Labouring With God

Good morning, everyone. God bless each one. That was a nice illustration of pride.

Thank you for that, Joshua. Children, you're probably never going to look at praying mantises the same, right? Or if you ever start fighting or getting upset with your brothers and sisters, always think about that, how the praying mantises, they bite and devour each other, but there's no blessing in that, right? There's no blessing in that. It's much better to be humble and to enjoy life much better.

Why don't we start with a word of prayer. Our Heavenly Father, we come before you this morning. Lord, we thank you for blessing us so richly.

We thank you for this time of year that we see your bountiful grace bestowed upon each one of us. We see that you are a provider. Lord, the harvests are coming in, and there's bountiful food for all the people.

Lord, there's many blessings that we receive physically and spiritually. Lord, we want to give you thanks for everything you do. Lord, we love you.

We thank you. We pray for open hearts here this morning as we share, as I share, that you would open the hearts and minds here. You would open my mouth to speak your words of love and truth.

I pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Yeah, so this morning I did want to talk a little bit about maybe a Thanksgiving message almost.

I know it was last Monday, but if we consider it the week of Thanksgiving, I know normally we do last Sunday, but this just was in my heart about just seeing the bountiful harvests that are coming in, just seeing God's provisions for us, so many blessings. And just over the week I received a message from Christian Aid Ministries, and it was a long devotional about Thanksgiving, and there was one thing that stood out to me here, and it read this. It was in the context of Canadian Thanksgiving.

It says, Here are the words of the Governor General Vincent Massey in 1957. It is a day of general thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvests with which Canada has been blessed to be observed on the second Monday in October. And then it goes on to say, perhaps you can say that the Canucks are getting a head start on Thanksgiving, and the idea is that American Thanksgiving is in November, but Canadian Thanksgiving is in October.

So I just want to turn our hearts towards God as a provider. God is our provider, Jehovah Jireh. I really always like to tap into different potentials.

Potential is an interesting topic to me. And thinking about God as a provider, me and the girls picked some corn yesterday out of the field, and some of the children picked them off, and we counted what was on each corn cob, and picked one off this morning, actually, because it was the only one that wasn't all the way shredded into little seeds already. I just want to talk a little bit about potential here.

Tremendous potential in God's provisions for us. So this corn cob has about 540 seeds on it. And a corn plant produces... Who's got a calculator on them? Does anybody have a calculator on them? Can you do some math for me, Joshua? So this one has about 500 seeds, and a corn plant has one to two of these on average.

So what is it if we do times 1.5? 750. So potential. If one single corn plant got reseeded all of the seeds, then it would produce another 750 seeds.

So what is that times 750? 562,000. So in one year, it could produce 562,000 seeds more. Now just hit equals.

In two years, we could have 421 million corn seeds. Hit it again. In three years, we could have 316 billion.

Say it again. How many zeros? Quadrillion. 237 quadrillion.

And hit it one more time. It's too much, right? That was four years that we calculated there. Potential, right? Potential out of one corn cob is tremendous.

And there's no reason that there needs to be world poverty, other than human selfishness, human pride, and human ignorance. Selfishness in that we like to build for ourselves, and we don't think of others so much. Ignorance in that I went to Haiti one time, and they actually thought earthworms were a curse, so they would kill all the good things.

So there's ignorance. Pride, which they'd bite and devour one another, the wars in this world. But outside of human ignorance, pride, and selfishness, there's plenty, plenty, tremendous potential.

That was one corn. I think at the end of five years, we would all be sick of corn already, the whole human race. So I just wanted to give that as a picture about potential.

Potential is only potential, though. Right? Potential is only potential. Potential needs to be, you need to pull it out of, there needs to be, you can't just sit idle.

This thing won't produce by itself. Action needs to be put into place to withdraw that potential. Can you imagine a bountiful harvest and zero motivation to reap that harvest? There's all this potential, but it's getting wasted.

Proverbs 16.10 says, Yet a little sleep, yet a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep, and so shall thy poverty come as one that traveleth. Wasted potential. Proverbs 10.5 says, He that gathereth in summer is a wise son, but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causes shame.

