I'VE GOT WORK TO DO

I VE GOT WORK TO DO SCRIPTURE: JOHN 9-1-11 CONCEPT: WE AS BELIEVERS, FOLLOWING THE IMAGE OF GOD THRU JESUS CHRIST, HAVE WORK TO DO IN OUR TEXT THIS MORNING, WE ENCOUNTER JESUS PASSING BY. AS HE PASSES, HE NOTICES A MAN WHO WAS BLIND FROM BIRTH. HIS DISCIPLES ASK HIM, RABBI, WHO SINNED AND CAUSED HIM TO BE BLIND. THE MAN HIMSELF OR HIS PARENTS. AND JESUS TOLD THEM, NEITHER OF THEIR SINS CAUSED IT, BUT SO THAT THE WORKS OF GOD SHOULD BE REVEALED IN HIM. HE GOES ON TO SAY, I MUST WORK THE WORKS OF HIM THAT SENT ME, ALL OTHER VERSIONS SAY, WE MUST WORK THE WORKS OF HIM THAT SENT ME, FOR THE NIGHT COMES WHEN NO MAN CAN WORK. AFTERWARDS, JESUS BENDS DOWN AND SPITS ON THE GROUND. MAKING THE SPITTLE AND DIRT INTO MUD, HE PLACES THE MUD UPON THE MANS EYES AND TELLS HIM TO GO TO THE POOL CALLED, SILOAM AND WASH. HE WENT AND CAME BACK ABLE TO SEE. WHEN THOSE WHO KNEW HIM SAW HIM THEY ARGUED WHETHER IT WAS REALLY HIM OR SOMEONE ELSE WHO LOOKED LIKE HIM. BECAUSE JESUS HAD HEALED HIM ON THE SABBATH,

THEY TOOK THE MAN TO THE TEMPLE, WHERE HE WAS QUESTIONED BY THE JEWISH LEADERS. THEY ASKED HIM WHO HEALED HIM AND HE TOLD THEM JESUS. CONTINUING TO QUESTION HIM, MANY OF THEM REFUSED TO ACCEPT IT. THEY LATER CALLED FOR HIS PARENTS TO CONFIRM THAT IT WAS INDEED THEIR SON. AFTER CONFIRMING SO, THEY ASKED THEM HOW WAS HE HEALED AND THEY TOLD THEM THEY DIDN T KNOW, BUT TO INSTEAD ASK HIM SINCE HE WAS A GROWN MAN AND COULD SPEAK FOR HIMSELF. AGAIN THEY QUESTIONED HIM AND ASKED HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND HE AGAIN HE TOLD THEM HE PLACED MUD ON HIS EYES AND HE WASHED IT OFF AND COULD SEE. THEY ASKED HIM, WAS THIS MAN A SINNER, WHO HEALED YOU ON THE SABBATH. AND THE MAN SAID, I CANNOT TELL YOU WHETHER HE IS A SINNER OR NOT. BUT ONE THING I CAN TELL YOU, I ONCE WAS BLIND, BUT NOW I SEE. HALLELUJAH!

THERE ARE MANY THINGS IN THIS TEXT I D LIKE TO LIFT FOR YOUR EXAMINATION. FIRSTLY, JESUS COMES AND MAKES IT PLAIN TO HIS DISCIPLES THAT WE MUST WORK THE WORKS OF HIM THAT SENT

US. WE AS CHILDREN OF GOD HAVE ALL BEEN SENT. HE CALLED US AND SAVED US, GAVE US THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THEN SENT US TO DO HIS WILL, TO DO HIS WORK. EPHESIANS 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, TELL SOMEBODY, I VE GOT WORK TO DO. MIGHT I SUGGEST THAT GOD PURCHASED US AND BOUGHT US WITH A PRICE. AND HAVING PURCHASED US, HE CALLED US TO BE HIS DISCIPLES. AS HIS DISCIPLES HE HAS SENT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US TO WORK. I VE GOT WORK TO DO. CAN I SUGGEST THAT WE HAVE THREE KINDS OF WORK TO DO. FIRSTLY, THERE IS WORK I MUST BE WILLING TO DO WITHIN MYSELF. YOU SEE IT S EASY TO TELL SOMEBODY ELSE WHAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING. HOW SOMEBODY ELSE SHOULD LIVE THEIR LIFE OR HOW SOMEONE ELSE SHOULD ACT. BUT IT S A WHOLE NOTHER THING TO WALK THAT WALK. YOU SEE, ALL OF US HAS WORK TO DO WITHIN AND ON OURSELVES. WE ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD. EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US HAS THINGS WITHIN OURSELVES AND

