Why do good works matter even more today? Jesus said, "In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." What does good works look like in the day-to-day of every day? Why is so critical we get it right NOW? Let's see if we can have God's input on these questions and more.
This is a message spoken in 2021 as we were tentatively coming out of the pandemic.
Trevor H Lund is the founder of Live LIGHT Academy at https://livelight.ca and the Chief Storyteller at https://revtrev.com Subscribe and set notifications on https://revtrev.com/tv for past videos and live casts and https://revtrev.com/radio to subscribe to his podcast wherever you listen.
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Why GOOD WORKS Matter EVEN More Today Notes
All of us in life emphasize different things at different times.
I want to show you that emphasis matters. Here’s a sentence where each word emphasized makes a different meaning of the sentence.
I didn’t say we should kill him.
I didn’t say we should kill him.
I didn’t say we should kill him.
I didn’t say we should kill him.
I didn’t say we should kill him.
I didn’t say we should kill him.
I didn’t say we should kill him.
Problem
Emphasis matters and in the church in the pandemic, we’ve emphasized the obvious.
But we’ve de-emphasized the significant.
We’ve emphasized meeting together and how to do that safely.
We’ve de-emphasized the reason we shouldn’t stop meeting together.
Pastor Shawn did a wonderful job a few weeks ago know now to remind us about WHY it’s important we still do community. But did we really catch it?
The WHY we meet together is so that we can motivate one another towards love and good works.
Hebrews 10:23-24 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.
Why is this so important?
Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Does this really matter?
I made a statement in an online meeting in the past couple of weeks. It was kind of in the middle of rant. I was lamenting how NO ONE is lamenting the loss of our ability to serve one another in love.
I heard myself saying, “If a church can’t learn how to DO service during the pandemic, if all they are concerned about is HAVING a service during the pandemic, then I don’t think they should open their doors AFTER the pandemic.”
“If a church can’t learn how to DO service during the pandemic, if all they are concerned about is HAVING a service during the pandemic, then I don’t think they should open their doors AFTER the pandemic.”
Does this matter? We can’t miss this.
We can’t put off doing acts of love and good works until all this is past. We can’t put off being Christian until we can once again be comfortable being Christian.
I know this from history. This isn’t the first pandemic the church has faced. There was one that happened in even more trying times.
The Story
There was civil unrest in Alexandria in 248 and the mob took out their frustration with a brutal anti-Christian rampage. Dionysius had just been named the Bishop in Alexandria less than a year before. Emperor Decius began a formal persecution of Christians and in 250 and Dionysius had to leave the city. He returned after the formal persecution ended but in 252 an outbreak of plague ravaged Alexandria.
Dionysius 190 - 265 AD Alexandria
During plague time, the pagans “Pushed the sufferers away and fled from their dearest, throwing them into the roads before they were dead and treating unburied corpses as dirt.” Dionysius’s flock, however, heeded his call to take the opposite approach. “Most our brother Christians showed unbounded love and loyalty, never sparing themselves and thinking only of one another. Heedless of danger, they took charge of the sick, attending to their every need and ministering to them in Christ, and with them departed this life serenely happy; for they were infected by others with the disease, drawing on themselves the sickness of their neighbours and accepting their pains.” It is noteworthy that Dionysius’ policy towards the stricken had results he could hardly have guessed. Historian Rodney Stark believes that the care offered by Christians may have cut the mortality rate by two-thirds or more and eventually led to a large number of conversions to this merciful creed. That, in turn, further secured Christianity’s place in society and history. Thus his church, under his direction, prospered in the face of an almost unspeakable calamity. By This Sign pp 33 - 34
We don’t live in a time or place where people are thrown into the streets.
We do live in a time where people are ignored and suffer in silence.
We live in a time where families who don’t have the tools to cope are imploding.
We live in a time when people who like to be alone have REALLY alone and I’m hearing it’s TOO MUCH.
We live in a time where businesses are failing and unemployment is not getting better and credit card debt is out of control.
