Work while it is day 30 January 2011 Elder Frederick Lan

Time flies! It seems like yesterday when we had our Year-End Service and now we are at the end of January 2011. And the Chinese Lunar New Year is just round the corner! The fleeting of time must surely remind us of the words of Christ in John 9:4, I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. Yes, we must work while it is day and before you know it, the night will be upon us.

What can we learn from the Lord regarding the fleeting of time?
First, we must have a deep sense of urgency. The Lord reminded His disciples that the night cometh, when no man can work. Night in Israel then was unlike what it is today. Except for lamps and fire torches, the terrain would be pitch dark. All work would come to a stop. Night fall would be 7pm in summer and as early as 4pm in winter. Work must be completed while it is yet day. Whether one anticipates it or not, night will inevitably come usually sooner than later. We must seize every opportunity otherwise it will be lost. The time to serve the Lord is NOW for tomorrow, the opportunity would have passed us by, and never to return. Proverbs 27:1 records thus, Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. We may be healthy today but we know not what would happen to us the next day, or for that matter, the next moment. A colleague was busy at work. We chatted for a while in the morning. We were supposed to meet up for some work matters in the afternoon. That meeting never materialized for he had passed away. Apparently, he went back to his desk after lunch and was seen to be resting. The phone rang but he did not answer it. Another colleague noticed that and attempted to wake him up thinking that he was asleep. He had died, apparently having suffered a heart attack. We read in the newspaper that even young healthy men have collapsed suddenly and died after jogging. An incident such as this can change the course of ones life and can happen all too suddenly when one least expects, just in a moment. I heard of a young man who went with his friends to Kota Tinggi for an outing. They were enjoying themselves until this man decided to go for a swim. He dived headlong into the water and hit his head against some rocks resulting in being paralyzed from neck down. Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. (James 4:14) Besides these life-changing incidents, we see all the signs around us. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed (1 Corinthians 15:52) and shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). And this, brethren may be sooner than you think! It may even be TODAY! Therefore, let us cultivate a sense of urgency in serving the Lord. Secondly, we must have a sense of discipline and determination. Look at the emphatic stress on the word must as used by Christ Himself when He said, I must work the works of Him that sent Me. He was very intent and focused to do the works of the Father. Nothing was going to distract or stop Him from doing just that! In the later part of John 8, we read that the Lord Jesus was in the temple. The people were very angry with Him and were going to stone Him because He told them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am (John 8:58). The situation must have been very tense but the Lord of all intent and purpose, stopped to look at a blind man. Surely there must have been many people outside the temple. Yet, the Lord as He passed by, He saw a man which was blind from his birth (John 9:1) did not pass him by. Even in His busyness, He was not unmindful of the work which the Father had sent Him to do - to restore sight to that blind man in particular. He knew the question that was in the minds of the disciples and told them this encounter with the blind man was so that the works of God should be made manifest in Him (John 9:3).

There are many things in life to distract and discourage us from doing the work which He has entrusted us. It could simply be the cares of life. We may be so pre-occupied with our work that we give our Quiet time with the Lord a miss, let alone having family devotion and prayer or attending the Prayer Meeting. Havent we done enough just to attend Worship Service on Sunday? Dont we need to work to put food on the table? Homemakers may be so busy with the things in and around the house that they have no time to wait upon the Lord. Students may be too busy with their school activities to have time to seek the Lord.

Could it be that it is beyond the mere bread and butter issue that one stays on at the office? Or could it be a case of the cares of life taking precedence over the work of the Lord? Or could it be a case of love having turned cold?
The Lord told His disciples very emphatically in Luke 9:23 thus, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. And to emphasize His point further He added in Luke 14:26 thus, If any man come to Me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. As His blood-bought children let us seek to love Him above all else that He may be preeminent in all that we say and do. Besides distractions there are also discouragements. We may feel alone in serving the Lord. Nobody seems to notice or appreciate what we are doing. We become discouraged and feel like quitting. There are also difficulties in the service of the Lord. We may not be persecuted for our faith but being misunderstood by others may be equally daunting. Sometimes we find it very troublesome serving the Lord. Sometimes it could be as simple as having to leave the coziness and comfort of home to attend the Tuesday night Prayer Meeting. I recall a testimony shared by a pastor concerning a new believer in his church. After this man received the Lord into his life, he was zealous and fervent in serving Him. Amongst other things, one would see him being regular in the Worship Service and Prayer Meeting. Some time later, he was diagnosed as having last stage cancer. He had to undergo surgery and subsequently chemotherapy. Whenever he felt able, he would be found at the Prayer Meeting. The pastor spoke to him and told him that he could stay at home as it could be difficult for him to come because of his weakness. His reply to the pastor was, Please dont say difficult when it comes to serving the Lord. Later, his condition worsened, and had to be wheel-chair bound but he was still found at the Prayer Meeting. Again the pastor said to him, It would be very troublesome for you to come to Prayer Meeting in a wheelchair. Spontaneously came his reply, There is nothing too troublesome for one who intends on serving the Lord. He only stopped attending Prayer Meeting when he became bedridden. Some months later, he was received up into glory by the Lord whom he had faithfully served. How can one serve the Lord amidst distractions, discouragements and difficulties? The key lies in how much we love the Lord. The more we love the Lord, the more He will occupy first place in our lives and be preeminent in all that we say and do. And if we love Him we will keep His commandments (John 14:15). We will then be disciplined and determined in serving Him, being constrained by the love of God which is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost (Romans 5:5). The Lord must have first place in our lives and He must be preeminent in all that we say and do. Therefore, let us love Him with all our heart, and soul, and mind, and strength, (Mark 12:30) that He may have the preeminence. We will then be disciplined, determined, and purposeful in doing His will in our lives regardless of how busy we might be. Thirdly, we must have a sense of dependence upon the Lord. Jesus said, I must work the works of Him that sent Me. By this Jesus acknowledged that it was the works of the Father that He was doing. In the same way, with a sense of urgency, discipline and determination, we must have a sense of dependence upon the Lord for it is His works that He has so graciously entrusted us to do.

We need to wait upon Him according to His Word and with much prayer to do His work and to do it in a way that is pleasing in His sight and glorifying to Him. Do we realize that it is the Lord whom we are serving? Do we realize that the church and all her ministries are His and that we need to wait upon Him for instructions in serving Him? Dearly beloved, time is fleeting by and while we have the opportunity in this year of grace, let us follow in the footsteps of Jesus, having a sense of urgency coupled with discipline and determination to know and do His will with total dependence upon Him according to His Word and prayer, being constrained by His love. How are you serving Him? Work, for the night is coming, Work thru the sunny noon; Fill brightest hours with labour Rest comes sure and soon. Give evry flying minute, Something to keep in store; Work, for the night is coming, When man works no more.