Works in Christian preaching refer to the deeds and actions that flow from genuine faith, demonstrating a believer's commitment and obedience to God. They are often illustrated through pictures of diligent labor, faithful endurance, and the fruits of love and service, emphasizing that while salvation is by grace, true faith naturally produces good works (Ephesians 2:8-10, James 2:17). These images encourage believers to run their race well and cast their bread upon the waters, trusting God to bless their efforts.
Disregard for poor brings God's condemnation. Our response to the poor is our response to Christ. The deeds which God approves flow naturally out of a right relationship with God. It is what a person does when he is not seeking approval that shows his true character.
Comments on passage by Martin Luther and others. Luther: "Why don't you do it now? You have Christ in your neighbor."
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Adventists speak out of both sides of their mouth. On the one hand they want to be considered orthodox evangelicals, but on the other they follow the teachings of Ellen G. White, who wrote, "Jesus has purchased redemption for us. It is ours but we are placed here on probation to see if we will prove worthy of eternal life." Eternal life depends on proving worthiness.
Confusion over whether “trusting Christ” is enough for salvation, or whether your life has to change as well. Our experience in Christ is not always as complete as our position in Christ.
Salvation is by faith alone. Every area of life is not under the lordship of Christ because they are still a babe. Discipleship is different than salvation. It takes time to develop.
Current studies in Paul argue that the "works righteousness" of the Jews has been misunderstood. The Jews relied on a covenant of grace, with good works as the proper response.
1. Traditionalists have argued the Jews distorted the Law and Paul is answering their distortion.
2. E. P. Sanders says Paul was a contented Jew but was turned around in his Damascus Road experience. Paul then started this theology with the solution (Christ) and worked back to propose the problem. He is unsystematic and sometimes inconsistent in his treatment of the law. His chief objection to Judaism is that it rejects Christ. A secondary feature is the law-keeping stands in the way of converting Gentiles. Overall, Paul's theology and Judaism are very close in their conception of salvation.
3. James Dunn argues "works of the law" does not refer to works-righteousness but refers to the laws that maintain the Jews' national identity. This excludes the Gentiles. Jesus delivers the Jews from this curse (Gal 3:13). The Jews did not believe in works-righteousness but in grace, yet their exclusivist understanding of grace was wrong.
4. Stephen Westerholm believes Paul is against works of any kind, not just ones motivated by the Law. Paul is radical in his exclusive reliance on grace. "Law" in Paul refers to the Ten Commandments, not to Jewish perversion of the Law. The Law promised life but could not deliver it. Paul's gospel is law-free. The Spirit is the Christian's moral guide.
Lillie Baltrip is a good bus driver. In fact, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram of June 17, 1988, the Houston school district nominated her for a safe-driving award. Her colleagues even trusted her to drive a busload of them to an awards ceremony for safe drivers. Unfortunately, on the way to the ceremony, Lillie turned a corner too sharply and flipped the bus over, sending herself and sixteen others to the hospital emergency room for minor injuries.
Did Lillie, accident free for a whole year, get her award anyway? No. Award committees rarely operate on the principle of grace. How fortunate we are that even when we don't maintain a spotless life-record, our final reward depends on God's grace, not on our performance!
In January 1985, a large suitcase, unmarked and unclaimed, was discovered at the customs office at Los Angeles International Airport. When U.S. Customs agents opened the suitcase, they found the curled-up body of an unidentified young woman.
She had been dead for a few days, according to the county coroner. As the investigation continued, it was learned that the woman was the wife of a young Iranian living in the U.S. Unable to obtain a visa to enter the U.S. and join her husband, she took matters into her own hands and attempted to smuggle herself into America via an airplane’s cargo bay. While her plan seemed to her simple though risky, officials were hard pressed to understand how such an attempt could ever succeed. Even if she survived the journey in the cargo bay, she would remain an illegal alien, having entered though improper channels.
Some people believe they’ll enter the kingdom of God on their own since they’ve been reasonably good citizens or church attenders. But entry plans of our own design prove not only foolish but fatal.
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Sermon version:
In January 1985, a large suitcase, unmarked and unclaimed, was discovered at the customs office at Los Angeles International Airport. When U.S. Customs agents opened the suitcase, they found the curled-up body of an unidentified young woman.
She had been dead for a few days, according to the county coroner. As the investigation continued, it was learned that the woman was the wife of a young Iranian living in the U.S. She was unable to obtain a visa to enter the U.S. and join her husband. So she took matters into her own hands and attempted to smuggle herself into America via an airplane’s cargo bay. While her plan seemed to her simple though risky, officials were hard pressed to understand how such an attempt could ever succeed. Even if she survived the journey in the cargo bay, she would remain an illegal alien, having entered though improper channels.
Some people believe they’ll enter the kingdom of God on their own since they’ve been reasonably good citizens or church attenders. But entry plans of our own design prove not only foolish but fatal.
Traditional Christian beliefs are in decline, according to a recent survey by the Barna Research Group of Glendale, California. While 88% believe Jesus Christ was a real person, what they believe about Him differs sharply from Scriptural teaching.
Forty-two percent of those surveyed believe that while He lived on earth, Jesus committed sins, just like other people. Even among born-again Christians, one-quarter believe Jesus sinned during His time on earth.
A whopping 61% believe the devil is just a symbol of evil, not a living being. And 54% believe that if people are good enough, they will earn a place in heaven, regardless of their religious beliefs.
