew 21:28-31.
THE “I-QUIT” WORKER
“我辞职”的工人
In the NT, there are two examples of people who quit their God given ministry. The first is Demas, who was the Apostle Paul’s companion in ministry, and yet he left him because he loved this present world (2 Timothy 4:10). We are never told if he returned, and this is one of the great unanswered questions of the Bible. We will only know the answer when we get to heaven.
There are many outside the church today who once were immersed in Gospel work. For whatever reason, they are now immersed in the world or apathetic to the Gospel, perhaps because they have been hurt by someone in the church. There are thousands of them. How important it is to keep our heart. Watch out believer, you don’t think you couldn’t be like Demas?
There is another I-Quit Worker in Acts and that is John Mark, in Chapter 13:13, John Mark left Paul and Barnabas, and this later caused the spilt up of Paul and Barnabas. He had seen them work miracles; he had seen the persecution, but it was all too much for Him. He was taken by Barnabas to Cyprus. But that thankfully is not the end of the story.
THE “RETURNING” WORKER
We met John Mark in Acts 13 and at the end of Acts 15. Paul was really upset about John Mark, but he had the true heart of a Pastor and a forgiving and compassionate heart. You remember what he said about Barnabas: ‘Receive Him.’
In his last letter, and indeed in the last chapter he ever writes, he says in 2 Timothy 4:11 that the one person Paul wants Timothy to bring to Him is John Mark. Isn’t that beautiful? Of all the people he could ask for, he asks for him. Look at what he says – John Mark is profitable to Paul for the ministry… isn’t that incredible.
Some time ago, I was an I-Quit worker, but by the grace of God, He brought me back… it’s all down to,
HIS GRACE
HIS MERCY
HIS PATIENCE
HIS LOVE
OH, HOW I LOVE JESUS.. AMEN.
So which type of co-worker are you?
Here are some verses for your consideration
Judges 6-7
Exodus 3-4
Isaiah 6
Romans 10:12-17
Luke 17:10
Nehemiah 1
Isaiah 52:7-15
Ezekiel 33
Philippians 2:5-11
John 13:1-17
Colossians 3
1 Kings 18
God bless you,
Keith