We live in a time where health care workers can’t get away from the sickness and people making minimum wage are on the front lines serving whatever customers they have.
We can’t sit back and wait for it end.
Christ did not call us to hang on until the rapture.
People need the peace that we’ve been promised.
And we’ve been stuck on the questions:
- How can we safely gather together?
- How can we lay hands on the sick when we have to keep social distance?
- When will our rights be respected?
And Holy Spirit wants us to ask:
- How do I show to acts of love and good works?
- How do I let my light shine before people so they glorify God?
Listen…
You need to know the benefit we get as we serve others. We don’t serve others to get this benefit. We serve others because it pleases God when we serve one another in love. But you know, when you bless others you are blessed, when you refresh others you are refreshed. If you’re limited in your thinking because you don’t think you can bless and refresh others now, you need to watch this video clip from Simon Sinek on Service
{Show video - see above}
We don’t know the blessing we miss out on because we don’t extend ourselves to bless others.
We need to stop looking at the problems and start realizing God-in-us is the solution.
What if?
What if we got focused on the things that matter to God? Yes, we need to gather together - however we can gather together - BUT WE GATHER to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.
What if it’s not about US as the church having an event, but it’s about you and me BEING the church in the day-to-day of our everyday?
What if people we connect with see us as the light of the world, that city on a hill, those people of peace who know how to really love?
A church that motivates one another to acts of love and good works is a bride who has made herself ready.
Imagine
Are you motivated to acts of love and good works?
Do you motivate others to acts of love and good works?
What would it be like to do acts of love and good works even in a pandemic?
Solution
HOW TO ALWAYS DO GOOD WORKS TOOL
A - Accept Holy Spirit’s Role - Philippians 1:6
L - Love Always - 1 Corinthians 16:14
W - Walk in the Light - John 16:13
A - Act like Jesus - Colossians 3:17
Y - Yearn to Flow - Ephesians 5:2
S - Surrender - 1 Peter 3:15
Let’s unpack this
A - Accept Holy Spirit’s Role
Philippians 1:6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
Am I doing good works in my own strength? Holy Spirit leads you Romans 8:14 , teaches you John 16:13, enables you Philippians 2:13 and empowers you accomplish every good work prompted by faith 2 Thessalonians 1:11
Hint - Don’t do acts of love and good works in your own strength and ability
L - Love Always
1 Corinthians 16:14 And do everything with love.
Am I really doing this out of love? Are you trying to compete or doing this because you deserve the attention?
Hint: If you’re doing it for any other reason than love, rethink your motivation before proceeding.
W - Walk in the Light
John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.
Where is Holy Spirit leading me to serve? Coffee in cars, conversations over the fence, other…
Hint - As long as it depends on you, live at peace with all people. Don’t make others uncomfortable - ask.
A - Act like Jesus
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
How do I show Jesus and His love in…my phone calls, text messages, video calls, social media posts and in every interaction with everyone I meet, however I meet them?
Hint - Be authentic. This is not plastic Christianity. You cannot fake acts of love and good works.
Y - Yearn to Flow
Ephesians 5:2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.
Do I leave everyone a little more…happy, joyful, at peace, interested in Jesus?
Hint - Be so filled with Jesus He leaks out. Get so in love with Jesus people see Him when they see you.
S - Surrender
1 Peter 3:15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.
What if I’m not ready to ALWAYS do Good Works? Confession is agreeing with God not obeying Him is sin. Repentance is changing your mind and behaviour to start obeying Him. Grace is Holy Spirit empowering you to do the things you can’t do on your own.
Hint - Ask for Holy Spirit’s help to start doing acts of love and good works today.
Challenge
1 Chronicles 12:32 (CEB) from Issachar, those who understood the times and what Israel should do
Will you be a person of Issachar? Will you understand the times and know what to do? Will you do acts of love and good works today? Will people see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven?
Jesus did not give us power and authority so we could sit in a pew and wait for the rapture - Bill Johnson
Good works matter Even more today
How will do acts of love and good works this week?
Can I pray for you?
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