and help us to apply what's being taught.
In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
Amen.
All right, you're in John chapter number nine.
Look down at your Bibles at verse number one.
The title of the sermon this morning is Business Hours.
Business hours.
Look down at your Bibles at verse number one.
It says, and as Jesus passed by,
he saw a man which was blind from his birth,
and his disciples asked him, saying,
master, who did sin, this man or his parents,
that he was born blind?
Jesus answered, neither had this man sin nor his parents,
but that the works of God should be made manifest.
Verse number four, I must work the works of him
that sent me while it is day.
The night cometh when no man can work.
Now, here in John chapter nine,
we find the story of the blind man who was healed by Jesus,
and you know, when we see this blind man,
we see that he is blind as a result of God allowing this
in order to manifest his power to him.
That's why he says there in verse number three,
he says, neither had this man sin nor his parents,
but that the works of God should be made manifest.
Now, if you think about it,
this is actually a really good time to be blind,
if you think about it.
It's a good time to be blind.
It's a good time to be maimed.
It's a good time to have leprosy.
Why?
Because that's the time when Jesus is there.
This would have been a perfect time
for the coronavirus to exist, amen?
He would have been healing people left and right,
no masks needed.
The supposed mask, or even the vaccine, right?
Here we see that he's born in a great time
when he's blind, he's maimed,
or he's blind, other people are maimed,
they have sicknesses, and God is there
to basically show himself strong on his behalf.
He heals him, and he receives his sight
because he is the great physician, amen?
But I want you to notice verse number four.
It says there, I must work the works of him that sent me
while it is day, the night cometh when no man can work.
Now what is he saying?
Well, think about this.
Jesus said in Luke chapter two
that he must be about his father's business, right?
And we know that the business of Jesus was to do good,
to preach the gospel, heal the sick,
do the will of him that sent him.
This was his father's business that he sent him to do.
And he fulfilled that business
with a sense of urgency, right?
When he did it, he worked hard.
The Bible tells us in Luke chapter 13 and verse 32,
and he said unto them, go ye and tell that fox,
behold, I cast out devils,
and I do cures today and tomorrow,
and the third day I shall be perfected.
Nevertheless, I must walk today and tomorrow
and the day following, for it cannot be
that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
One thing that you can see from Jesus' ministry
is that he had a great work ethic.
I mean, he worked every single day healing people,
preaching God's word, multiplying the fish and the bread,
casting out devils, doing exorcisms.
I mean, he's working 24-7,
constantly doing his father's business, right?
Matthew 12 verse 13 says,
then said he to the man, stretch forth thine hand,
and he stretched it forth,
and it was restored whole like as the other.
Then the disciples went out and held the counsel
against him, how they might destroy him.
But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence,
and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all.
Now, when it says great multitudes, what does that mean?
Well, when you look at the great multitudes
that followed him when they actually counted,
it was at least 15,000 people.
Because it would say 5,000,
but that's only counting the men, not the women and children
so it could be approximately 15 to 20,000 people,
depending on how many kids they had, right?
So you have thousands of people there
with diseases and all these things,
and he healed them all, okay?
And yes, all really means all, man.
Mark 3, 20 says, and the multitude coming together again
so that they could not so much as eat bread.
And when his friends heard of it,
they went out to lay hold on him,
for they said, he is beside himself.
They're just thinking, man, he's going crazy.
He's healing so many people, he's just working nonstop.
He's a workaholic, he's healing, he's preaching,
he must be beside himself.
This is showing us that Jesus
took his business very serious, right?
He put a concerted effort into doing the father's business.
He, and by the way, he expected his employees
to have that same attitude,
to have an all or nothing attitude,
to just leave everything and concern themselves
with preaching the kingdom of God,
doing the work of the ministry, et cetera.
This is why he tells them in Luke chapter nine, verse 62,
and Jesus said unto them, no man,
having put his hand to the plow and looking back,
is fit for the kingdom of God.
So anybody who was gonna be hired by Jesus to work for him
when he was there for his three year ministry,
hey, they needed to make sure
that they're willing to design themselves
to take up their cross and follow Jesus Christ
to do whatever he told them to do.
Now, why did he do that?
Why was he so serious about his business?
Why did he make sure that his disciples
were so serious about the father's business?
I'll tell you why, because of the business hours.
Because every business has an opening time,
and guess what, it also has a closing time as well.
These were his business hours.
And look, if we were to think about it
from a spiritual perspective,
Jesus' business hours, his business
was only available for three years.
Now, obviously we understand he's in heaven today,
he's resurrected, he's making intercessions for the saints,
he's the propitiation for our sins,
and not for ours only, but the sins of the whole world.
We know that he has a ministry right now,
but as far as him being physically on this earth,
it was only for three years.
Hey, that business closed down 2000 years ago, right?
These were his hours of operation.
And this is why he said, yeah, I'm gonna heal this guy,
make manifest the power of God in his life,
because the night cometh when no man can work.
What is he saying?
Well, the analogy that he's drawing there
is that every business at one point or another at night
ends up closing.
Now, with your exception of like 7-Eleven,
and you know, I don't know, some Walgreens or whatever,
they're open 24-7, or Walmart, or whatever, you know?
