Sermon Tone Analysis

Title: Trusted Servants

Theme: Hallmarks of a Trusting Servant

Series: Laboring Together With God

“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.

So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.

8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.

For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it.

But each one should be careful how he builds.

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

(1 Corinthians 3:6-11)

Just what is the hallmark of the trusting laborer

There is a swinging pendulum of reactions in the church of Jesus Christ in regard to the attitude of her laborers.

When one sees the results of the child of God who is a sluggard they have a tendency to give up in their service to the Lord or they start to become like the controlling laborer.

They become over disciplined and lay down guidelines too strict for themselves and they expect everyone else to follow them.

I would propose to you that the best way to be a servant to the Lord is by being a “Trusting laborer.”

Just what is the hallmark of the trusting laborer?

Three weeks ago we took a Biblical look at what the Bible says about the sluggard in a message entitled “What God Won’t Bless.”

Two weeks ago we took a look at what can happen to God’s anointed when he refuses to surrender to and obey the instructions of God, thus becoming a “Controlling Laborer.”

Today we will look at that the laborer that is a blessing to God and the Body of Christ.

The hallmark of the trusting laborer is the Holy Spirit fruit that is evident in his life, no matter what the harvest is that the Lord brings forth from his efforts.

He rejoices in the Lord’s work whether he is speaking to thousands or tens.

He works equally hard in the work place whether he has been promoted to manager or cleans the toilets.

He stays faithful to the family whether all his kids obey his instructions or live in rebellion.

He sacrificially loves and serves his wife whether she is respectful to him or not, in good health or bad.

The trusting laborer is like Habakkuk who wrote, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

(Habakkuk 3:17-18) The Holy Spirit so wants you to understand, the “Trusting Laborer” finds his joy in the Lord not in the results of his work.

Results are God’s business.

The trusting laborer keeps God’s Word and fully understands the benefits of being diligent.

However, he is not diligent because it gets results.

He wishes to honor God, Christ and walk in step with the Holy Spirit.

The trusting laborer realizes the results of his labor are entirely up to God, the Lord of the harvest.

He is driven by a desire to please God in all things and 1 Corinthians 10:31 is evident in all he does, “So whether [he eats] or [drinks] or whatever [he does], [is done] for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

This trusting laborer is diligent, disciplined and labors to exhaustion.

The Apostle Paul wrote, ““I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep…” (2 Corinthians 11:27) The Kings James Bible says, “In weariness…” the Apostle Paul did his ministerial labors.

(Matthew Henry Commentary; Barnes Notes; The Bible Exposition Commentary; The Pulpit Commentary)

Today’s key text says each worker will be “rewarded according to his own labor.”

(1 Corinthians 3:8) and the Bible gives diligent Christians this exhortation, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm.

Let nothing move you.

Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

(1 Corinthians 15:58)

In three different Bible verses I mentioned the word “labor” (kopos) meaning wearisome efforts.

(The Complete Word Study Dictionary; Vines) The practical application is, “That good ministers labor and labor, work and work to the point of fatigue and exhaustion; to the point that he can go no further.

He exerts every ounce of energy and effort in his body for the sake of God and Christ and trusting in the strength of and leading of the Holy Spirit.

He continues to minister the Word even when men ridicule, revile, mock, curse, and persecute him.”

(Practical Word Studies in the New Testament)

Why?

Because of his love for Jesus he will do all he can to present a message of truth and live out truth for the sake of Christ and the church.

In the work place the trusting laborer works as if Jesus was standing right there with him.

The Bible says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men…” (Colossians 3:23) This means that whatever God has given you to do, your responsibility is to give dignity to all of your work.

(The Expositors Bible Commentary)

The trustful laborer does his work with diligence, not idly and slothfully.

He does his work cheerfully, not discontented at the providence of God which put the child of God in that work relationship.

Every job, career opportunity or position held is to be considered as duty to God when the work is being done faithfully in duty to men.

