The Work Of The House - Pastor Brad DeLong

It's that second to last word in our vision. Serve. Serving. I want to key in on today, especially after we just had an army of volunteers that showed up this week to take care of the grounds and to clean the building and maintain what we call our house. This is his house and we get to use it. This week seemed to be a fitting time to remind us of the universal call to serve the kingdom of God, to be involved in the work of the kingdom.

I got to work with some of our kiddos in the union classroom and the class they they use on Wednesday and Mila got home and she said, "Dad, there was a really dark spot on the floor, but I cleaned it and I took care." You could just see the pride. She was taking care of God's house. They were on the floor in there scrubbing. It was It was awesome. See them serving the kingdom of God. That's a hallmark of what it means to be follower of the Lord.

And we believe that work originated with God. And he invites us to be a part of his work. A work that's farreaching and eternal. That work has been a part of his plan for the church itself. And we're going to look to Ephesians chapter 4, passage that we talk about quite a bit around here because it is prescriptive for the church of God. says that he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith.

We're going to be working until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God to a perfect man. So, we're going to be working for a while to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. We're going to be working for a long while that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men and the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. But but speaking the truth in love, we should grow up in all things into him who is the head Christ. From whom the whole body joined and knit together or what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share. This causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Then looking briefly at Psalm 84, the psalmist is celebrating the presence in the temple of the Lord. He uses a familiar line when he says, "How lovely is your tabernacle, O Lord of hosts. My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God." In verse 10, he says, "For a day in your courts is better than a thousand. I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. These passages and from our collective call to serve others this morning.

I want to preach to you in this title today. The work of the house. The work of the house. Some familiar faces at work there. And we're going to celebrate the work that's already been done. And we're going to join in the work that is to be done.

If you want to be a part of the kingdom of God, I wonder if you just lift your hands right now and let the Lord know, God, I want to be a part of your work. I want to be a part of the eternal things. And whatever work you have for me to do today, I want to do it. Lord, I I don't want to be left out of the work. I I want to get involved and I want to get my hands in this harvest. Lord, you're calling us to be involved in this crucial and critical work.

Help me to do my share to see the body grow and become healthy and growing and full of love. We pray for your help, Lord. and we pray for your strength and calling today in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. You may be seated.

Thank you for standing. Thank you for that time of worship. Thank you to that worship team for leading us out in their anointing as they did that. Don't ever want to take for granted the work that's being done in the house of the Lord. That's Sunday in and Sunday out. And really every day in between, people are showing up and working.

I want to share with you uh just to begin this morning that every night in our household before bedtime, Mariah and the kids and I, we walk through a pretty similar routine before we all lay down to sleep. It usually ends after about 15 minutes and that's before I mean it's not 15 minutes for all the parents in the room. It goes a lot longer than that, but our portion is supposed to be 15 minutes to get these kids to sleep. It often goes like an hour and 15 minutes, but we try, you know, we do our best. So, we have this routine and we tuck the kids into bed and we have a few last minute bedside conversations and inevitably those conversations include questions that are just way out of left field or they're just far too deep for a tired dad to answer just before he collapses into his own bed. But we give it our best shot.

They're questions like, "Why is the sun hotter than lava?" Dad, I don't know. And it was like this was one of our now this was Mila. Okay, let me just say just walked in the room. But dad, why is the sun hotter than lava? And I'm thinking, were we talking about this? I don't even remember this conversation.

How big is a bear? Dad, is a bear bigger than you? What do we do if a bear comes in our house? That was a long conversation. Why can't I see God? Why can't I hear God?

Where is God? And then this one was a personal favorite. Just happened recently. Why is God bigger than a tree, Dad? I don't know. These just scratch the surface.

They're often an attempt to delay the inevitable, to delay going to sleep. But but we try to answer them as best we can. And this was the case a few nights ago. And I preempted all the questions with the kids. And I I asked Mila and Wes outright. I said, "All right, what questions do you have for me tonight?

I'm ready. Bring them on." And Mila fired off three. in succession. Why do we have to work? Why do we have to eat? Why do people need to die?

