Experience God's Gracious Hand in Your Work
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God At Work in Your Work
God calling us to partner in re-building, then temple, now temple Jesus Christ - Kingdom - Intro - Look outward with compassion; Look upward - prayer; Look inward in confession; Clarrify the need bibliclaly and Come with a promise in your hand to GOd! = What it means to join in God’s work of re-building ie…
But that was all the prep work - How Do We Work for God? WOrking for God - say it my boss is a Jewish carpenter!
Joanna - you are at a critical time of life - launch pad - not just schooling, but economics and agriculture - time of opportunity for world ; seen first hand challenges of Africa, the responsibility of the West… But not just for paid work - launch pad stage of friendships, family… not all our work is paid - volunteer like Mike and the Exeter Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity - work of family; work of rebuilding the other 6 days of the week among God’s people - Council feels - small groups - rebuilding our lives communally and spiritually …
Began 2013 renewing that vow they just made: join with the people of the Lord to do the work of the LORD everywhere! How can we do that?
HP Seek God’s direction and empowering in your work, so you will find His gracious hand upon you!
I. Seek God’s Gracious Hand by praying about your work!
Drudgery of same old thing. Modern world, Karl Marx said alienated - workers have no share in the end result the profit, the satisfaction of putting it all together, pride of owning. Industrial Age. Today some value work only in terms of dollars, provide for household, more in the bank more for our luxuries. Stats Can link job satisfaction to stress and depression!
But same issues in areas of unpaid work: in your family - parenting, home-schooling, - don’t see great purpose in it - just muddling through. And certainly true in the church - great work of re-building lives, and our world through Jesus Christ - but often we’re like chickens with head cut off -loose sight of true goal!
How do you gain a sense of purpose in your work? So that as Christians we can truly say
knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
Then whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might as unto the the Lord. It is the Lord Christ you are serving! How could you get that sense in your job, at school, in doing cadets, or visiting members to encourage in faith, in joining a new small group ministry, having a prayer partner. How could you get that sense of purpose, and God’s direction in your work? Vitally important question for young adults, isn’t it Joanna - this time is the launch pad of your life - Christian don’t just get a job - you discover from God a calling! b
Then whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might as unto the the Lord. It is the Lrod Christ you are serving! How could you get that sense in your job, at school, in doing cadets, or visiting members to encourage in faith, in joining a new small group ministry, having a prayer partner. How could you get that sense of purpose, and God’s direction in your work? Vitally important question for young adults, isn’t it Joanna - this time is the launch pad of your life - Christian don’t just get a job - you discover from God a calling!
Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode.
And in v. 12b we have the answer: what My God had put in my heart to do for Jeruslaem. Could you say you’ve got that sense about your work - service to a neighbour, at your work - whether in hsoptial, field, or asseembling parts. What about in your work at school, here at church - not just here to patt each other on the back - but God is doing a great work - re-building lives - raising up a generation - bringing new Christians to faith - can you say this is what God has put in my heart to do for _________. How would you get that certainty?
The answer is in 1:1, 2:1. The month of Kislev Dec, and the month of Nisan. 100 syad a part, and during that time - 100 days of prayer - clarify, what is your plan God - tested it with Scripture - which revealed God’s going to re-build Jerusalem - resestablish His people - Messiah going to come - then this passion for this part of God’s plan grows! Need to do that with your work - is it God-approved work - working for a company that’s tricking people, harmful product - but if it’s God-approved work - what’s the purpose, the benefit - and pray for a passion in - feels disgrace of God’s people - pain in his heart, compassion - saddness can’t even hide on the New Years celebration, probably king’s birthday - when could exucted for not being happy in the king’s presence!
Takes time in prayer of guidance - 100 days of waiting. Ever feel like you’re waiting - William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army felt like that - finished apprenticeship off, but no job to be had - greatest trials of his young life for he had a widowed mother to support - prayed and prayed - couldn’t understand why God wasn’t understanding. But during this 12 months of poverty such an understanding of poverty, life of the poor, that year became one of clarifying, testing his motivation - to be used by God. Helped him identify and meet needs of deprived to this day!
We may think, God’s late in answering prayer, but often the answer waits to build our passion, to really gets us to examine and purify our request to get in line with His! So important for those anticipating change in your work, waiting is never wasted time if waiting on the Lord in prayer for guidance!
