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Works of God

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

God's works are vast, not only in multitude but in scope and magnitude. They are awe-inspiring and envelop everything, covering a far broader range of activities than merely preaching the Gospel. His works are honorable, glorious, righteous, and enduring forever. They are memorable, planting themselves in the mind to guide proper reactions and decisions on the journey with Him. His graciousness and compassion are evident in His works, as is His providence, providing food and all necessities for the maintenance of life. He has given a covenant, remaining faithful to it daily, which is also a work of His. His power is shown in works such as giving Israel the land of Canaan, and on a greater scale, He will show His power to all the world by granting His spiritual Israelites the inheritance of the earth, the Kingdom of God. His works are true, just, and reliable, never based on lies or injustice, ensuring that we can trust in them. His precepts and laws always work, and following them leads to positive outcomes for all involved. His works are eternal, with redemption and the covenant guiding us toward the glories of the Kingdom and beyond, inspiring praise for His holiness and awe-inspiring nature. God's works are constantly active in our behalf, never stopping, even if often invisible to the human eye. Those with minds trained to see Him at work recognize His eternal actions happening around and for them. He upholds all things by the word of His power, sustaining the physical laws of the universe. If He were to withdraw His will, creation would fall apart instantly. He is always working to provide a suitable environment for abundant life, ensuring we can continue to live, grow, learn, and make strides toward the Kingdom of God. His primary work is salvation, working it in the midst of the earth. Everything He does, including sustaining the universe, is designed to further the process of salvation. He is in the salvation business, a role reflected in Jesus Christ, whose zeal for doing God's work marked Him as the Savior of the world. He does not rest until He brings His brothers and sisters to the same state of holiness as He is, clothed with the garments of salvation. His work involves not just preaching the Gospel but living it unto salvation, enduring centuries of human rebellion to show the way and set the example through His Son. The work of God is defined as believing in Him, a belief that is an action encompassing the sum of His instructions to His people for salvation and eternal life. This belief requires life commitment, involving faith and obedience to His words, leading not to legalism but to holiness. His work today is bringing people to holiness and thus to salvation, instilling in us His holy, righteous character, recreating Himself in us. He never stops working, continuing the same work Jesus carried out and calling us to help in this endeavor. We must work the works of Him who sent us while we have life, for death comes when no one can work. Time is finite, and we must use it to do His work, aligning ourselves with His purpose through reverence and godly fear, which is the foundation of wisdom and proper decision-making. His works are always holy, righteous, just, equitable, true, and faithful, aimed at the long-term fulfillment of His purpose, even when they lead to destruction, as they move His plan forward for ultimate good.

What Is the Work of God Now? (Part One)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God's work, in its broadest sense, encompasses far more than a singular focus. It is the divine process of creating humanity in His image, as seen in the foundational acts of creation where He is reproducing Himself, assisted by Jesus Christ and through our submission to His purpose. His work involves creating faith in His Son among His children, a process essential for salvation by grace through faith, which is primarily nurtured through the feeding of the flock rather than merely initial conversion. This feeding builds faith, enabling choices based on trust in Him, a lifelong endeavor that requires constant spiritual nourishment within the structure of the church. God's primary concern is the preparation of His children for the Kingdom of God, emphasizing a deep, eternal relationship with them. He varies the circumstances of His people, as seen with Israel in the wilderness, shifting gears to provide a well-rounded education through diverse challenges. He does not limit His children to one task but guides them through changing situations to foster growth, requiring analysis, strategy, and sacrifice. His involvement in these shifts demonstrates His dynamic approach, ensuring that His purpose is not one-dimensional but encompasses all aspects of life and preparation for His Kingdom. Furthermore, God's work includes assigning responsibilities to His church, such as preaching the gospel to the world and feeding the flock, which are duties akin to tasks given within a family for development. These assignments, while involving His guidance, are carried out by His people. His creative activity is not limited to a narrow focus but involves every member directly in the daily worship and response to the feeding of the flock, actively participating with Him in the creation of His image within us. God's sovereignty is evident even in times of scattering or suffering, as He wills and controls all circumstances, using even adversities as exercises to test and strengthen His children for His ultimate purpose.