What I Some of us have a hard time answering those at our best hour of the day, much less right before we go to bed. We We took them one question at a time and we try to give the most accurate and concise answers without inducing an existential crisis. And and we're still working on answering the last one. So, if you have any good answers for a six-year-old or a four-year-old, just come find me and let me know. That one was deep. But that that first question got my attention, especially knowing what I felt to preach today because it's apt for all of us in this room this morning.

Why do we work? What is it about work that makes it so universal? Why did God establish work in the first? Why do we need to to work? And my answer that that night to Miss Miler was as simple as I could make it. But I also believe it reflected biblical teachings that I've tried my best to convey here and on occasion.

I told her that I believe work is inherently good. That God himself established work. He started this whole thing by doing the hard work of creation and and when was all said and done, he stepped back and and he looked at his work and he called it good. And then he gave Adam some work to do as well. Before Adam ever got a helpmate, before the the fall ever came about, Adam was endowed with the work of the Lord. In the very first chapter of this book, one author calls it a a journal of work.

Humanity is introduced to work. Then God said, "Let's make man in our own image, according to our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over the cattle, over all the earth, over every creeping thing that that creeps on the earth." We got a job in the first couple verses. So God created man in his own image and in the image of God he created him. Male and female he created him. And God blessed them.

And God said to them, "You got breath now. So be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves on the earth." That's a pretty big job. Before there was ever Adam or Eve or male or female or marriage itself, there was work. And even after the fall, humankind has still been called by God to work. Like almost everything else, our propensity to work has been twisted and marred and and the works of flesh have reaped corruption.

Work has been distorted in many cases for for unrighteous gain and for unrighteous reasons. It's it's been directed itself or or even at the expense of others at times. But none of this has negated the fact that the people of God have still been called and commanded to do his work. And I make sure to say his work on purpose that we're invited to share in the most fulfilling and wonderful work that's out there. And we know from his response to the building and the rebuilding of the temple and from his command in Micah for us to do justly and from Hebrews 13 where the account of his delight in those who do good to one another is that that God doesn't just command us to work but he delights in the righteousness in in the good works of his people. In fact, the prophet told Zerubabel in Zechariah 4 that the Lord delighted to see the work that he had commanded begin.

God actually delighted in their work. And although we may not talk a lot about the work of mankind as much and some might call it a form of works salvation, James askked us, "Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son in the altar." Do you see that faith was working together with his works? And by works faith was made perfect. And and the scripture was fulfilled which says Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. And Abraham was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, not by faith only.

Our works and what we do with our time and our talent and our treasure, the aftermath of our faith. It all matters to God. He's the one who invented work in the first place. And he has invited us into the wonderful and eternal work of the kingdom. I said all this to Mila and she was asleep. Mila, let me get up.

Some of you are like, "Oh, yeah. Yeah, I didn't share all that with her." All that. She probably would have been asleep. Everybody good? All right. We're teaching our kids that work, especially when aligns with God's purpose and his kingdom and his plans, that it's a good thing.

It's it's a God thing. When our work is based upon his word and principles and plans, it is most certainly good work. and we tell our kids that that good work enables us to take care of our families which is a scriptural mandate that if you're working with the motive of taking care of your family in a healthy manner that that's a god orained work and I commend every person who's taken care of their families and we tell them that good work helps to advance the kingdom of God and shine his light into the world around us that if we do it right our work in whatever field it may be will move the kingdom forward and move the kingdom onward and among other lessons We tell them that good work is done for the glory of God and his servant. We serve God over and above the master of mamine and money and resources. We love God more than we love the blessings that come from him and and from work. Our work is done for him and for his glory.

Our work is done in order to please him. As brother Jeff Dales used to convey to us in hyphen class, every day when we go to work, we go to work for him. I would literally pray that my previous job, I'd sit in the parking lot before I went in and I took my cue from Brother Jeff and I'd say, "Lord, help me to go to work for you today and help me to know that everything that I do, help me to do everything I do in your name and for your glory. That no matter what company name is on the uniform, I'm working for the King of Kings and I'm working for the Lord of Lords." And all of this amounts to good and God work in and for the kingdom. When done right and for the right reasons, work is good. Amen.

work is of God. God delights in obedience in us engaging in the work that he's called us to do. And I believe that's undeniably the case when it comes to the work of the house. This is a phrase that Mariah and I have borrowed from a man named Justin Early. He wrote a book called Habits of the Household. I highly recommend it.