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Another version from SermonCentral.com, 2002:
NOT JUST A SYMBOL
The New York Times reported a study about the diminishing belief in the devil among Americans. Two-thirds of Americans do not believe in the devil as a living entity. In a randomly selected survey of over 1,000 Americans, pollsters asked whether they agreed that Satan is “not a living being, but a symbol of evil.” Sixty-two percent agreed with the statement. That means nearly 149 million Americans believe that Satan has no influence, but that Satan is just a symbol of evil. We should know and understand that Satan is real, and evil is real, and this is our number-one enemy as believers in Jesus Christ.
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Contributed by Christopher Roberts
Once upon a time there was a town whose inhabitants came to fear for their
lives because the land all around them was sinking into the ocean. It
became apparent that soon their own homes would also sink beneath the waves
and they would drown if they didn't get out.
One day two big shiny buses pulled into town and the word soon spread that
these buses had come to rescue all who would get on board and take a trip to
New Jerusalem..... a city five thousand miles away and the only place high
enough to stay above the rising sea level.
One of the buses (the "Good Works" bus) required passengers to purchase part
of the fuel that would be needed for the journey. They could use various
good deeds, rules they had kept, ranks they had attained and various other
credentials they had earned. This sort of transaction appealed greatly to
many of the folks in the town. soon they were lining up to purchase fuel
for the trip.
Mormons brought lists of all the family nights honored, baptisms for the
dead, and lists of all the days spent without drinking alcohol. Church of
Christ folks came with records of 3 church services per week, certifications
of correct doctrine, affidavits stating they had never sung in a church
with instruments, and baptismal accounts correctly defining the proper
method and only approved reason for baptism. Buddhists brought records of
progressive lifetimes spent working off their bad Karma. Each was given
quantities of fuel commensurate with their achievements. They gave their
containers of fuel to the bus driver and boarded the bus with their various
records of achievement. The massive tanks on the bus were soon filled to
capacity and the driver assured the healthy, confident passengers that there
was more than enough fuel for the journey. (He lied)
The transaction required for the second bus (the "Good Lord"bus) was a
little different. The fuel tank for this bus was already full when the
passengers arrived. In fact, it only had an 8 quart capacity, and it had
about 6 quarts of a red fluid in the tank. The rest of the fuel was in
medicine bottles on the bus. The red fluid was needed not only for fuel,
but for medicine for the various sick passengers on board.
The passengers on the second bus were, for the most part, quite a motley
crew.... or so they seemed to the passengers who got on the "Good works"
bus. None of them had enough good achievements to purchase fuel. They had
to resort to the charity of free bus tickets which they were given in
exchange for merely believing that the "Good Lord" bus could make it make it
all the way to New Jerusalem on the 8 quart tank of red fuel. Some were so
weak and pitiful that they couldn't even get on the bus without assistance.
The "Good Works" bus took on all the passengers who could afford the price
of admission and roared away leaving the "Good Lord" bus in a cloud of dust
to pick up stragglers. There were a good many people left scurrying around
trying to pile up enough good works to buy a ticket of their own. As these
presented their credentials to purchase their fare on the remaining bus, the
bus driver patiently explained that the only way they could get on the bus
was to leave all their hard earned credentials on a rubbish pile by the bus
and get on empty handed. Some reluctantly accepted the terms and got on
board for free. Others clutched their lists to their bosoms and said they'd
wait for another bus that would accept their currency. The bus driver told
them this was the last bus out of town but they wouldn't listen. Some of
the remaining folks stayed because they said they didn't believe in buses or
New Jerusalem, and they would just stay and enjoy the bounties of the town
until the sea took them beneath its waves.
Finally the second bus pulled out on to the highway to New Jerusalem. The
"Good Lord" bus had only gone about a thousand miles when it came upon the
motionless hulk of the of the "Good Works" bus on the side of the road. Its
passengers, now a pitiful, bedraggled lot, huddled outside in the scant
shadow of the big bus. They had found that the grade on the road to New
Jerusalem was much steeper than they had ever imagined, and they had been
driving into a stiff head wind the whole trip. They had run out of fuel a
few miles back, and in their panic, they had gotten out and pushed the bus
in hopes that they could get high enough to escape the rising tide until
help came.
The "Good Lord" bus pulled over and stopped. Many of its passengers were a
lot healthier after traveling on the bus. They got off and offered to help
the stranded passengers on to their bus. Every one from the "Good works"
bus scrambled back on to the stranded vehicle to retrieve their credentials.
They lined up by the door of the new bus to buy their tickets. Only those
who surrendered their lists were allowed to board. A sizable group stayed
behind clutching their prized achievements when the "Good Lord" bus pulled
out.
The good Lord bus made it all the way to New Jerusalem. By the time it got
there, passengers looked pretty much like the ones who first got on the
"Good works" bus. During the trip the passengers learned to accomplish good
works and practice good doctrine. They even all got baptized. But when
they got to New Jerusalem, none of them had the slightest doubts about what
got them there safely..... it was the red fluid in the 8 quart tank, and it
had absolutely nothing to do with what they accomplished on the journey.
The other bus was taken by the rising tide and it sunk beneath the waves.
A Christian who was called on often to pray always concluded his prayer, "And now, Lord, clean all the cobwebs out of our lives." You know what he was talking about, all the little unsightly words, thoughts, and deeds, that he had let accumulate all week. Finally it got to be too much for one of the brethren who had heard him say that prayer often. So on Wednesday night, just after hearing those words again, he jumped to his feet and shouted, "Don't do it, Lord. Kill the spider!"
Gary Parsons trotted into Brisbane, Australia, after a run of 19,030 kilometers. The effort earned him sole possession of world record for a continuous run. The previous record of 17,071 kilometers, was held by Robert Sweetgall, an American, December 1999.