God's Workmanship (Part 3)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God declares in Ezekiel 36:27 that He will cause us to walk in His law, exercising His creative powers to guide us into a specific way of life. In Proverbs 21:1, it is evident that the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, and He turns it wherever He wishes, demonstrating His sovereignty over His creation by directing political powers on earth to align with His purposes. As with irrigation, where water is channeled to a desired field, so does He manipulate the heart of the king to fulfill His plan. God actively directs His creation toward the conclusion of His purpose, working individually and with nations, including us. In Ephesians 2, He states that we, His children, are His workmanship, created for a specific purpose to bring forth good works, which are the direct result of His creative process. Good works are the product of our union with Christ, for He said that without Him, we can do nothing spiritually pertaining to God's purpose in His Kingdom. In Psalm 74:12, it is shown that God is working salvation in the midst of the earth, a process in progress. Jesus confirms in John 5:17 that His Father is working, and He is working as well, emphasizing that God, as the Creator, is involved in a continuous work of salvation. This creative process encompasses deliverance from the world, Satan, and death, as illustrated by Israel's exodus from Egypt, though their spiritual bondage remained due to God's purpose at that time. Salvation, as God defines it for His children, includes the entire creative process, from justification to sanctification and glorification, only complete at glorification. Good works, by God's definition, are only possible after He begins His spiritual creation within us by giving His Spirit, energizing works fit for His Kingdom. God encourages works not for salvation but for a purpose aligned with His image and Kingdom. God bears the burden of salvation, confidently working to bring us to the standard of the stature of the fullness of Christ, as He is the author and finisher of our faith. He promises to complete what He starts, carrying us as He carried Israel on eagle's wings, ensuring that no one can stand in His way. His confidence is reflected in scriptures where salvation is described as past, present, and future, affirming that what He declares, He will accomplish if we yield to Him. God predestined the kinds of works He desires from His children, creating similarities in character, yet each is uniquely placed in His family, like parts of a body, to support His purpose. He gives gifts and guides experiences to prepare us for specific functions in His Kingdom, placing each as it pleases Him to perfect His body.

God's Good Work in Us

Sermon by John O. Reid

Despite the privileged position of our calling, God does not cut us any slack in terms of trials and tests to perfect us. We must accept God's sovereignty.

A View of the Work

Sermonette by David C. Grabbe

Judging the quality of our work by numeric standards is not a measure of spiritual growth, and to equate it with spiritual growth in rank Laodiceanism.

What Is the Church's Work Today (Part One)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The hardest part of God's work is the feeding of the flock the full counsel of God, to get the called-out ones ready to enter the Kingdom of God.

Walking With God Through Trials

Sermonette by Craig Sablich

Trials, instead of prompting a 'woe is me' attitude, should be re-evaluated as valuable experiences, nudging us into God's divine purpose for us.

What Is the Church's Work Today (Part Two)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The easiest part of God's work is preaching the gospel to the world. Much more demanding is the feeding of the flock, producing life-changing faith.

God's Rest (Part 1)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Sabbath rest depicts the miracle of conversion, in which the transformation of mankind into God's image brings about a rest in which God takes pleasure.

How Much Money Does God Need?

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

The Bible and history are replete with stories of presumptuous hustlers, claiming to represent God and to know His will as a means to gain fortune.

Lessons from Elijah's Work

Sermonette by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Like Elijah, we must feed ourselves on spiritual food, preparing ourselves for something beyond our current abilities, listening for the still small voice.

Choices and a Man After God's Own Heart: Turn, Turn, Turn

Sermon by Mark Schindler

Honoring our free choice and understanding our weaknesses, God alters time and chance for us, using our mistakes as tools to enhance our godly character.

God Our Provider

Article by Charles Whitaker

God's providence in building the Tabernacle of Meeting serves as an encouraging example for modern Christians collaborating with God to build His church.

Is the Christian Required To Do Works? (Part Five)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Jesus came with a message of salvation, called 'the gospel of the Kingdom of God.' Here is the relationship between the gospel and Christian works.

The Glory of God (Part 4): Glorifying God

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

A raw display of emotion and exuberance does not necessarily glorify God. What we do to glorify God will reflect just how highly we esteem Him.

Love and Works

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God expects works from all He has called. We show our faithfulness and loyalty to God by our works or conduct - what we produce by what we have been given.

Stewards of the Mysteries of God

Sermon by Mark Schindler

The lowly, not impeded so much with pride or ego, make better stewards than those who may seem more presumptuous and self-centered.

Grace, Mercy, and Favor (Part Three): A Faithful Witness to God's Mercy

Sermon by Mark Schindler

God protected Enoch from death so he could teach Noah, providing the godly instruction that Methuselah and Lamech (Noah's grandfather and father) failed to give.

God's Perseverance With His Saints (Part Three)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

The unity Jesus appeals for with His disciples is not organizational unity, but unity within the divine nature, exampled in the unity between He and the Father.

Snapshots (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

Even if a present snapshot of our lives looks dismal, it cannot reveal what happens next. What happens next is in God's hands—and He finishes what He starts.

