CrOss LABORING
INTRODUCTION: - Communion - The Cross/Sacrifice of Christ. THE PRACTICAL LOVE OF CHRIST - Timothy Peck. - If you were standing on the edge of a pier at the beach, and some guy came running up to you and said, "This is how much I love you" and then dove into the water and drowned you'd think he was nuts. Maybe you'd think it was a nice gesture, but it was a waste of a perfectly good life. He couldn't just told you much he loved you. But if you fell off that pier and were drowning and that same guy dove in to rescue you, dragged you to safety but died in the process and his dying words were, "This is how much I love you" then you 'd truly understand this kind of love. That's what Jesus did when he went to the cross, he didn't just show us love, but he brought God's love to us by rescuing us from our sin. Spring is planting time on any farm and it is no small job. My Granddad, early years, would hitch up horses, and start plowing that hard, “Palliser Triangle” Alberta ground. Granddad and his team turned up that dirt, and broke up that big, dirt clod there, and smoothed out that broken up soil. Then came the seeding and then . . . the waiting. At that point, it was pretty much up . . . to God - in the weather, the warmth, the moisture, and the sunlight. Then, when the produce finally matured, Granddad swung into action again with the big work of harvesting what God had grown. It was a wonderful balance of what a man could do and what only God could do. - - - - TRANSITIONAL-STATEMENT: - - Like the cross and all that God does, there is . All God does is productive and never in vain. Even if it seems so at the time. So through the cross, God expects the same from us and in us. We are Co-Laborers! - - - 1.EPAPHRAS - One of the spiritual giants of the first century church at Colosse was a man named Epaphras. Some Bible scholars think he was the man who actually started the church that Paul wrote to in his letter to the Colossians. At the time Paul wrote, Epaphras was traveling with Paul. And like a good spiritual farmer, he understood that wonderful balance between God's work and man's. Paul writes in COLOSSIANS4:12-“Epaphras,-who-is-one-of-you- and-a-servant-of-Christ-Jesus,-sends-greetings. He-is-always-wrestling-in-prayer-for-you,-that-you- may-stand-firm-In-all-the-will-of-God,-mature-and- fully-assured. I-vouch-for-him-that-he-is-working-hard-for-you." - - Now there's a man who practiced the dynamic duo, praying hard . . . working hard. When Paul says Epaphras was "wrestling in prayer", he's using the Greek word "agonizomai," the word from which we get "agonize." When this man prayed for the people he loved, it wasn't just some casual, "Dear God, please bless them and help them . . . " How are your prayers? When your prayer list grows long, its tempting to use short cuts. Epapherus was like a wrestler, using everything he had to win the battle for these people, praying with total intensity, with passion - agonizing in prayer for them. He was seeking God for things only God could do - like empowering these people to live right, to choose God's will, to grow up. LUKE22:44-And-(Jesus)-being-in-an-agony-he-pra yed-more-earnestly: and-his-sweat-was-it-were-great drops-of-blood-falling-down-to-the-ground. - - Jesus prayed like this, and worked as a servant. How about you? Like Granddad back in the “Palliser Triangle”, he was totally trusting God for the crop to come up. But he also believed in working hard for those people. Again, like granddad farmer, he knew there were some things he was supposed to do in the process. And Paul said that Epapherus was working very hard on the part that was his. Like the farmer preparing the field. He sowed in theses peoples lives and asked God to do the rest. In the word of the first foreign missionary in modern times, William Carey, - "Pray-as-if-it-all-depends-on-God. Work-as-if-it-all-depends-on-you.” 1CORINTHIANS3:9-“For-we-are-labourers-togeth er-with-God...” - Will you pray for your church with this intensity? Your family? Friends? Will you work as hard? Follow up on God’s work! And ask Him to follow up on your work! 2.VICTORY Now in your praying, and or working, you may find that in even this, you find seeming failure. But then remember, thats what the Cross is about! What Christianity is about. Did you know that? . . . HEBREWS11:1-Now-faith-is-the-substance-of-thin gs-hoped-for,-the-evidence-of-things-not-seen. - - Why of things hoped for? Because