[SPEAKER_00]: Let's all now turn.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Matthew chapter 11 verse 28.
[SPEAKER_00]: The 11th chapter Matthew verse 28, and she could please stand on the reading of God's word.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you don't have the ability to go meaning you're not feeling well or whatever I understand that, but it says that Matthew chapter 11 verse 28,
[SPEAKER_00]: All you, let me say it again, come to me.
[SPEAKER_00]: All you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.
[SPEAKER_00]: God bless and honor greeting of his word and you may be seated.
[SPEAKER_00]: Do the 28th.
[SPEAKER_00]: June the 28th, 1894, Congress passed and act making the first Monday and September of each year at Legal Holiday Labor Day.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now they had been different people in New York and other places have been celebrating this for about nine years at the time, even wanting to make it.
[SPEAKER_00]: They didn't want just New York.
[SPEAKER_00]: New York was the first one, and then other places, they wanted to celebrate people who worked in work hard.
[SPEAKER_00]: It all started.
[SPEAKER_00]: it was brought to us by two men.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're not related.
[SPEAKER_00]: The names are spelled different, but they sound very similar.
[SPEAKER_00]: Matthew McGuire and Peter Mick Gyer sounds similar done in 1882.
[SPEAKER_00]: Peter McGuyer said, the General Hall Day for laboring classes were to honor those who from rude nature, rude doesn't mean being mean, means from a natural causes.
[SPEAKER_00]: From nude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.
[SPEAKER_00]: He was a secretary of a carpentry.
[SPEAKER_00]: and he was involved with Carpandree and he was also involved with these people who thought that they should have a union for people who work.
[SPEAKER_00]: And they believed that there should be a holiday representing these people who work for a living and did a lot of handy work that made our lives better and they're right.
[SPEAKER_00]: People work hard.
[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes people work so very hard, so not as physically, sometimes it's not.
[SPEAKER_00]: But people work, and they want to have a day to celebrate this, and so they made it a
[SPEAKER_00]: national holiday.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it started when, 89 before.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it started almost exactly 100 years before I graduated.
[SPEAKER_00]: But that being said, it was 1894.
[SPEAKER_00]: It became a national thing.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it was a day of labor.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that is the title today, sir, and day of labor.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now we all labor.
[SPEAKER_00]: We all work.
[SPEAKER_00]: And one way or another.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now not everybody does.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now days you look at it.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a lot of people who don't ever want to work.
[SPEAKER_00]: But they definitely want to get their money.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are people who want to work, they want to get money for nothing.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, when I was a kid, there was a lot of people who talked about working, and they would talk about wanting something for nothing.
[SPEAKER_00]: In fact, there was a song I always enjoyed from Hughie Lewis.
[SPEAKER_00]: It said, working for a living, living in a work, and I enjoyed that song very much.
[SPEAKER_00]: In fact, it was even on the movie Big.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if you ever saw that with song names.
[SPEAKER_00]: But that was a good movie.
[SPEAKER_00]: I enjoyed that song.
[SPEAKER_00]: That was a great great song.
[SPEAKER_00]: They work hard for the money.
[SPEAKER_00]: You remember that song they I enjoyed that song.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a lot of things about work and I think There's something great about working now.
[SPEAKER_00]: I I hate that I've gotten to a point physically speaking I can't work like I used to I physically can't work if I and I in my mind I'm gonna work hard today I go to get up and then might be I get dizzy and I start having problems like I can't do it like I want's good It's annoying and I remember as a kid my grandpa talk about it and then you look like all I was never gonna happen to me
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, that's a joke.
[SPEAKER_00]: But either way, people do work hard.
[SPEAKER_00]: They labor, they work hard, and we, some people have a mission when they work hard to do a job well, so people don't.
[SPEAKER_00]: So what jobs have you had?
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm only gonna go with mine and go through some of the jobs.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not talking about being employed necessarily, but some people have jobs to go through.
[SPEAKER_00]: So what jobs have you had?
[SPEAKER_00]: What labor has have you done?
[SPEAKER_00]: What work have you done or do?
[SPEAKER_00]: And what positions have you held?
[SPEAKER_00]: These are not all the same thing, although they make sound like it.
[SPEAKER_00]: So what jobs have you had with me?
[SPEAKER_00]: I started babysitting before I ever held a position at a place.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I started babysitting, but you said a lot for a long time.
[SPEAKER_00]: Then I had, I worked in McDonald's down here, and then I started drawing caricatures.
[SPEAKER_00]: I became a caricature artist at World of Fund for a Time.
[SPEAKER_00]: Then I started, and I did that in other places too.
[SPEAKER_00]: Still do once a great, well, then I started working at a daycare center for a while.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then the last job I had outside of the church, the last job I had was
[SPEAKER_00]: I was doing child care while I am CA for a time for a couple of years.
[SPEAKER_00]: Then, believe it or not, for a very short time, I'm on for a week or two.
[SPEAKER_00]: I made false teeth, I made false teeth at a place out of a porcelain, porcelain false teeth.
[SPEAKER_00]: That was an interesting thing.
[SPEAKER_00]: Look at my teeth.
[SPEAKER_00]: Can you tell?
[SPEAKER_00]: Anyway, uh, then, uh, for a while, I've been plastic items down here in North Kansas City, Regal Plastic, it was called.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's why I was that one guy told me I was going to be a pastor.
[SPEAKER_00]: Either way, I was working there and then I also got groceries at Sam's Club.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I did a lot of things at Sam's Club.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was there for six years.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was, I stopped groceries.
[SPEAKER_00]: I worked in the daytime welcoming people at the door.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was also a janitor there.
[SPEAKER_00]: I did a
[SPEAKER_00]: I was an illustrator on quite a few books.
[SPEAKER_00]: I have done things like that.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've been a holiday character for different people.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've also was a McDonald's character.
[SPEAKER_00]: I also painted on windows.
[SPEAKER_00]: In fact, you don't remember any op movie theater?
[SPEAKER_00]: I had painted windows there, painted some McDonald's and other places.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would hunch back and order down, came out, I painted on those windows.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was fun.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was a church janitor for a while and I'd done a lot more.
[SPEAKER_00]: A lot of fun things.