Under the rules, Parsons could not miss a single day of running; and a minimum of 20 kilometers must be run each day. The Australian ran for over a year to achieve his record and "wore out about a dozen pairs of running shoes", resoling some shoes up to forty times. He also suffered from dehydration and a bout with a virus.
Application: Christians are not required to do anything to earn their reward. We don't have to run continuously or even win the race, only to "run as if to win." [1 Corinthians 9:24b] Nonetheless, we're told to "run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith." Hebrews 12:1b,2a
Source/Attribution: John Gillmartin
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"Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better." I remember watching the Olympic divers. They would jump so high, twist, turn & flip, then gracefully enter the water with just a little splash. It was so easy! I could even begin to see how it could be done better. All I needed was a swimming pool. Then the Olympic ice skaters would do their thing; jumping, spinning & skating backwards. After watching for a while I could begin to see how it could be done better. All I needed were some skates and a little ice. Then the gymnasts would do their thing; hand stands, cart wheels, flips, and tumbling. After watching for a while I could begin to see how it could be done better. It was so easy! All I needed were some tights and a mat.
I went swimming, and I did a belly flop.
I went ice skating, and I fell on my face.
I went to a gym and I looked like an idiot.
I learned that it is easier to watch someone else and be critical of them than it is to go out and do it myself."
FARMER: Good morning tree! How are you doing today?
TREE: Just fine, farmer! My, isn't it a lovely morning?
FARMER: Yes, it is. Except for one thing--where is your fruit? I see all your nice, green foilage and your sturdy trunk and root system, BUT WHERE IS YOUR FRUIT?
TREE: Master, you will notice I am more firmly anchored than any tree in the orchard. I have the most beautiful leaves to be seen anywhere! I have no broken, swagging branches or scuff marks from workmen's shoes on my limbs.
FARMER: That's well and good, but I planted you for the purpose of bearing fruit, not to look pretty and preserve yourself! Suppose all of my trees had your attitude! Why have you not produced fruit?
TREE: I tried bearing fruit once a few years ago. Some of the beautiful fruit I worked so hard to produce fell to the ground and became rotten. The odor was terrible. My limbs would bend and break and in the effort my whole system was strained--it was all one tree could stand! Then the workmen came and climbed my tender limbs and snapped my branches with their rapid strokes. To top it all, I produced the most
fruit of any tree in the orchard and I didn't get any glory! No, I am content to stay right here and leave fruit-bearing to some other tree. After experiences like these what do you expect?
FARMER: I expect you will make beautiful logs for my fireplace!
Billy Graham had this to say about faith and works and their relationship to each other: There really is no conflict between faith and works. In the Christian life they go together like inhaling and exhaling. Faith is taking the Gospel in; works is taking the Gospel out. Actually, what James is saying is: you can't have one without the other.
A Christian man worked each day transporting tourists across a lake. On occasion he would present the Gospel and its implications for life in a most unusual way. He had painted the word "Faith" on one of the oars of his rowboat and "Works" on the other. When they got quite far from shore, he would stop, then,
beginning to row with only the one oar marked "faith," he would cause the boat to go in circles to the left. Reversing the process, he would pull on the other oar marked "works," and they would circle in the opposite direction. By this time the bewildered passengers were waiting for an explanation. This afforded him a wonderful opportunity to give them the truth concerning discipleship and the Christian life. He always
concluded by saying, "You see, neither faith nor works can stand alone. They are twins that cannot be separated!" (James 2:20)
Faith in Christ is more than mere intellectual assent. It is believing with the heart, with the will, with adoration and with action. Years ago a party of visitors at the national mint were told by a workman in the smelting works that if you first dipped your hand in water, a ladle of molten metal might be poured over
the palm of the hand without burning it. A husband and wife were part of this party of visitors. "Perhaps you would like to try it," the workman said to the husband. The husband drew back sharply, "No thanks," he said, "I'll take your word for it." The workman turned to the wife, "Perhaps you would like to try it." She replied, "Certainly." She pulled up the sleeve of her blouse and thrust her hand into a bucket of water. Calmly she held her hand out while the metal was poured over it. In nature of Jesus' parable, we might ask which of the two really believed the workman? The husband believed at one level - but he wasn't willing to put his belief to the acid test. The wife, on the other hand, was willing to take the kind of risk faith in Christ
demands.
In the play, "My Fair Lady," Eliza is being courted by Freddy, who writes to her daily of his love for her. Eliza's response to his notes is to cry out in frustration:
Words! Words! I'm so sick of words! ...
Don't talk of stars
Burning above,
If you're in love,
Show me!
Don't talk of love lasting through time.
Make me no undying vow
Show me now!
We need more than words to experience a loving relationship. We need to be shown. Let your love be seen!
1. We sing Sweet Hour of Prayer and are content with 5-10 minutes a
day.
2. We sing Onward Christian Soldiers and wait to be drafted into
His service.
3. We sing O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing and don't use the one
we have.
4. We sing There Shall be Showers of Blessing but do not come when
it rains.
5. We sing Blest Be the Tie That Binds and let the least little
offense sever it.
6. We sing Serve the Lord With Gladness and gripe about all we have
to do.
7. We sing I Love To Tell the Story and never mention it at all.
8. We sing We're Marching to Zion but fail to march to worship or
school.
9. We sing Cast Thy Burden on the Lord and worry ourselves into a
nervous breakdown.
10. We sing The Whole Wide World for Jesus and never invite our
next-door neighbor.
