Effective 1976

I want to read one verse of John 17, 4. Jesus is praying to the Father at the Last Supper. I have glorified thee on earth. I have accomplished the work which thou gavest me to do.

Now, if it's true that the disciple is to be as his Lord, the master is to be as her servant, and the servant as her master, then it follows that when we arrive at the end of our journey in this life of flesh and blood, we too ought to be able to say exactly what Jesus did. I have glorified thy name on earth. I have accomplished the work that you gave me to do.

Paul could do this. When Paul arrived at the end of his journey, he said, Yeah, I've fought a good fight. I've finished the race.

I've kept the faith. And now there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me in that day. Kept for me.

And not only for me, but all the others who love our Lord superior. But just imagine what our reaction would be if an angel were to reveal to each of us here today that we have less than six months to live. Now, there may be some among us, indeed, who with a very clear mind would know that they indeed have accomplished the work that God gave them to do and that they're ready to go on.

And there would be no sweat and no panic for them. And they would not necessarily be the hotshots, but they would be the people who faithfully, in a quiet way, just kept giving of themselves down over the years. And now when the work is done, they're ready to go.

But for many of us, if the announcement came from an angel of the Lord that our life is to be ended within six months, there would be utter panic. Lord, not yet. I'm not ready yet.

I haven't done anything. I haven't accomplished anything, Lord. Give me more time.

Now, understand, I'm not talking about earning our salvation. Nobody earns his salvation. Salvation is a gift bought and paid for by the blood of the Lamb, indeed.

And if there's anybody here who has not yet received salvation from God, you don't have to delay for six months and prove yourself. You know, you can have it. You can make a new start.

You can walk into the kingdom of God today. But once you say there's work to be done, no such thing as just being saved and then useless. You know, OK, now you say we'll wrap you up in plastic and put a bowl around you and wait for the trumpet.

The redemptive power of God becomes evident and real in this world, my friends, only through us. We are the light of the world. We are the salt of the earth.

We are the city set upon a hill. We are the aroma of Christ to God. You did not choose me.

I chose you, says Jesus, to each of us and ordained you. Not just that. Did you say five minutes of prayer before you go to bed at night and you walk around with a pious face? But I ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain.

How is it possible for a person to be saved and then get nothing done? What does this mean for a person to be a servant and yet to be totally ineffective? How long will you remain a servant of God if you continue to be ineffective, useless? What happens if the master comes back and asks us what we did with that panel he gave us? And the only thing we can do is dig it up. Now, I know that there will be people who will immediately say, yeah, but what about first Corinthians three? When it says that our work will be burned if it's not done right, if it doesn't survive the trial of fire, it will be burned, but we will be saved. And that's true.

That's there. But to understand a passage like that, you also have to set against that passage. Words of our Lord when he says every branch in me that bears no fruit is cut off and thrown into the fire.

And the one who digs up his talent and offers it back to the master is cast out. Each of us, this ought to be normal for every single believer among us. Each of us ought to know that he or she has been given work to do and that we're getting it done effectively.

That ought to be that's not something we work toward. That's something that should be basic right now. And if we don't have that knowledge clear in our minds, I don't care if you're 100 years old.

I don't care if you're in a wheelchair or if you're half blind, doesn't make any difference. You wouldn't be here if there were not work for you to do. And that will be clear cut.

No uncertainty about that at all. The Apostle Paul, for instance, went through all kinds of anguish, heartache, suffering, persecution. But one thing Paul never had doubts about and never had any anguish over, and that was whether or not he was effective.

Paul knew that he was getting the job done. Failure upon failure, much misunderstanding, many disappointments, all kinds of things fell apart that he tried to build. And yet in the midst of this, Paul knew that he was doing something.

Our Lord wept, wept more, no doubt, than Jeremiah did. He wept over Jerusalem, he wept over Israel. Doubtless, he wept over the hard-headed, hard-hearted disciples and he weeps over us.

But our Lord never shed one tear over whether or not he was effective. Other people doubted his effectiveness. John the Baptist wasn't sure.

Are you the one who is to come or do we look for another? The disciples sometimes weren't so sure Jesus knew what he was doing, but Jesus knew. My meat and my drink is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. I've accomplished the work that you gave me to do.

I've finished it. Go and tell John again the things which you see and hear. The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the good news preached to them.