[SPEAKER_00]: You've probably right now thinking a bunch of jobs you've done.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's a lot of fun.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've done more than that.
[SPEAKER_00]: We, you recall, you might remember times that you did tours at home.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you made a little bit of allowance.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you did.
[SPEAKER_00]: But we did tours at home.
[SPEAKER_00]: You remember?
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm sure you do.
[SPEAKER_00]: What labor have you done?
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, I remember cleaning up bathrooms.
[SPEAKER_00]: I did a lot of that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Done in many additions.
[SPEAKER_00]: Some was being poisoned, wasn't.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mold lots of lawns.
[SPEAKER_00]: I cleaned up vomit many at times.
[SPEAKER_00]: In that fun cleaned up a lot of vomit.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, lots of fun.
[SPEAKER_00]: Did that at McDonald's, McDonald's, I'm fun.
[SPEAKER_00]: Chains died of a ha, countless amounts of diapers are playing change, you know.
[SPEAKER_00]: Burke, many of babies come for to many others and many times built up all those around.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we've turned down the instructions in your home.
[SPEAKER_00]: Many of you have done that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Many of you have changed diapers.
[SPEAKER_00]: Many of you have built up your homes and gotten rid of the destruction within your homes.
[SPEAKER_00]: Many of you mothers, many of you father's had to do this, many of you had to cook, many of you had to clean, many of you have had probably have delivered newspapers or maybe male.
[SPEAKER_00]: Many of you have maybe helped others when you've gone to Walmart and all you've done was you looked at someone, you could tell they weren't doing well and God used you for that moment and you had a job to do your job, all you didn't get paid for, at least not in a sense of money.
[SPEAKER_00]: But what you did do at that very moment, you were used to do a job and your job was to bring a little bit of cheer.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe just by smiling at them and waving, maybe if you've ever done that, when you're at a doctor's office and there's a little baby who looks up at you,
[SPEAKER_00]: and gives you those great big guys and you smile at them and they wave, you see, our job is in always the kind and we just paid for monetarily.
[SPEAKER_00]: What labor have you done?
[SPEAKER_00]: We already talked about that now.
[SPEAKER_00]: What work have you done or do?
[SPEAKER_00]: What types of work are your job as your home?
[SPEAKER_00]: What kind of talent do you have?
[SPEAKER_00]: What kind of hobbies or chores?
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you're never gonna know.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you do chores at home, cleaning up stuff and not very fun.
[SPEAKER_00]: taking care of your city 50 year old son sometimes I don't know maybe sometimes you've helped others you weren't even aware just by walking in and saying hi you may have lifted up their day maybe you may have made their life worth living for that very moment it could very well be that you've taught children a school
[SPEAKER_00]: And it could very well be that you helped them when their parents were helping them at home and you didn't know about it.
[SPEAKER_00]: It could very well be that you were the light of Christ by that.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, Christ was shining through you to them.
[SPEAKER_00]: And they don't get that love at home.
[SPEAKER_00]: It could very well be that you were going to gas station.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it could very well be at that moment.
[SPEAKER_00]: You're being kind of them.
[SPEAKER_00]: You don't know.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've been watching a show about a guy in Canada actually.
[SPEAKER_00]: who's a, uh, works at a gas station, and of course it's a comedy.
[SPEAKER_00]: But the great thing about it is, because sometimes people, or they're in small towns, big towns, whatever, people can help others that they don't even know they're doing it at the time.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's because our job might be not what we do for the money, but a position that guys put us in, we don't even know it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, a position to have you held or do you hold right now?
[SPEAKER_00]: It could be in your job that you've been, uh, uh, uh, uh, manager.
[SPEAKER_00]: I remember that they would have other positions, and they would have different names depending on where you're at.
[SPEAKER_00]: They might call you a captain or a co- captain or something other silly thing to just basically means a lieutenant.
[SPEAKER_00]: Someone who's not a manager, but close, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Or on their way to management.
[SPEAKER_00]: Or maybe you were a team leader, that's something they sometimes stand upon you, a team leader, someone who's got to work a lot and I get paid for it basically.
[SPEAKER_00]: Or get 50 cents more than everyone else.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you were just someone who helped the others and you wanted to strengthen them.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you were who knows what, but it doesn't matter.
[SPEAKER_00]: You were someone there and you helped other people.
[SPEAKER_00]: Or maybe you're just there for the money.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know.
[SPEAKER_00]: God can use you in ways that you don't even know, why am I working here?
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, sometimes we just need to be quiet, be grateful that God gives that job, allow us to be there.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe he wants us to go somewhere else, or it might be, but we forget that we were gripping that we didn't have a job before we got there.
[SPEAKER_00]: It might very well be that God put us there and can use us.
[SPEAKER_00]: to reach others.
[SPEAKER_00]: In other words, God reached them through us.
[SPEAKER_00]: But we forget that, and we don't behave in the way we should.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I'm not just talking about at your position of employment.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm talking about sometimes in your family.
[SPEAKER_00]: But sometimes we drive so much.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we don't behave like a Christian so much that we forget that we can't be used because we're not allowing ourselves to be used to be a person in the labors for the world.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's take a look at Proverbs chapter 14, verse 23.
[SPEAKER_00]: Proverbs 1423 says, in all labor, there is profit.
[SPEAKER_00]: But mere talk leads only to poverty.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now I've suffered this way.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, have all the plans in the world.
[SPEAKER_00]: Today I'm gonna do this and today I'm gonna do that.
[SPEAKER_00]: I got all the plans in the world, but you know what?
[SPEAKER_00]: planning and doing are two different things.
[SPEAKER_00]: Procrastination, oh my goodness, I've procrastinated so many times.
[SPEAKER_00]: There is an old song about like from the shit from the old.
[SPEAKER_00]: Park, I guess they show, that's not right, from the park of Epcot Center, it's a Disney park, and they usually have the songs called Imagination, and I've changed the words to before whatever I'm kind of getting on myself, and I say per-crash donation, per-crash donation, because you're getting nothing done, from per-crashinating, you have to get up and get the kick and I say, you're getting nothing done if you won't do it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Second Thessalonians chapter three verse 10.