11. We sing O Day of Rest and Gladness and wear ourselves on
traveling, cutting grass or playing golf on Sunday.
12. We sing Throw Out the Lifeline and content ourselves with
throwing out a fishing line.
See: \reference{Luke 6:46}{Luke 6:46}; \reference{Rev
3:15}{Revelation 3:15}
\reference{Ecclesiastes 11:1}{Ecclesiastes 11:1} says: "Cast thy
bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days." The
Moslems have a proverb which is probably a comment on this verse:
"Strew thy bread upon the surface of the water and on the dry land,
and thou shalt find it in the end of days."
The caliph of Bagdad had a son who was drowned while bathing in the
river. He offered a large reward to anyone who should recover the
boy's body. After seven days, a bather discovered the boy alive in a
cavern in a precipitous mountain, past which the river flowed. The
caliph learned that the boy had been kept from starvation by cakes of
bread floating on the water, on which cakes were stamped the name of a
Moslem of Bagdad. The caliph summoned the Moslem and asked him what
had induced him to throw bread into the water. He replied that he had
done so every day for a year in order to test the truth of the
proverb. The caliph thereupon rewarded him with five villages in the
vicinity of Bagdad.
The legend, which has all the elements of possibility in it,
reiterates the truth of the proverb that deeds done unselfishly for
others, not only do good to the one for whom they are done, but return
in blessings upon the head of the doer. --McCartney
An associate of Wesley, Samuel Bradburn, was highly respected by
his friends and used by God as an effective preacher. On one occasion
he was in rather desperate financial need. When Wesley learned of his
circumstances, he sent him a five-pound note (then worth about $10)
with the following letter: "Dear Sammy: Trust in the Lord, and do
good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed'.
Yours affectionately, John Wesley." Bradburn's reply was prompt. "Rev.
and Dear Sir: I have often been struck with the beauty of the passage
of Scripture quoted in your letter, but I must confess that I never
saw such a useful expository note on it before."
Sometimes even the brute creation shames us by their faithfulness. Henry Ward Beecher once, when about to take a ride, said to the man who brought the horse: "That is a fine-looking animal; is he as good as he looks?" The man replied: "Mr. Beecher, that is the best horse in our stable. He will work in any place you put him, and he can do anything any horse can." The great preacher eyed him for a moment with increased admiration, and then humorously remarked: "I wish...he was a member of our church."
-- Topical Illustrations
Among the art treasures of Rome, there is a mysterious statue. It
represents a barbarian king in chains--one of those tall fair-haired
men of the North--men who, even when they stood in captivity before
their Roman conquerors, extorted admiration by their splendid physique
and their royal dignity of bearing. The peculiarity of this statue is
that it has never been finished. The work is wrought with great care
and skill up to a certain point, then it suddenly stops short.
Conjecture has been busy about the statue. Why did the sculptor stop
after having done so much? Was the reason caprice, or accident, or
sudden death, or impatience at his failure to realize the ideal aimed
at? Who can tell? The secret lies buried in a forgotten past.
But He who labors at the chiseling of new men and women in Christ
never loses patience, never tires of His task. Obstacles may delay,
but they can never finally baffle His sublime purpose. He Who has
begun a good work in us will perform it unto its final and eternal
perfection on the day of Christ. --Martin Lewis
Almost thirteen centuries before the birth of Christ, the prophet
Balaam stood on Pisgah's summit and surveyed the encampment of Israel.
Having had his eyes miraculously opened to the grandeur of the destiny
of the people of God, he exclaimed: "It shall be said of Jacob and of
Israel, What hath God wrought!" (\reference{Num 23:23}{Numbers 23:23})
Thirty-one centuries passed. In the chamber of the Supreme Court,
in the Capitol at Washington, Samuel Morse, an American painter who
had turned inventor, tapped out a message on a new device. The message
was received and recorded by those who were waiting in a room in
Baltimore. The telegraph, which since that time has transmitted to
many thousands of messages of joy and sorrow of birth and death of war
and peace, was an accomplished fact. May 24, 1944 was the hundredth
anniversary of the sending of the first message. Again, that first
message, the exclamation of that eloquent seer on Pisgah's height was
flashed over the wires sounding this time around the world: "What hath
God wrought!" --McCartney
Perhaps, when the vast throng of Christ's perfected Church enter
eternally into the City-Foursquare, this will be the spontaneous, and
astounded, cry of all: "What hath God wrought!"
When H. M. Stanley went to Africa in 1871 to find and report on
David Livingstone, he spent several months in the missionary's
company, carefully observing the man and his work. Livingstone never
spoke to Stanley about spiritual matters, but Livingstone's loving and
patient compassion for the African people was beyond Stanley's
comprehension. He could not understand how the missionary could have
such love for and patience with the backward, pagan people among whom
he had so long ministered. Livingstone literally spent himself in
untiring service for those whom he had no reason to love except for
Christ's sake. Stanley wrote in his journal, "When I saw that
unwearied patience, that unflagging zeal, and those enlightened sons
of Africa, I became a Christian at his side, though he never spoke to
me one word."
One Christmas season a pastor pointed to a Christmas poinsettia. "Whoever wants it can have it," he said. "All you have to do is take it." The congregation simply stared. The pastor waited. And waited. Finally a mother timidly raised her hand and said, "I'll take it." "Great! It's yours." But to the pastor's astonishment she nudged her son, "Go get it for me." "No," said the pastor. "Whoever wants this gift must come and get it personally. You can't send a substitute." She shook her head not willing to risk embarrassment. The pastor waited again. It was a gorgeous flower, unusually large, wrapped in red cellophane with a gold satin ribbon. It was set in front of the pulpit. Several people had mentioned how beautiful the plant was. Now it was free for the taking.
