Tuesday August 28, 2012

What good works can you do today?

 

Read James 2:14-26

 

If you were to survey 1,000 people (non Church goers) in your local community, I wonder how many people would comment favourably on the image of your church? How many would say something like, ‘I know that church. You’re the ones who did....’ Would the local community around you know your church as a church of good works?

 

Of course, such a statement would lead to a heresy trial in some circles. Put down the pitch fork and club for  now and hear me out. Good works are the fruit of our faith. No one is arguing we are saved by good works. We are saved for good works. If we have a genuine faith, we will see fruit and good works being born out of that faith. If we do not, our faith is fictional.

 

These good works are both individual and corporate. Individually we take up good works at work, at home, in our neighbourhood etc. But as a community of believers we are to be doing good works as well.

 

The local community around us should see good works flowing out of the church. In the early church there were no needy believers among them. The widows were supported and given sustenance by the church. Good works flowed out from the faith of the new church.

 

The biggest problem we face today is not theological but rather practical. When the church engages in some form of good works it’s the same 20-30% of people that volunteer again to help out. 70-80% of people are too busy, too stressed, too distracted, too whatever to get in and help out. There are simply far too many priorities outside of our faith and our walk with the Lord. But let me ask you some hard hitting questions: Of all the things you are pouring your heart and soul into (work, sport, children’s activities, education and learning etc etc etc), which ones will bear eternal fruit? Which ones will last beyond this life? Which ones does God see as valuable?

 

As we said with worship yesterday, if we are placing everything else above serving God and doing the good works He created in advance for us to be doing (I dare you to read Ephesians 2:8-10) then we have a heart problem. I am due for a spiritual coronary attack. It’s time to see the Spiritual Doctor and to take immediate and drastic action. If my simply life consists of doing my thing and looking after me then on the day of judgement we will cry out “Lord I went to church. Lord I gave some income to the church... Lord.....” And He will reply, “Away from me. I never knew you”.

 

The church, your church, is the body of Christ and exists, among other things to share the love and blessing of God to the wider world. Good works are an avenue of sharing that love and blessing. Working for the welfare of others and sharing blessings with others powerfully communicates Christ to a me-centred world.

 

Prayer:

Spend a few moments in adoration. Confession and Thanks giving before praying these and other prayer points. Write down your points.

 

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

Supplication:

¨ Pray for the good works your church is involved in or planning. Ask your Lord to allow these good works to communicate the love of Christ to a fallen community. Pray that many come into the faith through these good works. Pray that your church would have more and more volunteers to do the good works God has called it to be doing.

¨ Pray that your church would be growing in faith and stepping out in faith. Choose 5 people from your church directory and pray that God would grow them and stretch them in their faith.