[SPEAKER_00]: For when we were with you, for when we were with you, we commanded you that if any will not work, neither shall, e, e. There's an old story.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you remember it, never over the hand.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it was a pity hand or whatever name.
[SPEAKER_00]: I remember that she said, if you shall not work, you shall not eat.
[SPEAKER_00]: In fact, that was the first time Donald Duck showed up on the old cartoons of Disney.
[SPEAKER_00]: And he was spoken literally.
[SPEAKER_00]: And because he wasn't getting any food, well, he was so loved that he, as you know, Donald Duck started around.
[SPEAKER_00]: You don't see much with any pity anymore.
[SPEAKER_00]: But,
[SPEAKER_00]: You see what happens is if you don't work, you won't eat.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's a lesson from the Bible first before it's ever on any kind of little fairy tale.
[SPEAKER_00]: You have to work to eat.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, we're not talking about someone who has physical issues, who can't do things.
[SPEAKER_00]: We're talking about someone who won't do things.
[SPEAKER_00]: And there's a difference.
[SPEAKER_00]: people who won't work, who won't do these things.
[SPEAKER_00]: First Timothy 5-8, first Timothy chapter 5, or say, what does it say in first Timothy 5-8?
[SPEAKER_00]: But if any do not care for their own, this is not just to men, about no many of men who are lazy bums,
[SPEAKER_00]: who will not stay with your children, will not stay with the women, will not be with them.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's want to say it.
[SPEAKER_00]: But if any do not care for their own, especially for those of their own house, they have denied the faith,
[SPEAKER_00]: and are worse than unbelievers.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's talking to the Christians here, Paul is.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's saying, you need to be like Christ and provide free family.
[SPEAKER_00]: Again, we're not talking about those who have physical conditions and cannot physically work, but for those who will not, I've known so many people, some who call them suspicions.
[SPEAKER_00]: First of all, living out of wedlock and doing what they did, because the woman to be expecting, and then leaving her and saying, oh, not going to do it, not going to have it.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then the lady will, well, if you want to power a lady, will abort the child and say, well, because he wouldn't help me.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, first of all, two rounds don't make it right.
[SPEAKER_00]: Three rounds don't make a left.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I'm going to tell you something else, making excuses for doing what you're doing, is it going to
[SPEAKER_00]: Here's the question, what missions do you have?
[SPEAKER_00]: What calling has got put on your life?
[SPEAKER_00]: First of all, to be obedient to Him, to ask Him into your heart, and be obedient to His word.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you know Him will work, but do all of your work for God, first, then to man and everyone else after.
[SPEAKER_00]: Don't behave like the unbelievers.
[SPEAKER_00]: So every Christian has a calling.
[SPEAKER_00]: Every Christian has a job.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've known many who said, I don't have a calling.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know my calling.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, it's one thing to say, you don't know your calling.
[SPEAKER_00]: Start praying.
[SPEAKER_00]: Start studying.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Holy Spirit will show you.
[SPEAKER_00]: But if you're disobedient, you're disobedient or not listen to his voice.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not the Holy Spirit.
[SPEAKER_00]: Of course you're not going to know your calling.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you don't know his voice, how would you know what he's telling you to do?
[SPEAKER_00]: If you don't understand him, how are you going to know him?
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, a moment ago, I mentioned that there's some fathers to abandon their family and abandon their home.
[SPEAKER_00]: That child sadly doesn't know their dad.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, how many children of God have a ban in their father?
[SPEAKER_00]: And they don't know his voice, because they don't listen to him.
[SPEAKER_00]: They don't know him.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're not with him.
[SPEAKER_00]: How are they going to recognize his voice?
[SPEAKER_00]: And they never really know him.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not talking about not being saved.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm about don't spend time with him.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I know when you're a young Christian, you're just getting to know, you're getting to understand.
[SPEAKER_00]: But when you've been saved for a 10 years, you shouldn't still be gone.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, I just don't know.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know,
[SPEAKER_00]: or you should know more than you do, one way or another.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, so what is your calling?
[SPEAKER_00]: What is the position God wants you to do?
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, just read something.
[SPEAKER_00]: We talked about the positions.
[SPEAKER_00]: You're in the church.
[SPEAKER_00]: We had to be his name with Paul people to do different things and we've asked him to do it and they've accepted it or they haven't, but most of the time they do.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we've asked him to do these different things.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's wonderful.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's so nice that people want to help in the church and they should.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we all have callings.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, I'm going to go to told you about a lot of the different jobs I had, different things I've done.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, again, I'm going to go back to that.
[SPEAKER_00]: By the way, this is not a pat filled up on the back thing.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't care about that.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to tell you about a lot of the positions I've had in the church.
[SPEAKER_00]: I probably are forgetting about a few because it has been since I was five years old since I've been in a moment of truth by my bad with church.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I've had different positions of things I've done, but just like I mentioned last week, how Jesus calls every Christian into God's army, God also calls everyone to do something in the church.
[SPEAKER_00]: Whether it's you being, I'm not gonna say a few warmer because that's not true.
[SPEAKER_00]: He calls you to be a worshipper.
[SPEAKER_00]: He calls you to do other things and to help people when you can when he calls you to your attention to help, you should help.
[SPEAKER_00]: When we're another help, be there.
[SPEAKER_00]: And for a pity, sake, I've known people before who don't ever want to help, but yet they certainly want to gripe about those who are serving.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we can't do that.
[SPEAKER_00]: We can't do that or we shouldn't do that.
[SPEAKER_00]: So what things have had done?
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, at first,
[SPEAKER_00]: have a soul once again, insecure, felt so poorly of myself.
[SPEAKER_00]: I thought I can't do anything.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you felt that way.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you feel that way now.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not good enough.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, you're not going to be good enough if you don't try.
[SPEAKER_00]: You remember when you went to school for the first time?
[SPEAKER_00]: And you were in the kindergarten.
[SPEAKER_00]: Anyone ever been in the kindergarten?
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know anyone.
[SPEAKER_00]: Is there a good kindergarten?
[SPEAKER_00]: about you little one.
[SPEAKER_00]: She just started kidding guard.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, she's sweet.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I went into kidding guard.
[SPEAKER_00]: I didn't know anything.
[SPEAKER_00]: I didn't know how to write my name, didn't know my alphabet's very well.
