The Work of the Lord

[0:00] Let's go to the Word of God and Joshua 24.

[0:18] ! Joshua 24, welcome again, one and all. What a blessing we've had already. Amen? I was beginning to think I've made a mistake asking Brother Roger to give a devotion.

[0:35] I think I should have gotten to give the sermon because it was such a blessing, such a wonderful privilege to hear the work of God in a human heart.

[0:45] It just blows you away, doesn't it? Let's go to this chapter 24 of Joshua and we'll get there in a moment.

[0:58] I'm talking today on the subject of the work of the Lord, the work of the Lord. And let me start with this question. Who can serve? Who can serve?

[1:10] And who will you serve? You are serving someone. All of us are. And question is, who is that? And who are you serving?

[1:24] We're going to look at Joshua 24 verse 15 just to lead in. It says this, And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day, whom ye will serve, whether the gods which your father served that were over on the other side of the flood or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.

[1:42] But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua was saying you have to serve somebody.

[1:53] And you are serving someone. All of us are. Will you be like Joshua and serve the Lord? My message is the work of the Lord.

[2:05] The work of the Lord. Now some people can switch off when they hear a phrase such as that. The work of the Lord. When they hear about the ministry. As if it's something reserved for only a select few.

[2:18] That's wrong. That is wrong. Some would consider the work of the Lord as some high and lofty thing. Something out of reach, unattainable that the average Christian can't get there.

[2:33] But no. Every believer is called to the work of the Lord. Every believer is called to be a worker for God. Who?

[2:46] Who can serve God? Everyone has a service to render. All of us. Every believer. And at times we may get to a point where you may be like me at times where you may discount others and think you may wonder who are they to be used of God.

[3:07] You may even discount yourself and think who am I? Who am I? I'm not able. And that will often stop us from even trying. That self-doubt.

[3:20] That's the first time Roger's actually been asked to speak and what a blessing. I wonder where Roger's been hiding all this time. But praise the Lord. God can use anybody and everybody.

[3:32] It's stepping out of the shadows, isn't it? It's stepping out. It's stepping up. It's standing up. The good news is that God can use anybody. God uses the nobodies.

[3:44] God sends men to do his will. Men and women, weak, frail, faulty, fallible, yet available. God sends men and women.

[3:57] Not so much angels. People just like you and me. Ordinary folk. The Bible is full of nobodies just like you and me. Just like any one of us.

[4:07] Just look at the disciples. What did they have to show in their CV, as it were, as in there, what made them such that God would choose those disciples?

[4:20] They were an unlikely lot, weren't they? There's many that we don't even know the names of through the Bible. But God used them. God uses nobodies. In Luke 7, Simon the Pharisee had a banquet and the Lord Jesus was an honoured guest.

[4:36] An unnamed woman came and anointed his feet and washed them and wiped them with her hair. And he says to her that her faith has saved her. In John chapter 4, the Lord encountered a woman at a well and he spoke to her of the living water that he could give to her.

[4:55] And she confessed him to her whole town as the saviour of the world. And that woman became the first evangelist to the Samaritan people. In Matthew 8, a Roman centurion asked for the Lord Jesus to heal his servant sick of the palsy.

[5:13] The centurion had such a faith that he asked the Lord Jesus, just say the word and he will be healed. And it says the Lord marvelled. It's a very rare time that the Lord marvelled about what a man's actions were.

[5:29] And he marvelled. He was amazed at the man's faith. Another example is the thief on the cross. Cried to the saviour, Lord, remember me. And the Lord promised him paradise.

[5:43] Now all these four, the woman at the Simon's feast, the woman at the well, the Roman centurion, the thief on the cross, we don't even know their names.

[5:58] They were nobodies, really. These four were all unnamed nobodies. Who can God use? Anybody. Anybody. Who are you to say that God cannot use you?

[6:14] Maybe you're the next Roger who's going to come out and say, I want to tell my story about what the Lord has done for me. Amen. Give him the glory of what he is doing.

[6:24] And he's still yet to do because it's a continuing story, as our brother said. 1 Corinthians 1 talks about the ones God has chosen.

[6:36] And the context it tells of not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.

[6:54] The base things of the world, the things which are despised has God chosen. Yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence.

[7:06] God has chosen such as we, such as me, such as us. In all our weakness and frailty, God has chosen us. Who are we to argue with God?

[7:18] Who can do the work of the Lord? God, every one and any one of us, you are his precious child. Who are we to argue with God?