And so, although we have a bountiful harvest, there's much potential there. And I also know that with a bountiful harvest comes a lot of work. The term that says, make hay while the sun shines, you've all heard that before, actually has its root in this verse.

He that gathereth in summer is a wise son, but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causes shame. So, we make hay while the sun shines. There's a time to take in and there's a time to rest, but there's a time to harvest.

Make hay while the sun shines. It always sounded like a carnal verse to me, but it's actually not as carnal as we might think. It's actually a very sound practical advice.

Farmers, they sow seeds in the springtime. They care for and nurture the plants all summer long. And then right before the winter, there's a very busy season of harvest time.

It takes a lot of discipline, a lot of labor. It takes a lot of energy. And they might sometimes feel tired and exhausted.

But right after that, there's a time of rest. So, encouragement for all of us. We might sometimes feel really busy, but there's a time of rest also.

This time of year is a beautiful time of year. I've always liked it. It's always been my best time of year, even as a young boy like Joshua and Dawson.

We were a farming family, so we knew all about how the farmers had to sow seeds and work all year. But this was the best time of the year. Planted seeds, worked hard all year.

And then when we went outside, the first time that there was frost on the ground, that was always the best for us. Because that meant the hard work was over, and rest was now at hand. To pull out that tractor and disc and plow everything down, that was fun.

Because that meant after that, it was over. And so there was always a rest from the hard labors. My neighbor in Comber, he farms some 6,000 acres right now.

He does it with just a handful of people. Him and his wife and his son and her wife and his brother and her wife. Some 6,000 acres they farm.

They work hard all year long until the winter hits. And then they go to Florida and rest. He lives in Florida for the winter.

Sounds like nice, right? Work really hard and then rest. And I think that's good. There's a verse that speaks of a door that goes back and forth on its hinges.

You know what the rest of that is? As a door that turneth on its hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed. And gives us a bit of a picture of the importance of needing to be disciplined in our labor. And that potential that's there doesn't come of itself.

So when I read these verses, when I read this verse, I don't see a rebuke, but I see an encouragement. I don't see a rebuke that says, Ben, you're lazy. I see an encouragement that says, get to work.

It's good for us. There's potential here. Let's bring in the harvest.

And I thought about how often, thinking about that verse, turning back and forth on the hinges, that door that's turning back and forth on the hinges, so a slothful upon his bed. How often do I hit that snooze button, and then hit it again, and then hit it again? I'm trying to get out of it, but I know I've had a bad habit of that. And then I drag myself out of bed, and then I get to work just on time or a bit late.

And if you can feel it with me, I'm not sure if you can, but it has happened. It does happen from time to time. And then I get to work, and then I might say, well, I'm glad that I made it on time, but I actually missed out on that morning time that I love to have with God.

So to go back and forth on the bed like a door upon its hinges, it ruins that first early morning prayer time and reading time that I could have with God. And I don't know about you, brothers and sisters, but I like to have that morning time. I think it's good.

I think it's beneficial to start our day off on the right foot like that. And so when I look at that verse, then I don't see a rebuke. Not a rebuke that I'm slothful, but as an encouragement not to be slothful.

And so hopefully we can all see scriptures that way. Constructive, not destructive, not condemning, but building. And I think that's God's heart for us.

God wants me not to be slothful in the work that he's given me to do. And that's God's heart for every one of us. And Jesus said, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labors are few.

Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth labors into his harvest. So what does that equal? If we have a plenteous harvest and we have only a few labors, what does that equal? Hard work, right? It's physically, we just talked about that, but spiritually it's the same. In God's field, the harvest is rich and ripe and ready, but the labors are few.

That equals hard work. And it also equals we need more workers. And this is in God's field locally and universally.

Altogether, God's kingdom needs more workers. But in the meantime, the workers that are present need to not be slothful. So my goal for this message is to encourage all of us to continue to labor in the work that God has given each one of us and not to grow weary, because the harvest will soon be over and rest is just around the corner.

And then there is an eternal rest after that. And everyone here has a work for God, not just a handful. Everyone does have a work for God.