[SPEAKER_00]: I knew a little bit because of Sesame Street.
[SPEAKER_00]: I knew a little bit of a mom set with me and taught me.
[SPEAKER_00]: I knew very little, but I didn't know my ABC's very well, didn't know my one, two, three's very well.
[SPEAKER_00]: One thing I didn't know how to do is eat grand crackers and drink orange juice.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was real good at that.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I knew how to take a broth across the head, thank you, Seth.
[SPEAKER_00]: I knew how to do that real well.
[SPEAKER_00]: But what happened was I wasn't too good at it, but after a while, I started learning.
[SPEAKER_00]: I started learning how to do everything.
[SPEAKER_00]: I bet you the same way.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's how we are as Christians.
[SPEAKER_00]: At first, we may not know how to serve.
[SPEAKER_00]: But after a while, you get better.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, I started off, or leave it or not, I've done many things.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've been a janitor at the church.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I started off working in the nursery.
[SPEAKER_00]: I worked with the nursery that I became nursery director for a small time.
[SPEAKER_00]: Then I became a son of school teacher, didn't want to do any of this.
[SPEAKER_00]: Didn't want to be a son of school teacher.
[SPEAKER_00]: Didn't want to be a janitor, didn't want to be a janitor, didn't want to be a nursery director, didn't think I could do it.
[SPEAKER_00]: When I became a tennis school teacher, I taught every age available three times.
[SPEAKER_00]: I started off with the toddlers, you know, in a little more and a little more and every time my dad had a safe son, I think he not want to go up a little bit.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, I was like, oh, I can't.
[SPEAKER_00]: I can't.
[SPEAKER_00]: That said, I know, I know you think you can't.
[SPEAKER_00]: But we need someone now to teach the eight-year-olds, and then to ten-year-olds in there, and we got to junior high and then, you know, a little more.
[SPEAKER_00]: The point of all this was to say that God kept using my father to push me a little harder.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I didn't want to.
[SPEAKER_00]: I can't.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, I kind of forget to my dad would remind me, I want to say that about the nursery.
[SPEAKER_00]: I want to say that about the elementary.
[SPEAKER_00]: I want to say that about this and that.
[SPEAKER_00]: God doesn't say that.
[SPEAKER_00]: He did the same thing with Moses.
[SPEAKER_00]: He did the same thing with David and others.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, I can't.
[SPEAKER_00]: But God said, do.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you do, God will make you a little stronger, a little smarter, a little better.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's how we have to do.
[SPEAKER_00]: So when we go into our, to the works of labor, we have to do a little more than we did before.
[SPEAKER_00]: Before long, I was a youth helper.
[SPEAKER_00]: and then we started children's church.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was a children's church minister.
[SPEAKER_00]: I once was a beacon, believe it or not, for a short time here.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was for a couple years.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was a beacon here.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was a substitute to most roles in the church.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've been a substitute of some sort.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't so many more things, and I can remember, and yes, eventually I was passed.
[SPEAKER_00]: But the point of this is not to say, look what Philip did, except to say, look what you can do.
[SPEAKER_00]: you may not believe it, but you can do almost anything.
[SPEAKER_00]: I know many of you who said who when we asked if you would help with the praying, or if we help, can you please help with taking up the offering?
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, I don't know if I can do that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, could you please help when never comes to filling in at the pulpit here when leading singing?
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, I can't sing.
[SPEAKER_00]: I can't do that.
[SPEAKER_00]: but when you're willing and you start to do it, God can use you because it really isn't about your ability, but the ability of God and you're okay.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, if you don't have the physical ability to sing, God's not going to call you to sing.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you're not suddenly going to go sound and oh, if you're this and suddenly you're going to suddenly, oh, it's not going to happen, but but
[SPEAKER_00]: At the same time, if you have a willingness to serve God will take the ability he's given you and he'll make them tremendous.
[SPEAKER_00]: Because God is not going to ask you to do something, he didn't give you the ability and prepare you to do.
[SPEAKER_00]: I only assumed I didn't have the ability to be a pastor.
[SPEAKER_00]: Even though he told me 30 years ago, same with Moses.
[SPEAKER_00]: Most assumed he didn't have those abilities, but he did.
[SPEAKER_00]: Whatever God calls you to do, I must be willing to do.
[SPEAKER_00]: You must be willing to do.
[SPEAKER_00]: We must not ignore.
[SPEAKER_00]: We must not let the insecurities lead us.
[SPEAKER_00]: We must not let our thoughts lead us as if we are God over God himself.
[SPEAKER_00]: We cannot do that.
[SPEAKER_00]: We must let our callings be the one that does the labor for us.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let the Lord God do the labor through us.
[SPEAKER_00]: Not ourselves, put ourselves above God.
[SPEAKER_00]: If He's called us, we must do it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, you have a choice.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can either listen to that or not.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's up to you.
[SPEAKER_00]: If God has called you to do it, we need to do it.
[SPEAKER_00]: We need to be like those Bible workers that I just mentioned.
[SPEAKER_00]: And there's a whole slew.
[SPEAKER_00]: I could go through every single book.
[SPEAKER_00]: knowing that we've had over 40 riders, about 44, 44 riders, Moses and Dave and then Samson, many of them who probably thought they couldn't.
[SPEAKER_00]: Some of them did think that giddy and for instance, and Judges, giddy and thought he could do it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Moses thought he could do it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Many, many, many others.
[SPEAKER_00]: I can't, Jeremiah, many others thought I couldn't do it.
[SPEAKER_00]: And guess what, on their own, true.
[SPEAKER_00]: But God used them anyway, because greater is He who's in me as I say.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'll have to first stop for four.
[SPEAKER_00]: Greater is He who's in me, and He that dirty little rat Satan who's out the world.
[SPEAKER_00]: Amen.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's okay to Amen, Satan being a dirty little rat.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's a stinky little snot.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's a little moldy nothing.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you ever see mold and disgust and filth and a piece of disgusting filthy, wretched gum on the bottom of your shoe, that's like the devil just wipe it off of you.
[SPEAKER_00]: We've done with it.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it may trash and flush it if you must.
[SPEAKER_00]: Just know that you shouldn't keep them around the all-time.