[7:29] And make excuses that we're not able. We have this treasure in earthen vessels. That's an interesting thought, isn't it? That we, in earthen vessels, he's chosen us.

[7:40] It's almost like he bypasses the vessels of silver, the vessels of gold, and the vessels that people might think are fine and dandy, and he just chooses the clay pots.

[7:52] Just simple clay vessels. The excellency then is of God, not of us. I know someone likes to say that they're just a rental. These bodies that house us are just temporary, aren't they?

[8:06] It's just a rental. We are humble vessels. You know, don't limit yourself. Who does the work of the Lord? You. You and me.

[8:17] Simple, ordinary, average Aussies. Don't limit yourself. Don't limit yourself. What matters is the treasure that is in you. That's what counts. Christ in you.

[8:27] So who will you serve? Serve the Lord. And as you do, always keep the attitude that you're dependent upon him. You know, way betide any of us trying to do anything for God, if we do it in our own strength, we'll miserably fail.

[8:43] Won't we? But the Lord Jesus says, I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit.

[8:54] For without me you can do nothing. Without him we can do absolutely nothing. To do the work of the Lord for you and me. To serve and know and work for him.

[9:08] Rely on his resources, his strength. He does the work. I know there's a youth group in the offing, in the planning, and someone stepped up to that.

[9:19] And it's a bit, well, that's a big step to take, to take that role. And we've got to trust that he can do the work. We are nothing and he is everything.

[9:33] His resources, his strength will make you able. When we serve, let's always keep humble. Recognise the ability is of God. We can do absolutely zilch without his help.

[9:46] And the good thing is that our ability is of God. As Paul said this in 2 Corinthians 3 verse 5, not to think we are sufficient of ourselves. Not to think that it's kind of of us, but it's of him.

[10:01] Our sufficiency is of God. Our ability is from him. Our enablement, our being able to do anything, it's of him, it's from him, it's by him.

[10:13] The Almighty is working and will fulfil the work. So you may think yourself as being really not anything to speak of, but when the Lord Jesus is your everything, he is able.

[10:25] He is able. You are ready. Next up, we think about how. How will you serve?

[10:36] Okay, how will I serve? Okay, God's given me a work to do. How should I serve? How should I work? We first give ourselves to the Lord. And he'll give us his instructions. We see 1 Corinthians 15, it says, Therefore, my brethren, beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that, your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

[11:02] The emphasis, notice, is on the work of the Lord. The emphasis is not on your work. It's the work of the Lord.

[11:13] It's not our work. It's his work. Amen? So when we do anything for God, it's his work. We're just the vessel. It's his work. It's a spiritual work.

[11:23] It's by his spirit. It's the emphasis upon our Lord working, not on us. Our Lord working in and through us. How? How will you serve?

[11:34] Let God do the work through you. His work. We're simply to let God use us. Simply that. We can easily think, what little can I do?

[11:46] We can discount what contribution we can make. We consider our little part as insignificant and discount what we're able to do. Yeah, each little part makes the whole, doesn't it?

[11:58] As we know, the Bible says we're all members. We've all got to function. And we might think, oh, just my little poor weak efforts is not going to do anything.

[12:10] Well, I tell you, it's just keeping at it is the thing. Now, I've got a bit of a lawn to look after and I gradually pull out the weeds.

[12:22] And one weed at a time, you get on top of it, don't you? One by one, eventually, you get the job done. Just that pulling the one weed, you think, oh, what difference is that going to make when your lawn's covered in weeds?

[12:39] But it's that gradual persistence, isn't it? How will you serve? How should we go about it? It says be steadfast. It says be unmovable. It says be always abounding in the work of the Lord.

[12:54] It says give your all. There's an old song that goes, you've longed for sweet peace and for faith to increase. And I've earnestly, fervently prayed. But you cannot have rest or be perfectly blessed until all on the altar is laid.

[13:09] Friends, how will you serve? Hold nothing back. Come to that place where, you know, God's doing that work.

[13:20] And as we heard in the testimony, he will complete that work. It's an ongoing. And we're a work in progress for the time. How will you serve?

[13:30] Give your everything. Give your everything. Give your everything in service to him. To abound in hope. To be filled with the fruits of righteousness. To be zealous of good works.

[13:42] The Bible speaks of this work of the Lord. And it's his work in you. How are we to serve? Serve with perseverance. Some have reckoned when Noah was called to build the ark, it could have taken 40, 50 years, even up to 100 years.

