Jeremiah 1:4-19; 1 Corinthians 12:31b-13:13; Luke 4:31-44
As news spread about Jesus’ abilities to heal the sick and to drive out demons, crowds began to seek Him out. It must have been tempting for Jesus to stay in the moment and enjoy being the center of attention for so many people — it certainly was for His disciples! But He knew that there was work to do and that He had to stay on task. He had not come into the world to bring temporary healing and deliverance, but He had come to heal and deliver mankind for eternity. “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God …” He said. “I was sent for this purpose.” Jesus was focused and intentional because He knew His purpose and understood the work that He was sent to do.
Not knowing what our work is or the purpose for it can lead to all sorts of problems. Some may be humorous, like dressing in nice clothes for work that is dirty and messy. Others may be tragic, like failing to get the training it takes to keep other people safe from harm. As important as the focus of our work and the clarity of our purpose are, it’s easy for us to lose our focus and be confused about our purpose. In the distractions of our busyness and through the consuming demands of our earthly goals, God’s purpose for us is easily lost. When we don’t know what work it is that God has called us to do, we are ill-prepared and poorly motivated. Like the people in Capernaum, we look to Jesus to meet our earthly needs and give little thought to His greater purposes for us.
Our clarity of work and purpose begins with recognizing that we are called to be God’s servants, just as Jeremiah was. Like Jeremiah, God knew us before we were born and formed us in the womb according to His purposes for us. We were crafted for the very work that He prepared for us in the beginning. We have also experienced God’s Word coming to us just as Jeremiah did. We have made our objections and received God’s convincing response, “I know you. I made you. I’m calling you. I am for you.” And we've received God’s commission to speak the words that He has given to us and we are blessed with the same assurance that Jeremiah received, “Do not be afraid .. I am with you to delver you.” Chosen, shaped, called, equipped, and commissioned by God, we are His servants to bring His redeeming Word to the world. There is work to do.
Audio file of the sermon "There Is Work to Do."
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