It's powerful. But in his case, he's referencing the work that needs to be done to operate any healthy and cohesive home and household. and and he's intentional about his language when it comes to the work of the house or what you would call these run-of-the-mill chores. He reminds his kids as we do ours now that this is more than a drudgery that there's this is more than mundane. This kind of work that the kind that that causes you to serve your family and be a contributing member of your home. This is a good work and a beneficial work.

And Wesley's already heard me say, "Hey, that's good work, son. That's the work of the house. You're contributing. even cleaning the dishes for the third time in two days. It's good work. And we tell our kids, this is a good work.

You're doing something as a member of this house. It may be boring and tedious and and repetitive. Sweeping and mopping that floor yet again after you just did it and taking out the trash for the sixth time in a day. Anybody? Changing that oil, balancing that checkbook. It may be monotonous, but this is good work for the house.

We teach our kids that when you engage in this work, you're doing your own special work that will help the needs of the whole. You're not just spinning your wheels doing another load of laundry. You're a member of this family. And your work is needed in this community. Even when you do the mundane, you're doing good work. Even when you're doing the thankless and and the menial and the unnoticed task for the good of the whole, you are doing a good work.

When you consider others and put them above yourself and you serve the needs of the house, you are doing something that I believe honors God and serves others. Some of you may be picking up on the parallels and I'm not just talking about the work you do in your house, but also the work that happens in this community. I believe the same applies to this house. You see some similar language in Ephesians 4, which may be where that author borrowed the principle. says, "And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers. He gave them for the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry." Work is a God thing.

For the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith, of the knowledge of the son of God. Let me encourage somebody. Until we get there, we need help. Until we get there, we got to work. And some say scholars that are smarter than I say we're not getting there until Jesus comes and gets us to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. We got to work.

I'm not there yet. So I'm still working. And then verse 16, from whom the whole body joined and knit together. The body he put together by what every joint supplies according to the effective working by which every part and member of the body does its share. This causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. a prerequisite for a body and a family growing is the parts have to do their share and that this is true of your house and your family and community.

I believe the same is true of this community and this house which is more than just a structure but a family and a community. You are doing more than spinning your wheels. When you do the work of the house and of the kingdom of God, when you contribute to the needs of the body, even in mundane moments, you are doing good work and you are doing God's work. Let me encourage somebody who may be weary and welloing. You're doing good work. You are doing God's work.

You I wonder if someone would help me. There may be someone on your pew that's discouraged about their ministry and the work they're doing. You are doing good work. You're doing something that matters. You're doing something that honors God and God delights in it and it pleases God. When you show up earlier, stay later, sacrifice your time and talents and treasure and you're giving to the needs of the saints.

Like Paul said, you are doing a work of God. You're doing a good work. When when you're working for the glory of God, even when no one sees it and people don't even know that you're the one serving them, when you're doing your share, even when it's concealed in hidden moments, you are bringing glory and honor to the God of the house and to his kingdom, the work of the house and the kingdom. It's good work. It's God's work. Let me let me pause here long enough to clarify for someone and help someone, remind someone that this is the case for kingdom work that that kind of work and the work we're discussing.

It goes well beyond these walls as well. Just put another way, not all the work of the kingdom and the work of the house is done within the confines of the house itself. Instead, I use that word house to refer to this family and body and community as a whole, as well as this great campus and building which are included. Not all the work of this family is done within the confines of the house. In fact, I did some work of the house recently and it happened to be at the DMV. It's the place where souls go to die.

If you work there, I'm so sorry. And you are life to that community. It wasn't in the house, but it was the work of the house. And it was good work. I want to encourage somebody when I say that you are doing and you ought to be doing kingdom work outside of this address every day. In fact, if we relegate kingdom work to this address, then I think we've missed the point entirely.