[14:03] But it could have taken 40 odd years, people have reckoned, to build the ark. You can imagine how, I'd imagine Mrs. Noah would have, like, oh, when are you going to finish this thing?

[14:16] Just a lifetime of effort and exertion. And whether he had, you could imagine he had a team, a crew of people, his sons or others, in this great huge project.

[14:32] And he would have had to be so persevering, wouldn't he? Imagine building an ark and all the while getting mocked and scorned by all the haters. And this big commitment and energy that he gave.

[14:45] And God wants that for us. Sometimes it might be the long haul. Amen? It might be a long haul project of giving you time and energy and seeming, feeling somewhat unrewarded, feeling like this is a hard yakka.

[15:00] But keep plotting. You know, one weed at a time in that lawn. You know, in the flower beds. One weed at a time. You know, going maybe, knowing it could take 40, 50 years for what God is going to do with that ark.

[15:13] And, of course, we know there's 120 years of him preaching. And friends, don't be deterred by discouragement. We can all have times where we can feel it's a heavy load.

[15:28] But don't give up. Don't fall into lethargy and lukewarmness. In Jeremiah 48, verse 10, it says, Cursed be he that does the work of the Lord deceitfully.

[15:40] And some have gathered there's a sense here of doing it negligently or carelessly or being lax or slothful. Now, the work of the Lord demands our best, doesn't it?

[15:52] To give our best. Give of our best to the master. Now, when it's humanly in us to our zeal, to lessen, to cool, re-fire.

[16:08] We're all working. We're working for a cause, a service to render that is the best and greatest and absolute endeavor of our whole life.

[16:20] Let's not settle for half measures or half-heartedness or hardly working. Let's not do the work of the Lord in a negligent way.

[16:36] Let's cause for our highest and noblest of efforts by his enabling. And what a testimony of prayer. Let's do it prayerfully. Amen. Let's rely on God.

[16:49] Fully rely on God. His filling. His spirit. And this is the work of the Lord. So let's be steadfast in it. Let's be solid. Let's be unmovable. Nothing's going to shake us.

[17:00] Nothing's going to unsettle us. We want to be always abounding. How are we to work? Friends, this is for all of us. This is for all of us to consider, to put forth all of our effort, all of our heart, our work, as God would fill us and send us and lead us.

[17:23] And it says in Colossians 1.29, Paul says of this work, whereunto I labor according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

[17:34] Don't shy away from labor. You know, sometimes we don't like labor, do we, or toil. Yet we're called to such. We're called to apply ourselves. We're called to apply ourselves to this.

[17:47] And it's God who enables. It's God's working. His working that enables. His striving. God's grace is working. Amen. And God wants to activate your faith.

[18:01] Another big question is when? When will we serve? Talking about the work of the Lord. Well, when? When are we going to get around to it? Man, he put it off. Think, well, that's for later.

[18:13] That's for when I'm older and wiser and greyer. They will delay and delay and delay till time just runs out.

[18:25] Friends, harvest day is coming. Harvest day is coming. And the time for working will one day be over. One day soon. And the Lord Jesus says, I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day.

[18:40] The night cometh when no man can work. The time to serve is now. It's now. Commit now.

[18:50] We have a job to do and the time is now. John 4, our Lord tells of how my meat, my food, is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work.

[19:05] And he says to the disciples, he says, Say not ye, there's yet four months and then cometh harvest. Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are white or ready to harvest.

[19:18] He's saying, don't say harvest is four months away or however much time interval you want to put on it. He says, now. It's ready now. So I urge you today to commit now.

[19:32] Commit now. In other words, the Lord is saying, don't wait. It's not dependent on whether we feel like it or whether it's easy. We're called to labour, to labour on. Sometimes unrewarded.

[19:45] Labour on despite hardships because there's a reward. It says, let us not be weary in well-doing. For in due season we shall reap if we faint not.

[19:58] There's a preacher who told of a dream that he had. He was growing weary in ministry at the time and he saw himself picking away a huge chunk of granite with a pickaxe in his dream. And this huge block of granite, it was just such hard work.

[20:12] It was just chipping one little tiny piece at a time and it seemed like it was just never going to make it. And at last, tired and disappointed, he decided to give up.

[20:24] Then just then a stranger appeared in his dream and said, weren't you given orders to do that work? Your duty is to give it your best, regardless of what happens.

[20:37] So the minister grabbed the pickaxe and lifted it high in the air and gave the granite a crushing blow and it broke into a thousand pieces. And this dream helped the preacher realise the importance of not giving up.