And blessed is he who is not offended in me. Now, I'm convinced that you and I ought to be just as absolutely sure about this as we are of God's love. That God has raised us up to do something and that we're doing it and that we're doing it effectively.

Of this there ought to be no misgiving, you know, no confusion in our minds. This ought to be clear. When the laborers were hired to go into the vineyard, they didn't have a nervous breakdown every hour wondering whether they got to the right vineyard.

Maybe I'm not supposed to be here. Maybe I'm supposed to be in another vineyard. And they didn't have an identity crisis every time they picked a bunch of grapes.

And when the master comes in from the field and girds himself and serves, when the servant comes in from the field and girds himself and serves his master, you know, there's no doubt in his mind. He doesn't have time. He doesn't have the luxury of wondering.

I wonder if I should have gone out in the field today. Maybe I should have stayed home. He knows that he was where he was supposed to be.

No question in his mind. Now, when you and I sit around and wonder, should I be doing what I'm doing or what am I supposed to be doing? Lord, I'm not doing anything yet because I'm not sure what you want me to do. When this is going on in our heads and in our lives, this is evidence that we are interfering with the work that should be flowing, that God has given us to accomplish.

That we are destroying our own effectiveness by doubting our call, doubting that we were sent, and doubting the faithfulness of the one who promises to be our guide. Now, if you want to believe that these words are just meant for the twelve, that's your privilege. My conviction is that what Jesus speaks to the twelve on the day of his resurrection, he speaks to the church.

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, Peace be with you. And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

Jesus said to them again, Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit.

If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained. Now, if Jesus sends us as the Father sent him, if he has ordained us to go and bring forth fruit, how can we lose? How can we do anything but be effective? This ought to be the rock bottom assurance of every one of our lives that we have been called and ordained to bring men from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, every single one of us.

And that we do this. You don't hire somebody to do it for you. You don't send somebody in your place.

You do it where you are exactly in the place where you find yourself today. And if then God wants you in China or India or Latin America or a gross point, you'll get there and you'll know it. Meanwhile, each of us ought to know that I have been called to be a servant of the living God and ordained to be an ambassador of the Messiah and that I have everything I need to get the job done.

So then somebody says, Well, if that's the case, how is it that so many of us feel so useless so much of the time? If that's to be the normal state of the believer, what's wrong with us? Because the truth of the matter is, most of us, if we're honest in our hearts, admit that we're sitting around half the time wondering if we're in the right place. What I should be doing? Lord, you know, I feel so useless. The reason is that we get our eyes off the one who called us.

And all the work he gave us to do right where we are and we fix them on other men and other women. And instead of doing the job we've been given, we're messing around with his or her work or comparing ourselves or feeling jealous or regret or angry. Because God gave him such a nice thing to do, such a nice part of the vineyard.

And I have this crummy little vine over here to pick. Or sometimes we're doing it the other way around. I am thankful that I am not as other men are, that I'm a real servant of the Lord.

But in any case, instead of getting my job done, I'm looking at the other man. To put it in another way, there are three diseases that we need to avoid like the plague because they bring instant poison to our ministry and make us totally ineffective. The first has a set of symptoms which could be described as the celebrity syndrome.

Where the kingdom of God is transformed into a kind of a Christian Hollywood. And what you do early in the morning, as soon as you wake up, you turn on your favorite Christian radio station. And pretty soon they'll tell you the latest Christian celebrities who are going to come into the Detroit area.

And so then you can buy your ticket for the latest Christian rock concert that's going to take place in the Ford Auditorium. Or you can go to hear Brother So-and-So in Troy Hilton, $10 a plate. And he'll talk to you about successful Christian living.

Or you can go to such and such a meeting where Sister So-and-So is autographing her latest book. Now don't misunderstand me. I'm not trying to degrade these people.

They may be conscientious and they may be utterly sincere. But they are allowing themselves, I don't care who they are. People who allow themselves to become celebrities in the eyes of the believers.

Are permitting themselves to be used by Satan to this extent. That they are being and allowing themselves to be portrayed as more important. And their ministries as of more value.

Than that of the ordinary, simple, unknown, faithful little servant. Working day by day in that place in the vineyard where she or he has been put. There is no such thing as a Christian celebrity.

No such thing. When a man or woman allows himself to be put in that role. And has the audacity to play that role.