Generally speaking, most businesses have a closing time.
And this is what he's saying.
Look, the night cometh when no man can work,
so let's get as much done as possible
before that night comes, okay?
Now, you know, you think of a business
that opens from nine to five, 10 to six,
the boss of that business wants you to get the job done
in that window of time.
He wants you to make sure that you do
what he's commissioned you to do
during that window of time.
And what he's specifically referring to is his death.
When he talks about the night coming when no man can work,
he's actually specifically referring to himself
that at the end of those three years,
he's gonna die, he's gonna be crucified,
and the Son of Man shall be taken
from the earth at that point, okay?
He understood he only had approximately three years
to accomplish the work that he was sent to do,
therefore, he put in a lot of hours, did a lot of work,
because of the fact that he knew that the night was coming.
Now, let me just say this is that
we have First Works Baptist Church,
we have business hours as well.
And I'm not talking about the physical business hours,
like, I don't even know what we have on Google, you know?
Open from this time to this time or whatever, you know?
But really, we just never stop working, is what it is, okay?
We are open, and no, that doesn't mean you can call
whatever hour you want, and if you do call,
you're probably not gonna get someone to answer the phone.
But we have business hours, and in fact,
every individual here, you guys have business hours as well.
And there is a closing time for everyone.
What am I talking about?
You're gonna die soon.
I'm not trying to prophesy of your death here.
But I'm saying, it is appointed for a man once to die,
but after this, the judgment, right?
Now, that goes for the person who's not saved,
the person who, you know, has not trusted in Christ,
that person has a closing time when it becomes too late.
But in like manner, you know,
the Christian also has a closing time.
Now, we obviously understand that if you believe
in the Lord Jesus Christ, you're saved,
you have eternal life, but you know what?
Once that hour comes, once the night comes,
once the business hours close and it's time to shut down,
you can no longer work for the Lord.
It's over, it's done.
This is why the Bible tells us in Romans chapter number 12,
now turn with me, if you would, to James chapter number four.
Go to James chapter four, if you would.
I'm gonna read to you from Romans chapter number 12,
verse 10, it says,
"'Be kindly affection one to another with brotherly love,
"'and honor preferring one another,
"'not slothful in business,
"'fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.'"
You know what God is saying?
Hey, you ought to serve God with a sense of urgency.
Why?
Because you don't really know when your closing time is.
We don't know when our business closes.
We don't know how long we have on this earth.
Therefore, we should be not slothful in business.
Don't be a lazy bum.
Don't be that employee who's just a clock watcher, right?
Don't be that employee who's a clock watcher, he's lazy,
he just can't wait to finish his work,
get his paycheck and be on his way.
No, be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, the Bible says.
Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation,
continuing instant in prayer.
You know, because we don't know when our closing time is,
it should cause us to serve with a sense of urgency.
The Bible tells us in Proverbs 27, verse one,
"'Boast not thyself of tomorrow,
"'for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.'"
Well, you know, I'll put off serving God till, you know,
a couple years from now when we have a couple kids
and we're settled and we're good to go.
Hey, boast not thyself of tomorrow.
You don't know what a day may bring forth.
And yeah, you can make plans for next Sunday
when you might not even make it to tomorrow.
Think about that.
Your store might close tomorrow.
Your business hours can end this week.
And so we should not boast ourselves of tomorrow.
We don't know what a day is gonna bring forth.
Look at James chapter four and verse 13.
"'Go to now ye that say today or tomorrow
"'we will go into such a city and continue there a year
"'and buy and sell and get gain.
"'Whereas ye know now what shall be on the morrow,
"'for what is your life?
"'It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time
"'and then vanishes away.'"
What is he saying?
You're like a store that's open for business,
but it just all of a sudden closes down.
It just vanishes away.
It just closed, no longer operating.
Verse 15, "'For that ye ought to say,
"'If the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that.'"
You see, we never want to have this presumptuous attitude
that God's gonna give us decades upon decades of life.
We would definitely like that.
I pray for that.
I desire that if the Lord wills.
And we should always have the attitude,
hey, we're gonna win a bunch of people to Christ.
We're gonna do a lot of sowing marathons.
We're gonna grow our church.
We're gonna raise our children for God if the Lord wills.
I want to serve God today and tomorrow.
I shall cast out devils today and tomorrow
and fight against the reprobates and wicked people
if the Lord wills.
Never be presumptuous.
Verse 16, "'But now ye rejoice in your boasting.
"'All such rejoicing is evil,' the Bible says.
"'Therefore, to him that knoweth to do good
"'and doeth not, to him it is sin.'"
So the person who says,
well, you know, I'll put this off until tomorrow.
I'll put this off until next year.
2020 is a bad year for me.
I'll start serving God in 2021.
No, to him that knoweth to do good and doeth not,
to him it is sin.
If you know what God is telling you to do
and you don't do it, the Bible says you're sinning,
according to the Bible.
We only have a small window of opportunity to serve God.
These are our business hours.
And we need to make sure
that we're about our Father's business
because we don't know when this store of ours can close.
Go to Matthew 26, Matthew chapter 26.
Hey, when's souls today?
When's souls this week?