And if that rest seems still so far away, then I really like how Joshua mentioned it. Joshua, what did you say about grace, that it was God present with us, God's blessing and God's presence with us? In that we can find rest, like here in this world, that God's presence with us will give us rest and will give us strength, if that eternal rest seems too far away yet. But that's coming, too.

There will be a time of eternal rest. 2 Corinthians 12, 9 actually says it like this. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. So if we feel weak, brothers and sisters, then I say we are in a good spot, because we're not trusting in our own strength, because we need to tap into God's grace when we are weak. God's grace is sufficient.

God's presence with us and His blessings for us are sufficient. There was a brother that I talked to a few years ago. He just became an ordained elder back then when I had talked to him.

And I asked him how things were going leading out in the new church. And he said in a very humble way, Well, so far God's grace has been sufficient. And that was his answer.

Very humble. Not a lot of words. But I think that's right.

God's grace is sufficient for us. And we don't do labor for God in our own strength anyways. And if we do do labor for God in our own strength, then we should stop because we're not going to make it.

We can't work for God in our own strength and expect success. We work for God in the grace and the strength that He has given us. Empty ourselves of ourselves and ask God to fill us.

Ask God to give us that renewed strength so that we can say like David did, The Lord is my rock and my fortress. He is my high tower. He is my deliverer.

He is my strength. My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. And I share this.

It's partly a burden because I know that there is a lot of laboring happening. I know that some of us are feeling tired. I know everybody's in a busy season.

We have the moms and dads with many children and young families and the labors that go into serving in the body. There's a lot happening. And it's a blessing, but it's harvest season, right? And we need to tap into God's grace for it.

And we should never do God's work in our own strength. To do God's work in our own strength is actually a very scary thought. Can you imagine leading God's people and influencing God's people and precious souls that God gave His son to die for, who is worth more than all eternity, worth more than everything, leading them without the power and strength of God or teaching them without the power and strength of God first teaching us? It's actually a very scary thought to do work for God in our own strength.

And we remember what happened to the Apostle Paul. Before he was Paul, he was Saul. He was on his way to Damascus, and he met Jesus on the way.

But what was he on the way to Damascus to do? To persecute the Christians. And he was a Pharisee of Pharisees. He was the one who would have followed God's ways in the strictest way according to their manner.

But he did it in his own strength. He did it in his own ideas. And he didn't do it with God's presence with him.

And it was a horrible turn-up. And then he meets Jesus on the way to Damascus and says, Lord, what would you have me to do? And he says, go to a place called straight, and I will show you what I will have you to do. But he was blind.

He had to surrender his own ideas first, give it to God, and then let Jesus work in him. And then he was ready to do God's work. And then he gloried in the thorn of his own flesh so that he could trust all the more in God's grace.

Glorying in his own infirmities. Glorying in his own weaknesses so that he could trust all the more in God's grace. It's backwards thinking to the human mind.

But it is the way of God. So as we move forward, I want us to have this heart, myself included, that we will not move forward unless God is with us. I don't know how many of you brothers have prayed that or thought that or when you're doing a children's lesson or an opening devotional or song leading or preaching.

How many times have you said to God, don't send me unless you go with me? I have many times. Don't send me unless you go with me. I do not want to go unless you go with me.

If you go with me, I'll go anywhere, do anything. But I don't want to take a step forward if you don't go with me. And I pray that would be a heart for all of us.

That we move forward in his strength and only in his presence and with his blessing. And then move forward. We can do anything after that.

We can do all things through Christ which strengthens us. But we can do nothing if Christ doesn't strengthen us. Keep that in your hearts, brothers and sisters.

Exodus 33 verse 12, in context there, Moses had just gone up to Mount Sinai and received the law of God. And while he was waiting up there, while he was up there, the people down there, the Israelites, thought it was too long that Moses was taking. So they built this idol of a golden calf and they started worshiping that.

And now Moses came back down and he was pleading with God not to destroy them. And as he's pleading with God not to destroy them, God gives him the continued work then to lead his people. And it says here that Moses, Exodus 33 verse 12, oh sorry, I have 14 here.

