“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work” John 9:4
LIGHT FOR NOW: Any church not involved in the on-going work of Christ and not involved in raising believers for the work of ministry is an entertainment center.
The “ongoing work of Christ” are those things that God wants us to be involved in for the furtherance of the gospel. They include evangelism, giving, prayer and discipleship. Since the Church was built upon the redemptive finished work of Christ(His death, burial and resurrection). Being that He rose from the dead implies that the gate of hell did not prevail. Therefore, the gathering of believers which is called the local church are those believers who have identified and benefitted from His finished work, hence they now come together in a particular location and at a particular time, to be taught the word. This is to the intent that they grow to do the work of ministry. What is called the great commission will be impossible to achieve without the local church. Any church that is not involved in the ongoing work of Christ and who are not involved in raising new believers for the work of ministry is only an entertainment center. Our primary assignment is to reach the unreached with the Gospel of the Kingdom; as Christians, we should avoid procrastination as it concerns our involvement in Training, Evangelism and Discipleship. Urgency is demanded in preaching the Gospel and every believer must make sure that sinners around him don’t end up in hell. The ongoing work of Christ is an urgent task to be carried out by every believer. This is because the state of a man without Christ is death, even when you are eating or relating with such a man. The apostle Paul said, “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.” (1 Corinthians 9:16-17) Strong words!
A man without Christ is an emergency because he can die anytime and be lost forever. When such a person dies, the wrath of God awaits him – it is called eternal damnation. Paul said, if he preaches the gospel, he has nothing to glory because necessity is laid on him. This should also be our mindset concerning the gospel of Christ Jesus. It was this mindset that made Paul to also say, “So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth….. for therein is the righteousness of God revealed….” (Romans 1:15-17). It implies that the ongoing work of Christ shouldn’t be done at our convenience; it requires urgency. It was this attitude of urgency towards the ongoing work of Christ that Paul openly declared saying, “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith.Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give at that day: and not me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2Timothy 4:6-8). Paul knew that there’s a reward awaiting every faithful servant of Christ. So, let the ongoing work of Christ be your project on earth as a believer. Be wise!
INSTRUCTION: Be wise! Preach the Gospel
PRAYER: Dear Father, I affirm that I am well positioned to actively carry out my assignment of reaching out to the unreached, in Jesus Name. Amen.
QUOTE: A man without Christ is an emergency.
DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: GENESIS CHAPTER 1; EVENING: EPHESIANS CHAPTER 1
LIGHT FROM THE WORD 