Teachings – Employment in the Garden

EMPLOYMENT IN THE GARDEN

UNFOLDING TWENTY-SIX

WHERE WE ARE 

Oh, to be as a flower… seen by Jesus as a Lily of the field! Oh, how precious you are, and protected! Enclosed! Sealed! Not only are you the sister of Jesus in His humanity, but the Bride of Christ in His Deity! Is there any greater grace shown to us? A grace not shown to the angels. No wonder the angels press in to see such a marvelous work of their Great Jehovah’s love and kindness for a creature made lower than they. And if our Great God and King did so work… and works all things… then, what of us? 

SCRIPTURE

Song of Songs 2:12

“The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.”

2 Corinthians 9: 12

“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

EMPLOYMENT IN THE GARDEN
UNFOLDING TWENTY-SIX

“Adam was not put in the garden that he might simply walk through its borders, and admire its flowers and taste its fruits; but he was placed there to keep it and to dress it.”

Indeed, Pastor reminds us –

“You and I are set in the garden of the church because there is work for us to do which will be beneficial to others and to ourselves also.”

You are the light of the world.

You are the dew in a dry and dusty land.

What are you doing? Do you know what God’s will you to do? Have you asked?

“Speak unto Him who is the Lord of all true servants, and say to Him, ‘Show me what Thou wouldest have me to do.”

“Point out, I pray Thee, the place wherein I may serve Thee.”

These things Pastor – nay, not he alone, but our Lord asks of all of us. 

“I know many Christian people who do not feel that they dwell in the gardens. They reside in a certain town or village where the Gospel may be preached, but not in demonstration of the Spirit and in power.”

Yes, and then Pastor describes the sad surroundings that those people live –

• No life or power – no unction, no savor,
• Cold of heart, dull of spirit,
• Prayer-meetings are forgotten,
• Communion of saints has died out, and
• there is a general deadness as to Christian effort.

“Believe me, it is a dreadful thing when Christian people have almost to dread their Sabbath days.”

Indeed, his conclusion in this discourse?

“I shall get nothing next Sunday, any more than I did last Sunday except some dry philosophical essay, or a heap of the childish toys and fireworks of oratory, or the same dull mumbling of a mechanical orthodoxy.”

THOUGHT GOING FORWARD

In New England, I know which churches to avoid attending to worship the Lord Jesus Christ and to hear the Gospel. The have flags and banners that represent their world view. You can witness Satan’s presence there because the church co-opted the rainbow to reflect their world view. Their exhibition is not to extol and praise God for His promise not to send another flood, but celebrate their point of view. And oh, yes, they have their philosophical mottos; ‘God is good all of the time.’ That is not to say that God isn’t good. He is, and He is all of the time! No, the god they worship is not good… not knowing he will lead them to perdition.

No, I don’t think Pastor Spurgeon was talking about those churches. I think he was talking about the churches who ‘lost their first love.’ They need to be either hot or cold. Sadly, the lukewarm church will point to the dead church to claim it has life, rather than looking to Christ, repenting, and petitioning His Spirit to renew them – set them aflame! 

IN TRIBUTE TO SPURGEON’S LOVE OF SHORT RYHMES

To have a role in soul-winning!
No greater job is known.
I need not work the harvest – no,
Just to know, dear Lord, I’ve sown.