God said to Moses, My presence shall go with thee and I will give thee rest. And that was, Moses' heart was that if thy presence does not go with me, then don't send us up there. But God says my presence shall be with thee and I will give thee rest.

Think about that. If God's presence is with us, he will give us rest while we're doing this hard, difficult task that he's called us to do. He will give us rest while we are laboring.

And I want us brothers and sisters to have that heart that we take laboring for God that seriously too. My presence shall be with thee and I will give thee rest. But we would take it so seriously that we would not move forward until we're confident that God will go with us.

Here we see Moses, he was about to do a tremendous work, leading some 600,000 men into the promised land. And they were stiff-necked people. They weren't the most delightful people.

They were gone. Moses was out of the picture for just a short while and they had already created a golden calf. And now Moses has been given the task to lead these people into the promised land through a desert.

600,000 men, that would have been about 2 million people altogether. And Moses is willing to do it. And in that incredible task, God says, I will give you rest.

Just go. I will give you rest. Moses might have been thinking, how am I going to do this? But God said, I will give you rest.

God would give him rest while Moses was leading stiff-necked people, millions of them, into the land of Canaan. So I'm not sure if we are, if some of us are, but if we are feeling bogged down by the labor that we're called to do in God's kingdom, then maybe we're doing it in our own strength. And if we are, let's stop doing it in our own strength.

Let's start doing it in God's strength, in God's grace, His presence going with us. Martha, she labored in her own strength, and she was weary. But Mary found rest in the presence of Jesus.

And out of that resting in Jesus, she found strength to continue to serve Him. Isn't that a blessing? I don't think God wants us to feel exhausted. I think God wants us to do the work for Him, in Him, and feel rested and be rested while we're doing it.

Because laboring for God is a spiritual labor, and so it must be done spiritually. And we can't rely on our physical strength alone for that labor. We need the right tools.

I was thinking about framers. Would you like to use a pencil instead of a hammer to frame up a house? How would that work? Use a pencil. Do you have a pencil? I don't.

Hidden those nails. Or steel workers. Would I want to use a pencil to drill holes into my steel? Or ladies, would you like to use a toothpick to sew your dresses? It's that silly when we try to do God's work with the wrong tools.

We use the right tool for the right work. And I don't know what a dress would look like if you did it with a toothpick. But it's the same picture that we're getting.

We can't do God's work in our own strength. We will get frustrated, and we will give up before the job is done. We won't make it.

We need God's Spirit present with us, reigning within us, and enabling us to do that work. The last section of Luke 24 says, It says, Jesus wanted his disciples to work, turn the world upside down with the labors that they would do for God's kingdom. But he said, don't do anything until I send the Spirit, until I give the Comforter, until you get strength from me, and then go.

And that's what they did. They were in that upper room, and they waited, and they waited, and they prayed, and they waited. And then before you know it, the Holy Spirit came, and then they moved.

And it worked. It's the same for us today. We work with God working within us.

And that is a blessing. So then the question is, what labor has God called each one of us to do? I would say for the men, fathers, husbands, he's called us to lead in our homes. He's called us to rule well the children in our homes and our wives and our family.

And we need to tap into God's grace for that. We can't do that in our own strength. We need to rule with love and authority.

I recently heard a picture of Abe Weave, my business partner and friend and brother in Christ. He shared an observation with me. He said he's seen families that have love but are very loose.

They don't have a very high standard. And it normally tends to drift. Then he's seen families that have a high standard with no love, and that normally tends to rebellion.

And then he's seen families with high godly standards and a lot of love. And those families normally work together and bless. And so let that be a vision for us as men as we rule our homes, that we would rule with a godly standard and with love our homes.

So that's for some of us as men, the labor that God has called us to do. How about for mothers? God has called you to do a labor too. Carrying children, bearing children, it's not easy.

Tap into God's grace for that. I know, Crystal, you've got three weeks or four weeks left. I'm sure it's not easy.

Tap into God's grace for that. I can't feel with you, but I know it's not easy. Just pray and seek the Lord and ask him for help and tap into God's grace for that.

I know Melody too and Anna. She's not here. Tap into God's grace to bear those children, to nurture those children, to bless those children.

