Glory To Him - Connecting God to your work - Ps Jono Kerridge

Hi there and welcome to the Garden Church Podcast.

We're excited that you've tuned in to hear a message from one of our team.

I know that you'll be encouraged in your faith and challenged to live for God.

We pray that you'll encounter Jesus in new and fresh ways as you listen to this podcast.

God has got something great for you.

It's so important to find who God is by the scriptures, not by your experience or what the world will tell you that God is.

It really is important to have revelation from who God is from the scriptures to let that shape you.

If you're letting maybe even your own connection with your father or lack of connection with your father shape the way that you view God, it will always be hamstrung.

Even if you've had a great dad, and I've had a great dad, but God, the Heavenly Father, is perfect in all of His ways.

The framework of your mind and how you view God shape how you respond to Him and worship Him.

Amen.

Thank you, Lord, for your word.

I I pray as we come together today that your word would do this thing in our lives to encourage, comfort, to challenge and to do its work in our lives.

We open our hearts to you.

We thank you for even singing those songs today that the Lord will provide.

That your hands are not empty, neither is your heart.

Your heart is full and your hands are full.

So I pray today that the touch of heaven will be upon each one of us today.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

So good.

First Corinthians 10, 31.

One scripture, there's a lot of scriptures throughout today, but short scripture as our text today.

So whatever, so whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Amen.

So today, the thought that I I'm with with the sub point today, the thought that I'm building on in this collection of messages is glory to him.

With the the sub point being connecting God to your work.

Connecting God to your work.

And this is significant.

Um, because really we're talking about what I would call Monday to Saturday church.

This is Sunday church.

Something special about Sunday church.

We gather together and the Bible says that where three uh two or three gather in my name, there I'll be with you.

So there's a sense of his prayers, and so the words spoken, there's prayer, there's faith, there's sport, support, there's encouragement, there's there's there's life, that that's Sunday church.

But also just as important is Monday to Saturday church.

Yeah, that's you in your life, that's you in your home, that's you, and we're focusing in this collection of talks around your work, what you do, or your studies for that matter, in Monday to Saturday church, because the question needs to be asked: where does God go on Monday?

Is he you know, like just sitting uh on the steps here, just contemplating through the week, just waiting, waiting, when oh man, I hope they come back to church next week.

You know, I'm just really is that where it is?

Where does God go on Monday?

Or for that matter, maybe there's some really sacred spaces that you have when you meet with God personally.

Maybe it's a room at home and you you meet with God there, you know, a rumpus or uh an office where you meet with God, maybe, maybe, and I encourage you to when meeting with God to set a time and a place uh to be alone with God.

I think that's a beautiful, godly pattern.

But maybe you think, well, you know, when I and they are special sacred places, but the question is, does God stay there?

Does does God stay there?

So what does God do on Mondays?

Or for that matter, Tuesdays or Wednesdays, and so to today we we're going to discover what he wants to do afresh and what he wants to do with you afresh in Jesus' name.

And I want to show you three ways that God wants to transform your Monday to Saturday church and bring glory to God.

Is anybody with me?

Am I making sense to you?

It's always a good thing.

Here's the first thing when it when it comes to us, is the first thing is that we we are working with God.

So where does God go on Monday?

Well, we work with Him, we're working with God.

1 Corinthians 3 9 says, for we are co-workers.

Just drop back to that point there for a second.

Just so that so we're working with God, we're working with God.

And now the scripture, 1 Corinthians 3.9, for we are co-workers in God's service.

In God's service.

So we're co-workers with with God.

Co meaning the prefix to together, together or with uh co-parent, parent together, co-operate like all you with young kids are hoping your kids do.

It's like operate together, coexist, you exist together.

The the scriptures like we co-labor, we co-work in God's service.

Now, now this is one of those many things that just blows my mind.

It's like, well, God, why don't you just reveal yourself to the world and like oh and one day he will.

When he returns, uh the trumpet will sound according to the scriptures, and everyone will see him.

But for now, God, one of the mysteries of the gospels is that he chooses you and moi to partner with him, to take the world somewhere.

Which just blows my mind.

