8-23-2017

       Good Morning All,

              1 Corinthians 15: 57-58; “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

    I have heard the cry and the lament many times.  “They just don’t listen to me.”  “They don’t seem to care.”  “It is hard when there are only a couple of them there.”  These particular laments came from a Sunday School teacher a few years ago.  I understood her frustrations; she would spend time doing her lesson and then trying to bring in outside material to add to it.  She made unleavened bread one time.  She had a Roman soldier sword and shield.  She was trying but her students didn’t seem to care and probably, more to the point, the parents didn’t seem to care.  There were always plenty of reasons to miss Sunday School and you could tell that the students took their cue from the parents.

    I have listened to fellow pastors share pretty much the same thoughts.  There are times when you feel like what you do has little impact.  I talked to one man who had prepared for Sunday morning services and only had two people show up.  The weather was bad so he didn’t really expect a whole lot.  “There would have only been 5 if the weather was good” was his dejected remark.  I have listened to counselors who have talked until they were blue in the face only to have those whom they counselled do the exact same thing with the same disastrous results.  How do we cope with these seemingly daunting struggles?

    Paul tells us in these verses.  First and foremost and the absolute number one thing to always remember is that we have the victory through Jesus.  There is not one more thing that we can or have to add to that.  If nothing else occurs, that very basic fact remains.  Jesus died and we won.  So our labor for Him is saying thanks to Him.  Our actions are for his glory and for thanks to him.  We do not do them for our own benefit or even necessarily for the person for whom they are aimed.  We do them for God and then let him use the work for whatever he desires.  It is always possible, even probable, that the good you are doing with the intent of aiding the first person actually impacts a third or fourth person that you are unaware of.  For example, the ministry work done to a person in a nursing home may impact the nurses and the nurse’s aides.  You don’t see it but God uses it.

   So when you feel that your witnessing is falling by the way; remember you already have the victory and that what we do is for God’s glory.  It is you saying thank you to God for his great favor.  Whatever you do for God, whatever you do in service to him is never in vain.  God blesses you and your work, often times in ways that we do not always see.  Yet Go blesses the ones he loves and he loves you.

Father, many times we struggle with our efforts and the results that we cannot see.  We are often discouraged by things we do not understand.  Help us to see that we are giving thanks to you for your victory that is now ours.  Thank you for our salvation and the joy that we experience.  In the precious name of Jesus our risen King we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret