Rev. David Holwick
First Baptist Church
West Lafayette, Ohio
October 13, 1985
The Work of God In Action
Matthew 9:35-38, KJV
The essence of the Christian faith is action. It is easy to miss this point because we place so much emphasis on the inward feelings.
There is nothing wrong with an inward appraisal of our lives. Thursday night the television show 20/20 had a rare interview with the protest singer Bob Dylan. Everyone who was young in the 1960's knows Bob Dylan because he is one of the symbols of that era (and recently he has made a comeback). In 1979 Bob Dylan underwent a dramatic change. Although raised as a Jew, Dylan claimed that he had become a born-again Christian. Some of his later statements have caused people to question this but on the interview he said it was still important to him. When asked why, Dylan said faith helped to make things more clear. It showed him who he was and how he fit into the scheme of things. This is a classic inward approach to Christianity.
The problem is that some believers focus so much on themselves and their own religious feelings they become useless. They grovel in guilt, or even joy, and only focus on their relationship with God. These kind of people are often described as being so heavenly minded they are no earthly good. The end result is spiritual bankruptcy.
Feelings and contemplation have their place but the heart of Christianity is action. It is something you do. If you are a defeated, bored Christian, God wants you to get involved. The work of God has many levels. The very first level is found in John 6:28-29. Turn there.
"Then said they unto him, what shall we do, that we might do the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, this is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."
Salvation is based on faith. You can't work your way into heaven. Many people admire Mother Teresa, a Catholic nun who works in India. It's common to hear her described as a modern saint because of the good she does. Her work is commendable but it won't buy God's favor. Salvation only comes from believing on the one God has sent, Jesus Christ.
It's interesting that faith is called the work God expects. I think this is because faith involves a decision, a decision that ultimately redirects our lives. If you have made a genuine commitment to God, changes must result. James 2:26 says,
"Faith without works is dead."
Therefore our initial action of believing in God must be followed by other actions that please him. We don't do these things to earn his favor but to show him how grateful and genuine we are.
If you want to be involved for God, follow the example of Jesus. Matthew 9:35 gives a good summary of his ministry:
"And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people."
In his service to God, Jesus did four things. Most scholars will tell you he did three things but they're wrong. Here are the four things:
• He went to where the people were [this is the one they miss]
• He taught them
• He preached to them
• He healed them
Properly understood, these make a good outline for the Christian life. First, get involved with other people. They are not going to knock on your door and say, "Show me you are a Christian." You have to go where they are. And don't just hang around other believers. Some of your acquaintances should be blatant pagans. Real scuzzballs. Because if they don't know Christians, how can they hear the gospel?
Once we have reached people, the other three actions come into play. Preaching the gospel is not something limited to seminary graduates. In the New Testament it is something every Christians does. Our problem is that preaching has come to mean a formal, long-winded and boring presentation of gospel facts (which is one reason I'd rather not be called a "preacher"). When laypeople preach, it usually means they nit-pick about your bad habits.
The real meaning is much simpler. Every Christian should be able to share what Jesus means to them. It is gospel, or good news - knowing that we can stand before God with a slate wiped clean and that he will give us power and guidance to live a new kind of life.
Everyone who calls themselves a Christian should be able to explain the gospel to someone else. How about you? At our upcoming revival I hope to see some first-time decisions for Christ. Would you be able to show one of them out of the Bible how to become a Christian? Many church members cannot, which the local Mormons discover every day. Presenting the gospel is more than memorizing a few verses. It should come from the heart and reflect what God has personally done for us.
Another action is teaching. Teaching takes the facts of the gospel and shows how they apply to our lives. The gospel says that Jesus forgives us of our sins. That is a biblical fact. Teaching says that if Jesus forgives us, we should be able to forgive those around us. The gospel can never be limited to righteous-sounding platitudes. If it doesn't affect your life in a concrete way, it is useless.
The best way to teach Christianity is to live it. Many very-knowledgeable Christians have no impact for the Kingdom because of the way they talk and conduct themselves. Make sure your lifestyle is consistent with the message you are sharing.
The final activity is healing which covers a lot of territory. Jesus healed people of physical ailments like leprosy and paralysis. He also healed them emotionally. The prostitute who washed his feet with her hair didn't have a disease. She only had an intense desire and need to be forgiven, and Jesus gave it to her.
Millions of people today are hurting. More than drugs or therapy, they need people who care. Thousands of people have become saved because Christians took the time to help them out. Matthew 9:36 says:
"When Jesus saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them."
The word "compassion" is related to the Greek word for the inner parts of the body. Therefore, it is the kind of love that comes from deep inside you. You can't really love people from a distance. You have to become involved with them. It's the same in a church. Many people love this church. They love the pastor. They are proud of all the activities we have going on. But they don't lift a finger to get involved. Unfortunately, churches can't run on hot air. Someone must get out there and do the work, whether it is witnessing, teaching, organizing or baking cookies.
I feel our church does well in these areas. After conducting a funeral I am amazed on the amount of food our women have available for those families and on short notice. When someone moves, there are always a number of people who help out. And probably best of all are the individual Christians who find someone who is spiritually depressed and they lift them up. I am gratified at the amount of work that is done. This is true across the United States because churches are waking up to their task. But so much more is needed.
In verse 37 Jesus sums up the problem:
"The harvest truly is plentiful but the laborers are few."
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Typed on March 31, 2005, by Sharon Lesko of Ledgewood Baptist Church, New Jersey
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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