[SPEAKER_00]: Making you feel worse than you already feel.
[SPEAKER_00]: And Amen, do that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Proverbs 163, Proverbs chapter 16 verse 3 says, commit your works to the Lord, commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'll say again, commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.
[SPEAKER_00]: Proverbs 90,
[SPEAKER_00]: Proverbs 90 verse 17, let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us and establish the work of our hands among us.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, establish the work of our hands.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Lord God, this is, I want to see Moses speaking this, if I'm not mistaken.
[SPEAKER_00]: Moses knew.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let God establish our hands to do the things of the Lord God.
[SPEAKER_00]: God can do the things for you.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I mentioned before that God used my dad to build the churches up to do things.
[SPEAKER_00]: It wasn't my father.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was the Lord through my father.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are people who do things on their own and it falls flat.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are people who've even built churches, but they do it with the wrong spirit, the wrong heart and eventually it falls flat.
[SPEAKER_00]: But if you do the things that God calls you to do, it can be done.
[SPEAKER_00]: Don't look at what you can and cannot do physically.
[SPEAKER_00]: Look at what God could do through you.
[SPEAKER_00]: First Corinthians chapter 10.
[SPEAKER_00]: First Corinthians chapter 10, 31.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is a good one.
[SPEAKER_00]: First Corinthians chapter 10, 31.
[SPEAKER_00]: Therefore, whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now I know right now,
[SPEAKER_00]: You might think, pastor, my job isn't much.
[SPEAKER_00]: All I do is work at a grocery store or a gas station or all I do is all I do is stay at home because I'm retired.
[SPEAKER_00]: All I do is watch my grandchildren from time to time or pastor, I have it working so long.
[SPEAKER_00]: Gustal has a job for you that may not be a kind of job.
[SPEAKER_00]: You go to or it might be a job that you might think is not much or maybe you deliver trash or whatever it is I'm here to tell you.
[SPEAKER_00]: God has a position for you.
[SPEAKER_00]: You just don't know what it is.
[SPEAKER_00]: Follow him and he'll show you.
[SPEAKER_00]: And God can use whatever position you're in to his glory.
[SPEAKER_00]: Whatever thing you do, whatever thing you do, maybe you're a teacher and you're thinking, but I'm not allowed to speak about God.
[SPEAKER_00]: That doesn't mean he can't use you in the position you're in to let his glory be seen.
[SPEAKER_00]: God can do all things.
[SPEAKER_00]: Is there anything God can't do when it comes to his glory and to his will?
[SPEAKER_00]: No, his glory can always be seen.
[SPEAKER_00]: There aren't some things he doesn't do and can't do and that is he can't lie.
[SPEAKER_00]: And you can't go against his will.
[SPEAKER_00]: So if it's God's will for you to be there, his God's will for to use you there.
[SPEAKER_00]: Amen.
[SPEAKER_00]: Christian, what is your job?
[SPEAKER_00]: Now I could say what are the gifts that he's giving you but they're doing it over life, you know.
[SPEAKER_00]: What is your calling?
[SPEAKER_00]: The calling from God, if it's calling from God, it can and will do the will he's giving to you.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've recently mentioned, you know, be in a preacher and all and I've mentioned all that.
[SPEAKER_00]: But listen, when it says, I told you, I did think I could do all that.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I mentioned this when I was talking about becoming a preacher.
[SPEAKER_00]: But listen to Philippians 413, I can do all things because of Christ who strengthens me.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's not what you think you can do, it's not even what you can do, but what Christ or
[SPEAKER_00]: I like what Jesus himself said in Luke 137.
[SPEAKER_00]: For with God, nothing will be impossible.
[SPEAKER_00]: Keep in mind at the time, people thought different things, it's not gonna be done.
[SPEAKER_00]: God's not gonna say, Son, God can't do it.
[SPEAKER_00]: But with God, nothing will be impossible.
[SPEAKER_00]: Nothing.
[SPEAKER_00]: God's will will be done.
[SPEAKER_00]: Here's the question.
[SPEAKER_00]: Do your work save you?
[SPEAKER_00]: Because when people start talking about work, say, off the time, say, what do I do?
[SPEAKER_00]: What is it I have done?
[SPEAKER_00]: What is it that I am doing as a Christian?
[SPEAKER_00]: Because many times people say, I need to do this or I'm not going to have it.
[SPEAKER_00]: You've heard that many times, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: My work saved me or they don't.
[SPEAKER_00]: Do your work saved you.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now I'm going to be honest with you.
[SPEAKER_00]: Many of ministers, many of preachers, many of pastors, even.
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll tell you that it does.
[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes they do that to get your money, to be honest.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I still love them.
[SPEAKER_00]: I just don't love what they say, they're lying to you.
[SPEAKER_00]: It might be that they're ignorant, and they don't know.
[SPEAKER_00]: It might be that they're telling you what they think is correct.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm trying to give them the benefit of the doubt.
[SPEAKER_00]: Because some people believe you can lose your salvation.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're wrong, but I want time was ignorant of some of those things myself.
[SPEAKER_00]: But this one says, well, I got a couple of things I'm going to retake before we move on to the very last part.
[SPEAKER_00]: This one says, and Ephesians chapter two, eight through 10.
[SPEAKER_00]: And this is important to know.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't care what age you are.
[SPEAKER_00]: And sport and know these things.
[SPEAKER_00]: And this is not a excuse to do whatever you want to do because you want your salvation.
[SPEAKER_00]: No, no, no, no.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's what it says, your future is two, eight through 10.
[SPEAKER_00]: For by grace, you have been saved through faith.
[SPEAKER_00]: And this is not of yourselves.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is the gift of God.
[SPEAKER_00]: I say that a lot of wrong Christmas and things.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's important to know, it's the greatest gift you'll ever receive.
[SPEAKER_00]: It goes on to say a verse nine of Ephesians 2, not of works so that no one should boast.
[SPEAKER_00]: for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.
[SPEAKER_00]: What's God prepared beforehand so that we should walk in them?
[SPEAKER_00]: What does that mean?
[SPEAKER_00]: God prepared us before hand.