The work of this family and the house of the Lord and the kingdom, it cannot be contained within these wonderful walls and the confines of this address. Instead, my weekly prayer has been this, and you may hear me pray it on a Sunday morning or Wednesday. Lord, let what we do here today be felt and experienced well beyond these walls. I pray that the work that we do today will affect our neighbors and field and others. That what we do will not be contained within this hexagon. We have to work beyond these walls.

The work of this house, your work for the kingdom cannot stay here. It has to be felt out there. We cannot relegate the work of God in the kingdom to these walls and our four hours of services a week, but we must be about God's work every other day. Spoke to our men along these lines last year and and remind them that whatever work we may be doing day in and day out, it has to be with the kingdom in mind. Like brother Peter Wright preached a few weeks ago, it's all inherently spiritual as we do it unto the Lord. So whether it's carpentry or nursing or landscaping, teaching, machinery, accounting, sales, truck driving, financial advising, physical therapy, human resources, digging ditches, fixing pipes, plowing parking lots, whatever we do in word or deed, we do it unto him.

Making sure that we are investing our talents for the pleasure of the master and the sake of his kingdom. When we go to work, it's for him. even outside of these walls when we take care of our families is to obey and honor him and provide for them. When we show up on time to that job and we put in our hours and we go the extra mile in our work and we have good work ethic, it's to please God and to advance his kingdom more than it is to advance our careers and our own personal brand. When I go to work, I work for him. It's good work.

And I couple that daily work with the work that I do in and amongst the body as well. All of this amounts to the work of the house. It's all necessary for the kingdom of God. As many of you know, many of the early Christians, even some of the apostles, they were engaged in daily work on the job, kingdom work, and work within the community in the church body. It was all pleasing to God. But they did them both.

Paul and Priscilla and Aquula were tent makers. They served in that way along with many others in in the early church who did kingdom work in in every place from markets to grain fields to olive growth. And it's to this group of laborers and tent makers and and shepherds and farmers that Paul speaks in Galatians 6 where he says, "Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." Don't forget your day job, but also add to it this. bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something when he's nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he'll have rejoicing in himself alone and and not in another, for each one shall bear his own load.

Verse nine, and let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we'll reap if we don't lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of the faith. Romans 12, he advocates for the same. Again, he's talking to people who most likely have a day job, many of them probably laborers. And he says, "For I say through the grace that's given to me, to everyone who's among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members don't have the same function, so we being many, we're one body in Christ and individually members of one another, having then gifts deferring according to the grace it's given us.

Let's use them. Let's use them. Yes, use them on the job. Use them beyond these walls, but also don't forget use them. How? If prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith.

for ministry. Let's use it in our ministering. He who teaches in teaching, he who exhorts and exhortation, he who gives with liberality, he who leads with diligence, he who shows mercy, cheerfulness. And the context is within the body. Earlier in the chapter, he says this is our reasonable service. And he reminds us in Romans 12 to serve one another, to give ourselves to the needs of the body, to be committed to the work of the kingdom and the work of the house.

And all of that was done on top of the day job. In Colossians 3 says, "Whatever you do, we read it mentioned earlier, whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." We talked about this in our class this morning. We tend to draw a line between the spiritual and secular when it comes to work. God made work. It's it all matters to him. It's all in his plan.

The Apostle Peter would add in 1 Peter 4, as each one has received a gift, minister it to one another. As good stewards of the manifold grace of God. So if you're going to be a good steward, use that gift to help one another. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do with the ability which God supplies. That in all things God may be glorified to Jesus Christ, to whom all the glory and the dominion forever and ever.

Amen. So whenever you're doing work, remember he gets the glory. In other words, if you have a gift, make sure you use it to bless your family and advance the kingdom outside these walls. And and make sure you also use it within the confines of the body as well. Minister to one another. And in doing so, he says you'll bring glory to God and make use of the gift he has given to you to edify the body.

In our text in Ephesians 4, we're told that one of the primary reasons we have teachers and pastors and prophets in the first place is to equip the saints for this kind of work. Work that directly edifies and builds up the body. We are given gifts for this type of work. Brother Mark Brown, he mentioned this in the parable of the talents. He said, "One of those servants buried that talent in the earth." I never this before. He said, "We can't bury all of our talents in the earth and in the world.