Someone snickered, "What's the catch?" "No catch," said the pastor. "It's free." No one moved. A college student asked, "Is it glued down?" Everyone laughed. "It is not glued down. Nor are there any strings attached. It's yours for the taking."
"Well," asked a pretty teenager, "can I take it after the service?" The pastor shook his head. Again he waited.
Then a woman stood up at the back. Quickly, as if she were afraid she'd change her mind, she strode up to the front and picked up the plant. "I'll take it," she said. At that the pastor preached with enthusiasm on the free gift of eternal life.
When the service had ended and most of the people had gone home, the woman who claimed the poinsettia grabbed the pastor. "Here!" She held out her hand. "This flower is too pretty to take home for free. I couldn't do that with a clear conscience." The pastor looked down at the crumpled paper she stuffed into his hand. It was a ten dollar bill!
The farmer had been pestered by a carload of people who delighted
in climbing an orchard fence and eating his apples without asking
permission.
One day, as he walked up to them, one of them smiled sheepishly and
said, "We hope you don't mind that we took a few of your apples."
"No, not at all," said the farmer, "and I hope you don't mind that
I took some of the air out of your tires."
Right in the middle of the highway at Midlothian, Virginia there is
a singular monument to an old-time country doctor. He had done such
service to the community that the people wanted to erect a memorial to
him in the village while he was yet alive. But the doctor was too
modest for that, and said: "When I die, you all just bury me wherever
I be." Shortly afterward, as he was driving his buggy on his way to a
sick patient, he died there in the middle of the road, and there
today, right in the middle of the road so that you have to drive your
automobile round it as you pass through the village, stands that
singular monument.
Bible scholar Adam Clarke was a very slow and deliberate worker. He
therefore disciplined himself to rise early every morning and get
started on his work. A young preacher who admired Dr. Clarke and
wanted to follow his example asked him how he could get up early so
consistently. "Do you pray about it?" the man asked. "No," Clarke
responded, "I just do it."
Sometimes God wants us to take action rather than pray. Today's
scripture gives us an example. Pharaoh had pursued the Israelites and
seemed to have them trapped. The people cried out to God. Moses
encouraged them by assuring them that the Lord would destroy the
enemy. It was then that God told Moses to move ahead. The time had
come to act.
Over the door to the operating theater of one of the Philadelphia
hospitals, I used to read these words: "Think not the beautiful doings
of thy soul shall perish unremembered. They abide with thee forever,
and alone the good thou doest nobly, truth and love approve. Each pure
and gentle deed of mercy brings an honest recompense, and from it
looms that sovereign knowledge of thy duty done, a joy beyond all
dignities of earth." --McCartney
Yet, we must ever remember that one's good works do not guarantee
an entrance into heaven, for Jesus Himself tells us that many who have
done "many wonderful works" will be forced to depart from Him into
everlasting fire. --Duane V. Maxey
In a certain factory for textile goods, part of the instructions
set up in the workroom read: "If your threads get tangled, send for
the foreman." One of the workers, a diligent and busy woman, got her
threads tangled and she tried to disentangle them but only made them
worse. After that, she sent for the foreman. He came and looked. Then
he said to her: "You have been doing this Yourself." "Yes," she
replied. "But why did you not send for me according to instructions?"
he asked. Rather sullenly, she answered: "I did my best." And with
that tact which a real leader should possess, he said quietly,
"Remember, that doing your best is sending for me." --Failure And
Recovery
On one of the arches in a magnificent cathedral in Europe is
sculptured a face of wondrous beauty. It can be seen only once a year
when the sun is in a certain position, for then its rays streaming
through a small window illuminate the exquisite carving. According to
legend, when the structure was being built, an old man came and begged
permission to work on some portion of the great church. He had been a
well-known artist, but now his trembling hands and failing sight
caused the architect to fear that he would mar the beautiful edifice.
Out of respect for his age and reputation, however, he allowed the
artisan to chisel a design under the shadows of the vaulted roof,
thinking no one would ever see it there. After months of painstaking
labor, the elderly gentleman could hardly work his way up to the
platform high above the floor, yet he insisted on one more climb to
make a few finishing touches. When he failed to come down by
nightfall, a workman went up and discovered his lifeless body. His
tools lay beside him, and his sightless eyes were fixed on the
marvelous face he had wrought in the marble. Although he thought it
would never be seen, he had given his all to produce a masterpiece. An
authority on sculpture recently declared, "This is the most
magnificent work of all, for love wrought it!"
When John McNeill, the Scottish evangelist, landed in France for Y.
M. C. A. duty during the World War, he was introduced to the general
in command, who said that he would like to give him
suggestions about his preaching to the men. McNeill's biographer,
Alexander Gammie, describes the incident: "What the general wanted him
to do was to instruct the men that, when they went over the top, if
they fell, it would be all right for them in the next world. They had
died for their country. Mr. McNeill replied: General, if one of the
men under your command were to win the Victoria Cross for
valor, and I were to belittle the deed by which the decoration was
won, you would not like it. And I want to tell you, General, that you
are cheapening my Lord's sacrifice." The incident ended at that
point." --Selected
We don't always know the motives of others -- good or bad.
One minister was walking down a row of fine old Victorian homes on
a cold day when he spotted a young boy on the front porch of one home.
The old-fashioned doorbell was set high in the door, and the little
fellow was too short to ring it despite his leaping attempts.