So we're co-workers in in God's service.

We we think the pastor is doing God's work, but the plumber is just fixing pipes.

We think the missionary is doing God's work, but the accountant is just balancing books.

We think the worship leader is serving God, but the electrician is just wiring houses.

And yes, while the pastor and the missionary and the worship leader are serving God, I want to remind you that whatever you're called into, you are a co-worker with Christ.

He calls us in partnership with him.

Psalm 127, verse 1.

Psalms 127:1

Uh David has this beautiful revelation.

Unless the Lord builds the house, so who who is the builder?

The Lord, so he is the builder.

I love this.

Being a builder myself, uh I I love this this thought.

Unless the Lord builds the house, so he he's building it, right?

But then it speaks about another builder on the job.

The builder's labor in vain.

So unless the Lord builds the house, so we need him.

He is the builder, he's the architect, he's the designer, he's all of that together, but the builders labor in vain without the master builder, you see.

I remember speaking to a tradesman about this uh years ago.

Uh he was a carpenter.

Um, which quickly said, hey, you know, Jesus was a carpenter.

But he was down playing his role in the purposes of God.

And he he he was he loved Jesus and he wanted to serve Jesus, but he he said words to the effect of sometimes I wonder if what I do even matters.

I spend my days putting up frames and hanging doors.

It doesn't feel very spiritual.

We had a discussion about that, and I said, you know what?

Every family that walks through that front door, every child who sleeps safely in that home, every meal shared around that table, every prayer prayed in that lounge room, your hands help make that possible.

And so he had fresh revelation that he just wasn't building a structure, he was building a home, he was partnering with God to take to create a place where lives could flourish.

I love this um definition from Tim Keller around work.

Our work is our work is partnering with God to take the world somewhere.

And so that that's why this is so important, because and we're gonna touch on this, that your your job is more than just a pay packet.

I I want you as followers of Jesus to to see the scriptures again with fresh that there's this there's a not high level, there's a high level of living.

Sometimes people say, I wish I could do something that really matters for God, and that's a significant thing to ask.

But every role matters because every role directly or indirectly serves people.

The reform the reformers, particularly like Martin Luther and John Calvin, just uh you know built on this amazing Martin Luther said once he once said that God milks the cows through the vacation of the milkmaid.

Think about that here for a moment there.

That God milks the cows through the vocation of the milkmaid.

So your workplace is not an interruption to your calling, it's actually part of your calling.

And so, whether you're raising children, driving a truck, running a business, teaching year three, serving coffee, or cleaning offices, if you're partnering with God to take the world somewhere, that is significant and it matters to God.

Are you hearing me today, church?

If you agree with that, this is the kind of prayer that I encourage you to pray.

Here's the first of three short prayers.

Did you see that?

Let me see if it works again.

No, no.

This is a simple prayer.

Holy Spirit, let's do this together.

Let's do this together.

What a simply profound prayer.

I want to pardon with you today.

Here's the second thought that that we're not only saying everyone say everyone say with because we're working with God.

Here's the second thought.

Everyone say through that we're working through God.

We're working through God.

You know, in the Old Testament, there was a uh godly governor of Israel, and they uh particularly Jerusalem, governor of Jerusalem, rather, in the nation of Israel.

His name was Zerubbabel, and he was overseeing, and you many of you have known that know this story.

His re his assignment was to oversee the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem.

Him and the prophet Zechariah were instrumental in building the um outside walls of Jerusalem.

You know, recently the walls got built in 20 years.

It took 20 years to build the walls of Jerusalem originally, and and then um the the word of the Lord comes through the prophet Zechariah.

And you've been around here the last couple of years, you'd know this scripture, but it's significant for us to understand this and to reflect on this.

The word of the Lord came to Zechariah to speak over the governor, who was imagining seeing all this rubble that had been destroyed by the enemy, and they're they're saying, Oh man, we need to rebuild all these walls.

And the word of the Lord came to uh Zechariah and he spoke it over Zerubbabel.

This is it.

This is Zechariah 4, 6, that this is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, that it's not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord Almighty.

