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This morning I'd like to talk about being what Paul calls Timothy in 1 Thess 3:2, "God's coworker in the gospel of Christ." Can you imagine? God's coworker?? But, yes, that's what we are when we engage in gospel work. God reminded me of it in my reading in Isaiah 26 this morning:
Is 26:12 says, "Lord, you will establish peace for us, for (here goes->) you have also done all our work for us." Now, beside it, see Paul's words in Col 1:29 in reference to his gospel labors: "For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me."
TOIL. STRUGGLING. ENERGY. POWERFULLY WORKING. This phenomenon I'm about to describe is astonishing to me but it may be so obvious to everyone else that it doesn't seem like a big deal. @MelissaMoore77 & I are just finishing up an enormous project so it's really fresh on my mind.
I began serving Jesus at 12. That wasn't unusual in my tradition. The moment you graduated out of vacation Bible school, if you wanted to, you then got to start helping with it, assisting the grownups. 50 years later, I've had the privilege of teaching 4 year olds, 6th graders...
then adult women in Sunday school &, over the years, taught a jillion lessons. Then speaking & writing books. Then the biggest projects of all & the ones that mean most to me, Bible study curricula. I've worked my spine out of alignment.Known the kind of stress that'd kill an ox.
Blood, sweat & tears. Not even kidding. But here's the thing. The thing I'm absolutely positive about. The thing that makes me marvel: Anything decent. Anything the least beneficial to a single soul. Anything of remotest value. Anything that brought Jesus a whit of attention...
WAS JESUS. I don't know how to explain it but Melissa & I had this very conversation yesterday and both of us on the verge of tears. We who serve Jesus toil, we labor, we STRUGGLE with all HIS energy that He works within us. And somehow we get to the end of HARD WORK & can say...
without hesitation or a moment's doubt, Jesus did the whole thing. Couldn't have done it if we tried. Couldn't have stood the length of it. The demonic harassment through it. Couldn't have managed the personal crises constantly coinciding with it. It's a miracle. No, I mean it.
This morning I got up from the table where I was having my morning devotions and walked over to a different part of the den, sat down and, with tears streaming down my face, marveled over the grace and kindness and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ who invites humans into His work.
I've been asked a million times how I've hung in there all this time amid all the hate, ridicule & constant scrutiny. It's the easiest question on earth for me to answer.
Are you kidding me? I would not have missed one single moment of serving Jesus for anything in this world.
Are you kidding me? I would not have missed one single moment of serving Jesus for anything in this world.