But there is a further application for those who are settled into their calling, their work? Do you still pray about your work and what God is calling you to do their? In this church? Someone humorulessly quipped: that so many people stop looking for work once they get a job! We are to equally look for wokr in our job, the work as unto the Lord!
But then it happens doesn’t it. The day of the feast after weeks of having the clear goal and vision for his work in mind, GOd not only put this plan in Nehemiah’s heart, he changes the heart of the King! And we learn the next lesson:
II. Seek God’s gracious hand in your work by praying a prayer for faith-filled action!
Nehemiah had waited patiently for God to reveal the right time - and now he gulps. As the king points out his sad face, and Nehemiah realizes according to the law of the Persian court, her legally he could be executed next! And yet there is hope, what did Artaxerxes say: v.2 Your not ill, this must be sadness of heart - he knows me he just might care!
Let me ask this do you pray in the middle of your work, in the middle of your decisions? Very different prayer than a prayer for guidance isn’t it- more concentrated long term. But when you are faced with decisions, called to act by faith with courage - do you pray short arrow prayers - Whether you do or not may be all the difference in living a life where God is small and people, circumstances are huge; and a life where Your Great and Gracious God is Big and people, and circumstances are comparatively small. It’s the difference of living out of fear or trust. So many live out of fear of the past, never change, always hurt, fear of the future - don’t know what’s coming so I’m panicked, paralysed. Or fear of failing in their own eyes, eyes of other -
But look at Nehemiah - critical decision ask the most outrageous thing - need to know this king had ordered the stop of the rebuilding of Jerusalem because seen to be a rebellious troublesome people just years before! … The Kings waiting: v.4 What is it you want?
Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
Remarkable instead of answering the earthly king who had the power of life and death for him; Nehemiah stops to talk to the heavenly king whom He knows as My God! We need to be living daily in these moments of trust! Do you have trust in a God who answers arrow prayers? If truly for the welfare of others for God’s glory why wouldn’t we expect God to be at work in such prayers? Fenelon says we ought to be making use of chance moments in our days like this all the time; and if we don’t then we’ll wait forever to take it God. Standing in line, stuck in traffic, travelling, waiting for ht computer to boot up; “for at such times it is easy to lift the heart to God and thereby gain fresh strength for the tasks ahead.” In one moement we can be at the footstool of heaven!
How much more when we face these struggles, decisions - Abraham Lincoln - I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction I had no where else to go; my own wisdom and that of those all around me seemed insufficient for the day.” I know that is the testimony of some of you going into difficult work situation each day - and does God answer our prayers for faith-filled action?
God guides Nehemiah’s tongue:
And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.”
The one think He could say that would pull on the heart strings of a Persian King - God puts on his lips. The Persians took the care of graves, honour of the dead so seriously - he like his cup bearer Nehemiah - so he lets him go on this expedition - Divine Answer to prayer - belief that God of providence arranging every detail of our lives no matter how long we must wait!
But seeking God’s gracious hand upon our work - isnt just about prayer and God’s providential action is it? In Nehemiah’s answer we get to our action - in seeking God gracious hand not just to direct our work - but to empower us in it!
III. Seek God’s gracious hand by ‘Planning your work. Then working your plan’
During those hundred days the cup bearer to the king was not idlely waiting was he? Look how prepared he is to answer his king - not only let me go and rebuild. Clear Goal, but he’s worked out all the goal-oriented action for the Lord - how to get to that destination! But
And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah,
He’s done his homework, he’s got not only a God-given vision - but the detailed plans to work toward it on the ground. Breaks it down into concrete steps - do you - You want to change jobs - what training, exp , Want to love your neighbours as yourself - share the gospel? how you are going to get to know neighbours, people in this church, how build deeper relationships - heart for Medical Mission, Haiti - what steps to get there - Going to be plenty of opposition - set a goal for God - bet plenty blocking they way - plan to deal with struggles and disappointment?
