WORK AND ITS PRIVILEGES
‘To every man his work.’
Work is the heritage, the duty, the responsibility of all faithful servants of the Lord Jesus. Life is not a mere holiday with them.
I. The universality of the obligation.—‘To every man his work.’ There is a niche in the Lord’s house for each one, and in that niche just the sort of work we are most fitted to do. And it is to each man his work, his own particular work. It is a great thing to find out what the Lord wants us to do, and then to do it without wishing to change places with others.
II. What is this work? It is very nigh you, at your very doors.
(a) It is the work of your worldly callings.
(b) It is the work to be done in your own hearts, which can only be accomplished by the aid of the Holy Spirit.
(c) It is the work of influencing for holiness those around you.
When the end comes may we be able to say, ‘I have finished the work Thou gavest me to do.’
—Rev. Canon Twells.
Illustration
‘Let me give you twelve reasons why you should work.
Work—for you were made for work, and you nullify your being if you do not work.
Work—for your Saviour wishes it; and it is His dying legacy.
Work—for there is no safeguard of the soul like work.
Work—for nothing draws out graces, and makes them grow, like work.
Work—for there is no comfort in sorrow like doing some work for God.
Work—for all the world reads that book, and there is no evidence of the truth of God, and no honour to religion, like “good works.”
Work—for “your Father worketh hitherto,” and Christ works.
Work—for none go into the vineyard but labourers.
Work—for “He rendereth to every man”—here and for ever—“according to His work;” and as your works are on this earth, so will be your place in the ranges of the blessed.
Work—for it is the happiest thing in this world.
Work—for the day is quickly passing when we can work, and “the shadows of evening are already stretching out,” to foretell “the night, when no man can work.”
Work—for it will be more joy and love to have something to lay at His dear feet when He comes.
I would wish that every one of us would lay down one simple rule: I will ask myself, every night, What have I done to-day for usefulness?’
(SECOND OUTLINE)
THE CALL TO WORK
When we remember that the coming of the Lord shall be the time when our work shall be tested, when we shall receive praise or blame, it should come home to us very strongly that here is a true call—the call to work.
I. The nature of the work.—We shall best understand what it is if we remember the words of the Lord during those wonderful forty days He spent on earth in His resurrection body. ‘Ye shall be witnesses unto Me.’ This is the work for all of us. The great command to spread His Kingdom is binding on every one of us, and those who cannot go forth can work here at home. It is a work to be done in the world—in our own country, in our own diocese, in our own parish, in our own homes. It is a work which must be done by each one in his or her own walk of life—the work of witnessing for Christ.
II. Three great gifts.—We have here three great gifts which the Lord gives to us, and He expects us when He comes back to render an account of what we have done with them. What are they?
(a) The Lord gives us work to do. He gave ‘to every man his work.’ It is a very great thing to be trusted.
(b) He gives His servants ‘authority.’ There is a great deal of meaning there. The word is translated here ‘authority,’ and it is very often translated ‘power.’ It is not only that we have the ‘authority’ of heaven behind us to act as soldiers and servants of the great Captain, but also that His ‘power’ is given to us. The Lord never calls upon us to fulfil any duty or task without enabling us by the ‘power’ of His Holy Spirit to do it.
(c) He gives material to work with.—He ‘delivered unto them his goods’ (Matthew 25:14). Not the same amount to each one, but to ‘each one according to his several ability.’ The material is our talents—that means ourselves, our powers, our faculties. The Lord has given them, and He expects us to use them for Him.
Rev. W. T. Hollins.
Illustration
‘An important rehearsal for a great oratorio was in progress, Sir Michael Costa conducting. The chorus filled the building, and the thunder of the organ, the rolling of the drums, the clear ringing tones of the cornets, the clash of the cymbals, and the beautiful notes of the stringed instruments combined to make splendid harmony. “ Stop!” All waited in wondering silence for Sir Michael’s reason for his sudden command. “Where is the piccolo?” he asked. In all the grand peals of music Sir Michael Costa missed that tiny note, and the whole was to him imperfect. The incident has a great lesson for us. In the mighty chorus of the service and adoration of God’s people, the Lord Jesus will miss us if we are silent and idle.
(THIRD OUTLINE)
THE LAW OF THE HOUSE
‘To every man his work’—this is the law of the house. No idling can be suffered in Christ’s household. It is a rule without an exception—‘To every man.’
I. The work we have to do.—This command, so universal in its range, is nevertheless particular and individual in its application. ‘To every man his work.’ We are not all called to do the same work.
(a) There is work to be done in the foreign field.
(b) There is work to be done at home.
(c) There is work to be done in our own hearts.
II. Why is work necessary?
(a) Work is necessary for health. ‘Work is life.’
(b) Because idleness leads to every other evil.
(c) Because of man’s natural tendency to sloth and self-indulgence.
(d) Because the Lord Himself is a worker.
III. The spirit in which the work should be done.—If we would serve Christ aright, we must take heed to our spirit. Our work should be done—
(a) Promptly. ‘Go work to-day,’ said the father to his son in the parable, ‘in my vineyard.’
(b) Filially. ‘ Son, go work to-day in my vineyard.’ Beware of inverting the Divine order. If we would be servants, we must first be sons.
(c) Prayerfully. Let none think that Christ’s work can be accomplished by human energy. Those who do so are doomed to disappointment.
—Rev. E. W. Moore.
Illustration
‘The distinguished foreigner who was asked if he had noticed any one characteristic equally marked in all the nations he had visited, was not far wrong when he answered, “I think that all men love lazy.” We live in a day when there are “gods many and lords many,” but certainly the god of ease is among the most popular of modern deities. There is not one of us probably that has not been tempted to worship at his shrine. The forms of sloth are various, the slothful spirit itself remains the same. Physical, mental, spiritual sloth—all must be reckoned with if we are to be faithful to our trust.’