Carry the Flame - Renew Your Heart & Revive the WorldSample

READING

You have a role to play in God’s work. If you’ve spent much time in church, then this is probably a familiar message. Lots of churches talk about how believers have been tasked to share the Gospel of Jesus. But in today’s video, Pastor Jim Cymbala reminds us of how this assignment is truly profound. “We know that God is sovereign. We know that God is omnipotent,” Pastor Cymbala says. “And yet, in his wisdom, in his plan for planet earth, he has said, ‘My message, my love, my compassion has to be conveyed by people who work with me.’”

The apostle Paul makes a similar point in today’s Scripture reading. Corinth was an important Roman city. It was a center for commerce and a melting pot for cultures, many of which did not worship God or care about Jesus. It was also a culture that was particularly sexualized for its time, with believers who were uncertain about how to live, and prone to tribal behavior. In this context, Paul chose the familiar metaphor of planting a seed to describe how God uses the work of believers within his plans. “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow” (v. 6).

Not much has changed. Seeds still won’t grow if they’re not planted. And modern, commerce-driven culture is still sexualized and tribal. Yet it is here, today, that God is saying to all who follow Jesus, “you have a role to play in my work.”

Why God chooses to work this way is a mystery. But his reliance on human involvement is consistent with his character. From Abraham, to Moses, to Esther, to Nehemiah, God has worked with people to further his goals for thousands of years. You are laboring alongside the very Lord of creation. Praise him in the work ahead!

REFLECTION

What does God have for you this week? How might you be his co-worker?

Classic Christian teaching is that Jesus is fully God and fully human. So, take a minute and consider the humanity of Jesus. He slept, ate, attended weddings, was part of a family, and wept when his friend died. He also knew what it was like to grow up and work alongside regular people in an ordinary village.

Read Hebrews 4:15 for a reminder of the kind of man that Jesus is.

PRAYER

Dear God, thank you for making me part of your work. You bring purpose to my days. Use me to plant seeds, or water them, or to do whatever is necessary for your kingdom. Thank you for your love and grace. Amen.