now it may seem like your losing! Why of things not yet seen? Because now it may seem your failing! Have you ever been dissapointed in God? Your faith? - NOW, FOR THE REST OF THE STORY Owen Bourgaize. Calvary was the theatre of a great battle, but the question is, "Who was defeated?" In the year 1815 there was the Battle of Waterloo and all England was waiting for the result. It was arranged that as soon as the news reached the country it should be rushed to Winchester and then signalled to other towns by semaphore from the cathedral spire. The great moment arrived and the words were spelt out letter by letter "Wellington defeated..." Then suddenly the spire was shrouded by fog, and the country was filled with gloom, thinking that was the end of the message. After a while the fog lifted and the message was completed "Wellington defeated the enemy". Those last words made all the difference in the world. At Calvary the devil tried to make out that the message was "Christ defeated" - he died. (He Failed!) That would have been the case if Good Friday was the end of the story, but the resurrection that followed on Easter Day proves that the message of the cross of Redemption is that “Christ defeated the enemy!” Big Difference!! MATTHEW28:5-And-the-angel-answered-and-said- unto-the-women, Fear not-ye:-for-I-know-that-ye-seek-Jesus,-which-WAS- crucified. (Now the end of the story) 6-He-is-not-here:-for-he-is-risen..!” - - God’s greatest acheivements came from the most dreadful failures. From murderous Moses to lustful David to fickle Peter to Christ’s Cross, to you! The substance is your work! The evidence is your life! Which God will prove the victory in both! Understand that God’s plan and yours are different even if they have the same goal! His will always be a much bigger and greater version! Be happy God doesn’t settle for our little version! Wait to see it happen at His level! 1CORINTHIANS3:9-“For-we-are-labourers-togeth er-with-God...” - Will you trust His victory when your taking loss? Will you trust the His winning when your in the middles of failure? Will you co-labor when the field is cement? 3.BALANCE. Now in the spiritual farming you're doing - - raising your family, doing your ministry, or developing people, it's important that you do both - praying very hard for what only God can do. Working very hard on what He wants you to do. Many of us tend to naturally gravitate to one, and then neglect the other. . . We work hard, but don't pray enough. Or we pray hard, but we don't work enough. Granddad couldn't make that crop come up -he totally trusted - God for that. But God didn't turn up the ground, God didn't plant the seed or bring the crop in. He expected for farmer to do that! ACTS15:28-“For-it-seemed-good-to-the-Holy-Ghost ,-and-to-us. . .” - Thats the beautiful discernment and confirmation God uses! As Co-laborers, he expects us to confrim each other in His will! Many of the great miracles of the Bible are like that: the wedding servants get the waterpots and pour the water, but only Jesus can make the water into wine. The disciples find lunch and get the people ready for a picnic, but only Jesus can make it enough for everybody, Jesus, The Son had to go to the cross, God, The Father, raised Him again!-- always that beautiful balance of God's hand and your hand. . Cross-Laboring!!. 1CORINTHIANS3:9-“For-we-are-labourers-togeth er-with-God...” Have you lost balance? Which way? Will you Seek after it? Will you both pray hard AND work hard? Will you trust God enough to trust His people? CONCLUSION: So what part is God expecting you to do? Well, you ask Him. Don't just run around, doing things just to try to make things happen. Don't decide what you're supposed to do based on the situation or the crisis or conventional wisdom. Ask God to lead you into efforts He wants you to do. Find brothers to help confirm. It won't be your efforts that will bring the result - it will be God's efforts. But strangely, it may not happen if you don't do what He wants you to do. So, pray very hard. Work very hard. That's the blueprint for a wonderful harvest. ICORINTHIANS3:9-“For-we-are-labourers-togethe r-with-God...” How is your co-laboring going? Is it going? Are you Praying till you bleed? Working - blood sweat and tears? Is your faith growing to trust God for harvest when the soil seems gone? Will you continue to co-labor to HIS version of victory?!
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