Staying With the Puck

Article by Charles Whitaker

A hockey puck changes direction almost constantly, and a hockey player has to move with it. This analogy explains how we must follow God when He changes things.

Pentecost - The Beginning - All in All

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Mark Schindler

We must look beyond our own calling, realizing that the sacrifice of Christ was for all men, with the hope that they will be added to the family of God.

Snapshots (Part Three)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

Among the greatest challenges we face is not to let a bad snapshot—or even a whole progression of them—convince us that the journey is not worth continuing.

The Impossible Metric

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

Members, co-workers, and subscribers can all be tallied, yet who save God can track the increase of faith or the building of character of members of a church?

The Sabbath: Creation

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The Sabbath provides an opportunity for God's children to develop a relationship with Him, reflecting on the spiritual as well as the physical creation.

Leadership and the Covenants (Part Fourteen)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Only God's calling, followed by repentance and a rigorous conversion process, will safeguard us from the fiery holocaust that is coming upon this the world.

The Spiritual Hard Hat Zone

'Ready Answer' by David F. Maas

Christian's lives are constantly under construction. It is this point of view that makes it easier for us to deal with both setbacks and progress.

Unleavened Bread and the Holy Spirit (Part Two)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Our exodus from the bondage of sin begins and ends with God. He commanded Israel to mark their escape with unleavened bread because of what He did.

'This Gospel of the Kingdom Shall Be Preached'

'Prophecy Watch' by David C. Grabbe

Many fail to understand that Matthew 24:14 is a prophecy and instead read it as a commission. God will ensure His gospel is preached; we follow His lead.

His Eye is On the Sparrow (Part One)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

As God has His eye on the sparrow, He has had His eye on us through the entire process of scattering so the tests we have endured will bear good fruit.

Unleavened Bread and the Holy Spirit (2019)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Egypt is not directly a symbol of sin, but instead the world. The Days of Unleavened Bread symbolize what God did for us, not what we did by our own power.

Why Are We Here and What Is Our Focus?

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Mark Schindler

God has a plan to bring all to Christ, but each in his own order. We cannot have a proper understanding of the plan if we do not keep Christ as the focus.

Seeds and Seasons (Part One)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

The seasons are an integral part of God's creation and play a foundational role in helping us understand what God is doing and what we should be doing.

From Start to Finish

Sermon by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021)

God has laid the foundation of the earth, and will maintain and mend until the project is completed, promising to remain with us from start to finish.

Providence

Sermonette by James Beaubelle

Studying examples of God's hand both favoring and putting down, we must reach out to Him daily for His Divine Providence to be at work in their lives.

His Eye Is on the Sparrow (Part Two)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Jesus Christ has full control of the church. Everything of consequence, including the development of our character, is engineered by Him.

Why We Observe Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

We keep Unleavened Bread because of what God did to bring us out of sin (typified by Egypt). While God compels us to make choices, He is with us all the way.

Faith and the Christian Fight (Part Two)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Everything that we go through has been engineered by God. We are His workmanship, created for good works, a response to the faith He has given us.

The Prophesied Creation of Light

'Prophecy Watch' by Charles Whitaker

The apostle Paul finds prophecy in Genesis 1:3, 'Let there be light.' God's words foretell His ongoing creation of spiritual lights in a dark world.

Made Alive by Exceeding Greatness!

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

God granted humans a limited measure of power and dominion at creation, but not until the Day of Pentecost of 31 AD did their potential become fully operative.

Elements of Motivation (Part Five)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

We can become energized and motivated by our high calling and summons to do the will of God, seeing how vitally important we are to God's purpose.

Our Awesome Destiny (1993)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Man's destiny is to have dominion over the entire universe. Preparation for this awesome responsibility requires faithful stewardship over God's gifts.

From Start to Finish (Part Three)

'Ready Answer' by Charles Whitaker

The divine title, 'the First and the Last,' describes God's intensive activity - from start to finish - in bringing His purpose for humanity to fruition.

The Doctrine of Israel (Part Six): New Testament Teaching

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Those who follow Christ are the true Israel, the Elect, and the Chosen, called by God to precede unfaithful physical Israel in the salvation process.

Faith and the Christian Fight (Part Three)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God is pleased to save those who humble themselves, allowing Him to perform a mighty work through them, and putting everyone in debt to Him.

Fasting

Sermonette by James Beaubelle

The best offering we can present is a humble and contrite heart, attainable through fasting, if done without pride and self-seeking.

Eternal Security (Part 2)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

All people will be judged according to the quality of their works after they make the covenant with God. Works are required and rewarded.

Sovereignty, Election, and Grace (Part Seven)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

In terms of building character, God does the creating, assaying, testing, and proving; we do the yielding and walking in the pathway He has set for us.