GOD WORKING IN OUR WORK

There is that street you feel moved to go and work in, — God has been there before you. Do you not remember how, when His children had to go and destroy the Canaanites, the Lord sent the hornet before them? Now, when you have to go and preach to sinners, God sends some preparatory work before you, He is sure to do so.  

In other cases God works afterwards; sometimes, immediately afterwards; at other times, years afterwards.  There are different sorts of seeds in the world. The seeds of some plants and trees, unless they undergo a peculiar process, will not grow for years. There is something about them which preserves them intact for a long time, but in due season the life-germ shoots forth: and there are certain kinds of men who do not catch the truth at the time it is uttered, and it lies hidden away in their souls till, one day, under peculiar circumstances, they recollect what they heard, and it begins to  affect their hearts.  

If we work, and God works with us, what is there that we may not expect? Therefore, the great need of any working church is for God to work with them, and therefore this ought to be our daily confession, that we need God to work with us.  We must always realize that we are nothing apart from His working; we must not pretend to compliment the Holy Ghost by now and then talking about Him, as though it were the  proper thing to say that of course the Holy Spirit must work. It must be a downright matter of fact with us that the Holy Spirit must work, as much as it would be with a miller that his sails could not go round without the wind; and then we must act as  the miller does. He sets his sails and tries to catch the wind from whatever quarter it blows; and we must try to work in such a way that the Holy Ghost is likely to bless us. I do not think the Holy Ghost will bless some service that is done even by well-meaning people, because if He did, it would seem as if He had set His seal to a great deal that was not according to the mind of the Lord. Let us so act in our work, that there is never the smudge of a dirty thumb across the page, and nothing of pride, or self-seeking, or hot-headedness, but that all is done humbly, dependently, hopefully, and always in a holy and gracious spirit, so that we may expect the Holy Spirit to own and bless it. That will, of course, involve that everything must be done prayerfully, for our Heavenly Father gives the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him; and we must ask for this greatest of blessings, that God the Holy Spirit may work with our work.  

Then we must believe in the Holy Spirit, and believe to the highest degree, so as never to be discouraged or think  anything difficult. “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Can  anything be difficult to the Holy Spirit? It is a grand thing often to get into deep water so as to be obliged to swim; but we like to keep our feet touching the sand. What a mercy it is to feel that you cannot do anything, for then you must trust in God and God alone, and feel that He is quite equal to any emergency! Thus trusting, and thus doing His bidding, we shall not fail. Come, Holy Spirit, and work with all Thy people now!  Come and rouse us to work; and when we are bestirred to a holy energy, then work Thou with us!  

(Spurgeon, Service and Honor, pp. 29-31, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, pub. Kindle Edition). 

THE CALL TO MINISTRY

In the dark night of my sin, the light of Christ broke into my life, and a new day dawned. I have never been the same. The grace of God that redeemed me from sin, also redirected me into service. As new doors opened, I joyfully walked through them. After all that Jesus did for me, how could I do anything else?

Yet, there seemed something more—a nagging sense that another step needed to be taken. Was I being called to gospel ministry?  I will never forget that summer night, in an open air auditorium, set amid mountain splendor, and the pointed call of Dr. Stephen Olford to absolute surrender. My wife and I made the commitment, “Lord Jesus, anything, anywhere, anytime, I am ready.”  We have never looked back.  In the words attributed to William Borden, who left behind a life of luxury to die a missionary, there has been, “No Reserve; No Retreat; No Regrets.”

Consider what Paul said of his call to ministry here.

He points to GOD’S ENABLEMENT, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me”.   Gospel work is God’s work. It is a natural man given supernatural resources.  It is not our talent—though God can use it if taken to the cross—nor our intellect or charm. It is the enabling power of God’s Spirit at work in us and through us that means we can do that which is beyond our own ability.  With God’s calling comes His enabling. 

Paul next speaks of GOD’S JUDGMENT, “because He counted me faithful”.   Now, there was a sense in which Paul’s personality was one given to a determined direction. He was full bore in whatever he did. This brought him to become a Pharisee—the most zealous of all religionists. Not content with that, he became a leader among the group. Still more, in his commitment to his religion, he was willing to kill for his convictions!  When he met Christ, the Lord sanctified him and would count him as one who would be faithful to truth once delivered from error. Jesus does not see just what we are, but what we will become through His grace.

Then, the Apostle concludes with GOD’S ASSIGNMENT, “putting me into the ministry.”  We are reminded that the call to preach—to feed and lead God’s flock—is not a vocation that we have chosen, as one considers an array of employment possibilities and we say, “I think I would like to be a pastor.”  Now, this does not mean we have to run from the call—though some do—but may run to the call—I certainly did. Yet, it must be a call from God. There must be that sense that this is an assignment from heaven. The church will recognize it—and that is the point of them “laying on hands,” in ordination, as we note in the New Testament.  That is the affirmation of His assignment.

Now, I have been directed into  a different dimension of service.   People ask, “How is retirement going?”  Retire? I am not retired, but redeployed!  While I am no longer standing in the same pulpit week after week, I am helping shepherd the ones who do, as an Associational Mission Strategist for the 62 Baptist churches in Haywood Association.  From the burden of duty of a single congregation, I can feel the weight of what Paul described, “what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches,” (2 Cor.11:28b).  When we come to the end of our assignment may we be able to write in our Bible, “No reserve, no retreat, no regrets.”