The Work Before the Work: Promise, Stirring, Worship

``A church can be busy and prayerless. A ministry can be organized and fleshly. A servant can try to earn what Christ has purchased. But I want you to remember, before the work, the blood was shed. After the work, the blood was shed. He cleanses all of our work. Keep Christ Christ crucified and risen at the center. Before the foundation of any work for God, there is an altar. Before our work, there is Christ finished work. So worship before the work. No one's asking you to earn your place or to earn Jesus' death. That happens first, and your work follows after as an act of worship and gratitude. [01:06:55] (44 seconds)  #FinishedWorkFirst

After that, they offered the regular burnt offering and the offerings for the beginning of each month and for all of Yahweh's appointed holy occasions as well as the freewill offerings brought to Yahweh. On the first day of the seventh month, they begin to offer burnt offerings to Yahweh even though the foundation of Yahweh's temple had not yet been laid. I mean, do you see what their first focus on? Build the altar, offer the sacrifices. Build the altar, offer the sacrifices. The rest will come later. Here's the key image. They began the temple's purpose before the temple even existed. Why? Because worship always precedes work. [01:02:31] (40 seconds)  #WorshipPrecedesWork

Saints, it's true today. The danger is rarely persecution. It's comfort. What set the returners apart? It was not their courage. It was not their willpower. They were those whose spirit god had roused. Willingness was not the cause of god's work. It was the result of god's work. And Christ by the holy spirit is still stirring hearts today. That changes our church's strategy, I think, when it comes to, like, the nominating report. I don't need slot fillers. I need servants who are stirred. [00:47:55] (39 seconds)  #SpiritStirsServants

So here's the thing. Before the work, there was a promise. God kept his word. Before the work, there was a stirring. God awakened his people. Before the work, there were there were a people. God knew their names. And before the word, there was an altar. God provided the sacrifice, and beneath all of those, there is the cross. And that is the order of God's grace. It never changes, saints. Always remember this. We work because God worked first. [01:07:39] (31 seconds)  #GodWorkedFirst