Preach the gospel today.
Preach the gospel this week.
Seek to win people to Christ today.
Don't put it off for another time
because that business might close.
Hey, raise your children today for the Lord.
You know why?
Because the night cometh when no man can work.
And I'm not saying the night cometh
as in your children may die or you may die.
How about just the fact that there's gonna come a point
where your children grow up
and you no longer have influence over their life?
The night cometh when no man can work.
And I guarantee you there's a lot of people out there
who love the Lord, who've had children go astray,
they backslid or for whatever reason it is,
and you know what?
For that person, the night came when no man can work,
when no parent can teach their child.
So we as God's people,
we need to take advantage of the time that we have now.
And don't say, well, I'm gonna teach him
the ways of the Lord as he grows a little older.
I'll put it off until then.
No, no, no, the night cometh when no man can work.
And that store can close at any moment, okay?
Hey, children, serve the Lord now.
Remember thy creator in the days of thy youth
when the evil days come not.
Hey, the evil day of paying rent, the evil day of taxes,
the evil day of growing up responsibilities.
Now you should wanna grow up, but you know what?
If you are not distracted by those things,
you live with your parents, your parents are in church,
you should wanna serve the Lord today.
Because the night cometh when no man can work.
The night cometh when, you know what?
You're gonna have more responsibility.
You're gonna have to pay bills and do all these things.
And you know what?
There's gonna come a time when you can't dedicate
as much time as you would as a single, as a child,
to the things of the Lord.
Serve God today.
Don't put it off until next week.
Don't say, well, when I grow up,
I'm gonna start reading my Bible.
When I grow up, I'm gonna take these things serious.
Serve God today.
Be like Josiah, right?
Whose heart feared the Lord when he was just a child.
Remember the creator in the days of your youth.
Serve God today.
Win souls today.
Raise your children for the Lord today.
Get serious about the things of God today.
Because the night cometh when no man can work.
And you know what?
You know what's the worst feeling ever?
Is when you need something.
And you're like, man, I'm gonna go to this store
and you go there, the lights are on,
and what do you do?
You go to the door and it's like,
dun, dun, dun, dun, dun.
It's like, what?
Google said they don't close until 11.
And they're like, it's like 10 59 or something.
It's too late.
Worst feelings ever.
When you go to a restaurant and you're hungry
and you go there, it's just, it's closed.
Can't go in.
Why?
Because business hours are closed.
You should have gone earlier.
You should have went when there was time.
You should have looked up the actual business hours
when they were open and gone there
when the product was available for you.
But now it's too late.
It's too late.
But guess what?
Right now it's not too late for us.
Okay?
Now knowing these things, knowing that we as individuals,
we as a church, we have business hours,
so to speak, of operation.
What does this tell us?
And by the way, again, our church has business hours.
You know, my desire is that this church
would exist until Christ returns.
If the Lord wills, amen?
But you never know.
Things can happen where maybe this church gets shut down
for whatever reason.
I die, some wicked person takes over,
takes the church in a different direction,
and yet they become some liberal church,
and it dies or whatever.
You never know.
We don't know what may happen.
So you know what?
We need to do right while we have the chance.
We need to preach the word of God while we have the chance.
We need to be a first work sowing church
while we have the opportunity,
while the store is still open, amen?
So knowing that businesses have hours of operation,
what should this tell us?
What will this show us?
Well, number one, I've already mentioned this,
but go to Galatians chapter six.
Business hours means that there's a small window of time
to get the job done.
That's what it means, right?
You have a small window of time.
It's called your life, which is like a vapor
to do the work of the ministry.
So you know what?
Take sowing serious.
Be a part of a team, get trained, get discipled,
learn so that you can operate during these business hours.
Look what the Bible says in Galatians chapter six
and verse number nine.
Let us not be weary in well-doing.
What does weary mean?
You're tired.
Let's just be honest.
Sometimes we get tired of doing right.
It's tiring.
Doing the same thing over and over again,
and the individual says, well, not me.
Okay, you holier than thou self-righteous pompous jerk.
Everyone gets tired of doing right every once in a while,
especially when there's the glitz
of the glamor of the world.
You have your friends that are in the world
showing you the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eyes, the pride of life.
You start questioning and wondering, man, what am I doing?
Not having any fun.
I gotta get up in the morning on Saturday.
I gotta get up early in the morning on Sunday
for church at 10 o'clock, 10.30.
That's not early, okay?
Hey, don't be weary in well-doing.
Why?
For in due season we shall reap if we faint not.
What does that mean?
There's payday.
You're gonna get your paycheck,
and it's gonna be worth it.
As we therefore, as we have therefore opportunity, verse 10,
let us do good unto all men.
But I want you to notice that God wants us to have favorites,
especially unto them of the household of faith.
So we should actually favor God's people
more than anyone else.
Not at the expense of everyone else, obviously.
We need to preach the gospel to other people,
get them saved, get them integrated into the church,
get them growing.
But it says here that we need to do good,
especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
Why?
Because the night cometh when no man can work.
That's why it's important that you sow good seeds today
amongst your brethren.
You know, when we ask that you pray for someone
who is in need, pray for that individual.
Why?