Remember what I shared a few weeks ago, that the first five years or seven years of a child's life are instrumental to where they're going to go. Who has the most influence on that but the mothers do. So God bless you, mothers, as you tap into God's grace to do God's work with your own children.

You're going to need God's grace for that. There's some of us that have been given leadership in the church. I was thinking of Brother Cornelius as a pastoral leadership.

Tap into God's grace for that. I'm sure you feel like Moses. Don't send me forward unless you go with me.

I hope you feel that way. You should, and I know you do. But we love you and support you.

We love you as a whole. I think I can speak for all of us. So God bless you and go.

God's presence will go with thee and he will give thee rest. That's for both of you as a couple. God bless you.

Then there's who has the responsibility of Sunday school teaching. Is that a responsibility that we can say that God has given to you? I think so. Don't take it lightly.

Tap into God's grace for that too. Take time to study. Take time to prepare.

I know that took time there. Brother Joshua, what you did there, God bless you for that. It took time.

It wasn't just at the whim thinking about what we're going to do, how we're going to do the children's lesson once I get there or on the way. Take time. It's a blessing.

It's a real blessing. I was thinking about how it might seem tiring to prepare and to dig deep and to search out God's word and to really meditate on how you can do a Sunday school lesson or a children's lesson. It might seem tiring, but you know what's actually tiring? Not preparing.

Because you're nervous. You're not sure how it's going to go because we haven't taken the proper time to study. And I actually have had a situation happen to me where if I don't feel ready, if I'm not prepared for whatever it is, whether it's an opening or a children's lesson or a message or a Sunday school, whatever it is, I actually have bad dreams.

I've had it about 10 times now where I'm standing before a crowd of you all. I have nothing prepared. And it terrifies me.

And so that's tiring. It's tiring, and then I lose a whole night's sleep because of it. And so that's tiring.

It's more tiring than actually digging deep and preparing and feeling ready and feeling encouraged to share what the Lord has put on my heart so that I can share that with you. So hopefully that can be encouragement to take time to study for the Sunday school lessons and the children's lessons. Whatever the work that God has given you, take time.

And for opening devotionals, I would encourage each one to take time. If you're sharing an opening, you're doing a work for the Lord. Your goal is to bring Him glory and your goal is to feed His flocking, in a sense.

So if you get asked to share an opening, take time. To sit in a quiet room and to just meditate on God's Word for hours at a time is a real, real blessing. And it doesn't always come easy for all of us.

There isn't always time, but take time. It's worth every single minute. There's a lot of times when I'm preparing for a message and I come upstairs and just maybe need a rest and I'm pretty inspired by what I learned and what the Lord has shown me in preparing and meditating and praying and seeking.

And I go upstairs and I share it with my children and my wife. And it inspires them. And a lot of times they give me an illustration.

It actually happened with this, this week too. She was encouraged about something. I came up and pretty soon tears had come down with a bag of corn and it says 380 pieces on there.

And I could tell she wanted me to use it as an illustration. I go, I will. What a blessing.

So we can take time to prepare. It's a blessing for us. It's a blessing for our family.

It's a blessing back to us and then back to you. I hope that when I feel inspired or whoever it is gets inspired, that they can give that inspiration back to you. And it's all for God.

It's all for God. It's not for anything else but for God. Without God we can do nothing.

And we don't even want to do anything without God. But with God we want to move forward and we want to bless. So that's my encouragement for you.

Take time. Don't wing it. Just spend some time alone with God.

Maybe that's in your backyard on your knees. I find not only when we're preparing for sharing, whether it's opening or message or whatever it is, you take time to study and to read and to pray, but it also gives time for us to pray for each other. Many times when I've prayed for everyone individually, it's in times when I've set a time, set two hours aside.

Set a few hours aside and ask the Lord to open your hearts and teach me. There's a tremendous blessing in that. What about song leaders? And there's only one song leader among us here today, Joshua.

God bless you for doing that. I want to encourage you that song leading is more than just singing a few songs. And I was encouraged just by thinking about this, that singing hymns, singing spiritual songs, singing psalms and preaching actually harmonizes very well.