Feeling sorry for the youngster, the minister stepped up onto the
porch and vigorously rang the bell for him. "And now what, young man?"
inquired the minister.
"Now," exclaimed the boy, "we run like crazy!"
Sentiment is not life; and many approve sentiments who never
attempt to follow them. "I had rather the a doorkeeper in the house of
my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness." This is a beautiful
sentiment, but suppose we thus translate it: "I had rather be a
hodcarrier to build a church for God than to act as architect to build
a palace for myself." The sentiment is none the less beautiful, but it
jars upon the nerves because it is so practical. Let your Christianity
be a matter of life, and not of dreams and fancies. --The Lookout
An old Southern doctor had his office over a drugstore. In front of
the drugstore was a sign reading: "Dr. Riley is upstairs." When the
old doctor died, after a long life of day and night service for
mankind, he left no money even for his burial, and across account
after account on his books they found the entry "Paid off". When he
was buried, his friends wanted to put up some memorial or stone on his
grave. They had no money for an expensive stone or marker, so they set
up over his grave the sign that was in front of the drugstore, and
that was his beautiful epitaph: "Dr. Riley is upstairs." --McCartney
If indeed he shall be in heaven, however, it will be because of
what Christ did for him at Calvary, and not because of what he did for
others. Sometimes the good deeds of kindly people have caused others
to pronounce their sainthood or sure entrance into heaven. Such
sentiment in itself is no guarantee that the one whom they revere
shall truly enter into heaven. Note this in regard to the following
illustration as well. --Duane V. Maxey
An old black preacher was convalescing from a severe illness. His
appetite was returning. He longed for a piece of chicken. So he
prayed, "O Lord, please send me a chicken."
Alas, no chicken came. The craving for a piece of good,
old-fashioned fried chicken was increasing. But the prayer was not
answered - no chicken was forthcoming. The preacher then changed the
form of his prayer, and said, "Dear Lord, send me out after the
chicken." Needless to say the preacher had fried chicken that night
for supper.
- Hyman Appelman, {Pointed Sermon Outlines and Illustrations.}
Once a woman was deeply hurt by a friend. With thoughtful
compassion another friend told her: "Go out and do the richest thing
you can think of for someone else. That will restore the balance in
the universe."
The world is filled with violence, hatred, and cruelty. Because of
a sin-filled world, "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy
Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that
were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him" (\reference{Acts
10:38}{Acts 10:38}).
He restores balance in the universe.
Jack Gulledge, {Ideas and Illustrations for Inspirational
Talks, }(Nashville: Broadman Press, 1986), 162
Though suffering from the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, Muhammad
Ali still can joke about his illness. "It's a blessing," he says. "I
always liked to chase the girls - Parkinson's stops all that. Now I
might have a chance to go to heaven."
The former boxing champ sees his disease as creating another
destiny for him as well. Ali's travels now take him to charity
benefits for organizations such as UNICEF, the Franciscan Sisters of
the Poor, and Best Buddies, an organization for the mentally
retarded. Wherever he is, he plunges in among the sick and the poor,
offering himself up as a vehicle for worldwide healing.
"With everything I do," he says, "I ask myself, will God accept
this? One day you'll wake up and it'll be Judgment Day, so you need
to do good deeds. I love going to hospitals. I love sick people. I
don't worry about disease."
- William Plummer on {People Weekly} {######Reader's
Digest, }August 1997, 83
One noon the opera singer Enrico Caruso entered a bank near the
Metropolitan Opera Company in New York City to cash a check. When the
alert, young teller saw the famous name on the check he became
suspicious. The more Caruso tried to convince the distracted teller
that he was Caruso, the more convinced the latter became that he was a
fraud.
Then Caruso had an inspiration. Stepping back a few paces from the
teller's window (so that he would not blow the money around), he
placed one hand on his breast and began to sing an aria. Long before
he finished, the teller began to count the money out.
When he came to the end, Caruso bowed and took his money, while the
customers and clerks cheered.
When "Betty Crocker" first introduced her cake mix, women simply didn't believe a dry mix, in a small box, at a reasonable price would make a cake. The company modified its claims and told women they must add an egg. They believe it - sales skyrocketed.
When Parker Pen Company introduced the first ball-point pen, they asked just 29 cents (Gillmartin's note: I believe this was the price, at least it was a very small amount). Sales were horrible. On the advice of a consultant they made the price over a dollar - sales soared.
Commentary: How many times will we discuss the Good News of Jesus Christ and see people cling to their unbelief because it sounds too easy. Human nature seems to insist on the appearance of great value where there is none and great poverty where there is vast fortune.
______________________
Source/Attribution: John Gillmartin; SIEW
=========================================
I read about an instant cake mix that was a big flop. The instructions said all you had to do was add water and bake. The company couldn't understand why it didn't sell -- until their research discovered that the buying public felt uneasy about a mix that required only water. Apparently people thought it was too easy. So the company altered the formula and changed the directions to call for adding an egg to the mix in addition to the water. The idea worked and sales jumped dramatically.
That story reminds me of how some people react to the plan of salvation. To them it sounds too easy and simple to be true, even though the Bible says, “By grace you have been saved through faith...; it is the gift of God, not of works” (Eph. 2:8-9). They feel that there is something more they must do, something they must add to God's “recipe” for salvation. They think they must perform good works to gain God's favor and earn eternal life. But the Bible is clear -- we are saved, “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy” (Titus 3:5). Unlike the cake-mix manufacturer, God has not changed His “formula” to make salvation more marketable. The gospel we proclaim must be free of works, even though it may sound too easy.