[20:51] Perhaps the next blow will be the one that will make that life and death difference in someone's spiritual life. Now think of the story we've heard before of lives hanging in the balance and of persistence, of persistence of prayer, of persistence of witness.

[21:09] That can happen with some of our loved ones, can't it? I've just got to keep trusting God will do the work. I've just got to keep faithful. And God will do the work.

[21:20] Do the work of the Lord. We're all called to that, to the service of our Lord, our Master. We're called to be active in this cause of Christ for the glory of God. So why, why will you serve?

[21:33] Why will you serve? Some may do worthy works with a strong motive. As with the wrong motive, as with Pharisees. They were sticklers but their motives were all wrong.

[21:44] They were probably doing many of the right things but it was with the wrong heart. And friends, our motive must be right. When we want to do something for God, do it with the right heart, with a godly reason.

[22:00] Not for the recognition or praise of men. Not for any applause or worldly motive. Not for any self-seeking motivation. Even to go against what others would want for you.

[22:15] So that they call you a fool. Because we're not led by them but by the Spirit. Amen. And we serve because it's our God-given privilege.

[22:28] Our purpose. We've been created for his good pleasure. It says this in Titus 2. Of him, our Lord, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity.

[22:39] Take us from sin. And purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. You know, he takes us out of darkness and brings us into life.

[22:51] And he's set us apart as a special treasure. A treasured people. And he wants us to be zealous of good works. It's his will.

[23:02] It's his will that you be zealous. Think of that word, zealous. And aspire to that for yourself. That you would be considered a raving lunatic for God.

[23:19] If so be. That you would be so zealous that people will think you've lost the plot. We should be so zealous, shouldn't we? That we don't care what others might think of us.

[23:31] And we just want to have a zeal for God. We just love him so much. We cannot but give of our best to him. And we are his workmanship. We're his workmanship.

[23:42] Day by day he's making us more like him. In Philippians 2, Paul says, Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

[23:55] For it's God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. God is at work. That's what matters. God is working in and through. And we serve because our Lord has commanded us and he's given us the model, the perfect model.

[24:11] The work of the Lord is that which the Lord himself was employed in. If we want to know what is the work of the Lord for my life, look at Jesus our Lord.

[24:24] That is the work of the Lord, what he did. And what did he come from heaven to do? To seek and to save that which was lost. Friends, there's no greater work than you telling another soul of the saviour.

[24:36] There's no greater joy than to see someone won to the saviour. And this is God's own work that we would be his witnesses and he would work through us to be his channel, his voice piece.

[24:51] And it's our joy, truly, to live and work for him and trust his enabling. It's not by might nor by power, but by his spirit. That's the means.

[25:03] And it tells you that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. It may seem you don't always get something tangible, but it shall not be unrewarded.

[25:19] Your labour is not in vain in the Lord. Friends, there'll be a reckoning time. And it says, Hebrews 6 verse 10, it says, The Lord is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love.

[25:33] There'll surely be a blessing for your work in the now. It may not always be seen here and now. Now, of course, we know our salvation is a gift.

[25:45] It's not of any works. Not of any of our works. It's entirely his giving. It's entirely because of the cross that we can know heaven and be saved.

[25:55] Yet we are his workmanship that he's called us to be an active Christian. And the words that we speak, the desires of our heart, the giving of our substance, the labour of our feet, there will be a reward for what you do for the master.

[26:18] He says, even giving a cup of cold water in my name. You'll not lose your reward for that. It'll be acknowledged. Friends, we are to consider what a man sows, that also shall he reap.

[26:40] Our supreme motive for living is to honour him. And consider, what are we sowing? What are we making of our lives? Does it truly bless and honour our Lord?

[26:54] Even when we face temporary setbacks and failures and heartaches and obstacles, keep on sowing. Keep on sowing.

[27:05] Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Amen. Where? Where will you serve? Talked about numbers of things here, but a consideration is where will you serve?

[27:21] What is the place where you should serve? Now, there's a saying that goes, bloom where you're planted. The best place to serve is where you are right now.

[27:35] Don't think it's some other place, some other time. Sometimes the opportunities to serve are right in front of our faces.

[27:47] And they come out of nowhere. As an example, we consider the donkey that our Lord rode into Jerusalem in triumph.

[27:58] This donkey was maybe busy with the everyday routine, when suddenly, out of nowhere, he was taken for the master's use.

[28:10] No man had ever sat upon this donkey. And he was there, kind of in the sidelines. He was nothing to mention. Now, that donkey didn't know that day he would suddenly bear the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

[28:44] That he would be that chariot. That he would be that grand vehicle to bear the mightiest king in this triumphant entrance into the city.

