“
Unless the Lord builds the house,
they labor in vain who build it…
”
Examples of Dead Works
1. Acquiring converts using a purely intellectual
message that is based on the cunning and wisdom
of men.
2. Attending Church to tick a religious box in the
hope of somehow escaping hell when Jesus
returns.
3. Giving to Church/ministries because you want a
blessing back from God or giving towards buying
luxuries for buildings or ministers.
Examples of Good Works
1. Preaching the gospel in the power and
demonstration of the Holy Spirit resulting in
converts who have repented because they were
convicted by the Holy Spirit.
2. Attending Church because you have personally
met Jesus, have fallen in love with Him and are
desperate to learn more about Him, to understand
how to please Him.
3. Giving to those in need because Jesus poured
out His love into you and now you are zealous
to help others because you hurt when you see
others hurting.
Examples of God at Work
1. Salvation: The transformation of a disgusting
sinner into a holy and compassionate saint.
2. Miracles: The Holy Spirit at work doing things
that are humanly impossible like, instantly healing
someone born blind or giving us the ability to
endure circumstances that would mentally or
emotionally break the strongest of human beings.
Such abilities include a love, joy, patience and
faith that surpasses human comprehension. (For
the full list see Galatians 5:22)
artistic and technological methods etc… to win over
people. Unsaved people are being manipulated and
badgered into joining up and inflating the count
of a man’s ministry. The hard work of networking,
advertising, organising and raising money for the
building of ‘man’s church’ however, is nothing more
than a grand waste of time. It is futile effort. It is dead
works!
Conclusion:
“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain
who build it…” Psalm 127:1 Those large Churches
with the very entertaining Sunday morning service
and great ‘during the week’ social programmes but
no good works or genuine signs of God at work could
very well be ‘man’s church’ and not God’s Church.
The night is far spent and the dawn of Jesus’ return is
rushing towards us. It is critical therefore, that we take
time to ponder these things and ask ourselves the
question, “Is my work
By Homer Slack
mere human effort or
author, preacher, Bible
God at work in and
teacher, IT tutor, program-
mer & graphic designer
through me?’ p
July - September 2017
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