Because the night cometh for you when you're gonna be sick
and you're gonna covet someone else's prayers.
Hey, when a lady has a child in the church,
you know what?
What you need to do is use that opportunity
to do good unto that person, bring that person a meal.
Why?
Because the night cometh when you're gonna bear a child
and you're gonna need someone to be a blessing to you.
When someone is in need in our church,
they have some sort of physical need, spiritual need,
yet even financial need.
Take advantage of that as an opportunity
to do good unto them because the night cometh
when you're gonna have that same exact need
and you're gonna want someone to be a blessing to you.
So business hours means that there's a small window of time
to just get the job done.
Now look, obviously there's some jobs that have breaks,
15 minute break, 30 minute break.
And there's times in our life that we need to take a break,
that we need to come apart, right?
Go and have a meal and go and relax and rest and nap
or do whatever you have to do.
But that shouldn't characterize our life.
Our lives should never be characterized
by a rest and relaxation and having fun.
Folks, this is a time of war.
This is a time of war.
This is not a time to beat our spears and swords
into plowshares, to go plow the field
that we're gonna have in the millennial reign.
Right now is the time to fight.
Right now is the time to win souls.
Right now is the time to be on the front lines, okay?
To get the job done and we only have a small window of time.
We're here for such a time as this.
Go to Matthew chapter 25, Matthew chapter 25.
Business hours, when are they?
We don't know.
We just know this, the store's already been opened.
Once you got saved, you walked into a store,
you were given a job, you got your badge,
now it's time to go to work.
Now it's time to do the work, to maintain good works,
to fulfill your responsibility, to get the job done.
Why?
Because there's gonna come a time
when the store's gonna close and it's gonna be too late
for you to earn your paycheck.
Matthew 25, number two.
So number one, business hours means
there's a small window of time to get the job done.
Number two, listen to this.
Customers, you know, because business have customers.
When we think of the business hours, this teaches us this,
that customers need to get the product
before the store closes.
Now, we are about our Father's business
and the main product that we're giving out,
not selling, is what?
Salvation.
And here's the thing, it's already paid for, right?
God paid for it with the blood of his son,
with the sacrifice of his son.
So we're giving this product away.
And you know what, it's free for everyone.
It's quality, it's eternal life, it's free,
it lasts forever, guarantee.
You don't need to buy insurance on it,
it's gonna last you forever, it's a great product,
it's like a Costco product.
Sometimes they don't work.
Hey, but they got a good return policy, amen?
Let me say this, you know the customers out here
that are coming out, that are out here,
that are not saved, they need to get the product
before it's too late.
Because then the store will close,
and you know what happens when the store closes?
They die and go to hell.
And let me just remind you that hell exists,
or heaven exists, excuse me, hell exists.
And when a person, when an individual dies,
their soul will descend into hell,
they'll lift up their eyes in hell if they're not saved.
Folks, the Bible tells us that the fearful,
and the unbelieving, the murderers,
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters,
and all liars shall have their part in the lake
which burneth with fire and brimstone,
which is the second death.
Whosoever's name was not found written in the book of life
was cast into the lake of fire.
That means if you're not saved today,
you haven't believed on the Lord Jesus Christ,
you haven't trusted Jesus as your savior,
when you die, your soul will go to hell.
Well, I'm a good person.
Folks, not by works of righteousness which we have done,
but according to his mercy, he saved us.
Our works cannot save us.
Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith
without the deeds of the law.
No flesh shall be justified in his sight by his works.
You can't work your way to heaven,
you can't keep God's commandments to go to heaven,
you can't try to be a good person to go to heaven.
Why, because no one is perfect
and you would agree with that.
No one's perfect.
We're not perfect, we fail, we have flaws, we sin.
The Bible says that there is none that doeth good,
no, not one.
There is not a just man upon earth that doeth good
and sin is not, the Bible says.
And look, when a murderer is being tried,
you know, is in front of a judge,
he's not like, you know, let me go free
because look at all the good that I've done.
They're being judged based upon the crime they've committed.
You know, and he that keepeth the whole law
yet offended at one point, he's guilty of all,
the Bible says, James 2.10.
And so look, we need to come to the realization,
hey, if you're out there and you're not saved,
you better get this before the store closes.
Because the store for you can close today.
The store for you can close tomorrow.
And at that point, it's too late for you.
You can no longer get that free product.
Look what the Bible says in Matthew 25, verse number one.
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened
unto 10 virgins, which took their lamps
and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
And five of them are wise and five are foolish.
They that were foolish took their lamps
and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil
in their vessels with their lamps.
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
So what do we see here?
We see 10 virgins, five of them have oil in their lamps
and that oil is a representation of the Holy Ghost.
Because when we get saved, when we believe on Jesus Christ,
the Bible says that we're sealed with the Holy Spirit
of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance
unto the redemption of the purchased possession.
So when we get saved, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell
within us, he's sealed unto the day of redemption.
We have the Holy Spirit.
But here we see that there was five that had it
and five that did not.
Verse eight, and the foolish said unto the wise,
verse number six, and at midnight there was a cry made,
behold, the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him.
Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
And the foolish said unto the wise,
give us of your oil for our lamps are gone out.
