How many of you know that as Christians we have a job to do? That there is work to be done in the Kingdom of God. How many of you know that while everyone has a unique gift God has placed within each and every one of us, we are all called to this beautiful task, mission or “work”, and that is finishing what Jesus started here on this earth.
In John 4:34, Jesus states that He “is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work”. Because we are in Christ and Christ is in us, as servants of God, we have the same task to fulfill. And how do we know the mission is complete? Well the way I see it, our mission to do the work God has called us to, isn’t complete until we see gold between our feet when we look down. When you look down and see gold, you know it’s mission accomplished! You’ve finally made it home. But until that time comes, there is much to be done. The question we must ask ourselves is what are we doing about the call of God on our lives?
Somewhere, somebody needs Jesus and we have a duty to make him known amongst the lost. However, the reality for some of us is that we’ve laid aside this important mission and have become distracted by the things in this world. We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values. We’ve cleaned the air, but polluted our souls. It’s a time where there is much in the showroom, but nothing in the storeroom. This is our world today.
So what is the work we are to do? The word “work” itself isn't what we actually do. Rather, the real work is found within these four letters. Each letter stands for a task that we are all a part of fulfilling.
First, is W which stands for witness. We are all a witness to others by the way we live our lives. Whether it’s by verbally witnessing to others the Gospel, or by our actions and the way we conduct ourselves and treat others in life. There are countless people in the Bible who were flawed in different areas of their lives, but God still used each and every one of them to accomplish what it was He intended for their life.
In Acts 1:8, Jesus is talking to His disciples and He says,
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”.
He didn’t say you may be witnesses, or sometimes you will be witnesses, but that you will be His witness. If you’re saved, you automatically have a story to share, and that’s the story of Jesus in your own life. What He’s done for you. How He’s come through for you. How He’s rescued you.
Next is O, which stands for observe. How do you observe the people around you? Do you only see people as a friend, a family member, a coworker, or a neighbor? Or are you seeing them as a soul who needs Jesus Christ? Everyday lost people will pass us by. The question is, do we really care enough that these people will go to hell without Christ? Ask God to search your heart and to begin seeing people with a spiritual eye. Because when we start to look at people the way Jesus sees them, we see a soul that’s worth dying for. How do you see people? When we shift our perspective, we then see the urgency to tell people about the God who saves. Which takes us to the next point.
R, which stands for reach. At a young age, Jesus got busy doing the Fathers work (Luke 2:41-49). He went out and reached the people who had questions and didn’t understand and He spoke to them the Truth. Living in this day in age, we must know that Jesus is coming and coming soon. Are we reaching out to those around us, and getting busy about the Masters business? As the body of Christ, we make a difference in the size of the rapture. We can either add to the people going when Jesus comes, or we can let people do their own thing and perish in the end of it all. We can’t be a church that sits back and does nothing. That sounds like a pretty dead church, and Jesus isn’t coming back for a dead church. He’s coming back for a church that is alive and active. A church that is seeking to spread hope to the lost. Reaching souls that are hungry for the true and living God.
The last letter of this “work” is K, which stands for know. To finish the work, you must know that the Word will never pass away; it will never change. We all have our testimonies, but the Word of God will always be what remains. It’s no fairytale, it’s the truth. People might not believe what you say, but give them the Word and it will make all the difference. Know that every person has the right to hear the Word of God.
2 Peter 3:9 tells us that God is patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. That is God's heart. Knowing this should prompt us even more to go do the work He has called us all to do, because when we’re obedient to God’s call, He’ll do the rest and will grow every seed we plant.
So what is the “work”? To witness, observe, reach and know. Jesus says in John 20:21, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” We have all been sent to finish the work He started. There is a job for you to do. Maybe there is a specific person in your life God wants you to reach. Or maybe He’s calling you to go to a foreign land and reach many. Whatever your mission field looks like, whether it’s in your home, in your workplace, or in your friend group - do it faithfully. Be a witness and let the love of God shine through you. Tell people that there is a Savior and His name is Jesus.