We've got to use our talents out there and in here for the kingdom of God." This type of work. We're called to this type of work. We have a role and a job to do within the body and the family of God and of Christ. In fact, one commentator noted about Ephesians 4:12. He said, "It's implied that every Christian has a work of ministry. If you're in the body, you've got work to do, a spiritual task and function within the body.

Just as every body part has a function, maybe outside of that appendix, which I think there's some uh opinions on that, every member of the body has a role to play to see the body healthy and growing and full of love. It's a prerequisite for a church's health that every part does it share. There's work to be done in the family and in the house. Every member is needed. Every person's called to contribute. Every part has to do its share for the whole body to be healthy and growing and full of love.

And the work of the house is to be done by all. The Dong kids would tell you and we had the same if you're in the house, you do the work of the house. Michelle remembers those loads of laundry folded. Summer days it would take all day. Six people you can imagine. You do the work of that.

You contribute to the to the you are benefiting the in the house. You contribute to the needs of the house. In fact, I heard Mila tell Wesley the other day. She said, "Wesley, just remember you're going to be cleaning for the rest of your life." I was around the corner like, "Yeah, they've heard that before somewhere. As long as you're living in a house, you do the work of the house. If you're a member of the house, you help and work.

Some parents saying amen because teenagers in the room might you're in the house. You work in the house from whom the whole body joined and hit together by what every joint supplies according to the effective working by which every part does it share many hands make light work. We have to have them all. If you're in the body, this is what Paul says. But now indeed there are many members yet one body. And the eye cannot say the hand, I don't need you.

Nor again the hand to the feet, I don't need you. Notice every part is needed. No, much rather, he says, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. You are necessary to the needs of the body. Those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, he says, on those we bestow greater honor, and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to the part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but all the members should have the same care for one another.

Reciprocal, having then gifts deferring according to the grace it's given to us. If you have a gift, use it. So yes, use them on the job for God's glory and kingdom. Please use them on the job. Use them in your home and amongst your family. Use them in the neighborhood as you do the work of the kingdom.

Use that gift to God that you got. we talked about a few weeks ago to reach some others. Use them to help your family and friends. Use them to advance the kingdom and use them to serve in the house and minister to the needs of the body. If you're in the house and a member of the family, we need your gifts and we need your help and we need your contribution and we need your hands and feet and voice and mind. And just like we mentioned how we can use those gifts on the job or in the home, we can and should use them here as well.

In fact, the only reason we have a newly renovated building and blazing fast internet speed and the only reason we got projection every week and live stream and graphics and clean carpets and restock towels and and toilet paper. The only reason we have electricity when you turn on the lights and sound when you flip on the switch and church fans with air in the tires and prayer request cards and envelopes in the vestibule and mints in the connect center, towels in the baptismal area, continental breakfast and funeral dinners and youth services and children's events and nursery snacks. Celebrate recovery meals, connect groups and worship teams, sign interpretation, Christian education, men's, ladies, singles, young married, forever young communities. The only reason this church exists and I get to stand here today is because for 90 plus years, someone's been showing up. Someone's been doing the work of the house. Someone's been giving sacrificially.

Someone's been prepping a Sunday school lesson in a Sunday morning sermon. Someone's been praying. That's part of the work of the house. Someone's been praying. Someone's been sitting encouraging texts and scriptures. Someone's been ministering to the needs of someone else.

Someone has been replenishing those nursery stacks and or the snacks rather and those hand towels week in and week out. Someone's been waiting at the door with a sign and a smile welcoming me to church. Someone has been faithfully doing the work of the house, a good work, a God work, an eternal work, a biblical work. Somewhere along the line, a member became a contributor and they stepped away from the comfort of a chair or a pew so that a little rambunctious kid could be taught a Bible lesson and prayed for in a youth service and and and given money so he could attend youth convention. They ministered to my need and the needs of others. And they made an eternal and profound impact because they decided to get involved in the work of the kingdom and of the house.