[SPEAKER_00]: No, God prepared the works of salvation so that we should walk in the works of salvation so that we should walk, walk like a man of God, talk like a man of God.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know that song, walk like a man, talk like a man.
[SPEAKER_00]: No, walk like a man of God, talk like a man of God.
[SPEAKER_00]: Be like a man of God.
[SPEAKER_00]: You don't have to be in falsetto to sing that, okay?
[SPEAKER_00]: Do these things for the Lord?
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's turn the James, James chapter two, and James chapter three, go to James chapter two first.
[SPEAKER_00]: James chapter two, verse 19 through 26.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now many times people will look at James,
[SPEAKER_00]: And then think he's saying that you have to do these things or you need a salvation.
[SPEAKER_00]: He gets used.
[SPEAKER_00]: By the way, you already know that's the told you it's probably noodles of times.
[SPEAKER_00]: I have no idea how many James being the brother of Jesus.
[SPEAKER_00]: But James is not saying you could lose your salvation.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's saying you need to have works, works without Jesus or nothing.
[SPEAKER_00]: But Jesus without works or nothing.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, why is he saying this?
[SPEAKER_00]: He's saying the proof is in the pudding.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's what he's saying.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's saying there's a change in someone.
[SPEAKER_00]: If I was to tell you that I'm using weight and I'm working on it, but if I was to tell you that every day I go to the gym, which I'm not at this point, can't physically right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: But if I was to say to you right now, every day I'm going to the gym, and every day I'm working out for four hours in a row, and every day I'm counting my calories, and every day blah, blah, blah, blah.
[SPEAKER_00]: But in four months, I haven't lost even two pounds.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm a liar.
[SPEAKER_00]: Something's either I'm lying or there's something physically horribly wrong with me or I need to put a big Macs to.
[SPEAKER_00]: The point is this.
[SPEAKER_00]: No, the point is something's wrong.
[SPEAKER_00]: Something's horribly wrong.
[SPEAKER_00]: You see, people do the same thing with the Lord.
[SPEAKER_00]: They say that I'm saved and yet they're still living like the world, talking like world being like the world, never growing in the Lord, and all these things, something's wrong.
[SPEAKER_00]: And he'd put down the big massive sins, so to speak.
[SPEAKER_00]: Why?
[SPEAKER_00]: Because they don't want to change.
[SPEAKER_00]: They don't want to do different.
[SPEAKER_00]: They don't want to be deferred to something, or we wrong, with their body of sin.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's the difference.
[SPEAKER_00]: So let's take a look what it says in James.
[SPEAKER_00]: chapter two verse 19 through 26 verse 19.
[SPEAKER_00]: Therefore, my beloved brothers, James says, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.
[SPEAKER_00]: For the anger, man does not work the righteousness of God.
[SPEAKER_00]: Therefore, lay aside all filthiness and remaining wickedness and receive the weakness.
[SPEAKER_00]: receive withiveness the engraphed word, which is able to save your souls, be doers of the word and not hears only, deceiving yourselves for if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer.
[SPEAKER_00]: He is like a man viewing, viewing his nature face in a mirror.
[SPEAKER_00]: He views himself and goes his way and immediately
[SPEAKER_00]: But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful here, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in his deeds.
[SPEAKER_00]: If anyone among you seems to be religious and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man religion, this man's religion is vain.
[SPEAKER_00]: Religion that is pure and underfile before God, the Father is this, to visit the Fatherless and widows and in their affliction and to keep oneself a strained, excuse me, unstrained by the world, where to live like Christ, where to be like Christ.
[SPEAKER_00]: were to be changed by Christ, not live like the world.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's simple.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's very simple.
[SPEAKER_00]: You need to be changed every single day.
[SPEAKER_00]: What does it say in James 3, 3rd King, 318?
[SPEAKER_00]: James 3 13 through 18 says this and goes along with it, who is wise and understanding among you, let him show his works by his good life in the maintenance of wisdom.
[SPEAKER_00]: But if you have bitter inving and strife in your hearts, do not boast.
[SPEAKER_00]: and do not lie against the truth.
[SPEAKER_00]: The wisdom descends not from above, but it is earthly, unspeartful and devilish.
[SPEAKER_00]: For where there is envy and strife, there is confusion.
[SPEAKER_00]: and every evil work.
[SPEAKER_00]: But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy, and good fruits without partiality, without hypocrisy, and the fruit of righteousness is sewn in peace by those who may peace.
[SPEAKER_00]: We need to be like Christ.
[SPEAKER_00]: But are we saved by our works?
[SPEAKER_00]: No, but our works show that we are saved.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is why when we labor, the things that we do, the works that we do need to show every single day that we are of God, but why we do them if we are not saved by them?
[SPEAKER_00]: Because we love God, if you love your mom and dad, you want to do things to make them happy if you love your position that you have at your job.
[SPEAKER_00]: not just to keep your job, but because you actually do what to do your job right.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I was talking to my father and my mother too, that when you have a job, you need to get the very best that you got.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now I'm not gonna lie, there's days I was lazy.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's days it.
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, that's good enough.
[SPEAKER_00]: That was the youth in me, that was a stupidity in me.
[SPEAKER_00]: But most of the time, nine times out of ten, I sweat the best I could, depending on what I was doing.
[SPEAKER_00]: Sweat the best I could, I cleaned up the best I could.
[SPEAKER_00]: I stopped, I'm coming out of the same scrub now.
[SPEAKER_00]: I stopped the best I could, brought it forward.
[SPEAKER_00]: That was to make a look the best.
[SPEAKER_00]: I did the very best I could, and I worked the best I could.
[SPEAKER_00]: I did not.
[SPEAKER_00]: Play around on the clock.
[SPEAKER_00]: I did the best I could.
[SPEAKER_00]: Why?
[SPEAKER_00]: Because my father told me and he was right.
[SPEAKER_00]: They know you to be a man of God and if they know you to be a man of God and you're playing around and you're stealing from them.
[SPEAKER_00]: I said, I don't steal from them.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you're playing around, I'll clock you're stealing from them.
[SPEAKER_00]: Because you're stealing their time and you're stealing money from them by doing that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, I never thought about that at first.