ABOUT OURSELVES THAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED OR FIXED. REMOVED OR HEALED. WE HAVE WORK TO DO ON OURSELVES. TELL SOMEBODY, I VE GOT WORK TO DO. WE HAVE TO GET OUR LIVES TOGETHER, BE MORE LOVING, STOP BEING SO JUDGEMENTAL, BEGIN TO LEARN TO STOP BEING JEALOUS OR ENVIOUS OF OTHERS OR STRIVING TO BE MORE HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS. TO PRESENT OUR BODIES AS A LIVING SACRIFICE. HOLY AND ACCEPTABLE, OUR REASONABLE SERVICE. TO NOT CONFORM TO THIS WORLD, BUT TO BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF OUR MINDS. ALL OF US HAS WORKED TO DO ON OURSELVES.

SECONDLY, WE HAVE WORK TO DO FOR OTHERS. JESUS SAID, THAT WHICH WE DO FOR THE LEAST OF THESE MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS, WE DO UNTO HIM. GOD CALLED AND SENT US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD. TO SERVE THIS PRESENT AGE, OUR CALLING TO FULFILL. TO LOVE THE UNLOVEABLE, TO PRAY FOR OUR ENEMIES, TO VISIT THE SICK,

AND CLOTHE THE NAKED AND TO FEED THE HUNGRY. WE ALL HAVE WORK TO DO FOR OTHERS. BUT THIRDLY, WE HAVE WORK TO DO FOR GOD. HE HAS CALLED US AND COMMANDED THAT WE ALL BE SAVED. HE SAID MARVEL NOT THAT I SAY UNTO YOU, YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN. WE ALL MUST BE SAVED. AND ONCE WE ARE SAVED, GOD CALLS US TO PRAISE HIM AND SERVE HIM WITH GLADNESS. HE CALLS US TO HAVE FAITH AND BELIEVE THAT ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE IF WE ONLY BELIEVE. HE CALLS US TO TRUST HIM WITH ALL OF OUR HEARTS, TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AND HE WOULD DIRECT OUR PATH. WE HAVE WORK TO DO. ON AND IN OURSELVES, FOR OTHERS AND FOR THE LORD.

BUT NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE WORK TO DO, BUT GOD LOOKED AT US FROM HEAVEN AND SAW THAT WE NEEDED TO BE SAVED. HE LOOKED DOWN FROM HEAVEN AND SAW A WORLD THAT WAS IN TROUBLE AND DESTROYING ITSELF. I BELIEVE HE LOOKED AT US AND SAID, I VE GOT WORK TO DO. GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON,

THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVED IN HIM WOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVER LASTING LIFE. GOD LOOKED AT US AND HE SAW HE HAD WORKED TO DO. TO SAVE US FROM SIN, TO DELIVER US FROM EVIL. TO GIVE US VICTORY OVER THE DEVIL AND TO FREE US FROM BONDAGE. HE SAW THAT THEIR WERE HEARTS THAT NEEDED TO BE FIXED AND FAMILIES THAT NEEDED TO BE MENDED. HE SAW THE LOST AND KNEW THEY NEEDED TO BE FOUND AND THE BLIND WHO NEEDED TO SEE. AND GOD, LOOKED AT US AND SAID, I VE GOT WORK TO DO. SOMEBODY NEEDS PEACE IN THE MIDST OF A STORM. SOMEBODY NEEDS JOY IN THE MIDST OF SORROW. SOMEBODY NEEDS A FRIEND, WHO LL BE WITH THEM AT THE END. GOD SAID, I VE GOT WORK TO DO.