And all of us, every one of us are here today because someone got to work. Someone used their gift to minister to the needs of others. Therefore, Paul says, "If there's any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy, how? By being like-minded, having the same love toward one another, being of one accord and one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit. But in loneliness of mind, let each of you esteem others better than himself.

Walk in the building thinking of others. How can I serve? How can I help somebody today? How can I minister to the need of the body? How can I strengthen somebody today? And he says in verse four says, let each of you look out not only for his own interest, but also for the interest of others.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. But but he made himself of no reputation and he took on the form of a servant and he came in the likeness of men. Even Jesus came not to be served but to serve. He gave his life as a sacrifice. He poured himself out for us and he expects the same of his followers and children who are called to the work of the house. Even Jesus was about his father's business and he fulfilled the work of the kingdom, which means none of us are exempt.

Many times at the house, tell the kids, "Hey y'all, let's clean up this living room. Let's get this stuff taken care of." And they look at me and say, "Dad, can you do it for us?" And I'll say, "No, no." I'll tell him, "But I will help you. I'm not going to tell them to do the work of the house and not do it myself. No one is exempt. No one's exempt from the work of the house. Even Jesus, the King of Kings, rolled up his sleeves and got to work doing the hard work of ministry.

And this morning, I'm thankful for his example and the example of so many others that helped some of us develop a love for the work of the kingdom. He made himself of no reputation, came in the likeness of men, became a servant, and he served others regularly, telling his disciples this, that if I, then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you also to wash one another's feet. For I've given you an example that you should do as I have done. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is he who is sent greater than the one who sent him. He says, "If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them." That last line, "Blessed are you if you do them," struck me this week. This is where I want to land and conclude today stood out to me because Jesus didn't just example for them what to do and then tell them what to do and leave it at that.

He also blessed them for doing the work he commanded them to do. Jesus and followers his like my parents and predecessors and faithful saints of APC that worked so I could be here. They taught us to serving others and doing the work of the house. It isn't just commanded and required and called for. But it's a blessing. It's a blessing every push of the vacuum.

Sweet. This is a blessing. It's an honor. It really is. It's not another line item on the on the task list. It's not something we do just check a box.

The work of the house and serving others, advancing the kingdom. It's a privilege and a blessing. It's not some treasury or endless chore to be done. You get those Elvanto requests. It's not a big sigh. It's it's a blessing and a joy when you get to serve others and get involved in the work of the house in the kingdom.

In fact, I read recently of a pastor who said he said, "I've never yet heard a Christian servant complain of the oppressiveness of his servitude." He said, "Christian servants are the freest on earth." Christ's servants, when they're serving and preferring others, both those within and not yet in the household of faith, they experience more joy and fulfillment than any servant of self. any servant of mammon and resources and money, any servant of the world in its kingdom. Which brings me back to Psalm 84 in our text. How lovely is your tabernacle, oh Lord of hosts, my song or my soul longs and even thanks for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. In verse 10, for a day in your courts is better than a thousand.

I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wicked. Now, for those who have studied this passage, you know the psalmist was speaking about the presence of the Lord as well as his temple in which it was housed. Some believe it was written by one of the singers who would serve in the temple regularly. And that term doorkeeper, it's been interpreted a couple ways. Some believe that they were a gatekeeper, just someone who stood at the gate and and made sure that things were in order at the gate. Others believe it was merely someone who got to stand at the threshold of the door of the temple and experience the presence of God.

Not even really in a serving role. Either way, notice they got to be in the house. And it was the delight of their life to be in the presence and temple of God, serving as either a worshshiper, a gatekeeper, or a singer in his presence. And one day there, no matter how they were serving, was better than a thousand days elsewhere. It evokes the words of a later psalm in Psalm 122 when David says, "I was glad when they said unto me." We need you to sing on Sunday. I was glad when they said unto me, "Can you show up early and drive the bus?

Get people to the house of the Lord." Doesn't say that necessarily. I was glad. They said, "Let's go. Let's get to the house of the Lord." It's much more than a chore or a task. It's a privilege to just be in the house, much less to get to serve in the kingdom of God. And this passage of Psalm 84 strikes a chord in my life.