We see this principle even clearer when Nehemiah arrives don’t we? V.13-16 He gets on a steady mule, he goes by himself at night “examining the walls of Jersualem, which had been broken down and its gates which had been destroyed by fire.” He makes a survey of the condition of Jerusalem and he does that alone? Why? Two answers. First, he didn’t stop asking God for direction - got a job but didn’t stop looking for work - continuous tense - in
Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode.
what God had put in my heart, and continued to put in my heart - visitor last week - asked God that day who do you want me to serve! Doesn’t chatter with others first, but trusts the creative thoughts which the Lord was feeding into His heart. It’s like He’s making the problems his his own. Buy a car - kick the tires.
Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode.
We find out the second reason he didn’t this survey alone and first - in a
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.”
He completed the assessment - but why did he do it? You see the trouble we’re in? Nehemiah is saying, I didn’t just come from Susa to make a name for myself, tell you what to do? No I’ve taken on these problems s mine. I have a part in them - I will own them with you. Notice how he starts to put the plan into action: He doesn’t say see all these problems - and list one after the other - dime a dozen people who see problems. In fact Nehemiah going to run into these people who only see problems but won’t getting working on a step to the solution.Like taking your car to the garage - tell you everything that’s wrong - and say Ok lets get that fixed, they say: no push it out - we just look at problems here. Don’t actually get our hands dirty in working to fix them!
But he looks underneath all the problems sees the deeper one and then proposes the solution. Look at the end of
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.”
The deeper problem wasn’t the wall - it was that the people didn’t see the deeper problem - gotten used to the disgrace of God’s people - accepted status quo - putting potted flowers in ruined walls - weren’t growing in being the City of God, revival of being the People of God in their part of the world!
Problem is SAY Come Let’s Build a Name for ourselves, vs. City/Community Church of God!
Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”
What are you saying come let’s us build to? But Nehemiah doesn’t just point out the problem, He says this is the solution now let’s galvanize ourselves together and get to it!
So much like the church of Jesus Christ, always problems - especially when we wonder from goal - to build up disciples of Jesus ,and to make new disciples of Jesus! I see a problem, a hole in our ministry - deep gospel based relationships not just here, in families, culture - I see an answer - focus on discipleship -Bob you’ve got a vision: Unique way small group - daily email on Proverbs council sees one in a particular way to do that small groups! Can we come and rebuild together!
And that brings us to the last way we must seek the gracious hand of God in our work! And its the most surprising way: REST!
IV. Seek God’s gracious hand by resting in the Lord!
This seems counterintuitive to us - we think we’re superman or superwomen - we think we’re on our own - God helps those who help themselves. So we launch into our work in danger of becoming work-aholoics - some of you here are overworked. Some of us base our identity our worth on the success and our performance. In a spiritual way some of us feel that’ the way it must work iwth God too justified by our works, not by being loved and sharing in the righteousness of Jesus! But isn’t it surprising that Nehemiah gets there - but when does he begin work?
So I went to Jerusalem and was there three days.
Nehemiah has a limited time frame got to be back as cupbearer - you can bet he with whole entourage - tired - travel in early mornings probably only 9-10 miles a day before heat - 4 months through inhospitable territory. He’s tired and he’s got to do the best work of his life in short order! So what does he do? He rests first. Think about it: when do you make the worst decisions, when do you succumb to panic and worry the most! Physically exhausted people are not likely to achieve as much as they set out. Tiredness will rob you of need perspective, it multiply worries, you will miss new opportunities as just a bother, and it will destroy your peace! Its built right into the fabric of creation 1 in 7 - rest stop your work and rest in my work in you - enjoy my creation - let me set you free from all the slaveries and sin in your life. You want to work well - Jesus says, then when you are weary: Come with me to a quiet place to rest.
In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence.
Nehemiah has a limited time frame got to be back as cupbearer - you can bet he with whole entourage - tired - travel in early mornings probably only 9-10 miles a day before heat - 4 months through inhospitable territory. He’s tired and he’s got to do the best work of his life in short order! So what does he do? He rests first. Think about it: when do you make the worst decisions, when do you succomb to panic and worry the most! Physically exhausted people are not likely to achieve as much as they set out. Tiredness will rob you of need perspective, it multiply worries, you will miss new opportunities as just a bother, and it will destroy your peace! Its built right into the fabric of creation 1 in 7 - rest stop your work and rest in my work in you - enjoy my creation - let me set you free from all the slaveries and sin in your life. You want to work well - Jesus says, then when you are weary: Come with me to a quiet place to rest. Built into the fabric of 24 hour day, starts with evening - end the day resting in God, night time - God’s at work you don’t need to be -can’t finish all your work - rest -trust - and then there is morning -rise strengthen for the work of the day! A couple in our church - sabbbatical year - as switch ministries involved in - facing family changes - rekindle in the Lord. Church here not frantic activity - but refreshed Christian - striving for the goal! Return to the Lord often to rest to reflect to rekindle and he will bless your work! Daily inflow, outflow, each week - carve out this day to rekindle - relax in the Lord, have him work in you!
