The work of God is not limited to preaching the gospel to the world, as many have come to assume. God's work, as revealed in Genesis 1, is the creation of man in His image, reproducing Himself through a process assisted by Jesus Christ and by us through our submission to His purpose. God works to create faith in Jesus Christ within His children, as salvation is by grace through faith, a process largely accomplished through the feeding of the flock rather than merely initial conversion. This feeding builds the faith necessary for our choices and life in preparation for His Kingdom. Preaching the gospel to the world and feeding the flock are more appropriately termed the work of the church, responsibilities assigned by God to those He has called. These duties, while involving God's work in us, are akin to tasks assigned to children in a family to aid their development. The overemphasis on preaching to the world can present God, life, and worship as narrow, detaching many in the Body of Christ from much of His creative activity, since only a small portion is directly involved in this task. True worship of God involves every aspect of daily life, honoring and glorifying Him in all things, not just in limited, weekly observances. Responding to the feeding of the flock directly engages every member in God's creative work every day, actively and personally participating with Him in the creation of His image in us. God's work encompasses a broad spectrum of experiences and challenges, as seen in the varied circumstances He led Israel through in the wilderness, shifting gears to provide a well-rounded education for His people in preparation for His Kingdom. Similarly, He varies the circumstances of the church today, guiding us through different situations to ensure comprehensive growth and preparation.

The Work of God, as it pertains to the greater church, reveals a complex and often challenging process that God employs for our ultimate good. God, in His sovereignty, scatters the church when necessary, and though this may appear calamitous and frightening, it serves a redeeming purpose in the long run. He uses such actions to test and reveal those who truly have faith in Him, pushing us to abandon misconceptions of a solely benevolent deity and recognize His broader, imaginative resources for bringing about good. Sometimes, what He brings upon His people might be painful, but it is designed to instill a proper fear and devotion in us. God is not merely saving us but creating us in His image through faith and free moral agency, requiring correct doctrines and zealous devotion to produce that image. The scattering of the church, motivated by sin and a loss of faith, indicates that we are not meeting His terms for unity with Him and each other. He has brought this scattering upon us for our own good, as a promise that is not empty but certain, reflecting the principle that blessings follow obedience and curses follow disobedience. We are scattered because of our sins, and we must accept this reality rather than see ourselves as victims. The Work of God includes His historical dealings with Israel as a warning to the church, showing that unwillingness to make sacrifices for unity leads to separation from Him. He scattered Israel and Judah when they failed to learn from their mistakes, and this serves as a stern warning to us now. His current work in the church calls for a redirection of efforts, emphasizing the feeding of the flock over preaching the gospel to the world until we are healed and unified. If we were God, we would not bring new people into a divided church, highlighting the need to address our internal issues first. God's Work is a time of testing for the church, not necessarily to create a fantastic outward work, but to see how we respond in difficult times. He prioritizes the church's spiritual health, urging us to do good especially to the brethren, as failing to care for the church disqualifies one as a Christian. His ultimate goal includes healing the breaches within us, as promised for the future, where those who repent and align their lives with Him will play a part in restoring the church.