I've said it before. I started my work in the house at those doors out there greeting the wonderful saints of God when they walked in. I served in other areas with mom and dad. I saw that picture of the 65th anniversary and I remember dad kind of impromptu telling me, my brother, "Hey, you're not going home Sunday afternoon. I need you to help me sod the front lawn and we're going to plant these bushes. And it was hot.

I don't It must have been a hund. I just remember it being 100 degrees. I don't It probably wasn't, but it was hot. I didn't get my Sunday afternoon nap that day. It was just part of our routine. When I little older, dad told me, "Okay, go get your own job.

Report back to me." Think I was a just been a teenager. I chose the role of greeter, doorkeeper. You can imagine I loved it. I didn't like to get there early, but I loved it. Brother Jeff Dales gave me a job. We got to church early.

It was a sacrifice. We we recruited some friends in the youth group. We were opening car doors and we were smiling as best we could. We were cracking jokes with wonderful elders. Like brother Stoofl, me and Shell could tell you, he'd walk in every day and he'd put his arm around us and shake us a little bit and we loved it. Sister Keel would come in.

She'd always say, "Here comes trouble." And I just one of my fondest memories. We loved it. We served the Lord in this kingdom, his saints, and the only way we knew how. And we never looked back. Job after job in the kingdom, roll up to roll, setting up millions of chairs for youth service. I would take them off the See if I can still do this.

Let's see. They were up here like this. And I'd have two in my hand. No, let's see. They'd be like this. All right.

And I'd have two in my hand. And I'd throw it like that. Set it down. and you just developed a system. It was like a machine. It was so fun.

Cleaning church vans, learning how to stack all the youth groups luggage, showing up early to open the building, staying late because you all are still here talking with me. With me on the laughing singing in youth choir, we eating the pit outside. Oh man. Unclogging the retention pond. We did it. Vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, setting up more chairs, doing the work of the house.

It's an honor. It's a privilege. Such a privilege. In fact, just a couple weeks ago, Brandon, Josiah, come up here, y'all. Come up here. Brandon, Josiah, one of you stand right here.

Saw these boys on a Sunday. Yeah. Come on up here on the platform. They had already been here twice that week cleaning the church right after the service. One of them was in the sound booth with the vacuum. The other one was up here on this platform vacuuming.

Saw Tom was giving he's pointing like a general. You over there, you got these boys. It occurred to me in that moment I watched them. They will never forget and they will never regret doing the work of the kingdom. This is more than just their parents responsibility. It's more than that.

This is part of their ministry and I honor and I commend them for it. I'm telling you, standing at that door greeting was one of the honors of my life. And I've been setting up lifetime chairs, tables ever since. I made up in my mind that if it advances the kingdom of God that I'm going to be setting up tables and chairs for the rest of my life, fulfilling life. It's a privilege what you all are doing. It's a privilege to set up those classrooms where kids are being taught the word of God.

It's a privilege driving those church friends, bringing people to the house of It's a privilege to know a scripture that you can send because the Lord put on your heart that you can send to someone. That's the work of ministry right there. Whether you're at the front door with a sign and a name tag, you're passing out school supplies or or you're running a bounce house or you're hanging or handing out a card or a cup of water in Jesus's name or you're cooking a casserole. If you're giving sacrificially so kids can go to camp, giving to save our children, don't forget that it's a privilege and an honor to be in this house and it's a blessing to do the work. You're doing good work, child of God. You're doing God's work.

You're doing a great work and you're doing eternal work. And just like these young men, you are doing something that truly advances the kingdom of God. You're needed in the body of Christ. As each part does it share, it causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself and love. This morning as musicians come, I wonder if we just stand together. I feel the presence of God just stirring and encouraging someone right now and beckon you further.

Would you just lift your hand in the presence of God? He washed over us a few minutes ago and I wonder if you'd invite the Lord to begin to stir your heart. There may be even a new work. Maybe you're up to your neck right now and work for the kingdom, but the Lord wants you to do something new. Or maybe maybe you're just trying to figure out where do I get involved and where do I get plugged in? I believe that God is stirring his church again to the work of the house and the work of the kingdom.

