GOD’S FELLOW WORKERS

Adam was created in God’s own image. God’s plan was to have children through Adam—children who would be like Him. They were to be made in His image and likeness. Because Adam was made in God’s image, the children he was to produce were meant to be Godlike. From the beginning, God intended to raise children like Himself through Adam. But that plan was disrupted when Adam handed over the authority, the power, and the dominion that God had entrusted to him—over to Satan. This act interfered with God’s purpose. Now, God is just. He would not take the authority back from Satan by force. That would appear unjust, because Adam gave it away willingly. So, God—being fair and righteous—sought another way. A solution had to be devised. God declared that humanity would not remain in bondage to the devil forever. A time would come when man would reclaim his dominion. But this dominion could only be restored by someone without sin—someone who was both fully man and fully God. Jesus came as that solution. He came as the God-man. Jesus was fully God—a member of the Trinity. God Himself came down, incarnate, to earth. He was God in the flesh. But He was also fully human. He was born like any of us, grew up like us, had flesh and blood, felt hunger, became tired, and spoke human language. He lived on this earth, but He was without sin. Jesus often referred to Himself as the Son of Man, at other times, He was called the Son of God. As the Son of God, He was fully divine. As the Son of Man, He was fully human. This was necessary for our redemption—to restore what was lost. When Satan tempted Jesus by showing Him all the kingdoms of the world and offering them in exchange for worship, Jesus did not deny Satan’s authority. He knew Adam had handed it all over to him. This was not a battle of flesh and blood; it was a spiritual battle. Each time the devil came against Jesus, he was fighting a losing battle. The devil could not understand the mystery of Christ. He tempted Him, but failed. In the end, they crucified Him, thinking it was over—but He rose again. He triumphed over death. He disarmed the powers of darkness and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Colossians 2:15).

Through His redemptive work, Jesus gave us eternal redemption. Hebrews 9:12 (NIV) says: “He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.” He became the firstborn from among the dead (Colossians 1:18). We, like Him, are now born again—born of the Spirit. God now has children—His own children—spirit-born through Jesus Christ. Just as natural children resemble their parents, spiritual children resemble God. Being born of the Spirit is a spiritual mystery. We belong to God. We are like Him. We are made in His image. We are members of God’s family. There are only two families: the family of God, and the family of the devil. Those in God’s family live according to His will. They are righteous, holy, and good. They are born of the Word, born of God, and born of the Spirit. They do not live in hatred or unforgiveness. Unforgiveness is not from God. If you hold onto unforgiveness, you are not reflecting your Father. Our Father introduced forgiveness to us. He commands us to forgive. In John 20:22–23 (NIV), it says: “And with that He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.’” Tell yourself: I have the power to forgive. You have been given spiritual authority. There is no limit to it. When you forgive, it is forgiven. If you withhold forgiveness, it is withheld. This is not ordinary. This is divine authority. Only children of God can truly forgive. The world does not understand forgiveness. They hold onto bitterness. But if you can forgive, it proves you are a child of God—capable of true, unconditional forgiveness. If you struggle with unforgiveness, remove it from your life. Don’t give the devil a foothold. He is the accuser of the brethren. Do not let him accuse you of harboring offense. Forgive others—and also forgive yourself. Many people carry guilt and condemnation. They judge and punish themselves. But today, let that toxic spirit be removed. God is changing your story. He is your Father. You belong to the family of God. This is why we are called God Father and Family Church—because God’s desire was always to have a family through Jesus Christ. What was lost in Adam, God re-established in Jesus. We now live under a new covenant, with a new testimony. Let’s read 1 Corinthians 3:9–11 (NIV): “For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” We are God’s fellow workers. You need to ask: Which work is God doing that I am part of? There is a difference between a job and work. A job is what you do for someone else. But work—God’s work—is what you do in partnership with Him. When you work with God, you’re working for Him and for yourself. When you understand your calling, you understand your divine work. To be qualified to work with God, your heart must be pure. You must be born again. Without the Spirit of God, you cannot understand the things of the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV) says: “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”

