When Working Hard Is Hardly Working.

“I don’t want to be doing ‘church work’. I want to be doing the work of the church.” (Reverend Ronald Benjamin)

“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23)

As we read in the Matthew 7 passage above, there is the warning that many people who are doing church work will not enter into heaven. Pastor Ronald Benjamin noted that people sometimes make the error of doing church work (working very hard at self-appointed tasks) rather than doing the work of the church (seeking God’s counsel on what He wants them to do, so that His name will be glorified in and through His church). Today, let us consider two questions.

1. How do we fall into such error?

We respond to what we see instead of relying on what God has said. Joshua learned a hard lesson in his encounter with the Gibeonites. As Joshua’s colleagues focused on the feigned poverty and distress of the Gibeonite representatives, they took what they saw at face value and failed to ask God for guidance. As a result, the Israelites became bound by their own words and were unable to destroy their enemies. (See Joshua chapter 9)

We side-step necessary conflict and seek comfort. Scripture tells us that in the season where kings were expected to engage in warfare, King David sent others to battle in his stead while he stayed at home. As a result, David became entangled in adultery and murder. In David’s later years, his home became a battlefield as his children fought with each other and schemed to take his throne. (See Second Samuel 11, Second Samuel 13, Second Samuel 15, and FirstKings 1)

2. What is the work of the church?

The work of the church is to express the love of God. First Corinthians 13, in the original Greek, indicates that this love is akin to the love God intended for marital relationships. It is intimate. It seeks the good of the other. It is consistent. It seeks nothing in return. When the love of God is expressed through us with the intensity and intimacy God modeled for us, then our daily tasks will bring glory to His name.

The work of the church is to obey God. It sounds simple, and it should be simple, but sometimes we are reluctant to do the simple things. God tells us something, and we ask Him to qualify His word with explanations and reassurances. We tell Him we’re not ready to move. We point at graphs, charts, and reports to support our choice to disobey. However, we have been warned: if our initiatives have not been born from the heart of God, then all of our hard work will be in vain.

It’s an interesting time to consider these things. Jews all over the world are now in their high holy days, moving from the celebratory Rosh Hashanah to the contemplative Yom Kippur. Perhaps we at Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene can take a page from their notebook. As we are celebrating our fiftieth anniversary, it would also be useful for us to contemplate our role in the work of the church.

What have we been doing?

What would God have us do in the months and years to come?

Are there areas of disobedience that God is calling us to repudiate, with repentant hearts?

Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Loving Rebuke.

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend: but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." (Proverbs 27:6)

As we close this week, let's consider one thing Pastor Benji mentioned, ever so briefly, in the middle of his sermon:

Even God's rebuke and chastisement is done in love.

Yes, God is love (see First John 4:8). And, because He loves us, He lovingly brings us into fellowship with Himself; He lovingly corrects us when we sin; He lovingly warns us to obey Him. The psalmist David rejoices in His experience of God's rebuke: "Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now have I kept Thy word" (Psalm 119:67); ""I know, O LORD, that Thy judgements are right, and that Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me" (Psalm 119:75).

Perhaps some of you have children, or know children, whom you've had to correct in love. There's always that classic example of the toddler who lingers too close to the stove, or who reaches for a harmful object, and who is in a situation that requires immediate intervention. From the toddler's standpoint, it seems a painful and unexplained action. But, from the perspective of the adult, it's an action that demonstrates true love because it saves the child from dire harm.

Friends, God sees so much more than we ever will. He is the One who knows the end from the beginning. We can trust Him to always do what is best for us, even if it means we suffer chastisement, rebuke, loss of property, or loss of status. If our suffering is God's way of saving us from dire harm, then we should be so glad for every time God has stepped in to help us (even if we weren't conscious of needing help).

Lord, how we thank You for Your love. Please help us to reflect Your love to everyone around us: for healing, salvation, deliverance, protection, and peace. In Jesus's name, Amen.

Command: Performance.

"Go, and do thou likewise." (Luke 10:37)

As we continue our thoughts on Pastor Benji's sermon, let's take a minute today to consider the out-working of love.

When we think of examples of how the love of God is expressed, one that comes to mind is Jesus's story of the Good Samaritan. Jesus speaks of a situation in which a man had been attacked by thieves and left for dead, and is lying on the road in need of immediate assistance. (I'd recommend you read the whole story, found in Luke 10:25-37.)

Love acts. In this story the Samaritan was preceded by a priest and a Levite, both of whom chose not to stop and help. And, whether we debate about whether they could have helped, or whether their status as ministers prevented them from helping, the end result is the same: they didn't help.

Love heals. The Samaritan used oil and wine to bandage the wounds and bring the man to a point where he could be transported, on the Samaritan's own donkey, to an inn where he could receive continuing care.

Love gives. The Samaritan made a financial contribution towards the full healing and restoration of a man he didn't even know, with no guarantee of receiving reimbursement or even a 'thank you'. And, the Samaritan make a promise to come back to the innkeeper and pay whatever additional costs were necessary for the care of this stranger.

Would you do that for a stranger? Would you do that for someone who is from a different culture than your own?

At the beginning of this story, in Luke 10:25, a lawyer asks a question: "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

Yes, lawyer, you are right. It's not just what we believe, it's what we do.

Fail-safe.

The phrase "Love never fails" is dangerous. In the face of crisis, betrayal, misunderstanding, disappointment, or neglect, how can we love in a way that shows constancy and consistency? How can we keep from falling down on the job?

Well, without the help of God, that would indeed be a dangerous venture. We can't love without Him.

Pastor Benji mentioned First John chapter 4, and that chapter contains many wonderful and encouraging words. In it, we are reminded that it is God who equips us with His love, and His life in us enables us to express love to others. Let's take some time today to think about some verses from this chapter, and to find encouragement for our souls.

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God." (First John 4:7)
"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (First John 4:10)
"No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." (First John 4:12)
"We love because he first loved us." (First John 4:19)

In the safety of God's amazing love, we too can love... with a love that never fails.

Love, In You!

Friends,

Welcome to a new week of Glossa Water! This week we'll be taking time to think about Pastor Benji's sermon from this past Sunday, which was based on First Corinthians 13.

Although the sermon was preached on Valentine's Day, we're not really thinking of First Corinthians 13 in light of current notions of romantic or erotic love. Instead, we are considering how the love of God is expressed in our day-to-day interactions with everyone we meet.

The title of the sermon was "Love Never Fails", those three words that appear at the end of verse 8. Pastor Benji shared with us that the phrase is not just the concept of "not failing", but also the concept of "not falling": that is, we can count on love to get the job done. True love, God's love, won't let us down.

And that is the kind of love we want to show to others; a love that is constant and consistent. For the next few blogs, we'll reflect on this idea, and challenge, of loving others with an unfailing love.