[SPEAKER_00]: But once you told me that every time I started to shirt on the cloth, which I did in the beginning times, a little, I started to realize, wait a minute, I'm not just hurting Sam's club, I'm not just hurting Walmart company, I'm not just hurting McDonald's or wherever else, because well, I'm doing it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm hurting God.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm hurting my witness.
[SPEAKER_00]: Because now, I'll make it look as if Christians can't be counted on.
[SPEAKER_00]: In other words, God can't be counted on.
[SPEAKER_00]: We gotta be careful, gotta be careful.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, what do your works do for you?
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, there's quite a few things I can do to and read to, but I'm gonna skip one of them, but I wanna try to finish that for you.
[SPEAKER_00]: So you can get home and eat your wonderful lunch.
[SPEAKER_00]: Listen what Jesus said.
[SPEAKER_00]: He said, in John 5, 17,
[SPEAKER_00]: John 517, Jesus answered them, my father is working still, my father's still working he said, and I am working.
[SPEAKER_00]: God is working in us, okay?
[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus is working and you're telling that.
[SPEAKER_00]: His work isn't done.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Pharisees and others were telling him that he shouldn't have been picking from the grain up there in the wheat and they said that he was breaking the Sabbath.
[SPEAKER_00]: He said, God's not done working and I'm not done working.
[SPEAKER_00]: In other words, who are they to tell God that he's breaking the law of God?
[SPEAKER_00]: God knew and God's not done working and by the way, God's not done working on you.
[SPEAKER_00]: God never stops.
[SPEAKER_00]: God never rests.
[SPEAKER_00]: Remember that.
[SPEAKER_00]: God never rests.
[SPEAKER_00]: God's laws and rules are not for him.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're for us.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now that's not hypocrisy, by the way.
[SPEAKER_00]: He does it to set rules and stuff for us, so that we know what to do.
[SPEAKER_00]: He doesn't need him like we do, but he does them to show us.
[SPEAKER_00]: So what does say in John 627, do not work for the food which perishes
[SPEAKER_00]: But for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, for God the Father has set His seal on Him.
[SPEAKER_00]: How about Jesus?
[SPEAKER_00]: What does that mean?
[SPEAKER_00]: Did that mean they didn't need food?
[SPEAKER_00]: No, he was saying, this food is gonna come and go.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not food that we eat here, but the spiritual food that we eat of every day, it will go on forever and ever and ever and ever.
[SPEAKER_00]: What we eat of will continue to give to us forever and ever.
[SPEAKER_00]: But to you know, that when you're a child,
[SPEAKER_00]: and you ate of that apple.
[SPEAKER_00]: You remember when you go to school and they give you an apple?
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you don't like apples.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know, but you eat that apple.
[SPEAKER_00]: That apple and the teacher taught us as it was true.
[SPEAKER_00]: She said, once you eat that apple, you might think it's gone.
[SPEAKER_00]: She said, it's not.
[SPEAKER_00]: You go to throw that apple in the trash and it's just the leftovers.
[SPEAKER_00]: So you're not throwing the apple away.
[SPEAKER_00]: The apple becomes a part of your body.
[SPEAKER_00]: I remember it was one of the first health classes that I had.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was about five or six.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know how old.
[SPEAKER_00]: But she said, it's become a part of your body.
[SPEAKER_00]: And your body is now living off that apple.
[SPEAKER_00]: She said, your body is now taking in all the vitamins and you're now growing on the apple.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now when you're little about the size of that beautiful little girl back there, you don't realize you're growing, but you are.
[SPEAKER_00]: You're growing off the apple.
[SPEAKER_00]: Christian children.
[SPEAKER_00]: when you eat of God's Word, you're chewing off the fruit of the Spirit.
[SPEAKER_00]: And every day your spiritual body is eating off of that and growing off of that, we need to remember that the Lord God is helping us every day.
[SPEAKER_00]: Don't just take one bite of God's fruit of the Spirit and say, okay, I've had enough, I'm gonna throw it into the trap and be done with it.
[SPEAKER_00]: No, every day, pick up more and keep feeding.
[SPEAKER_00]: Feed off the word, feed, keep going.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's what the work does for you.
[SPEAKER_00]: It continues to help you.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's why we need to keep coming together.
[SPEAKER_00]: We need to keep coming together for a spiritual meal, for a spiritual meal.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's what we need to do.
[SPEAKER_00]: Be together, communicate with one another, pray that God, that way we can continue to grow and continue to grow.
[SPEAKER_00]: Colossians 3, 23 and 24 and whatever you do,
[SPEAKER_00]: and whatever you write that down by the way, Colossians 3, 23 and 24.
[SPEAKER_00]: And whatever you do, do it heartily as for the Lord and not for men.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's a good one in it.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is what it says.
[SPEAKER_00]: Knowing that from the Lord, you'll receive the reward of the inheritance for you serve the Lord Christ.
[SPEAKER_00]: The works that you do are to serve Christ, not the people around you.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's nothing wrong with helping your brothers and sisters across the fact you should.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, right now, we'm praying for the justice family.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we're doing things to help them out and know that and sister Cheryl.
[SPEAKER_00]: Cheryl, I'm going to say sister Sharon, Sharon Bady.
[SPEAKER_00]: Her husband is gone through an awful lot.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we continue to help her and she helps us.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we do things for one another.
[SPEAKER_00]: We help together out.
[SPEAKER_00]: We don't just aren't done with them because they're not around physically with us.
[SPEAKER_00]: We help sister Susan, she's not feeling well today.
[SPEAKER_00]: We help her when she needs it, you know, we help one another out when they need it.
[SPEAKER_00]: We help each other out and it helps us to grow spiritually, it helps us to know that we're not alone and we're not alone.
[SPEAKER_00]: We're part of the family of Christ and we help each other when we need it.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's what it needs to be.
[SPEAKER_00]: And why?
[SPEAKER_00]: Because God is working to us and through us to help together out and we now know that we're not forgotten.
[SPEAKER_00]: It supports why it's important, by the way, to come together and Christ, I'm glad you can watch.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you're watching a home right now, by the way, you can watch, but it's also important to come, come together with your brother's sister and Christ, so that you can be known because here's the truth.