That person is stealing glory from God. There is only one name that's big among us and that's the name of Jesus. And if we allow ourselves to get caught up in any other name but his.

We will not get the work done that he gave us to do. We won't even see it half the time. Until we fix our hearts on that name.

Which is the name of the lowliest man that ever walked this earth. Now the next disease is very closely related to that one. And its symptoms could be described as the success syndrome.

Where the impression is being given all over the place these days. That if you truly get a hold of the gospel from the right end. You're going to turn everything you touch into success.

Now listen. You will bear fruit. There's no doubt about that.

You have been called and ordained to bear fruit. But bearing fruit and success are two very different things. The fruit that you will bear for the kingdom of God.

Will be born not by the route of success as the world knows it. And many Christians seem to know it. The fruit that you will bear for the glory of God.

Will be born by the route of death. Except a grain of wheat. Falls into the ground and dies.

It abides alone. But if it dies. It brings forth much fruit.

He who loves his life will lose it. And he who loses his life. At another place they say he who.

Jesus says. He who hates his life in this world. Will keep it for life eternal.

And so what's going to happen is. That you're going to fall down into the ground and die every day. And you're going to be.

The off scouring of the world. And you're going to look like a failure in the eyes of man. Time and again.

Even as our Lord looked on Good Friday. And out of that. Anguish.

And out of those. Waves and billows that roll over you. Will come fruit.

That will bring glory to God. Because it is the fruit that has come. Out of death.

Where your death has been united to the death of Jesus. So that now resurrection power flows. There's no other way.

Now the final disease comes at the other end of this thing. These symptoms. Could be described as.

The heavy Christian syndrome. Now the heavy Christian people. You know are at the other.

Opposite end of the spectrum. You know they have. They don't.

You know they. Spurn big names. Officially at least.

And they spit rather than be a success. But do they ever make a production out of their total commitment. You know and you can almost feel it.

And I'm talking theoretically now. So I'm not picking on anybody. But you know.

The heavy Christian walks into the room. And you can just feel. You know that they're the only true believers left.

They feel this. You know and. They're the ones who are preserving.

New Testament Christianity and its purity. And they're the only ones who really love Jesus. And you can get caught up in that very very quickly.

Especially in this place. Because we don't want to have anything to do with the celebrities and the successes. What we want to do here is be heavy Christians.

You know. But you get caught up in that bag. And you'll never bear fruit.

Because you'll be too busy being heavy. And too busy weeping over the apostasy of everybody else. To get anything done.

Jesus said to them again. Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me.

Even so I send you. When he had said this. He breathed on them and said.

Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any. They are forgiven.

If you retain the sins of any. They are retained. Now if you have met Jesus.

Alive from the dead. And if he has given you his peace. And if he has breathed upon you with his Holy Spirit.

You can absolutely be sure. That he has also sent you. To go.

And do the same things. That the Father sent him to do. That Jesus.

Personally has sent you. To touch other lives with forgiveness. In his name.

To warn others of judgment. In his name. And to lay down your life.

In his name. And you can do that where you are. And you can do it every day.

And you can be effective. When we get to the end. Of the road.

In this life of flesh and blood. And that comes very soon for us all. May we be able truly to say.

To our Lord and through him to the Father. I have glorified thee on earth. I have accomplished.

The work. Which thou gavest me. To do.

Let's pray. We thank you and we praise you. Lord Jesus.

For the assurance that you have. In ways that are just beyond our comprehension. Seen fit.

To lift us into the redemptive. Work of your kingdom. We praise you and thank you that you have taken.

These earthen vessels of our lives and bodies. And fill them with heavenly treasure. And we're asking Lord that in any of our vessels.

If we have been desecrated. And if at this moment they may be desecrated. By unholy.

And. Unbelieving. And untrue.

And unfaithful. Thoughts or ways. That you would help us to get this right.

And to rise up out of our own. Filthy self. And truly to be.

Your servants. This day. And in the swift flying few days.

That remain for each of us. We ask it for your mercy sake. And we pray also should there be any among us.

Lord. Who have not yet found the kingdom that they. Before they leave this place will open their hearts.

And receive. Deal with us all in that place where we are. And help us to take care of the business that needs to be attended to.

Before we leave this meeting today. Father we ask these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.