What is he saying?
Hey, the store's about to close.
You know, and the guy's in his car
and he's rushing over there and his buddy's already
in the store, he's already getting his product.
And he's calling him, he's like, hey, make sure
you give me some of your product.
He's like, no, you have to get your own.
One per customer.
I can't give you mine.
It's one per customer, you have to come here
and get it yourself.
It's like this, it's like the individual
who thinks they're gonna go to heaven
because they're related to someone who's going to heaven.
Right?
I was like, oh, just pray for me, man, that I get to have,
I know you're right with God,
I know you read the Bible, I know that you love God
and you have a connection with God,
therefore, you know, God's gonna let me in.
Doesn't work that way.
I know it says, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved in thy house.
But when it says in thy house, it doesn't mean
like by osmosis they get saved just because
one individual in the household gets saved.
Okay, let's talk about the whole household
has to believe on Jesus Christ.
I remember I heard a sermon like this,
God has no grandchildren.
It's true.
He only has children.
Right?
But as many as receive them, to them give you power
to become the sons of God, even unto them
that believe in his name, you don't become a grandchild.
Oh, because I'm related to someone who's saved.
You cannot get the oil from the five other virgins,
you have to get it yourself.
Verse nine says, but the wise answer's saying, not so.
Lest there be not enough for us and you.
Go get your own Raising Kings.
These guys who just want to show up late
to Raising Kings and have you order their food
and all that stuff, get your own, man.
No, I'm just kidding.
That's what he's saying.
Lest there be not enough for us and you.
But go ye rather to them that sell and buy for yourselves.
Verse 10 says, and while they went to buy,
the bridegroom came and they that were ready
went in with them to the marriage and the door was shut.
What does that mean?
The bridegroom comes and now they know
salvation is by grace through faith.
But you know what, it's already too late.
The door's shut.
And let me just say this, everyone who's in hell today,
they all believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
They all know who the true God is now.
They all know that it was by faith alone.
Now they know.
Every atheist and agnostic, every evolutionist,
every wicked individual that has ever perished
and gone to hell, they all know the truth now.
But guess what, it's too late.
The door is now shut.
Verse 11, afterward came also the other virgins
saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us.
But he answered and said, verily I say unto you,
I know you not.
Store's closed.
We're closed.
You know that muffled sound in there?
We're closed.
He's like, but the lights are on, it's too late.
Look at the business hours.
They're too late.
It's sad.
And if you're in here today, and you're not saved,
don't walk out these doors until you get saved.
Most every individual in this room can give you the gospel
and get you saved, it's really easy.
And it's free, why not?
You don't have to pay for it.
Look, you don't even have to attend our church faithfully
to go to heaven, as most religions will teach you.
You don't have to be a good person to go to heaven.
You don't have to try to keep God's,
you don't even have to get baptized to go to heaven.
You don't have to do anything, it's already paid for
by Jesus Christ.
He paid for it with his blood.
All you have to do is just accept it.
All you have to do is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved, the Bible says.
Just accept it.
Just go there and accept it, it's free.
Why wouldn't you want it?
Why not?
I think I can make my own product.
I'll just do it yourself.
I just make my own product, doesn't work that way.
You can't save yourself.
Can't save yourself.
Product is free, just take it, amen.
Go to Ephesians chapter two.
And look, if you're a visitor in our church,
after service, someone is gonna come up to you,
they're gonna ask you, hey, are you 100% sure
that if you died today that you'd go to heaven?
This is what I encourage you to do, just be honest.
And just say no.
And when you say no, they're gonna show you from the Bible
how you can be 100% sure and I wanna encourage,
they're basically gonna give you the product.
I'm just encouraging you to just take it.
Just listen to them, take it, get saved, amen.
Because the night cometh when no man can work.
Number three, knowing that there's business hours
shows us that employees need to show up for work
if they wanna get paid.
Right?
Can't show up when the store is closed, it's too late.
Ephesians two, verse eight through nine says,
for by grace are you saved through faith
and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God,
not of works, lest any man should boast,
for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
unto good works, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them, the Bible says.
You see, God is giving us a job to do.
Now I know there's a lot of churches out there,
I know there's a lot of denominations out there
that wanna make you think that you just have to have
a relationship with Jesus.
Like we're just cool with Jesus, he knows me, I know him,
we have a cool relationship, it's all good,
doesn't work that way, he's our boss,
that's why they call him the Lord.
Lord means boss.
Why call you me Lord and do not the things which I say?
It's not like well we got a form of communication,
yeah we do too, it's called God's word,
it's called his commandments, we obey him, we do them,
and he gives us a reward for it, that's the way it works.
And look, God gives no consolation prizes.
It's not like you show up after hours and God's like
well, you know, I know you mean well,
here's a voucher, here's a small little paycheck
or something, you didn't do anything, but you know,
just trying to hook you up, I'm trying to be generous
to you, it doesn't work that way.
Is that, I thought you said it was free,
no, no, salvation is free.
Salvation is free if you're a customer, it's free.
But when it comes to a reward thereafter
because God promises us rewards in heaven
and in the millennial reign, you have to work for those.