To work with God, you must know His will. You must seek to know God’s will—not just for your life, but in general. When you know God’s will, you will also discover His will for your life. Many ask, “What is God’s will for my life?” But that’s the wrong question. The right question is, What is God’s will? Once you know His will, you will discover your place within it. God’s will is revealed through His Word. Say it: Through the Word. The Word sets you free—from worldly systems, corruption, bitterness, hatred, and selfishness. The Word of God transforms your life from the inside out. It separates you from spiritual death and unites you with God’s family. Many people read the Bible, but with corrupt motives—using it to curse enemies or justify hatred. They read for destruction, not for life. But the same Word, when read in truth, brings you into oneness with God and His family. When you read and believe the Bible rightly, blessings follow. Grace upon grace, blessing upon blessing. Life comes to you. You are no longer like the world. You are different. So don’t ask, “What is God’s will for my life?” Ask, What is God’s will? Then align yourself with it. John 5:17, 19–20 (NIV) says: “Jesus said, ‘My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I too am working… The Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. Yes, and He will show Him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.’” God is still working. And as His fellow workers, so are we. From the beginning, God’s plan was to make children through Adam. Though that plan was interrupted, it was not abandoned. In Jesus, it was fulfilled. We are born through Him—He is the firstborn, and we follow after Him. We are part of God’s family. God is still giving birth to children today. Many are being born again. Say it aloud: God is giving birth to children. Let us walk in that calling, and rejoice in His work. God is the still giving birth to children today; from being worldly, they will become heavenly—citizens of Heaven. From being worldly, they will become Kingdom people. Kingdom people will become citizens of the Kingdom. They will become workers in the Kingdom. They are God’s fellow workers, fulfilling God’s ultimate plan and purpose for creating the world. There will be a new Heaven and a new earth, and you will inherit it in the name of Jesus. It is only the born-again who will inherit that Kingdom. Now you see the plight of those who are not coming to God through Jesus—how will they get there? “As many as call on the name of the Lord will be saved” (cf. Romans 10:13). But those who refuse to call on the name of Jesus—how will they be saved? How will they be saved? When you are taken to Heaven, they will be left behind. They will be with the devil—the adversary, who is a thief, a destroyer, and a killer. He keeps destroying them—mass destruction, colossal destruction. He will bring mass destruction. Mass graves. And many will prefer that death would come upon them. They will wish that mountains would collapse on them. They will prefer death over life. When the saints are gone, it will be hell on earth. When Armageddon comes, it will be total darkness. People will long to die, but death will flee from them. That means perpetual suffering—constant crying and wailing. But that time is not for the saints. That day is not for the saints. It is not meant for God’s people. The saints will have gone to be with the Lord. In Heaven, there is no sickness. In Heaven, there is no disease. In Heaven, there is no power failure. There is no darkness. Satan is not there. The evil you see here is because Satan is here. He is a destroyer. He is a killer. He causes pain and destruction. He is the reason for cancer. He is the reason for poverty. He is the reason for curses, for fear, for worry, for sleeplessness. Satan is here. He is the god of this world (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:4). He must prove that he is the god, but he does nothing good. Satan does no good. Whatever he does is distorted. They are counterfeits of the original. But we have the original!  God created all the good things. But while men slept, the enemy came and planted evil (cf. Matthew 13:25). That’s the reason you see all these things. Even you—as you sit here—you’ve passed through trials and temptations. But we must be of good cheer, for we have overcome the world (cf. John 16:33). Put your hands together for the Lord Jesus! “Up to this moment, My Father is at His work, and I too am working” (cf. John 5:17). Say it courageously: I too am working. Are you really working? I commend you. You see what God is doing, and you join Him in doing the work. “Up to this moment, My Father is at His work, and I too am working” (John 5:17). But we can still do more. Those of us already doing something for God—we can still do more. Tell yourself: I can still do more. Say it again: I will still do more. You will multiply what you are doing. The grace He gave you—He multiplied it. The life He gave you—He gave in abundance. He said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). He didn’t just give you life. He gave you abundant life. His grace is abundant. His righteousness is overflowing. His works are full of overflow and abundance. He does not believe in the little things. But after doing a small thing, we say, “It is enough.” You have not started! Tell yourself: I have not started! It is now I want to start working for God! “Up to this moment, My Father is at His work, and I too am working.” The Son can do nothing by Himself; He can only do what He sees His Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does (cf. John 5:19).

You want to be in the center of God’s will? Then do what you see the Father doing. Not part of it—all of it. I know of a family—one day they came and saw the church being cleaned, chairs being dusted and arranged. They said, “Ah! God is doing this?” And they begged to join. They started helping—cleaning, dusting, sweeping. Every Sunday, when you arrive and see everything ready—who is doing that? It is those whose eyes are open to see what God is doing. Man is only doing what he saw God doing. If your eyes are not open, you will not see God at work. You’ll think it’s just people. When I married my beautiful wife in 1995, we saw a crusade poster—we weren’t invited. We just saw the poster and decided to attend. We were just walking—new couple—you know how new couples walk, holding hands. We attended the crusade. Afterward, we joined that church. The building was made of wood—everything was wood. When it rained, water came in from everywhere. Cockroaches, mosquitoes—dead everywhere. The water inside the church would turn black. I volunteered. I would go early in the morning, sweep, clean, clear the grass. People came and found everything always ready—who was doing it? It was God. I saw God working. He gave me so much energy, and even now, I’m still serving the same God. When God opens your eyes and you see Him working, no one will beg you to come early. No one will tell you to give—because you saw Him giving! He gave us life. He gave us health. He gave us peace. He gave us jobs. He gave us so much! What is too much to give Him? “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32, NIV)

Are you in the Father’s work? Or are you just working for someone who shouts and intimidates, who doesn’t appreciate what you do? Are you working in the Father’s business? Many are unemployed because they haven’t opened their eyes to see what the Father is doing. Peter and Andrew were fishermen. Jesus saw them casting their nets and said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left everything and followed Him (cf. Matthew 4:18–20). People of great faith left their means of livelihood to follow Jesus—and they were never hungry! God is looking for people who will work with Him. Can we see Jesus as our model? He saw the Father working and joined Him. Let’s join the Father in this business—the business of populating the family of God. Born-again spirits—not just people who come to church to make friends or look for spouses. People born of the Spirit. As many as were being saved, God added to the Church daily (cf. Acts 2:47). Not every material is for the Church. They may have money or position, but that doesn’t mean they are Church people. The born-again are the ones meant for God’s family. People with a forgiving spirit. People whose hearts have been circumcised. People made new—new creations. People in whom the Spirit of God dwells. They belong to God. He knows those who are His (cf. 2 Timothy 2:19). Not just anybody—those who are like Him, created in His image and likeness. You want to see more? You want greater power? Greater revelation? When you start obeying, doing, working—fellowshipping with the Father in His business—He will show you more. You’ll become sensitive to Him. Spirit-conscious. God-conscious. Not rude. Not corrupt. Not in spiritual death or darkness. You’ll be in God. Even if the world writes down names, God will sort them. He will separate the truly born-again from those who are pretending—wolves in sheep’s clothing. Whitewashed tombs, full of dead bones (cf. Matthew 23:27).

I leave you with this word. We’ll continue this message.