Daily Dose of the Word of God - Beyond Sunday - Ep. 63

Jeff Klein, Pastor of Outreach

Transcript

Welcome to our Elmhurst CRC's daily dose in the Word of God. It's Monday, November 11. This is Jeff Klein with your weekly reminder to take your following of Jesus and take it into the week beyond Sunday.

A lot of Christians are confused about the goal Jesus had in saving them. The end goal most of us talk about has to do with being evacuated from planet Earth and sent to heaven. But if that's the only goal, then why leave us here on Earth for lots and lots of years after we find Jesus and get saved, why not just evacuate us immediately? Once we getsaved, the Bible spells out the reason we were created in Christ Jesus, it's found in Ephesians, 210 For we are God's handiwork, his masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

According to Paul here in Ephesians, We were created in Christ Jesus to do the good works, the good things he planned for each one of us to do. In other words, you were saved and left here so that you can work alongside God in both making the world a better place and in helping others find theirway to Jesus. And God doesn't just leave you on your own in this task, he has provided us with resources to assist us in doing these good works. The Bible spells out these resources. The first one is found in II Timothy chapter three goes like this. All Scripture is inspired by God, and it's useful to teach us what is true, to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong, and teaches us to do what is right. Here's the line. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work? Did you catch the last line? God uses scripture to prepare and equip us to do every good work. In Hebrews, we find more resources. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. In other words, we have our fellow believers to motivate us to think up ways together to do the good works God prepared in advance for us to do. I Peter tells us that God has gifted us through His Spirit with special gifts to use as we carry out these good works. Here's what Peter says, "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others and be faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms". And then, I Timothy caps it all off with some verses on where resources will come from for these good works, command those who are rich in this world not to be arrogant or put their help hope and wealth which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. And then listen to this. "Command them to do good, to be rich in good works to be generous and willing to share." Notice that God's already given us, even those of us who are rich, the resources to perform these good gifts by sharing and being generous. The Bible is very clear. God's plan to build His kingdom and redeem the world involves us, including us, leaning into the reason God left us here, and after we are saved, we're supposed to do something. So, what are the good works that you have been specifically designed and prepared to do? How can you grab onto these resources God has provided to get going? What's stopping you? Let's go.

Let's pray. Jesus, give us a picture each one of us of the good works you prepared in advance for us to do, how and why You created us in yourself to join you in The work you're doing in your name, we pray you