Not working for eternal life, just what you get
when you go there, when you're in the millennial reign,
when you are resurrected, at that point you get rewards.
You see, we as Christians, we're not concerned anymore
with our salvation because that's already taken care of.
We're concerning ourselves now with making sure
that we work during the hours of operation
because we want a fat paycheck at the end of this life.
We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus
unto good works.
Titus 3.8 says this is a faithful saying,
and these things I will that thou affirm constantly
that they which have believed in God might be careful
to maintain good works.
These things are good and profitable unto men.
Verse 14, go to John chapter 15 if you would,
John chapter 15, Titus 3.14 says this,
and let ours also learn to maintain good works
for necessary uses that they be not unfruitful.
Look, folks, that's why we're called
First Works Baptist Church.
It's a working church.
It's a church that has dedicated itself
to preaching the gospel, serving the saints,
perfecting the saints, preaching the word of God,
getting the job done as best as we know how, okay?
So don't expect the paycheck if you don't show up to work.
Now listen to this.
If an employee has this job and they don't show up to work,
not only do they not get paid, what happens to them?
They get fired.
They're fired.
What does that mean?
God basically removes you from being an employee.
It's a biblical concept.
Look at John 15, verse six.
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth
as a branch and is withered, and men gather them
and cast them into the fire and they are burdened.
Because when a person, when a boss fires an employee,
he's basically saying you're worthless.
You are a worthless employee.
You're not a good worker, you're fired.
Go find another job somewhere else.
Go to another denomination or something.
But here's the thing, go work for Wendy's
or go do something else.
You can't work here at this restaurant.
You can't work here at this business.
You're no good.
You're not getting the job done.
You can't even show up to work.
And the bosses have the right to do that.
Because he's paying, he expects a job to be done.
Well, you know, in like manner,
God does the same exact thing.
If there's a Christian out there who's just not laboring
for the Lord, they're just kind of consuming things
upon their own lusts, they're just serving themselves.
God is their belly.
They just don't have God's agenda on their radar.
Well, you know what, they're cast forth as a branch.
They wither, they're burned and they're done.
Become worthless.
God's basically saying you're fired.
Now it doesn't mean you're fired
like you're going to hell fire.
It just means you're worthless.
It just means you can't work for God anymore.
And there's plenty examples of people in the Bible
who are fired.
Give me one of the most famous examples
of someone who was fired in the Bible.
Saul, Samson, Aaron eventually was fired from his job.
So was Moses at one point, right?
Because he didn't obey the boss.
He was, you know, the boss told him, do this.
And what do you do?
He, instead of speaking to the rock,
he smote it and God says, you're fired.
You're a great employee for this many years.
You did a great job and I'm gonna have to let you go.
Because you smote the rock instead of speaking to it,
you're messing up the symbology of Jesus Christ,
therefore you're fired.
Now you need to lose the salvation
because you can't lose your salvation.
Who's another, what's another example
of someone who was fired in the Bible?
Adam, he's the first employee to get fired.
When the store first started,
God had a lot of hopes for this first employee
and it's just like, he just, he really messed up too.
You know, his wife actually is the one who messed it up.
He hired both of them.
Give me someone else, who else?
Who's another individual in the Bible who was fired?
How about Achan?
What was he doing?
He was stealing from the company.
When God told him, don't take the accursed thing,
he takes the Babylonian army, he takes the silver
and he hides it under the earth,
the boss comes and is just like,
hey, you're stealing from me, I got you on camera.
It's called the omnipresence of God.
And he's stoned with stones, he's fired.
I mean, we could go on and on and on
of individuals in the Bible who God says,
you're fired, you can't work for me.
Folks, I do not wanna get fired.
First of all, it's just shameful
and two, you know, you can't earn anything,
God pays well.
The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich
and he addeth no sorrow to it.
I mean, God pays good.
He multiplies, he gives a lot of rewards
but you just gotta make sure you're getting the job done,
you gotta make sure that you're serving him
and not consuming it upon your own lust.
Don't be the John 15, six employee.
You're just worthless, you're just like,
well, I'm just here, you know,
come to church every once in a while,
I'm not really into the whole soul anything.
You know, I'd rather just have the label
of being the independent fundamental Baptist.
No, go to work.
Earn your paycheck, go to work
because the night cometh when no man can work
and some nights for others close sooner than others, right?
Some stores close sooner for others
than for other people because of the fact
that they're fired, they're fired sooner than later.
Go to Revelation, let me see here.
Go to 1 Corinthians 15, 1 Corinthians 15.
Not only that but number four, let me say this,
is the employees, they get paid commission,
they don't get paid hourly, right?
And it's not like, well, you got saved at this time
so from the time you got saved to the time you die
because you've been a Christian for this long,
therefore you get X amount of rewards because of that.
Doesn't work that way but you know
a lot of people think like that.
Don't you know how long I've been in church?
Don't you know how long I've been a Christian for?
I've been a Christian longer than you've been alive.
It's just like, and you still act like that?
A lot of people base their Christianity
on literally like how many years they've been saved for.
It's just like that doesn't do anything.
You're still a babe in Christ
because you're not rewarded
on how long you're a Christian.
You're rewarded on the work that you do
during that allotted time.
