"WHAT IT TAKES TO BE INTERESTED IN THE LORD'S WORK"
INTRODUCTION
- All admire one with strong faith, active in their work, happy and
content...
- As Paul was in Judaism - cf. Ga 1:13-14; Php 3:6
- Then later as he served Christ - cf. Php 3:12-14; Ga 2:20
- Yet the range of interest among Christians often varies widely...
- Some are filled with zeal - cf. 1Th 1:2-3; 2Th 1:3-4
- Attending services regularly
- Willing to make sacrifices
- Studying the Bible diligently
- Teaching and inviting others to the Lord
- Others become lukewarm - cf. Re 3:15-16
- Attending services sporadically
- Giving "left overs" to the Lord
- Neglecting opportunities to study
- With little personal work
- Some even become cold, forsaking the Lord - cf. 2Ti 4:10
- Quitting the services of the church altogether
- Covetous in their time and money
- With Bibles collecting dust due to lack of use
- Ashamed of the church and the gospel of Christ
[What does it take to maintain a high level of interest in the Lord's
work? In Col 1:9-10 we find Paul praying for the Colossians, in which he
mentions three things that contribute to interest, desire, fervor, and
zeal. Note that he prayed that they may be filled with...]
- KNOWLEDGE
- KNOWLEDGE INCREASES INTEREST...
- Knowledge of a subject always increases in that subject
- In sports, the more one knows, the more interested they become
- The same is true with various hobbies - e.g., birding (bird
watching)
- KNOWLEDGE OF GOD'S WILL INCREASES INTEREST...
- The Colossians bore fruit in response to their understanding of
God's grace - cf. Col 1:6
- The more we learn of God's will, the more excited we will
become - Ps 119:111,162,164
- Obtaining this knowledge requires diligence
- If we are negligent, we will have to be taught all over
again - He 5:12
- To grow, we must always desire the Word like a babe desires
milk - 1Pe 2:1-2
- The Psalmist provides a good example - Ps 119:15-16,97-104
[As we return to Paul's prayer for the Colossians (Col 1:9-10), we note
his desire that they "walk worthy of the Lord". To knowledge,
therefore, we must add...]
- PARTICIPATION
- PARTICIPATION INCREASES INTEREST...
- This is true in many things
- Sports - the difference between participants and spectators
- Hobbies - fishing, birding, woodworking, sewing, etc.
- The more you participate, the more you want to participate
- Sitting on the bench is no fun
- Having an opportunity to participate just makes you want to
do more
- PARTICIPATION IN GOD'S WORK INCREASES INTEREST...
- There is a blessedness in the very doing of God's will - Jn
17:13; Jm 1:25
- Happiness comes to those who walk in the ways of the Lord - Psa
119:1-2
- Certainly there is a happier conscience, and a satisfaction of
knowing that you are a doer of the Word, and not a hearer only!
- cf. Mt 7:24-27; Jm 1:22-24
[Any labor that we do for the Lord will not be in vain (1Co 15:58).
And that leads to the third thing Paul prays for (bearing fruit, Co
1:10) that will lead to a heightened interest in the Lord's work...]
- SUCCESS
- SUCCESS INCREASES INTEREST...
- If we engage in activities without success, discouragement can
be the result
- Failure to succeed has led many to lose interest in various
ventures
- SUCCESS IN GOD'S WORK INCREASES INTEREST...
- Bible study - learning the meaning of a passage makes you want
to learn more
- Personal work - seeing someone obey the gospel makes you want
to convert more
- Personal edification - to see those you have taught growing in
the Lord produces great joy - cf. 3Jn 3-4
- Many lose interest in the Lord's work because they have never
tasted the joys of success!
CONCLUSION
- If you are not interested in the Lord's work, or have lost interest,
it is likely due to a lack of these three things:
- Knowledge
- Participation
- Success
- For those willing to maintain interest in the Lord's work, Paul
shares two more thoughts with us...
- We will not be alone in our efforts; God will work with us! - Co
1:11; cf. Php 2:12-13
- We should be thankful that God has qualified us to receive the
rewards to come! - Col 1:12
Are you showing your gratitude by maintaining a high level of interest
in the work of the Lord...?