R.W.D., Daily Bread, June 2, 1992
*
Long ago in the Middle East:
"A man was traveling on his donkey when he came upon a small fuzzy object lying in the road. He dismounted to look more closely and found a sparrow lying on its back with its scrawny legs thrust upward. At first he thought the bird was dead, but closer investigation proved it to be very much alive. The man asked the sparrow if he was all right. The sparrow replied, 'Yes.' The man said, 'What are you doing lying on your back with your legs pointed towards the sky?' The sparrow responded that he had heard a rumor that the sky was falling, and so he was holding his legs up in support. The man replied, 'You surely don't think that you're going to hold it up with those two scrawny legs, do you?' The sparrow, with a very solemn look, retorted, ‘One does the best he can.’" 2
We are much like that sparrow. No matter how hard we try - even if it is our best effort - it is not good enough. The best effort we can put forth is inadequate to provide what we really need. When the sky is falling, our reaction might be to lift our hands to stop it, but it will do us no good.
___________________________
2. God’s Masterpiece, by J. David Hoke, originally from R. Kent Hughes, Ephesians (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1990), p. 84.
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us. —Titus 3:5 — Read: Titus 3:3-8
It’s the bad news about sin and its consequences that makes the gospel of Jesus such good news. Because it is a message for sinners only, who, then, are the sinners?
The Ticket: There was a certain man who had worked all his life and was ready for a vacation. He wanted to go to a far away place he had never been before. He thought to himself; you are a good person, you’ve helped the poor and took care of the needy. So you deserve this trip.
He went to the airport and got in line to get on the plane. In his mind, he felt no need to buy a ticket because of all the great things he has done for people in his lifetime. He thought he had earned this trip. As the line got closer and closer to board the plane, he grew more and more anxious to start enjoying himself on his journey.
It came his turn to pass his ticket in and to the amazement of the ticket collector, he told her he didn’t have a ticket because he deserved a free trip.
He went on to explain what a good person he was and how he never hurt anyone or caused anyone any sort of pain, but the ticket collector told him, “you still need a ticket sir”
He told her “I have never stolen from anyone, nor cheated anyone in all my life”, but still she stood firm and insisted he could not board the plane unless a ticket was given to her.
He said “I have given money to the poor and fed the needy”, but still not being moved the ticket collector said if you want to get on this plane you have to have a ticket. No exceptions.
The man was shocked. He walked away with his head held down low and thought to himself, “I figured if I was a good person, who never hurt anyone and took care of other people, surely I would be able to get a free ride on the plane, but I guess I was wrong”.
That is what some people think of Heaven. They think if they are good people, who never hurt anyone and take care of others, they will get a free ride into Heaven. But the bible clearly says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9. Salvation is a free gift through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. No man can buy his way into Heaven, but Jesus came down to Earth in his own free will to give us Eternal Life. All we have to do is trust him by Faith and accept him into your heart as your Personal Lord and Savior. He has bought our ticket on the cross, but it is up to you to claim it.
The Japanese word is gambate. It means, roughly, "Try with everything you have." ABC missionary Kari Davidson says the expression is used "in just about any situation, from toilet training your kid to making a lovely swan from a small square of origami paper."
Kari says the idea of "trying hard" is a cultural norm "so engrained that you stick out like a sore thumb if you're not, say, a businessman who stays at the office for 12 to 16 hours a day or a mom who spends hours painstakingly making beautiful boxed lunches for her children." She adds that there are both strong group expectations and a sense of personal perfectionism that are intense in almost every area of life.
"One of the most valuable things God has taught our little family is to keep right on laughing at ourselves," she says. They may not be able to blend in with Japanese culture, but "there are ways to meaningfully relate to people who have been informed by radically different ideas about what's 'normal.'"
Bono, the lead singer of the Rock group "U-2", is an outspoken Christian. In an interview with Larry King he was asked, "Aren't all religions basically the same?" Bono replied, "All other religions offer Kharma [payback for our sins] - only Jesus offers grace."
[for another version, see HolwickID #30828]
Last Sunday was my turn in the nursery to work.
My heart wasn't in it; my feelings were hurt.
A child from its mother did not want to part
And it cried a lot with its broken heart.
I prayed that soon the hour would end,
That I would relax-no more children to tend.
Soon the hour was over; it felt good to be free.
I said, "Once a month was too much for me!"
The very next Sunday as I sat in the pew
Heard a very good sermon, but visitors were few.
But down came a woman and her soul was saved.
She was the mother of that crying babe!
Then it dawned on me that I had been a part
Of one being saved-giving God her heart.
From that day on I would never dread
Working in the nursery while souls are fed.
"I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me" (Philemon 1:10-11).
Keith Robinson asks (for all of us): "What use am I in the world? Has my life really made a difference in anything? Would anything be appreciably different if I were not here?
What is the old saying about putting your hand in a pail of water and withdrawing it: the hole that remains is how much you will be missed when you are gone! I am not pessimistic, depressed, or tired of living, but in reality, I have to recognize that my life has not made much of an impact on the world, certainly nothing like I had intended when I was 18 years old. But I am encouraged by the fact that human worth is not measured only in terms of fame, fortune, and sociopolitical influence. Perhaps the greatest measure of our value is how much we are needed by some other human being. John Mark was important because Paul needed him in a time of extreme anxiety and distress. The once useless Onesimus became 'useful'to Paul and to Philemon.
"When the final books are balanced and closed, the greatest tribute anyone could receive would be: They were useful! Someone needed them!
