Enthusiastic / Pastor Randy Goldenberg / FCF Church

Anything worth doing is worth doing enthusiastically. Colossians calls followers of Christ to do whatever they do as something done for the Lord, not for people, because Christ is the real Boss and the kingdom of God is the real company. That changes a miserable work environment without pretending it is easy. Christ may intentionally position His people in dark places, not to crush them, but to make them light bearers where light can actually be seen.

God’s eternal purpose is bigger than transporting people from earth to heaven. God is forming a family of Christlike beings and coworkers who live in loving devotion to Christ and one another forever. Reconciliation brings a person from not trusting and following Christ to trusting and following Him. Transformation then carries that person from not living and loving like Christ to increasingly living and loving like Christ.

Work becomes one of God’s major laboratories for transformation because it takes about one third of life. Relationships, trials, suffering, obedience, disobedience, basic spiritual practices, and fellowship with other believers all become divine processes through which God expands character. The hard environments that appear meaningless can become sacred assignments when they are offered to Christ as love gifts.

Enthusiasm is not natural bubbly energy or a personality trait. Spiritual enthusiasm means being energized, inspired, and moved by God’s indwelling presence. God never designed human beings to sleepwalk through life, live bored, or settle into apathy. God’s own enthusiasm appears in creation, where He declares His work good, and very good, and in His joyful celebration over His redeemed children.

Jesus roots lasting joy in remaining united with Him, like branches staying connected to the vine. Christ’s joy does not depend on easy circumstances, because Jesus spoke of full joy on the very night before the cross. Christ’s life flowing into His people produces fruit that lasts, while the five P’s of pleasure, possessions, popularity, prestige, and power ultimately cannot.

Romans rejects laziness and calls Christ’s people to be industrious and enthusiastic in serving the Lord. Titus shows that Christ gave Himself not merely to address a future penalty, but to free people from everyday sin, cleanse them from the inside out, and make them enthusiastic about doing good. Spiritual enthusiasm begins when God’s revelation is received and internalized; it grows as Christlike conduct lets a person feel more and more of God’s own divine life.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Christ is the real Boss Colossians relocates the center of work from human approval to devotion to Christ. A harsh supervisor may still be harsh, but that person no longer has the final claim on a believer’s motivation or identity. Christ sees the truth, cherishes faithful service, and promises an inheritance that no earthly company can offer. [58:59]
• 2. Dark places need living flashlights Jesus sends His people into environments where His light can be seen clearly. A flashlight does not make much of an impression in bright sunlight, but it becomes valuable in total darkness. Difficult workplaces and relationships can therefore become divine assignments rather than merely unwanted circumstances. [80:24]
• 3. God celebrates redeemed children Zephaniah presents God as rejoicing, renewing, and celebrating over His people. God does not fixate on forgiven failures when He sees a life that has turned toward Christ and is being transformed. Christ’s forgiveness gives wounded consciences reason to receive God’s delight instead of endlessly rehearsing shame. [68:09]
• 4. Remain in Christ for lasting joy Jesus describes Himself as the vine and His followers as branches. His joy can remain full even when circumstances are heartbreaking, because that joy comes from union with Him rather than comfort, success, or control. Apart from Christ, people may gain the five P’s, but they cannot produce eternal fruit. [71:26]
• 5. Enthusiasm is God’s inner fire Spiritual enthusiasm cannot be manufactured by personality, pressure, or positive thinking. God gives revelation of His plans and promises, and that revelation inspires conduct that increasingly reflects His nature. The cycle of knowing God, receiving His truth, obeying it, and experiencing transformation keeps His fire burning through every season.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [40:58] - A Vision for the Church
• [42:22] - Two Companies and Two Kinds of Workers
• [45:32] - The Better Boss and Company
• [46:37] - Spiritual Life Hacks
• [47:22] - Reconciliation and Transformation
• [51:24] - God’s Laboratories of Transformation
• [54:15] - Anything Worth Doing Enthusiastically
• [57:43] - Whatever You Do for the Lord
• [60:13] - Every Task Becomes Sacred
• [64:02] - God’s Enthusiasm and God’s Joy
• [69:12] - Remaining in Christ the Vine
• [74:57] - Showing Others the God Seen Within
• [80:24] - Light Bearers in Dark Places
• [86:40] - The Path to Lifelong Enthusiasm

1. In Colossians 3:23-24, what two motivations does Paul give believers for working heartily, even when people may not notice or appreciate their work? [01:01:07]
2. What does Jesus say a branch must do in order to bear fruit, and what does He say is impossible apart from Him?
3. According to Romans 12:11, what three contrasting instructions describe the way believers are to serve the Lord? [01:17:26]
4. In Titus 2:14, what does Christ give Himself to do in His people besides dealing with their sin—how are they described after being redeemed and purified? [01:23:42]

1. Colossians says believers serve “the Lord Christ” in whatever they do. How does this truth reshape the meaning of ordinary work, home responsibilities, schoolwork, caregiving, or unseen tasks when human appreciation is missing? [01:00:52]
2. Jesus connects abiding in Him with fruit and full joy. What does remaining in Christ look like in the daily life of a believer, especially during a stressful or painful season? [01:10:11]
3. Titus 2:14 describes a people who are “zealous for good works.” How is that different from trying to earn God’s love, gain a reputation, or simply appear busy? [01:25:31]
4. Romans 12:11 calls believers to be fervent in spirit, while the Christian life still includes grief, disappointment, and hardship. How can spiritual enthusiasm be real without requiring someone to pretend that life is easy? [01:13:57]

1. Where are you most tempted to become a clock-watcher, a minimal-effort worker, or a complainer—at work, at home, in a relationship, or in serving at church? What would it look like to offer one specific responsibility to Christ this week as a love gift? [59:33]
2. Is there a difficult environment or relationship that may be an opportunity to carry Christ’s light rather than simply a situation to escape? What gracious, faithful action could make Christ more visible there? [01:20:54]
3. What has recently been draining your joy or enthusiasm? How might staying closely connected to Christ change the way you walk into that situation tomorrow? [01:12:19]
4. The five P’s—pleasure, possessions, popularity, prestige, and power—can promise satisfaction without producing lasting fruit. Which of these most competes for your attention or identity right now, and how is it affecting your priorities? [01:11:05]
5. God’s transformation often takes place through relationships, work, trials, obedience, and even suffering. Which of these “laboratories” is God most clearly using in your life at this time, and what Christlike quality may He be developing in you? [52:38]
6. Christ gave Himself to purify a people who are eager to do good. What is one practical good you can do this week for a coworker, neighbor, family member, or fellow believer without expecting anything in return? [01:25:43]
7. Spiritual enthusiasm grows as God’s truth is received, internalized, and put into practice. What promise, truth, or aspect of God’s character do you need to take in more deeply this week, and what simple act of obedience could flow from it? [01:27:12]