The Traveling Tome: Thursday Night Bible Study

A summary of the Bible study given @San Nicolas Tabernacle Bible Baptist Church (Iglesia Biblica Bautista - El Tabernaculo de San Nicolas).

Dios quiere que vivimosen Él, una vida abundante – no de la abundancia de las riquezas del mundo, pero una abundancia que es delas riquezas de gozo y paz y los frutos del Espíritu. Y parte de esta abundancia es el regalo del trabajo, el labor.

God wants for His children whodwell with Him an abundant life (John 15; John 10:9-11).  Not an abundant life based upon the riches of this world, but rather one based on the riches of joy and peace and allthe fruits of the Spirit.  

And part of that abundance is His gift of work,of labor.  The labor He gave us – rightfrom the start in the Garden of Eden – provides care for the earth and care forothers; it provides purposefulness and progress. 

Then Godsaid, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds ofthe heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over everycreeping thing that creeps on the earth...And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." ...The LORDGod took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keepit.                         Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15 

The gift of labor came to mankind beforeour fall into sin. Work is not part of the curse, it is not a sentence resulting from our disobedience to God.

Yet many of our culture andtime consider it just that – a curse.  Youth avoid it like theplague and come to hate anything that resembles hard work.  As adults we complain about our jobs and work only toward some future vacation and/or retirement--some period when we hope to enjoy life instead of having to work. And at all ages, we look down at so many jobs as below our standards and abilities.

These lies of Satan keep usfrom finding purposefulness and satisfaction in the jobs we have before usdaily.  We are not to look forward to some day when we can enjoy life instead of having to work--we are to look forward to the day ahead of us and the opportunities each day provides.  Even the routine and "base" jobs are important for our earth and community tofunction.  Yet our society looks down on those who have to “settle.”

Why is work so important to God? I do not dare to understand the mind of God and venture to speak for Him, but part of the importance of work comes from that very way He created us in His image. Remember in Genesis 1:26, where God states "let us create man in our image." This plural pronoun refers to the Trinity. God Himself is a relationship-oriented being: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person completes one another within their Being--in ways that we only have glimpses of. Passages such as John 8:54 speak of Jesus glorifying the Father; in John 17:5, Jesus asks the Father to glorify Him. Other passages speak to the Persons of the Trinity working together in unity (I Peter 1:2; Acts 2:33-38; John 15:26; Luke 3:22). 

Just as the Three-in-One work in harmony and complete each other in purpose, God has created us to be relational beings and to complete each other in purpose. He wants us to bring each other into His kingdom and enable us to grow closer to the Godhead and more like Christ. That is our purpose through the work we do – to enrich others in the kingdom, even while on this earthly ground.

How can we do this? Well, have you ever seen one of those “one another” lists. These are reminders on how to increase and enrich one another through work and relationships in our earthly and eternal communities. Each one of these could be a sermon in itself on how to glorify God through glorifying others, but for now, use this list as a reminder of how God wants you to live out your job today.

·        “…Loveone another…” (John 13:34-35; John 15:12, 17)
·        “…Bepatient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2)
·        “Carryeach other’s burdens…” (Galatians 6:2)
·        “Speakto one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19)
·        “…Instructone another” (Romans 15:4)
·        “Livein harmony with one another…” (Romans 12:16)
·        “…Stoppassing judgment on one another” (Romans 14:13)
·        “Acceptone another, then, just as Christ accepted you…” (Romans 15:7)
·        “Encourageone another” (I Thessalonians 4:18, 5:11; Hebrews 10:25)
·        “Throughlove serve one another.”  (Galatians 5:13)
·        “…makeyour love increase and overflow for each other” (I Thessalonians 3:12)
·        “Encourageone another” (I Thessalonians 4:18, 5:11; Hebrews 10:25)
·        “…Buildeach other up…” (I Thessalonians 5:11)
·        “Encourageone another daily…” (Hebrews 3:13)
·        “Spurone another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24)
·        “…Prayfor each other” (James 5:16)
·        “Offerhospitality to one another without grumbling” (I Peter 4:9)
·        “Eachone should use whatever gift he has received to serve others…” (I Peter 4:10)

That last one especially touches on the theme of using our work to help one another…. Remember, too, the parable of the good servant who invested his money/talents for the master and was rewarded for the bounty he presented (Matthew 25:21). With what was he rewarded? With greater responsibility. With more work! The Lord God values work and considers it worthy of being a reward for those who are faithful.

We need to match our view of labor and work to His. Moreover, we need to teach our children and grandchildren the Kingdom Joy of work.

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature. II Peter 1:3-4