And we are open to it today, Lord. And we invite you, stir our hearts and move us to do something that moves your kingdom. Oh, would you just lift your voice and hands right now because I believe God's calling today. I believe the Lord is strengthening and moving someone today. Lord, if all I get to do is vacuum a floor. Oh, how better is one day in your courts and a thousand elsewhere.

If I just get to be in the kingdom and in the house, whatever I need to do, I want to do it in Jesus name. Jesus name. This altar call this morning is going to be a little different. When is it not? Right. When I was a teenager, Dad told me my siblings get a job.

I don't even think I prayed about it then, Dad. I just knew they needed some greeters. Thank you, brother Jeff, for scheduling me. That changed my life. It really did. I believe the Lord's been stirring some hearts in this room.

about an area or two you can get involved and I'm with you. He's been stirring me. I'm not exempt. I don't want to limit those areas in any way. We've got 30 plus teams that serve here at APC, but even those teams are not the extent of the kingdom work. Some of you are doing kingdom work that none of us even know about.

I commend you for it. Maybe if you feel led to do work beyond this place, a group in your neighborhood, a block party, let's do it. If your primary call right now is to take care of your kids and an infant, disciple your babies in your home, let me tell you, that's kingdom work. True worker. If you feel called to your workplace, teach a Bible study, or just dive deeper and intercessory prayer for the church, family, and community, we need it to get done. There's more work to do in the kingdom than we have laborers, and that work can't be contained here.

With all that said, what I'm advocating today is that if you're in the house, get involved in the work of the house. If you're not contributing in any way right now, we have endless ways for you to jump in, including the teams I'm going to bring forward in just a moment. But before we do, I want us to pray. And I also want to say, just because you're not on one of these teams, again, that doesn't mean that you're not doing the work of the house. Again, there may be a ministry that you're doing. We have no idea.

Only the Lord knows. So, I don't want to limit us, but I do know of 13 teams here at APC that need help and they've been looking for labors. Before we commit to those things, we're going to pray for the Lord to lead us to areas of need, those within and outside the walls. There are needs in your neighborhood that the Lord needs you to address. There are needs on your pew. And I want us to pray twofold.

One, Lord, will you use me in your kingdom and in the work of the house? And if you pray that prayer, expect him to do it. And secondly, help me to know where to start. Where do you need me? And if he doesn't tell you, come talk to me. Maybe we'll get you in a spot and the Lord will lead you from there.

If you want to be involved in the work of the kingdom, maybe you're already involved, but you just feel the Lord shifting you. I wonder if you just step out of where you are right now and come to the front of this building and pray those two prayers. Lord, use me and Lord, help me to know what to do and where you want me to be. If you want to be involved in the work of the house, would you just come and lift your hands right now and lift your voices before we give a official call to action before we make application? Oh, would you come right now? Lord, there's something you need me to do and I want to be a part of it.

Oh God, we need every part to do it sharing. I want to do mine, Lord. I I want to be a part of what you're doing, Jesus. And I pray Lord if you need me to do something else or even if you're calling for more of my time and more of my talents and more of my tre whatever it might be I owe you everything Jesus. So this morning we commit to you oh God we commit to you Jesus that we want to be used in your kingdom. Oh help us to be members of the house contributors in the house.

Lord, you can use whatever you're called us to do, we want to do it, Lord. Take my hands, Lord. Take my feet, touch my heart, Lord, speak to me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. You can use anything Lord. You can use me.

You can use anything Lord. You can use me. Take my hands Lord. Take my feet. Touch my heart Lord. Speak to me.

If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. Take my hands, Lord. Take my feet. Touch my heart, Lord.

Speak to me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. You can use anything, Lord. You can use me. You can use anything, Lord. You can use me.

Take my hands. Take my hands, Lord. Take my feet. Touch my heart, Lord. Speak to me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me.

You can use anything, Lord. You can use me. You can use anything, Lord. You can use me. Take my hands, Lord. Take my feet.

Touch my heart, Lord. Speak to me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. Take my hands, Lord.

Take my feet. Touch my heart, Lord. Speak to me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me.