And what greater ambition could a person entertain than to be needed, to be useful. My input is not desired or needed for the Mid-East peace talks. It is doubtful that those involved are indispensable. But I fill a need in the lives of a few people that cannot be filled by anyone else. If there is someone who needs my love, if there is someone who looks forward to my presence, even if I can be nothing much more than just the object to someone's love, then I am not worthless. My life is not in vain. My existence is not futile. I may not be much, but I can love someone and make them feel needed. I can be the object of someone else's love and thus fill their needs and mine. No one is useless unless they give up on life and love.
"'Onesimus'means 'useful.'"
Remember when farmers used a collar to harness a team of horses or mules to pull a plow or wagon? This collar was made of leather with padding to protect the animal's neck and forequarters so he would not become disabled. The collar was made with a leather strap and buckle at the top, and the bottom was rounded to provide comfort to the animal. When the harness was put on the collar, it was designed to get the most even pull and least pressure on the horse. If the equipment
shifted, the horse would develop a sore. Then the animal would become so stiff-necked that you could not turn him at all. He would go one way only.
Brethren sometimes get the same way. Some will not adjust to situations when they know they should but will not because of custom or tradition and become stiff-necked, instead of doing what God wants done.
Proverbs 19:20 says, "Hear counsel and receive instruction that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end." Let us wear the yoke of God with pleasure and breach not against the harness that guides us in His way. "The discretion of a man deferreth his anger, and it is his glory to pass over a transgression" (Proverbs 19:11). Think long before you rebel.
A wealthy Englishman had in his valuable collection a rare violin which Fritz Kreisler, the celebrated virtuoso, greatly longed to possess. When the owner persisted in refusing to part with it, Kreisler begged permission to play it just once. That was granted.
With trembling hands the artist tuned the instrument and then played.
He played as only genius can play. He poured his heart into his music.
The Englishman stood as one transfixed until the playing had ceased, and he did not speak until Kreisler had tenderly returned the instrument to the antique box, as gently a mother puts her baby to bed. "Take the violin," he burst out. "It is yours. I have no right to keep it. It ought to belong to the man who can play it as you did."
That was odd reasoning, and yet it has something compellingly illustrative of the attitude that Paul wanted to arouse in the Corinthians who were made rich in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:5). In a sense, ought not an instrument belong to the master who can draw the finest music from it? Ought not your life and mine belong to the Master who can draw the noblest harmonies from them?
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Another version from PREACHING NOW newsletter:
Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn’t able to buy it. Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase that beautiful instrument. But to his great dismay, it had been sold to a collector.
Kreisler made his way to the new owner’s home and offered to buy the violin. The collector said it had become his prized possession, and he would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea. “Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?” he asked. Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector’s emotions were deeply stirred. “I have no right to keep that to myself,” he exclaimed. “It’s yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it.”
We have a message to share. Our heavenly Father created us as exquisite instruments, and the beautiful music we are to make is the Good News of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. We were made to be played.
________
Turning Point Daily Devotional, 7/26/06
Is our first interest in life the accumulation of wealth, or are we like that Burmese boatman who, when asked by a missionary whether he was willing to preach the Gospel to his fellow countrymen at only one-fourth of the salary he was now getting, said to the missionary, "I will not go for that small pay, but I will go for Christ."
The cross is the great symbol of Christianity. On steeples atop churches, covers of hymnals, lids for communion ware and lapel pins on Sunday jackets, it stands an awesome reminder of all that Jesus suffered. Jesus spoke of the cross as a symbol of Christian dedication. "Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Mark 8:34).
But Jesus also used another symbol for Christian commitment."Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me...My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:29-30). The yoke is a wooden harness tying two animals together to pull a load. Yokes are not usually painted on church buildings, or printed on the covers of Bibles, or worn as ornaments on neckchains. Maybe they should be. The yoke as much as the cross is a symbol of commitment to Jesus Christ.
Paul W. Powell, in The Complete Disciple elaborates:
"The cross and the yoke symbolize for us the two different aspects of commitment. The cross is an instrument of death; the yoke is an implement of toil. The cross is the symbol of sacrifice; the yoke is the symbol of service. The cross suggests blood; the yoke suggests sweat ...to be committed to Jesus Christ means that we are ready for either the yoke or the cross."
Let me suggest four lessons from the yoke:
SUBMISSION. "Take My yoke upon you." The Christian willingly submits to Jesus Christ as Lord and Master. "It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." "Not my will but Thine be done."
OBEDIENCE: "And learn of me." The yoke suggests submission to a master who must be obeyed. Blessed is the man who "heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them."
SERVICE: "My burden is light." Compared to the burden of sin, the yoke of the Lord is easy. But the very idea of a yoke is that of pulling a load, of work, of service. Christians are to be ministers-servants. "Work for the night is coming."
FELLOWSHIP: "All ye that labor." We are not alone in Christ, but serving alongside those of like precious faith. Paul spoke of his "loyal yokefellow." A yoke harnesses two animals together so as to pull a load neither one could pull alone. "Bear ye one another's burdens."
As we follow Christ, let us take up our yoke as well as our cross, "serving the Lord."
Paul envisions two builders on the one foundation, Jesus Christ. The one builds a palace, the other a shack. No doubt in Corinth, as in other ancient cities, side by side with the temples shining in marble and brass were the huts of the poor and the slaves, built of flimsy materials such as Paul mentions. He envisions a sudden flame playing around these buildings, the fire of the Lord coming to judgment. The marble gleams whiter, the silver, gold and jewels more resplendently, while the tongues of light leap about the palace. But the straw hut goes up in a flare. The two builders stand before God, the ultimate Paymaster. The one man gets wages for work that lasts; the other gets no pay for what perishes.
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