He spoke it over Zerubbabel, that God is going to rebuild these walls, but it's not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit.

Now it's significant if you keep on reading the book of Zechariah, it is that both Zerubbabel and the people of Israel just didn't then down tools and sit down and go, Well, beautiful.

I'm so glad the spirit's gonna do this.

And and the spirit or an angel didn't come and you know flap the wings and then deliver, you know, a big block of stone on the wall.

He he there wasn't angels out there making the fences and making the gates.

No.

Literally, they got to work, they started laying bricks, they started fixing fences, but just like the word of prophecy spoke of them, the spirit of God through them did supernatural things.

In fact, what originally took 20 years, they rebuilt in 52 days.

That's the kind of life that God calls you to.

See, the kingdom of heaven, you're part of the kingdom of God, it's not an addition kingdom, it's a multiplication kingdom.

We think one plus one is two, you know, me and God equals two.

No, it's not how God does things, it's me and God, and it's like supernatural work.

We work with God, we also work through God.

Jesus lived this way.

Listen to his words in John 14, 10.

It is the Father living in me who is doing his work.

So even Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit and was responds, responding to the Father at work through him.

It is the Father living in me.

And who is doing his work.

So God wants to work through us.

Are you with me today?

Do you get this point?

Colossians 1 29.

To this end, uh this is the Apostle Paul speaking, to this end, I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.

This is so interesting because you've got two points here.

You've got this tension.

To this end, I strenuously contend.

I'm working, I'm labing, I'm studying, I'm doing stuff, but I contend with all the energy, everyone's saying energy, that's that that Christ so powerfully works in me.

See, it's through God.

You know the scripture Ephesians 3.20.

We know this well.

This is what what sparked this whole series.

Glory to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us.

That the Holy Spirit isn't just to comfort you on Sunday, but it's to empower you on Monday to work within you, to work in your spirit, to work through you.

I I love, we were doing this in a Bible study the other day.

We're looking at this scripture, and I I love this, um, reflecting on this scripture in the Messies paraphrase, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him.

Endless energy.

I want you to clap if you need this from the Holy Spirit in just a moment.

Endless energy and boundless strength.

In fact, in the New Testament, the word for spirit is pneuma, which is like, although he is a person, it seems that his expression on earth is seem, it's like where we get the word pneumatic drill, that there's an air, there's a there's an energy, there's an explosiveness of the work of God within us.

See, we we need to understand the work of the Holy Spirit on earth.

There's many roles that he does on earth, but one of his primary roles is to glorify Jesus is to glorify to point to Jesus.

So you as a follower of Jesus have the Holy Spirit within you.

So one of his primary roles is to glorify Jesus in and through your life.

So that means Holy Spirit, just let this minister to people.

So that means that he anoints teachers, he strengthens moms, he guides business owners, he gives wisdom to tradies, he fills students with courage, he empowers every believer to do naturally what they can and then supernaturally what they cannot.

Isn't that good?

Are you thankful for the Holy Spirit at work in your life?

Amen.

Here's the second prayer that I encourage you to pray in Monday to Saturday church.

See, that was so good.

I didn't even need to click them.

Holy Spirit, work through me today.

Work through me.

Work through me.

So everyone say with God working with you.

Everyone say through God working through you.

And here's the final thought here is is working for God, working for God, that we work for God.

Some of you going even with this point, you're going to find a new joy and expression of your work and your your Monday to Saturday coming and going just because of this point now that the Holy Spirit's gonna speak into you.

Colossians 3, 23, 24.

It says there's Paul encouraging the church, whatever you do, work at it with all your heart.

As working for the Lord.

Can I say that again?

He's saying work at it with all your heart.

Give it your best.

Not for whoever, whoever.

But working for the Lord.

Not for human masters.

It's the Lord Christ that you're serving.

If the first truth is the work is to work with God, the second is that we work through God, then the third answers the question, why do we work?

You say, well, to make uh you know money.

Well, obviously, we got bills to pay, yeah.

Food to put on the table.

That that that is obvious, but there's a higher dimension.

Why do we work?

Who are we ultimately trying to please?

Paul gives us the answer.

Whatever you do.

