Workers Used of God
God works in and through His people to accomplish His purposes, and He intends for His people to be productive and work according to His will.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that while God works through His people, it is ultimately God who accomplishes His work. He references Jesus' declaration of continuous work alongside the Father and Paul's affirmation of God's active role in believers' lives. Tozer clarifies that this does not negate the necessity of human effort, as the Bible illustrates God's intention for His people to engage in work, starting from Adam in the Garden of Eden to Jesus' choice of active disciples. He warns against laziness, highlighting the consequences of idleness as noted in Proverbs.
Text
In a close and final sense no one can do God's work. Nor does He turn His work over to others to do. He works in His people and through them, but always it is He who works.
Jesus said, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working" (John 5:17); and Paul said, "It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose" (Philippians 2:13).
This is not to teach that men should not work. One has but to run his eyes over the pages of the Bible casually to become convinced that God intends His people to work. He put the man in the Garden of Eden "to work it and take care of it" (Genesis 2:15). Our Lord was a carpenter and He chose active men for His first disciples. The book of Proverbs has some scathing things to say about the sluggard who loafs away his days in careless indolence only to have poverty come upon him at last like an armed man (Proverbs 6:11).
Sermon Outline
- God's Work is His Own
- God's Intent for His People
- Consequences of Not Working
- The sluggard's fate
- Poverty and indolence
Key Quotes
“In a close and final sense no one can do God's work. Nor does He turn His work over to others to do. He works in His people and through them, but always it is He who works.” — A.W. Tozer
“It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” — A.W. Tozer
“The sluggard who loafs away his days in careless indolence only to have poverty come upon him at last like an armed man” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- As a child of God, I should be productive and work according to His will.
- I should seek to know and obey God's commands in all areas of my life.
- God's work in me is not just about salvation, but also about being a productive and faithful servant.