Nehemiah has a limited time frame got to be back as cupbearer - you can bet he with whole entourage - tired - travel in early mornings probably only 9-10 miles a day before heat - 4 months through inhospitable territory. He’s tired and he’s got to do the best work of his life in short order! So what does he do? He rests first. Think about it: when do you make the worst decisions, when do you succomb to panic and worry the most! Physically exhausted people are not likely to achieve as much as they set out. Tiredness will rob you of need perspective, it multiply worries, you will miss new opportunities as just a bother, and it will destroy your peace! Its built right into the fabric of creation 1 in 7 - rest stop your work and rest in my work in you - enjoy my creation - let me set you free from all the slaveries and sin in your life. You want to work well - Jesus says, then when you are weary: Come with me to a quiet place to rest. Built into the fabric of 24 hour day, starts with evening - end the day resting in God, night time - God’s at work you don’t need to be -can’t finish all your work - rest -trust - and then there is morning -rise strengthen for the work of the day! A couple in our church - sabbbatical year - as switch ministries involved in - facing family changes - rekindle in the Lord. Church here not frantic activity - but refreshed Christian - striving for the goal! Return to the Lord often to rest to reflect to rekindle and he will bless your work! Daily inflow, outflow, each week - carve out this day to rekindle - relax in the Lord, have him work in you!
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Built into the fabric of 24 hour day, starts with evening - end the day resting in God, night time - God’s at work you don’t need to be -can’t finish all your work - rest -trust - and then there is morning -rise strengthen for the work of the day! A couple in our church - sabbbatical year - as switch ministries involved in - facing family changes - rekindle in the Lord. Church here not frantic activity - but refreshed Christian - striving for the goal! Return to the Lord often to rest to reflect to rekindle and he will bless your work! Daily inflow, outflow, each week - carve out this day to rekindle - relax in the Lord, have him work in you!
Set out to do anything iin this world, as unto the Lord, for his purpose, his glory - opposition, gates of hell will try to prevail, laziness of flesh, Need this resting with planning and owrking why? Look what what do they say back … to each other
And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work.
Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.”
OT prpehsesy - day of God’ powers, found willing ,
Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.
And NT
Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,
Dear Congregation: consider your work - your employment, duties at home, your mission in your neighbourhood,your work in God’s mission here!
HP: Seek God’s direction and empowering in your work,and you will find His gracious hand upon you!
And as you experience God’s hand upon you in your work -share, testify how God’s hand has been upon you - in your circumstances, relationships - bring glory to God! Share it with someone here. How has God been at work in your work - share it!
The Carpenter’s tools holding a conference. Brother Hammer presided. Several suggested he leave the meeting because he was too noisy. Replied the Hammer, “If I have to leave this shop, Brother Screw must go also. You have to turn him around again and again to get him to accomplish anything.”
Brother Screw then spoke up. “If you wish, I’ll leave. But Brother Plane must leave too. All his work is on the surface. His efforts have no depth.”
To this Brother Plane responded, “Brother Rule will also have to withdraw, for he is always measuring folks as though he were the only one who is right.”
Brother Rule then complained against Brother Sandpaper, “You ought to leave too because you’re so rough and always rubbing people the wrong way.”
In the midst of all this discussion, in walked the Carpenter of Nazareth. He had arrived to start His day’s work. Putting on His apron, He went to the bench to make a pulpit from which to proclaim the Gospel. He employed the hammer, screw, plane, rule, sandpaper, and all the other tools. After the day’s work when the pulpit was finished, Brother Saw arose and remarked, “Brethren, I observe that all of us are workers together with the Lord.”