June 28, 2020… God is at work in you

There are always opportunities for us to join God in what He is doing.  The Holy Spirit reveals to us God’s work and as children of God, in the Kingdom of Heaven, we are invited to join Him.  The work God is doing is about drawing people to Himself.  God has drawn you to Himself, through His Son, Christ Jesus and God is drawing others to Himself as well.

Do you notice that God is at work (John 5:17)?  What do you notice about what God is doing?  What has God asked you to join Him in during these past weeks?

Let’s take some time and pray for your Community

All that we have is a free gift from God (Romans 4:15; 5:16; 6:23), His amazing grace! The great truths of Jesus our Prophet, Priest, and King is that He came fully God and fully man that all of humanity would have the same opportunity to spend eternity in heaven with Him.  Also, a wonderful truth is that Jesus is also about life today.

John 10:10 The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

Jesus gives for us today, this very day, the fullest life possible, a rich and satisfying life through Himself. 

Pause for a moment and reflect on the life God has given you, through Christ Jesus.
God is at work in you
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Joining God is what He is doing is looking at where we can help others come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior.  God provides many wonderful opportunities for His Church to show His tangible love and grace to others. God has sent His Holy Spirit to fill us with Himself, so that we can join (do good deeds) Him in what He is doing.  For instance, in James we read

James 2:14-22 17 So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. 18 Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." But I say, "How can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds. … 26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.

The words “good deeds” from the original text is ‎karpophoros (kar-pof-or'-os); and it means figuratively fruit bearing.  
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

Good deeds are about bearing good fruit… We bear/display good fruit because the Holy Spirit produces good fruit in us (Galatians 5:22-23).  God, fills us with Himself that we might join Him in what He is doing that is bare good fruit.  Our ability to do good deeds comes from God!  All glory to Him for all He does! Another Scripture that we can consider is in Philippians.

Philippians 2:12-13 12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

Main Word for “show the results” or “working out” is ‎katergazomai (kat-er-gad'-zom-ahee); do work fully, i.e. accomplish; by implication, to finish, fashion.  This word is made from two words:

First word: ‎kata (kat-ah'); a primary particle; (prepositionally) down (in place or time), in varied relations according to the case with which it is joined: genitive case, dative case or accusative case.

Second word: ‎ergazomai (er-gad'-zom-ahee); middle voice from: to toil (as a task, occupation, etc.), (by implication) in effect, be engaged with, etc.

(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

To work out our salvation in the Scriptural way is to be engaged with and accomplish what God is doing today and all the tomorrows until Jesus comes again.  Faith and good works and working hard to show the results of our salvation is completely reliant upon God doing His work in us that we would join Him is what He is doing for others. 
  
This work that God is doing in you, so that you can do what pleases Him (Ephesians 2:13), is done so that others might come to know Jesus in real, personal, and practical ways.  God is always at work and in His un-slumbering way, as the Psalms point out, God is always watching over you (Psalm 121:3-4).  He is always at work in you changing your heart’s desires and equipping you (giving you power) to live out the results of your salvation.  God’s takes great pleasure in you pouring into others what He has poured into you!

2 Corinthians 5:19-6:2
 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!" 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
6:1 As God's partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God's kindness and then ignore it. 2 For God says, "At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you." Indeed, the "right time" is now. Today is the day of salvation.

The reconciling work Jesus did on the cross has been entrusted to us.  God has made us partners in His great work of reconciling the world unto Himself.  Each of us in the unique and wonderful ways are gifted and equipped by God to be used by God to bring His message of salvation to the world. We are disciple making disciples… Who are you making disciples for?

Numbers 6:24-26 'May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.'