Slothful

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.”  2nd Timothy 2:15

 

The other day there was a knock on the door.  At the door was someone who is from the Jehovah Witnesses.  With information in hand they were trying to get me to attend their meeting.  After our brief conversation, at which I let them know that I was not interested at all and that were neither of Jehovah or a witness to the Truth, they made their way to the neighbors home. 

 

Two by two members of both the Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons go out into the world with their false doctrine, propagating their lies.  Though one would understand that indeed those knocking on doors are also deceived, their diligence is something to be commended, if only they were really doing the work of Christ in spreading the Gospel message. 

 

In times past I have had tracts left by what would be considered conservative Independent Fundamental Baptist churches.  While the tract would be a breath of fresh air in comparison to some of the bizarre and unbiblical teachings left by others, it too fell short of the full Gospel message.  Even then repentance was not mentioned and nearly all tracts that I have run across, except on a rare occasion, include a sinner’s prayer for one to repeat, also absent of repentance.  In most cases if someone repeated those words they are instructed to call or write and let the church that handed out the tract know that they are now saved, that they have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, of which the Holy Scriptures is silent on a so-called ‘sinner’s prayer’.   

 

So we have the diligence of those cults, yes there is no other term as they have made up a religion, no matter how many people seemingly make it acceptable; and we also have those who do not rightfully divide the Word (2 Tim. 2:15), those who do not search the Scriptures, those who do not separate themselves to the Lord.  The Bible speaks of these things also:

 

“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things are so.”  Acts 17:11

 

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?  And what agreement has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?  And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.  Therefore, Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.  And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”  2nd Corinthians 6:14-18

 

Here we are in the year 2018.  Our societies are a mess, sin is rampant and getting worse.  Those who are Christians, true Believers, who have repented and by faith believed into Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are too often slothful.  The pastors of these churches know that oftentimes they have a hard enough time to get their congregation to live holy and separate lives, read the Bible, spend time in prayer, let alone help in the churches ministries to spread the Gospel to those willing to hear.  They are slothful.

 

Certainly God be thanked for those who are diligent to spread the Gospel, those who set up guards against false doctrine coming into their congregations, those who rightly divide the Word, those who stick to biblical separation.  There are those churches out there who certainly are diligently doing the work of Christ, to these, this is not written. 

 

For those who are diligent, you know that most congregations would rather water down God’s Word in order to grow their supposed God-honoring church, yet what they are doing is destroying the foundation.  They are not building wisely.

 

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock; and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.  And everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be likened to a foolish man who built his house on the sand; and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”  Matthew 7:24-27

 

“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.  For no one is able to lay any other foundation than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will be revealed; for the Day will declare it, because it will be disclosed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.  If anyone’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.  If anyone’s work is consumed, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”  1st Corinthians 3:10-15

 

Certainly preaching the true Gospel is not popular with the masses, but it is what has been given to those whom God has called.  Also it is apparent that each Believer also has a part in the Great Commission.  Each Believer should be a light unto the world.

 

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the intelligent.  Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?  For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who are believing.  For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, truly to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”  1st Corinthians 1:18-24

 

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority is given to Me in Heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and instruct all the nations, immersing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.”  Matthew 28:18-20

 

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a grain measure, but on a lampstand, and it shines for all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.”  Matthew 5:14-16

 

Certainly there are times that preaching the Gospel can seem fruitless.  All Will Stand is not a big organization, nor never has any intention on becoming such.  What God’s will is regarding this ministry will be done.  What God intends to happen, will happen. 

 

If I were to take a look at the numbers of people who visit the website, if I were to take a look at the amount of people who listen to the radio show or the amount of people who visit the Spanish website, I could quickly become discouraged.  I could look at the fruit of the ministry and declare ‘what is the point’ and simply cease doing what the Lord leads me to do.  Yet in such would be great folly, in these instances I would be in a grave sin, for if the Lord calls you to do His bidding, regarding His work, then we are commanded to be diligent, not slothful. 

 

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  And everyone who competes for the prize controls himself in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we an imperishable.  Therefore I run in this manner: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.  But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”  1st Corinthians 9:24-27

 

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so persistently harasses us, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners against Himself, that you not become weary and faint in your souls.”  Hebrews 12:1-3

 

Rather we should consider those examples given to us in the Holy Scriptures, of men called by God to proclaim His truth and realize that the results our God’s, not ours.  It makes no difference whether or not one person gets Saved, one person has a seed planted, one person is watered or if the ministry is a so-called success in God’s eyes, as we live in a day and age where nearly every success story has the apparent threads of deception mixed in with the truth of God’s Word. 

 

“Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believe, as the Lord gave to each one?  I planted, Apollos watered, but God made it grow.  So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who causes growth.  Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.  For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.”  1st Corinthians 3:5-9

 

Consider Elijah,

 

“And he said, I have been very zealous for Jehovah the God of Hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek my soul, to take it away.”  1st Kings 19:10

 

Anyone who studies the Bible knows that Elijah was certainly a great prophet.  How many people did he proclaim God’s truth to?  Yet we can clearly see in his day and age, no one would listen, rather they killed God’s prophets.  Yet God replies:

 

“Yet I have left in Israel seven thousand, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”  1st Kings 19:18

 

Consider Jeremiah

 

“O Jehovah, You have deceived me, and I was deceived. You are stronger than I, and You have prevailed. I am in derision all the day; everyone mocks me.  For whenever I speak, I cry out, I cry violence and devastation; for the Word of Jehovah has been a reproach and a derision to me all the day.  Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, nor speak in His name any more. But His Word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with holding it in, and I could not.  For I have heard the whisperings of many, terror is all around. Proclaim, they say, and we will report it. Everyone at peace with me is watching for me to stumble and fall, saying, Perhaps he will be lured away, and we shall prevail against him, and shall take our revenge on him.  But Jehovah is with me like a mighty, awesome one. Therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail. They shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not succeed. Their everlasting reproach shall never be forgotten.  But, O Jehovah of Hosts, who tries the righteous and sees the soul and the heart, let me see Your vengeance on them. For I have made my cause known to You.  Sing to Jehovah! Praise Jehovah! For He has delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.  Cursed be the day in which I was born; let not the day in which my mother bore me be blessed.  Cursed be the man who brought news to my father, saying, A male child has been born to you; making him very glad.  And let that man be as the cities which Jehovah overthrew without compassion; and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noon; because he did not kill me from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb always pregnant.  Why did I come forth from the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?”  Jeremiah 20:7-18

 

Yet God was for him,

 

“And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying, Take him and look after him, and do him no evil; but do with him even as he says to you.”  Jeremiah 39:11-12

 

Consider Paul

 

“When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.  But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”  Acts 18:5-6

 

Yet the Lord responded,

 

“Then the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you; for I have many people in this city.”  Acts 18:9-10

 

As Christians what we need to be doing is the work of the Lord.  The necessity in this day and age is apparent, irregardless of what the results may be.  Our only responsibility to our Savior is that we be doing what we should, not the results of that.

 

“Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.”  Luke 12:43

 

What we want to hear is ‘well done good and faithful servant’ (Matt. 25:23) when we stand before Christ at the Judgment seat (2 Cor. 5:10).

 

Don’t give up!  Keep going!  Let the Lord find those who are His, doing what we are supposed to do.  While we may certainly get discouraged, remember the results are God’s, we simply are to be faithful.

 

“Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.”  1st Corinthians 4:2

 

Amen!