How Do We Do The Lord’s Work? (Part 1)

Dear Bethelites,

How do we do the Lord’s work? For the Apostle Paul, the work of the Lord would consist of two primary things, evangelism and discipleship. He was following the Great Commission given by our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:19-20, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (that has to do with evangelism): Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you (that has to do with discipleship): and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen (that has to do with the power God gives to do His work, emphasis mine).

The work of the Lord is related to the gospel, and it could include all kinds of ministries that we do for the Lord. It could be ministering to children, young people, adults, elderly, or even non-teaching ministries like administration, logistics and maintenance of the church. Any work that we do in the name of our Lord can be classified as the work of the Lord because that is the work that Jesus has called us to do.

Dear friend, what is the work that God has called you to do? If He has called you to serve in a certain ministry, how do you do His work? What is your attitude toward doing His work? Here, in this passage, we are going to draw some principles from the life of Paul, in regards to doing the Lord’s work. Firstly, we must plan!

I. We Must Plan

1 Corinthians 16:5-8, Now I will come unto you, when I shall pass through Macedonia: for I do pass through Macedonia. And it may be that I will abide, yea, and winter with you, that ye may bring me on my journey whithersoever I go. For I will not see you now by the way; but I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit. But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.

Notice, as Paul went about to do the Lord’s work, he took his plans very seriously. He wanted to stay at Ephesus until Pentecost. And why Ephesus? Well, he said, for a great door and effectual is opened unto me (verse 9). In other words, God had opened the door for Paul to effectively minister at Ephesus, that was the reason why he wanted to remain there until Pentecost.

Therefore, he could not visit the Corinthians at that moment (as much as he wanted to), but later on, as he passed through Macedonia, he would visit them and perhaps spend the winter period with them. During wintertime, it would be impossible for him to travel by ship, so it would be better for him to stay at Corinth. Remember, the Corinthians had asked many questions, and there were numerous problems in the church that Paul had to address, that was why he hoped to stay with them for a little while to help them resolve those issues. As far as his plans were concerned, that was it. And after that, the Corinthians might send him on his way wherever the Lord would lead.

When we serve the Lord, we must plan. If we do not plan to teach in Sunday School, we will not prepare the lesson, and thus, we will not be able to teach. If we do not plan to serve as ushers, choir ministry, refreshment team, etc, we will never be able to serve Christ. It is a reality that we need to plan!

There are some people who feel that when they serve the Lord, they do not need to plan because otherwise they would be trusting in their own human effort. And since God is in sovereign control over everything, which includes our plans, then (they say) we should not be planning, but rather “just let go and let God.” That is not true! We have to plan, however we must prayerfully commit our plans to God.

Allow me to ask you some questions, “Did you plan for your wedding, like when to get married, where to get married, and where to have the reception? Did you plan for your house, like when to buy the house, where to buy the house, and how much to spend for the house? What about the courses you take in school? What about your job?” Surely, you have planned for all these things, and perhaps you have spent a lot of time considering those plans, right? Because those things are important to you! Whenever we take something very seriously, we would plan. But what about the work of the Lord? Do you ever plan which area you want to serve? When to serve, and how to serve? Do you really take the Lord’s work seriously?

When we take the Lord’s work seriously, three things are very crucial; prayers, planning and preparation. There are two classic examples of people who prayed, planned and prepared themselves to be mightily used by God.

• Nehemiah, whom God used to rebuild Jerusalem. Nehemiah prayed earnestly that God would allow him to do the work of rebuilding Jerusalem. His prayers led him to plan to approach the king to ask for permission to return to Jerusalem, and explain to the king why it was important to rebuild the city’s walls and gates. When the request was granted, Nehemiah was all prepared to secure the timber and other materials which he knew would be needed. Because of his prayers, planning and preparation, Nehemiah became the rebuilder of Jerusalem.
• William Carey, whom God used as a missionary to India. While he was working as a cobbler in England, William Carey was moved by the great spiritual need for the gospel to be preached to the other parts of the world, and he prayed earnestly. Then he would place a world map in front of his workbench, and as he worked, he would pray, and then plan where he should bring the gospel to. When God opened the door for him to go to India, he was all prepared to do the work. He not only preached the gospel, but he also translated and printed many Christian literature, and his work had paved the way for every missionary who had served in India since then. Because of his prayers, planning and preparation, William Carey became known as the father of modern missions. He was the one who said, “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.”

Dear friend, if we are serious with the Lord’s work, we will commit ourselves to prayers, planning and preparation. We will not just simply drift into an area of service (it is never by chance or coincidence), or be indifferent to the work, or adopt a couldn’t-care-less attitude, “If I serve, I serve! If I don’t serve, I don’t serve!” How can we do that to our Lord Jesus who loved us so much that He planned to come for us, and died on the cross to save us. How can we not plan to serve Him?

With love in Christ,

Pastor Paul Cheng

1 CORINTHIANS 16

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