There's something that I believe the work of the Spirit can do in a body when there's good singing, godly singing and preaching and praying. It all blends together so well. And I think the Spirit moves in those settings.

Ephesians 5.18 says, And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. So I want us to notice this, the context. Don't be drunk, but be filled with the Spirit.

Always be thankful to God for everything he's done, for everything he's doing, for everything he will yet do, for who he is, for what he is. Be thankful. And then in the center of all of that, it says, Sing to yourselves, speak to yourselves in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.

So there's something there where it just blends together nicely and there's a sweet melody and a sweet harmonizing effect there. So song leaders, and this time I'll just speak to you because there's only you here today, Joshua. You can instill those songs in our hearts by using your gift in singing to teach us.

And by doing this, God will get glory and God's people will be edified. And what do you think is the potential? There's potential, tremendous potential that I don't think we even see. Planting a seed into a heart, a song.

I want to go a little bit further on that. Songs, I will say, are like sermons, like three-minute sermons. But they're much easier received than a sermon.

Because imagine this song being preached. Someone shall knock when the door is shut. I am by, I am by.

And maybe the Spirit is saying, Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Hear a voice saying, I know you not. Shall you, shall I? Shall you, shall I? That's not a very popular message to preach.

You know that? Especially not by a prophet in his own home. To preach a message like that often is not received. But it's true.

It's a seed. How about this one? Almost persuaded now to believe. Almost persuaded Christ to receive.

Almost cannot avail. Almost is but to fail. Sad, sad, that bitter wail.

Almost but lost. I didn't say that. But it's true, right? Is almost persuaded enough? Was Paul's heart for King Agrippa, his burden, was it fulfilled? Was Paul happy with King Agrippa? No.

Almost persuaded is not enough. There's a sermon you can take with you in your heart and in your mind. But this type of sermon isn't easily received, preached.

But to sing it, it's received well. And not believing in Jesus Christ is a horrible ending. And in five minutes, you can explain that all and drill it into someone's mind.

Can you all sing this one together with me? Five bleeding wounds he bears. Received on Calvary. They pour effectual prayers.

They strongly speak for me. Forgive them, O forgive. They cry.

Forgive them, O forgive. They cry. Nor let the grandson send her down.

Isn't that a beautiful sermon? Isn't that a beautiful sermon? Five bleeding wounds he bears. Received on Calvary. One, two, three, four, five.

They strongly speak for me. They strongly plead for me. Forgive him, please, Lord, forgive him.

They cry. Isn't that a beautiful sermon? That was like one minute. We have something that we can feed off.

Hopefully, you never take song reading the same, Joshua. And for anybody that ever does song reading, we can carry that in our hearts wherever we go, and no one can take that away from us. How about this one? Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now I'm found. I once was blind, but now I see. Thank you, song readers, for teaching us these songs.

These are tools that will help us carry the gospel message in our hearts wherever we go. And they can be instilled in a 2-year-old heart, and they can be refreshed in an 80-year-old mind, and they hold the mystery of the gospel in just a few minutes. And I don't know if you noticed, but that was the whole gospel.

Someone shall knock when the door is barred. Almost persuaded is not enough. Five bleeding wounds he bears.

Amazing grace, right? That was the whole gospel. Thank you, song readers. God bless you.

I encourage you to lead in song in the strength that God supplies. Strong in the strength that God supplies. Is that not another song? Soldiers of Christ, arise and put your armor on.

Strong in the strength which God supplies through his eternal Son. So if we labor in God's strength, brothers and sisters, there will not be a burden. There will be a joy and a blessing.

We will find rest while we're laboring, but not if we do it on our own strength. And a bountiful harvest is a rich blessing, and I think we have that among us. We have 50 souls among us, and it's like God's field here.

And there's a lot of laboring. There's seeds being planted. There's weeds being plucked.

There's souls being brought in. There's harvest. There's everything happening here.

There's a lot of labor. But if we do it in God's strength, we can find rest while we do it. So finally, brothers and sisters, just a verse to encourage us.

Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. So God bless you. I hope that could be a source of inspiration for you.