Many Christians have learned the joy of working for the Lord and have gotten victory over the attitude of hate for their job which caused unrest in the mind and heart, destroying joy in the ministry, work place and home.

I know of a man who once worked in a place that he began to hate and wanted to quit but he had a family to provide for.

He wasn’t good at what he did and there was no hope of a future in that place.

He was a Christian and he knew that if things were going to work out for him, his family and that work place, he needed some truth to cling to.

The Holy Spirit reminded him of what the Bible says about our attitude in all of our work.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men…” (Colossians 3:23) As he surrendered to the work of the Holy Spirit, he was given immediately a new heart for his work.

He had no real knowledge or skills that would give him a place of authority or status, however, he could pick up trash, sweep floors and do work that no else would do.

He worked hard all that day, with a new heart right before the Lord and by the end of the day he was called into the office and given a raise.

When you do all your work for Jesus, He will never let you down.

Somehow and in some way He will see that you get blessed, whether you be a janitor or overseer.

The trusting laborer is a worker who says, “This is just another day to show thanks to the Lord by the way I do my work.”

The trusted laborer prays throughout the day, “Lord help me do my job, help me to learn all I need to know, guide me by your Spirit and enable me to be sensitive to Your urgings and leading.”

The Lord literally wants you to invite Him into every part of your life and work.

Many a child of God has enjoyed the blessing of spending the work day praying and surrendering to the Holy Spirit’s guidance and trusting in God’s intervention through his entire day.

The Lord wants to be in every part of your life, and He blesses all who will apply the truth of doing all their work as if doing it unto the Lord.

A trusting laborer gives God what He deserves, undivided trust and devotion

A trusting laborer gives God what He deserves, undivided trust and devotion.

He wants to hear and study the Word of God and he delights in all that God teaches him.

He does not do it because he wants to gain favor but He wants to have more of Christ in his life, to know how to please God and to get the Lord’s work done.

He is like the Psalmist who wrote, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.”

(Psalm 1:2) “With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.

I rejoice in following your statues as one rejoices in great riches.

I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.

I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.”

(Psalm 119:13-16)

The trusting laborer digs into God’s Word for counsel and direction.

He is able to minister the Word of God to those who are seeking truth.

He is able to discern truth from error and not twist Scripture to meet his own wants and desires.

True Christ-centered desires are placed in the heart of a trusting laborer by God Himself.

(Psalm 37:4)

Instead of being overcome by the cancer of traditionalism, denominationalism, legalism and faddism, this laborer finds spiritual direction, knows his call, and prays through to a healthy completion what God moves him to do.

He teaches the Word of God by correctly handling and proclaiming God’s truths.

(2 Timothy 2:15) He is able to protect himself from and warn others about false teachings.

(Acts 20:29-31) He knows the promises of God to His obedient people and he is able to share them with others.

In the church, work place and home he considers everything he hears, thinks and does to the Word of God.

I was very happy with Josiah this last Halloween season.

He had a friend invite him to do something that could cause people to question his position in Christ and bring compromise to what people are created to do which is glorify God.

We looked at the Scriptures and the tradition of the Halloween season and looked at their own pictures and advertising material.

Using their own words and comparing it to the Word of God, he was able to discern what would be pleasing to God and he enjoyed dying to self and a world view to please the Lord.

Just this last Christmas season, I was able to meet with Caleb, Josiah and Jared.

We looked at what God’s Words says about the believer’s responsibility in encouraging each other and they chose to come down on a Wednesday night to be a blessing to the older saints and help take down Christmas greenery.

All three, Caleb, Josiah and Jared had other plans for that Wednesday night.

Thinking Biblically made them servants.

They went outside their norm to be a blessing to the senior saints and in the end pleased the Lord as well by becoming trusting laborers.

Trusting laborers are so full of God’s Word and spend so much time meditating upon it that they are able to crush the world view.

They present a Christian view to those they speak to, put a stop to the worldliness that so often is working its way into the church.