I mean, think about the laborers in the vineyard.
Remember the laborers?
The ones who came at the latter end,
they got paid the same amount
as those who came in the beginning
even though they came later.
My belief is because they did more work.
They did the same amount of work
and those laborers who came at the end,
of course we know are representative of the Gentiles.
The ones who came in the beginning were the Jews.
And you know what?
This is the reason why Jesus said
greater works than these shall you do
because I go unto my Father.
So I believe the Gentiles are doing way more work
obviously than the Jews have
and that's why we're getting paid the same.
We're getting the same commission.
Commission is great, isn't it?
It's just like you get this task done,
you get paid for this.
You get this job done, you get paid for this.
Revelation 22 verse 12 says this,
and behold I come quickly and my reward is with me
to give every man according as his work shall be.
Matthew 16, 27 says for the Son of Man
shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels
and then he shall reward every man according to his work.
So what is he saying?
I'm paying you commission and look,
more specifically for doing the great commission.
So you get paid commission
for fulfilling the great commission, okay?
Well let's be honest, there's gonna be some Christians
who are just paid more than others.
It's not because they're more talented,
it's not because they were working for the company
longer than you, it's not because of any of those reasons.
What's the reason why some Christians
are gonna get paid more than others?
Look at 1 Corinthians 15 verse nine
because the Apostle Paul's a great example of this.
He was one that was born out of due season.
The other apostles, I mean they were there with Jesus
for those three years.
These are the OGs of the disciples.
They were there for a while.
Paul came like late, right?
Well look what the Bible says in verse nine.
For I am the least of the apostles
that I am not mean to be called an apostle
because I persecuted the church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am
and his grace which was bestowed upon me
was not in vain but I labored more abundantly
than they all, yet not I but the grace of God
which was with me.
Now let's just be honest.
Who is he talking about when he says
I labored more than they all?
He's talking about the other apostles.
Peter, John, James, he's like actually
work harder than them.
And he says yet not I but the grace of God that was in me.
And he says I was born out of due season,
I was hired later on.
I came on the team later on but yeah,
I'm getting paid more than them.
I mean is there any mistake, is there any coincidence
should I say that the New Testament vastly
has to do with the Apostle Paul?
He wrote the majority of the books in the New Testament.
He's doing a great work, the spotlight is on him.
He's the employee of the month, right?
This guy's like the employee, he is the employee
of the month and God is honoring him, why?
Because he labored more abundantly than they all.
Now look, obviously you shouldn't have this attitude
that I just want to get paid more than anybody here.
Because we don't really know who's the employee
of the month in our church.
It might not even be me, it could be anybody.
Just because I'm a pastor doesn't mean I'm going to be
the one who's more rewarded than anybody else.
There's probably an individual here who's quiet,
just getting the job done, just soul winning,
being consistent, maybe they're just doing more
at their capacity and therefore they're going
to get paid more.
I think the most important thing is just that we get paid.
Amen?
You labor and you get paid, but let's just be honest,
there are some that are going to be paid more than others.
And don't be intimidated by people who are
in different churches, oh you bunch of youngins
over at First Works Baptist Church,
you guys haven't even been around for 10 years,
you guys haven't been around for 20 years, 30 years,
you're over here, we've been Christians a lot longer.
Yeah, but here's the thing, have you been working
during that time though?
And aren't there employees at jobs that look like they work
but they're not actually working?
Isn't that true?
They look busy or they work when people are watching.
When the boss is there, they pick up the broom
and start sweeping.
They look like they work when it's needed to look, right?
Well you know what, churches are the same exact way.
There's a lot of churches out there that look busy
about the Father's business, but when you actually
observe them and analyze their ministry,
it's just like, they're not getting anything done.
They're not seeing baptisms and salvations
and people are not growing in their knowledge of the Bible.
It's a lot of fluff.
A lot of employees, you're paying a lot of people
to just do a lot of nothing, okay?
No, we need to get paid, I mean the way God pays us
is by commission, making sure we get the job done.
That's why we keep track of salvations in our church.
We want our church to be on the Forbes magazine of heaven.
The church that produces this amount of souls and baptisms.
And look folks, the proof is in the pudding.
The proof is in the pudding.
We see a lot of baptisms, thank God, you know?
You say, why do you do that?
Because we want to get paid commission, that's why.
Because God told us to do it.
And we want to be rewarded as a church, as an individual.
And I like the spirit of our church,
where they're just like, they get someone saved
and they're just like, now you gotta get baptized.
You know, and you know what that individual's doing?
They're just, they're working hard, they're laboring.
They're earning their rewards.
I love that, it's great.
Go to Matthew chapter 20, Matthew chapter 20.
Title of the sermon is business hours.
We gotta make sure we get as much done as possible
in the allotted time that we have.
There's a small window of opportunity to do a work for God,
take advantage of it.
If you're saved, you're now an employee.
Closing hours, we don't know when it is.
For every individual, it's different
because we are probably gonna die at different times
throughout our life, right?
Throughout the lifespan of our church.
But we need to take these principles to heart
and recognize these things because, you know,
we don't want to just be the Christians
who just like sits, soaks, and sours.
We want to be laborers.