[28:59] A wonderful privilege and blessing. And it can be like that for us sometimes, where we're called to do some service that we feel scarcely ready to do. We've maybe never done it before in this setting.

[29:11] We might feel scarcely able. Who am I to do anything? Wow, that's just, you know. But God chose that donkey out of obscurity to be the means of his glorifying as he entered the city of Jerusalem.

[29:32] And we can all think back to times where, who am I? What can I do? You know, I had only just turned 17 when I was asked to bring a talk to the youth group.

[29:43] I was only just a bit over 17. I was still at high school. And that was to be the first of many hundreds of sermons that I've delivered since. And, you know, back then I could have thought, well, who am I?

[29:56] What can I do? And, you know, this is I'm scared stiff. And this is just out of my comfort zone. Friends, we've got to start right where we are. Right now.

[30:06] With who you are and what God gives you right now. Where do I serve God? Here and now. No matter how insignificant you feel that you may be.

[30:21] God can use the unlikely. All of those unnamed nobodies. He can use the unusual to fulfil his will. For example, Gideon's 300 with the lamps and clay jars.

[30:32] God gave a tremendous victory through this, his mighty power. Even though it was unusual and you couldn't imagine such a means of human engineering.

[30:44] But they simply did as God told them. And God did the work. Amen. The Lord's work. The work of the Lord. He brought the victory. Think of the little boy on the mountainside that gave his lunch.

[30:57] You know, he probably, you can imagine perhaps his mum packed the lunch, as it were. That was his. That was his lunch. That was for him and himself. Me, myself and I.

[31:09] That's my lunch. But no. God used the little boy with his lunch on the mountainside right then and there when he gave it into the hand of the Lord. And God multiplied it for the multitudes.

[31:20] Amen. When she met Elijah, the widow woman, gave the little that she had into God's hands. And God rewarded her faith.

[31:33] It didn't kind of seem a logical thing even to do. That little that she had. God blessed and used the little that she had.

[31:45] David reached down to five smooth stones from the brook and he placed it in his bag. And then he used one of those stones to sling and fell Goliath.

[32:00] Just simple little things. Simple trust. Simple faith. Use what you have where you are now.

[32:13] Moses tried to wangle his way out of serving God. Saying, I'm not eloquent. You know, pick somebody else. I'm the last one you should talk to. Moses used all kinds of excuses.

[32:26] And he said, the people will not believe me. God said this. He says to Moses, what is that in thine hand? And he said, a rod.

[32:38] It's just the stuff that he held. And yet God got Moses to throw it on the ground and it became a snake and a serpent. And we see many wonders where God just used that simple instrument in his hand.

[32:52] It's what he had in his hand. It wasn't anything special. It was just a stick. Let's face it. Just a piece of wood. Could have ended up cooking his lunch if he'd have thrown it in the fire.

[33:05] But God uses what we have at hand. And you might think to yourself, what am I? What have I? Who am I? If we would but put ourselves at God's disposal, that's what matters.

[33:18] Where will you serve? Right now. With who you are. With what you have. As limited as it might be. Don't necessarily seek for some other place.

[33:31] Some higher station in life. As if you've got to get more training and more experience. You can get training and experience. You can do course after course and get certificate after certificate.

[33:45] And never actually put it into action. Best place is where you are. Right now. Here. So what is it?

[33:56] What is the way that we will serve? The question really is what can God do? Can't he do anything and everything? Nothing is impossible with him.

[34:08] The question is what can God do? What can God do with you? As a yielded vessel. Can you ask that of him? Of course it's one of the first things Paul asked the Lord at his encounter on that Damascus road in Acts 22.

[34:24] Verse 10. And I said what shall I do Lord? What shall I do? What? And the Lord said arise.

[34:38] Go into Damascus. There it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. Went into Damascus. And we know the story as he was received as brother.

[34:49] And he was baptized. He trusted the Lord. He believed that the scales fell off his eyes and he saw the light. And then he was preaching in the place that he had gone to kill the Christians.

[35:06] He went and preached the saviour to them. Ask yourself what can I do? Friends, it's a personal question. The big what question is what is the work?

[35:18] It's the work of the master. That's what it is. What greater work? We can employ ourselves in so many ways and miss that greatest work.

[35:31] Seek God for how he leads you. What he has shown you, led you, gifted you to do. Consider all the opportunities. Open your eyes with that fresh vision.

