Coworkers with God…

 

The strategy of God and my experience in trying to reach people for Christ lead to one conclusion: God prepares and persuades and my efforts are part of that — or not. Unless He awakens sinners, opens their hearts, draws them, empowers the gospel, and calls the lost, my efforts could be in vain. I need to rely on His leading to be part of His plan. These and other verses are clear:

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. (John 6:44) 
We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:23–24)
For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. (1 Corinthians 3:9)

God can use Gospel preaching as He did in Acts, and in the work of people like Billy Graham, and many pastors and ordinary Christians. One NT example of how to reach others is Philip who was told to speak to a Ethiopian man who was reading Isaiah and wanted to know the meaning. After Philip pointed him to Jesus, he believed and wanted to be baptized, then continued his journey. (Acts 8:26-39)

It was Paul’s practice to preach first in the synagogues and hoping to reach receptive Jews. He also relied on the Holy Spirit’s leading:

And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. (Acts 16:6–10)
And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” (Acts 16:13–15)
On other occasions, Paul reasoned in the synagogue with Jews and devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Some heard of the resurrection of the dead, and some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” He left, but some men and women joined him and believed. (Acts 17:17–34)

Today’s devotional reading ends with a reminder that I am a partner with the Holy Spirit and  should be alert to those who are beginning to be awakened by His grace. This means seeking those who are looking for Him and put my efforts in drawing them closer to Him. This is a challenge because many people are quiet in their search.

PRAY: Jesus, You have gifted some in evangelism yet call all of us to cooperate with Your work in drawing people to Yourself. It is my challenge to not only pay attention, but to obey whatever You tell me to do or say, not always aware of how You will use it, but trusting You with the results. I can plant seeds, but You alone can make them grow.

God is in the construction business . . .

 

The biblical words for BUILD, BUILDER, BUILDING UP refer to making something by combining materials and parts. It can also mean enlarging, developing, increasing by stages, or making nearer to fullness or completion a project, including building moral strength or conscience and creating and developing a spiritual community. This is a picture of God holding blueprints and tools as He puts together His plans.

In the first part of the OT, this plan includes the Lord building a community of worshipers and promising them a faithful leader: “And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever.” (1 Samuel 2:35)

King David and his son both desired to build a literal house of worship yet both realized the true Builder was God and “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” (Psalm 127:1)

The prophets also realized that God was the builder of nations and that He has the power to tear them down by thwarting their plans . . .

If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it. (Jeremiah 18:7–10)

If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I relent of the disaster that I did to you. (Jeremiah 42:10)

Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her, so that she cannot find her paths. (Hosea 2:6)

This God who build nations and established a people for Himself also came to earth as a man and created another “building” — the church, not a literal structure as many view the church today, but a spiritual community in which He is the creator, sustainer, protector and strength, all the things that a builder does . . .

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)

“We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’ ” (Mark 14:58)

For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. (1 Corinthians 3:9)

The Christian community is not limited to a building nor are its members limited to a physical body. As Paul wrote, “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (2 Corinthians 5:1) Our “home” is secure, created by God to be our eternal dwelling!

In the meantime, this body or community is given what is needed that we might do what our Builder has designed us to do. “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13)

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. The Bible is clear that even though people might build all sorts of things here on earth, “the builder of all things is God.” (Hebrews 3:4) Not only that, so also is our eternal dwelling designed and built by God (Hebrews 11:10) giving a sense of stable permanence and purpose to life in general and to eternal life in Christ forever. Looking at God as Builder gives me a sense of who I am, how well I am created and how long I will endure. This also challenges me to keep His dwelling place worthy of the honor He gives it!