And lastly, number five, this is the most obvious one,
is the employees get paid at the end of their shift.
That's how it works, okay?
So when the hours close, that's when we get rewarded.
And that should encourage us too.
Because again, it goes back to that previous point
that we should not be weary in well-doing
because we will reap in due season, if we faint not.
A lot of people who can't take the job and they quit, right?
I hate my job.
Hate my job, I hate working here.
And it's just like they quit midway or whatever.
It's just like, man, you almost got a promotion.
What are you talking about?
You almost got that promotion.
You almost got that raise.
You almost got rewarded.
And then you just throw in the towel.
And folks, work, although sometimes can be fun,
is not supposed to be fun, right?
Now we can have a good time working, have a good laugh,
enjoy each other's company,
enjoy your fellow workers, laborers with you.
But at the end of the day, we need to have the mentality,
hey, through thick and thin, for better or for worse.
I'm gonna keep serving God
because I know that I'm gonna get rewarded.
I know I'm gonna get paid at the end of the shift.
Matthew 20, verse seven says this.
They say unto him, because no man hath hired us,
he said unto them, go ye also into the vineyard,
and whatsoever is right, that shall you receive.
So when even was come, the Lord of the vineyard
saith unto his steward, call the laborers
and give them their hire,
beginning from the last until the first.
And when they came that were hired about the 11th hour,
they received every man a penny.
But when the first came,
they supposed that they should have received more,
and they likewise received every man a penny.
And when they had received it,
they murmured against the good man of the house,
saying that these last have wrought but one hour,
and thou has made them equal unto us,
which have borne the burden and the heat of the day.
This is the guy who basically gets hired
at the very last hour, and he just does all the work
that guy took seven hours to do.
He does at the eighth hour.
And this guy's getting mad,
because the guy who came last did his work.
It's like the Jews getting mad at us, right?
They're getting mad at us
because we're propagating Christianity.
Well, that's what you're supposed to do.
Jew, you're supposed to be a light unto the Gentiles.
You're supposed to be a light unto us.
You failed to do the job.
That's why the kingdom of God was taken from you
and given to a nation, bringing forth the fruits thereof.
That's why your position was taken,
and it was given to us.
And the Gentiles were promoted to being God's chosen people.
The chosen generation, they took that batch from you,
your special little button, and they gave it to us.
They're like, there you go.
That's what happened.
Verse 13, but he answered one of them and said,
Friend, I do thee no wrong.
Dost not thou agree with me for a penny?
Take thine is, and go thy way.
I will give unto the last, even as unto thee.
Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?
Is thine eye evil because I am good?
Now, what can we learn from this passage?
We cannot be upset at God for what we receive
at the judgment seat of Christ.
Can't be bad.
Some things will be wood, hay, and stubble.
Other things will be silver and gold.
And the works that we do will be tried as by fire.
Some will be saved, yet so as by fire.
That means all their works were burned.
When they look at their log of everything that they did,
it's like, you didn't do anything.
What were you doing that whole time
when you were down there?
Well, I went to church.
I listened to sermons and stuff,
and I called myself an independent fundamental Baptist.
It's like, that's not what I told you to do, though.
There's other things that you didn't do any of this
that's on the list.
You're not gonna get anything.
That individual can't get mad at God for that.
That individual said, well, you're not fair, God.
What do you mean?
I mean, like, I guess I really didn't do anything, did I?
Yeah, you're not gonna get anything.
This is what I believe the Bible means
when it says that some will wake up to everlasting content.
This is gonna be a lot of regret
at the judgment seat of Christ.
Like, man, I should've done more.
I should've actually listened to the pastor
when he said, go soul.
I should've listened when he said to maintain good works
and serve God, because now I'm paying for it.
Now I'm just disappointed.
They're saved, and thank God for that.
But you know, if God offers more, if he's giving bonuses,
I want the Christmas bonus, the Christ-must bonus, amen,
that we receive at the judgment seat of Christ.
So what is the sermon for today?
The sermon is simply this, is that,
hey, these are the business hours.
We're in the business hours right now.
Our store is open.
The product is free.
The laborers are few, the employees are few.
We need to make sure we pray the Lord of Harvest
that he sends forth laborers into his harvest,
and that those employees are making sure
that they do the right job, do it the right way,
so they earn the rewards that God has set for them, amen?
Inspire our heads in our word of prayer.
Father, we thank you so much for your word,
and thank you for that phrase there,
the night cometh when no man can work.
And God help us to remember that every day,
when we grow tired of the mundane,
when we grow tired of maybe attending church
and going soul-winning and teaching our kids
and laboring and serving, help us to remember,
the night cometh when no man can work.
The shift is almost over.
We need to make sure we put in as much work as possible,
and I'm 100% sure that when all of us here
are in the millennial reign,
this memory is, the memory of the mundane
and the boredom or the tiredness or the weariness,
it's gonna be a faint memory.
It's probably not even gonna be there anymore,
because we're gonna be reaping the benefits
of the labor that we put into
while we were here on this earth.
But when the time, when the day was still there,
the store was still open, we had opportunity to work.
Help us to take those things into consideration
and to work till Jesus comes, in Jesus' name, amen.