AND GOD, IN HIS INFINITE WISDOM, CAME ALL THE WAY FROM HEAVEN DOWN. HE WRAPPED HIMSELF IN HUMAN FLESH AND HE WALKED AMONGST MEN. HIS NAME WAS JESUS AND HE CAME SAYING I MUST WORK THE WORKS OF HIM THAT SENT ME. JESUS CAME SAYING I HAVE WORK TO DO. JESUS CAME

TO GIVE SIGHT TO THE BLIND AND TO DELIVER THE SICK. HE CAME TO BE THE BALM IN GILEAD AND THE HEALER OF THE AFFLICTED. JESUS CAME INTO THIS WORLD TO SAVE US FROM OUR SINS. HE CAME BECAUSE HE HAD WORKED TO DO. GOD SAID JESUS, THERE S IS ONLY ONE WAY THAT THE WORLD CAN BE SAVED AND I SENT YOU TO IT. YOU HAVE WORK TO DO. HE SAID, AFTER YOU RAISE THE DEAD AND CAST OUT DEMONS, AFTER YOU FORGIVE THE SINNER AND GIVE POWER TO THE FAINT. AFTER YOU CALM THE RAGING SEA AND SET THE CAPTIVES FREE. AFTER YOU DO ALL THAT, THERE IS ONE MORE WORK THAT I NEED YOU TO DO. THERE IS A PLACE CALLED CALVARY, WHERE THERE IS AN OLD RUGGED CROSS, AND THERE, RIGHT THERE WE WILL FINISH THE WORK I HAVE SENT YOU TO DO. AND IT WAS A DIFFICULT WORK. WE KNOW THAT BECAUSE JESUS PRAYED AND ASKED IF THAT BITTER CUP COULD BE TAKEN FROM HIM. BUT HE KNEW THAT IT COULDN T BE HIS WILL. BUT IT WAS GOD S WILL THAT HAD TO BE DONE. HE WAS SENT TO DO THIS WORK.AND SO JESUS, MARY S BABY

LAID HIS LIFE DOWN ON THAT CROSS. HE COULD HAVE CALLED TEN LEGIONS OF ANGELS, BUT HE WAS CRUCIFIED FOR YOU AND FOR ME. HE HAD TO COMPLETE THIS WORK, SO WE COULD BE FORGIVEN. HE HAD TO DO THIS WORK SO I SOULS COULD BE SANCTIFIED. HE HAD TO COMPLETE THIS WORK SO THAT WE COULD RECEIVE THE HOLY GHOST. AND SO, JESUS CRIED OUT ON THAT CROSS, AFTER THEY NAILED HIM TO IT AND HIS LIFE BEGAN TO SLIP AWAY. HE CRIED OUT, IT IS FINISHED. I FINISHED THE WORK YOU HAVE SENT ME TO DO. I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH AND I HAVE FINISHED MY WORK AND FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT. AND JESUS LAID IN A BORROWED TOMB, A GRAVE FOR THREE DAYS, BUT ON THE THIRD DAY, AFTER JESUS FINISHED HIS WORK, GOD SHOWED HIM THAT HE HAD NOT LEFT HIM, NOR FORSAKEN HIM, BUT EARLY ON A SUNDAY MORNING GOD WORKED A WORK I TELL YOU, HE GOT HIM UP FROM THE GRAVE. HE LIFTED JESUS FROM DEATH AND MADE HIM RISE FROM DEATH.

HE LIVES. THANK GOD FOR WORKING ON US.

AND HE SENT JESUS TO WORK IN US. AND HIS HOLY SPIRIT TO

WORK THROUGH US. THERE IS WORK TO DO. WORK TO DO IN OURSELVES, FOR OTHERS AND FOR THE LORD. AND THIS GOD, WHO BROUGHT US OUT OF DARKNESS CALLS US TO WORK. TO WORK THE WORKS OF HIM THAT SENT US WHILE IT IS DAY. AND HE SENT HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON TO WORK. TO SUFFER, BLEED AND DIE SO THAT HE COULD BE RAISED FROM THE DEAD. I DON T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I M SO GLAD THAT HE WORKED THE WORKS FOR ME.