Notice he doesn't say whatever you do in church.

He says whatever you do, whatever your occupation, whatever your title, whatever your season of life, whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord.

You see, that's the difference, friends.

The difference is our audience.

Our audience changes everything that when you live for one, everything else falls into place.

Let me just touch on this for a moment.

If our motivation is purely for money, your work will become too unimportant.

It will lead to lack of meaning and joy, and you'll do anything to cut corners, even question your integrity just to get the pay packet.

If your work is purely for your identity, your work may become too important and it may lead to burnout.

So, Jonah, what do you mean, work for God?

When uh when do we work for God?

It's when our work becomes worship to him.

You say, What I sing my way through the day while I'm building a house.

Well, worship is so much bigger than a song.

Yes, we celebrate that together.

Power in our song, in our worship together, but it's doing it to him.

For him.

Every spreadsheet, every lesson planned, every coffee served, every patient cared for, every wall painted, every meal cooked, every lawn moaned, every sermon preached, every bit.

Business decision, every email, every conversation, it all can become an offering to him, to Jesus.

That's why Paul says, is the Lord Christ you're serving.

And this is the beautiful thing, friends, that we don't work for acceptance.

We work from acceptance.

We don't work to get his favor.

We have his favor.

We don't earn God's love through the way we work.

We have his love, and that's why we live for him.

The Father, if you have the Lord Jesus Christ today, the Father already delighted you.

In fact, the Bible speaks about the profound things that a lifetime that you're trying to really understand.

If you have Jesus in your life, the Father looks at you.

And he loves you the same way he loves Jesus.

And so we've got to understand that it's not us earning God's love that's because of his love, we can understand his pleasure when we work for him.

Eric Liddell, the Olympic runner, made famous in Chariots of Fire.

Remember Chariots of Fire?

And he was a runner.

He believed God had called him to China as a missionary.

But before he went to China, he ran in the Olympics.

At one point, he said to his sister, I believe God made me for missions in China, but he also made me fast.

And when listen to this, and when I run, he said, when I run, I feel he's at leisure.

You see how when you partner with God, you allow the Holy Spirit to work through you.

And you're working for God that what we see as mundane, naturally, you can actually take a new dimension of glory.

Another dimension of joy, another dimension of pleasure.

I'm not saying you're a bad Christian, if you know you whatever those days we all.

This is through you, and this is for you.

You can know the smile in God even on your work.

This is the third prayer I want to.

I want the keyboarders to come, and I want to pray over some people today.

This is the third prayer I want to say.

So do you remember my points today?

Everyone say we're working with God, inviting me into your every moment.

God, I need you.

Everyone say through work through God, depend on the holy power of the Holy Spirit instead of your own strength.

For everyone say for to work for God, let Jesus be your audience.

Amen.

Why don't you stand as you do?

Why don't you just lift both hands towards heaven, just like this, like you're about to receive something from Him afresh today.

Because you are come across this place, everybody.

Just lift lift your hands.

You love the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hands outstretch.

Thank you for the calling of God that is upon every peer person here that is saved.

Thank you, First Timothy 1 9 says that we're saved and called, and you have called them to a holy life, you've called them to a life of following you, a life, not just a day, but a life.

And so I I pray that, and I know this that as I've spoken, you've been speaking, but I pray you continue to speak in hearts, that there would be a new awareness, a new engagement with you in people's workplaces, in their school places, that they would be with you, partnering with you, partnering with you to take the world somewhere.

Whether it's fixing the roads or packing boxes, Lord God, you'd be able to see them, give them a view of the meaning.

Whether they're teaching students at school, whether they're a student, let them see meaning in their life.

That with you there's meaning, that through you there can be meaning.

And Lord Jesus, that as they do it under you, that you'd receive it.

And I know this receive it as worship.

And so, Lord God, I pray for a fresh empowerment on your people today, a fresh empowerment on Monday to Saturday church in our workplaces.

May not they not be a place of regret or or of just, man, I just got to get through to get the money.

But Lord God, I pray there'd be something that comes in them to live for you.

And you put a song in their spirit, you put worship in their heart, that that it would be worship to you.

