~

This is the audio from the August 20, 2023 sermon, “Good News: A New Job”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Luke 5

Today I continued a series from the gospel of Luke as we gaze deeply into God’s Word to find the good news of Jesus shared with us by Luke the physician.  As we continue our Good News From the Doctor series, we find the good news of Jesus as the powerful Word.  The good news of Jesus is a message that not only transforms us from the inside out, it transforms our work from the inside out.  When we respond to the calling of Jesus to follow Him, He gives us a new . . .

• Journey: (Luke 5:10-11; Genesis 12:1-4)

  • For many people, one of the easiest things to do is to get caught up in the routines of life to such an extent that we lose sight of why we do what we do.  For Peter, James, and John, their life journey as fishermen was changed by an encounter with Jesus.  While there are times when God will call us to an occupational change, many times He simply changes the focus of what our work is really about.  These fishermen from Galilee came face to face with Jesus and found their life journey changed from fishing for fish to fishing for people.  This type of change is consistent with the way God works in the lives of people throughout time. When God called Abram to a new job, He started him on a new journey that was simply a walk with God.  When we respond to God’s call, He calls us to change the why of our work to do everything for Him and in so doing we begin a new journey with God everywhere we go.

• Observation: — (Luke 5:22-26, Genesis 13:14-17)

  • When we choose to do everything as working for the Lord, He calls us to look at all things differently.  When a paralyzed man is brought to Jesus by his friends, Jesus forces those around Him to observe more than what is seen.  Jesus declares that the paralyzed man’s sins are forgiven and the religious leaders simply can’t see how that is possible.  Jesus then goes on to heal the man as an observable proof that Jesus has the power to do exactly what He says He will.  While Abram is on his walk with God, he is called to look around and see everything that God was giving to him.  In our daily work, God’s desire is that we would open our eyes and see all circumstances through His perspective.  Those things we think are impossible become possible when God declares them done.  When we respond to God’s call, He calls us to change the scope of our work to what we observe from Him rather than limiting it to what we observe in our own capabilities.

• Belief: — (Luke 5:31-32, Genesis 15:5-6)

  • When we see our work as being done for the Lord, He calls us to a new belief that overcomes the ways of the world and embraces the way of the Lord.  As Jesus encounters Levi, he is at work collecting taxes for Rome.  His response to Jesus is one of closing up shop and following Jesus in a way that desires his peers to know Jesus as well.  Unfortunately, the religious leaders of the day were pretty set in their belief that a good Jewish teacher should not be associating with tax collectors and sinners.  The response of Jesus to these religious leaders is a challenge to have a new belief that understands the value of every person and the need for repentance and restoration.  When we respond to God’s call, He calls us to change what we believe about people so that we would see them as individuals created in His image and loved by Him.

Today, how will you accept a new JOB?