[35:42] There's divine appointments all around. Do not be distracted from what it is that God is putting in your heart to do. Give of your best to the master. We all have something we can give.

[35:55] What is it that he's prepared for you? Maybe you've had some amazing life experiences just like our brother shared, mind-blowing. Hard things.

[36:05] He's doing hard things. But it's all for the purpose that he's equipping you. He's training you in the school of hard knocks.

[36:17] Through life experience. Through life experience. Through your interest and learning. Through the abilities that he's placed in you. Through your heart searching. God will reveal.

[36:28] What is his work for you to do? And that's a very individual thing. And really it's something to labour before God in prayer. Seek his face. What is it, God?

[36:40] What is it, Lord? What shall I do, Lord? Another question, another what question you can pose for yourself is, what is stopping me?

[36:52] What shall I do and what is stopping me? Jump out. Step out of the boat.

[37:04] Get out of the comfort zone. Do something you've not done before. Take a leap of faith. That one is God is putting on your heart to witness to.

[37:16] Who knows whether something drastic is going to happen. You want to witness to them now. Today. Don't put it off. God's put someone on your heart.

[37:27] Go and tell them. What's the worst thing that can happen? You know, they won't listen. But tell them anyway. Because you love the Lord. You love their soul.

[37:37] You want to see them one for the saviour. Take a leap of faith. Sometimes it's just do it. Isn't it? And we consider today the work of the Lord. Think of these things.

[37:49] The who is you. It's every believer. Every one of us. Every one of us are called. The work of the Lord is not for some select few. It's for every believer.

[38:01] The work of the Lord is for you. It's in you. It's God working in you. The who is every believer. The how. Be steadfast. Unmovable. Always abounding.

[38:12] God will help you to get persistent and persevering. God will help you to have the get up and go and the keep on going. How. Always abounding. The when.

[38:24] Now is the only time we've got. Isn't it? Don't think when I'm older. It's a big mistake to say when I'm older I'll do it.

[38:36] The now is the when. Now is the only time you have. Why? Why? Why? Because God is working in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

[38:47] The why. The ultimate why is because we want to please our God. We want to do that which is for his good pleasure. That ultimately he'll say well done. That you have done has been well done.

[39:00] That you have done well. But the ultimate is for his praise. It's not for our recognition. The why is for him. For his glory. And what?

[39:12] It's about prayerfully getting before God like Paul and saying Lord what shall I do? What will you have me to do? And recognise what's stopping me?

[39:26] And I want to overcome that. I don't want anything to stop me. What will you say unto him? Lord send me. Lord send me. Make it your prayer today.

[39:37] Friends the work of the Lord. It's not for a reserved number of special select people as if it's some kind of a select club. It's only some people get to do the work of the Lord.

[39:47] It's for every believer. We're all called to that. And you've got a calling in different ways. In different ways. Different directions. Different opportunities. There's a harvest field all around.

[39:59] Life is short. Live every day for God. And let us work as far as our ability extends to have as our great and absolute object the glory of God.

[40:14] The glory of God. Let's pray. Dear Lord we thank you that we can know this truth of the work of the Lord. We pray. Lord do that work deep down within each heart.

[40:25] Lord we've heard Roger's testimony of a heart changed. Of the power of prayer. We've heard Lord of a life turned around. Of a conversion of a heart, a soul.

[40:41] Lord we pray for each one here today that they might know that. Personally know. That you Lord died on the cross for my sin. Each one can say that.

[40:53] My sin was paid there at the cross. And dear Lord I receive that free gift. Not earned or gained or credited by any working of my own.

[41:06] Entirely the work that you have done. And Lord that work of the Lord that you do in a human heart. We in some small measure can be messengers of that to others. Lord to communicate that.

[41:18] The work of the Lord. The work of the cross. The work of Calvary. The work of your conversion of a soul. The work of new life. Of new birth.

[41:30] Lord help us to be messengers of that. Lead us Lord to know that we all can. Be the who. That you'll give us the how.

[41:41] The when. The where. The what. It's all to your glory. Lord our purpose is ultimately and solely summed up in that. That it is all to the glory of God.

[41:53] That it be to your praise. And your good pleasure. Lord God. Challenge us each one. That we might contemplate. Lord what shall I do?

[42:05] What do you want me to do? And Lord to do it heartily. Wholeheartedly. Be steadfast. Unmovable.

[42:16] Always abounding. In the work. Of the Lord. For we know that our labour. Is not in vain. In the Lord. Amen. Thank you.