And with that, I know there's just going to come a fresh smile, a fresh joy, a fresh pleasure that they can serve you.

Lord God, they they wouldn't, if they were literally in the throne room of God, I know we none of us would would have a frown.

Lord Jesus, but it would be like, man, God, Jesus, whatever you are, or whatever you want.

It's a pleasure to serve you.

Lord God, I pray that would be the same um joy would feel hearts to as they serve you, as they go in their workplaces, their schools, their universities, that they do it, and they do it the best they can with all of the energy and strength and wisdom that you provide.

I thank you, Lord God, that you do provide and you're a great mighty God.

And I pray, Lord God, great breakthrough in our workplaces.

Lord God, I'm praying right now.

I'm gonna pray right now.

If you still haven't got a job, I prayed for people last week and you're looking for employment.

I'm gonna pray right now in the name of Jesus because he is the provider.

And I declare right now in the name of Jesus, as people look to you, Lord God, I pray for work, I pray for the right work, the right job.

I think you're making a way, Lord God, where there is no other way for other people that are in business that rely, Lord God, on sales or whatever.

God, I pray the favor of God upon them.

I pray the touch of God, make a way where there is no other way, Lord God.

We declare it and decree it in Jesus' mighty name.

Come on, let's give Jesus a hand clap of praise that he is good, that he is good, that he is good, that he is so good.

Emily, I'm gonna pray for you in a moment.

I want you to come down the front here.

But I just felt this scripture to leave with you today.

You know, naturally, um, most of us would have loved this message like in February, when we rested, most of us and come back from holidays and we're like, Yeah, let's take the world, I want to go to work.

And then in August, it's kind of like, Nah, why are you talking about work, Pastor?

But I think this is significant because there's something beautiful that God calls us into.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Look, if you know me, and and I, as your pastor, I'd always encourage great, consistent holidays, days of rest, absolutely.

You know, that's a biblical pattern where you, you know, Old Testament is literally like a 24-hour period to stop from your work.

In the New Testament, and I'd encourage that if you can.

In the New Testament, it goes a little bit further that our rest is actually in a person.

And I want to speak this scripture over you.

Can you put this Matthew 11, 28, 30?

Come on, this is so beautiful.

Some some of you know this scripture.

I pray your heart's skipping alive already.

Jesus, Jesus speaking.

If it could be in be words and read, come to me.

The message of Jesus is always come.

It's not get your life together and then come.

It's like, no, no, no, no, no, come.

It's an invitation.

All you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Then he does this weird thing, it's like starts talking about partnership with him.

That's what a yoke is, it's partnership.

Take my yoke upon you.

My partnership for you as mom and dad.

And learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you'll find what rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

If you want the Holy Spirit just to respond to that scripture right now, just to touch your life before I pray for Emily.

I just want you to lift your hands.

Because there's just gonna come a lightness.

You're gonna receive this scripture, you're gonna be yoked in with him afresh today.

There's gonna come a lightness upon you.

The burden is going to lift the the weight that can so easily dictate and speak over our lives and circumstances, it's gonna lift because the presence of Jesus.

Because today you're making a fresh commitment to work with him and allow him to work through you, and you're going to work for him in a fresh dynamic.

So, right now, in the name of Jesus, I just pray for your Holy Spirit's lightness to come on people's minds and hearts and lives, Lord God.

I pray a lift, may there just be a beautiful sense of blue sky, like we've seen it in the natural, and you're just like, oh, the blue sky.

May there be a sense of that in people's workplaces.

It's like, well, I'm working for the king, I'm working for the king of kings, and the Lord Lord's approach for lightness, Lord God, the yoke is easy, and the burden is light in Jesus' mighty mighty name.

Amen.

How good was that message?

I know that you would have been blessed.

Garden Church is a flourishing, life-giving church based on the northern rivers of New South Wales.

We have a passionate commitment to see you make a difference in your world, thrive in community, and most importantly, connect you to Jesus.

Visit our website gardenchurch.com for more details of ministries, our heart, and even some great resources to empower your life.

Be blessed, go and be life giving you.