[SPEAKER_00]: When you're absent from the body, it doesn't mean to, but the body
[SPEAKER_00]: They don't mean can forget you, but if imagine for a moment, God forbid, I don't want this to happen.
[SPEAKER_00]: But imagine that my fingers here, because I don't ever feel these fingers right here, hardly ever.
[SPEAKER_00]: Imagine these fingers get separated from my body.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, the rest of my body is going to forget my fingers.
[SPEAKER_00]: My fingers are originally eventually going to struggle up and die.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, if a person decides to drop away from the body of Christ, they may show up and die, and I'll talk about salvation, I'll talk about their servants, the servant of the Lord.
[SPEAKER_00]: They may show up and die, but the body may forget them, probably not, but it could happen.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's not do that to one another.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's try to pray for another.
[SPEAKER_00]: And a kick coming, keep serving for the Lord.
[SPEAKER_00]: Be a part of the body, do the work of the Lord.
[SPEAKER_00]: People say, I don't need to work, because I'm safe, yes, but she didn't work to help you, not to help God.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's why you need to do the work.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's why we do the work.
[SPEAKER_00]: To help ourselves so that we can remember that we're a part of God and He's a part of us.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's why the body needs to continue to stay apart.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a finger, stay a finger, yes, a finger, stays a finger.
[SPEAKER_00]: But the finger doesn't stay attached to the body and the finger decides to go it's all the way.
[SPEAKER_00]: Second Timothy 215 study to show you some approved by God, a workman who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, that's second Timothy 215.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now why we do this?
[SPEAKER_00]: Why is it important that we do the works?
[SPEAKER_00]: What does it do for you?
[SPEAKER_00]: I'll tell you what it does.
[SPEAKER_00]: It shows devotion.
[SPEAKER_00]: It shows devotion to the Lord God.
[SPEAKER_00]: What else does it do?
[SPEAKER_00]: It strengthens our relationship.
[SPEAKER_00]: It strengthens our relationship to the Lord God.
[SPEAKER_00]: It strengthens our witness for the Lord God.
[SPEAKER_00]: It strengthens our war with Christ.
[SPEAKER_00]: It strengthens our faith for the Lord God.
[SPEAKER_00]: It strengthens the rewards that we receive.
[SPEAKER_00]: Pastor, are you saying you do these things because you won't reward someone God?
[SPEAKER_00]: No, I'm not saying I do because I won't reward.
[SPEAKER_00]: Give me rewards, Lord.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's not what I'm saying.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's not why we do it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I know that's not why you do it.
[SPEAKER_00]: You come to church so that when I go to heaven, God's going to say, oh, I counted a check on you.
[SPEAKER_00]: I saw that you came on the sixth of September of 2021.
[SPEAKER_00]: because you want it to receive the reward of being posted on and God reward you in heaven for you want to feel that close and that's why you came and you received it you continue to receive each and every day and you'll receive it more for being obedient to him.
[SPEAKER_00]: You receive it as you live, you receive it as you get to the heavenly home of Christ.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's dreams and your relationship.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if you've ever exercised.
[SPEAKER_00]: But when you start to walk, oh, he hurts.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, it hurts.
[SPEAKER_00]: It hurts so much.
[SPEAKER_00]: And he's like, oh, man, I got to get home.
[SPEAKER_00]: I got blisters on my feet.
[SPEAKER_00]: You had that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, it doesn't feel good.
[SPEAKER_00]: But then guess what?
[SPEAKER_00]: You get better and better and better and better.
[SPEAKER_00]: Until finally, your walk is good and strong.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then you know miles and miles.
[SPEAKER_00]: And strings in your faith is now you know that you know that you know that you know
[SPEAKER_00]: is well worth the hardship.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's well worth the hardship.
[SPEAKER_00]: You ever done a job?
[SPEAKER_00]: They said, I can't do that.
[SPEAKER_00]: I can't go a mile.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then sending you've gone most of the mile, and you look back and say, oh, that wasn't so bad.
[SPEAKER_00]: That wasn't so bad.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've gone that far and go a little farther.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then you finished a mile and you said, OK, I've gone that far and go a little farther.
[SPEAKER_00]: See, go from the beginning, it may look like it's more than you can bear, but with Christ, all things are possible.
[SPEAKER_00]: Just keep following them.
[SPEAKER_00]: So remember, in your days of labor, you're not labor in alone.
[SPEAKER_00]: God is laboring for you and with you and with him, it's always possible.
[SPEAKER_00]: All things
[SPEAKER_00]: First Corinthians 1558, therefore, my beloved brothers be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor and the Lord is not in vain.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's bound prayer.
[SPEAKER_00]: Lord Jesus, I just pray right now, for all those Lord God who've worked so hard, serving you,
[SPEAKER_00]: And maybe right now, they feel they can't go on, not even another step Lord God, I pray that you give them strength that they don't have on their own.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe there are some right now who try so hard to spread your word to their family.
[SPEAKER_00]: And they feel as if their family does not love you.
[SPEAKER_00]: They don't wanna have anything to do with you.
[SPEAKER_00]: I pray Lord God, you give them the strength to keep on keeping on.
[SPEAKER_00]: The strength to keep moving forward, never backward.
[SPEAKER_00]: To follow you and not those around.
[SPEAKER_00]: that you Lord God will speak to them today, given them peace, given them strength, given them wisdom.
[SPEAKER_00]: Give them the scriptures they need, the prayer that they need.
[SPEAKER_00]: The words do their prayer.
[SPEAKER_00]: And Lord God, that you will speak through them when it comes time with the Holy Spirit, does the talk them.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then when they're done, they'll say, man, I didn't even know I knew that, but Lord, it won't be because they knew but that you knew it and spoke through them through their loved ones.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe it's people that know what work, maybe it's people that they know their whole life and that they'll come to know you, and start coming to church.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe if they know you already, they feel like they don't need to do anything else.
[SPEAKER_00]: But they'll come to understand that they need to grow every day.
[SPEAKER_00]: I pray all this in your name or God that we will do the day of labor each and every day to grow.
[SPEAKER_00]: and that we will appreciate the rewards that we receive just by feeling closer to you.
[SPEAKER_00]: I pray this and your holy precious name, amen.
[SPEAKER_00]: Man, it's just a little bit of a little bit of a little bit