Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of Scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
Over the years, I’ve always had a few self-employment jobs in order to provide for the basic needs of my family. But for me, it really doesn’t matter how much a day that you might make. What matters most of all is helping others, and God will take care of the rest. In order to do this you must learn to be content with what you already have. When you think about the needs of others, rather than just your own needs, God will bless that. Many people won’t even get out of bed unless they make twenty bucks an hour, and the only thing that seems to drive them is the desire for Earthly gain. Many times when we gas up our truck at the local gas station, I will pick up a few packs of fifty-cent spicy nuts to eat for breakfast. Normally when I put them on the counter to pay for them, I will smile at the cash register attendant, and tell them that we work for peanuts.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Many people in this world are more concerned about income and making money, than reaching out to help their own neighbor. They look to their own gain, rather than the needs of others around them. The greatest need in this world is for faithful and obedient men to rise up and preach God’s Word, but many people are not doing it because their heart is not in the right place. It is more focused on obtaining the things of this world, rather than on the things of God. Remember that Moses walked away from all the treasures in Egypt, in order to seek and serve the Lord. Time is a precious commodity, and you can use it to obtain earthly treasures, or you can use it to reap souls unto life eternal.
“Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;” Matthew 9:37
Many people are under the misconception that the church needs money in order to survive, but there have always been extremely poor churches throughout the centuries, filled with people who share the little things that they have with each other.
“And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.” Acts 4:32
Acts 4 ³⁴ Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, ³⁵ And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
In order to become a laborer for Christ Jesus, people need to quit being concerned about income, and place their complete faith and trust in God to provide. He is watching, and He knows what you need before you even ask Him. To obtain Spiritual fruit, one must be content with their food and clothes, so they can focus their time and attention on the preaching of God’s Holy Word. The Apostles had given up their own jobs in order to become preachers. The love of money has always been a stumbling block to producing fruit unto God and is the root of all evil. It prevents people from doing the thing that needs to be done most, the preaching of God’s Holy Word.
“He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.” Matthew 13:22
In the next passage a man had the opportunity to become a preacher, but threw it all away because of his own greed.
Luke 18 ¹⁸ And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? ¹⁹ And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. ²⁰ Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. ²¹ And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.
²² Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. ²³ And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. ²⁴ And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! ²⁵ For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. ²⁶ And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? ²⁷ And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
Nowadays people pour money into huge church buildings and parking lots, rather than reaching out to the needs of the poor. They build million dollar cathedrals, when they could be meeting in the basement of someone’s home. What an incredible waste of money. They sit in their mahogany pews, while people down the street are living in tents and alleys. Their false prophets drive around in their spendy cars, driving right past cardboard encampments that are filled with the suffering and needy. No wonder why Jesus made a scourge and threw over tables in the temple. This is false Christianity, not the original faith that was given to the Saints 2,000 years ago. These people are a religious sham, and the smoke of their hypocrisy has risen unto God.
James 2 ¹⁴ What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
The preaching of God’s Word requires the investment of one’s time, a commodity that many people will use on other things. It’s because of this very reason that the true laborers are few in the vineyard of Christ. You can spend eight hours a day reaping a paycheck, or spend eight hours a day preaching God’s Word. In the end, the only thing that is really going to matter will be the souls that you led into obedience to Christ.
John 4 ³⁵ Say not ye, There are 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 already to harvest. ³⁶ And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
The Lord Jesus spent His days preaching the gospel of God’s Kingdom, and His disciples did the same thing.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” John 14:12
There is great joy when you can lead people to a place of repentance, but it’s going to demand the dedication of your time. To preach and spread the gospel will require being satisfied with your daily food and clothing, and learning how to be content, even when you are….
……Working for Peanuts
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 