LABOR OF LOVE

Ephesians 2:1-10

by Pastor Tom Haggar

Today is one of the days we set aside each year as the holiday to honor those who work.

The founding of many holidays is often disputed, and so to that of Labor Day.

It is unclear whether the founder was the machinist, Matt Maguire, or the carpenter, Peter McGuire.  What we do know is that the Central Labor Union in New York adopted a proposal in 1882 to have Labor Day.  Then they established a committee to plan a demonstration and parade. 

We know too, that a number of states picked up on this proposal and passed legislation

adopting the holiday.  The first state was Oregon.  Then on June 28^th in 1894 federal legislation was passed designating the first Monday in September as the official holiday.

Then in 1909 the American Federation of Labor adopted the preceding Sunday as Labor Sunday. 

These are days we pay tribute to the American Worker thanking them and celebrating

their contribution to the economic well-being of our county and their efforts to provide for their families.  I thank God for those who work and would call their work, a labor of love.

Five years ago Char and I cleaned at  Black Hills Corp in Rapid City.  One day I was cleaning a secretary’s shelf and had to move the pictures of her children.  She apologized for the pictures being in the way.  When you think about it.  That’s probably why she was working…her kids, to provide for her kids…that’s a labor of love isn’t it?  And what about just giving birth to children…no, question about it…that’s a labor of love, right ladies?

We gather today we celebrate another labor of love.  In fact we come each Sunday to honor the one who began this “holiday”.  There is no question of who is responsible for us being here today.  We don’t have to guess who Labored in Love for us.  We know it was a carpenter and he gave his life for us.  It was Jesus who truly labored in love, a labor that was very, very, very painful in body, mind, and spirit.  One of self-denial, one that endured  our sin and suffering for the joy that would found, one that would overcome death and give life. 

That is the Labor of Love we want to talk about today.  

Paul is excited as he writes to the Ephesians.   I think he wants to start at the beginning.     First letting them know why Jesus died for their sins.  He wants us to know, too.

Josh McDowell is concerned about that same thing.  He thinks that if we don’t teach our children why Jesus died for our sins, when they walk out the doors of our churches and homes, their faith won’t hold up.

Our faith  would be like a house of cards with a little bump or little blow it falls.  He is concerned that our faith would  fall or be drowned out like Hurricane Katrina drowned the city of New Orleans.  The levi’s of faith couldn’t with stand the overwhelming forces of wind and water.  Or the shield of faith in chapter 6 that he talks about will not be able to with stand the fiery darts.  They don’t think our faith can stand the competition of the culture if we’re not convinced and convicted as to why we need the cross of Christ.

So that’s where we’ll start, Ephesians 2.1, we see that the FIRST RESULT OF SIN’S LABOR AGAINST US IS DEATH.  “You were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you followed the ways of the world and of the kingdom of the air.”

The word sin means missing the mark or the target and the word transgressions means to miss the path one is suppose to be on…to take the wrong road.  If I were going to Rapid City after worship today and get head out of town on Hwy going East and then turned

North on I-29, I’d certainly be on the wrong road.

Two men are standing on the road with signs “Turn Back”…cars continue to roar pass them ignoring the signs…one says to the other, “I suppose our signs should say “The Bridge is Out.”

Friends we always remind you to turn back, today we’re telling you why, the bridge is out.

My friend Charlie has a great work ethic, he is one of the most tender-hearted people I know, and he cares deeply about his family but he was on the wrong road literally and spiritually.  He was walking down I-90 out of Wall headed for Rapid City.  He had been drinking and was wearing only a light jacket in the snow and cold, bitter and  freezing winds.  I know you might not believe it’s ever going to be as cold and bitter in west river as it is here in Aberdeen but Charlie could have died on that road.  Even with the booze in his blood  had he continued down the that road he would have died.

Heading down the wrong road in sin will result in spiritual DEATH.

The first result of sin is DEATH, THE SECOND IS DISOBEDIENCE.

“the spirit that is now at work in those who are disobedient”  Ephesians 2.2

Another Chuck, Chuck Swindol a wonderful Bible Preacher/Teacher tells about his 13^th birthday.  He tells us he was lying in his bed on a hot muggy afternoon in Houston.  His father calls from out-side, “Charles, come out and help me weed the garden.”   Young Charles, tone sassy and arrogant, with little respect and a lot of contempt said something like, “No…it’s my birthday, remember”.   He remembers his father setting a new 100 meter record as he dashed from the garden into the house.  He said, and here is

a great line, “He was all over me like white on rice”.  Ha, Ha don’t you love it?  Have you

ever heard of white on rice?  He remembers he got a woppin’ all the way to the garden.  And he remembers he pulled weeds till the moon came out.

Well the point is Charles was arrogant and prideful, he was full of self and being full of self

displays itself in distasteful disobedience and disrespect.

The first result of Sin is DEATH, the second DISOBEDIENCE, and THE THIRD,

 A DEADLY DOWNWARD SPIRAL of Integrity.  

“All of us lived among them at one time, gratifying the desires of our sinful

nature and following it’s desires and thoughts.”  Ephesians 2.3

I want to use another story  from Swindol’s book  “Grace Awakening” to illustrate.

Charles said as a young man he delivered the Houston Press.  He’d just got done delivering them and was headed home on his bike.  He was certainly tired from his efforts and I would imagine another hot, muggy Houston day. As he got closer to home he decided to cut across the corner of one of the neighbor’s lawns.  He felt a twinge of guilt as his bike rolled over the corner of this plush, well-manicured, and beautifully kept lawn.

As he came to lawn on each of the following days he asked himself, should he or shouldn’t he cut the corner.   After two weeks there was a rut in that corner of the lawn so we know how he answered that question.  He continued to bury the guilt and the neighbor

buried a stick in the lawn with a sign on it saying, “Keep off the grass-NO BIKES”.

He said he continued to cut the corner and hide the guilt but added that there was a new feeling that began to compete with the guilt and complicate the situation…the new feeling,

cutting the corners now became a fascination. 

This is a pretty simple and seemingly childish story.  I even feel foolish telling you this.

Yet it is a good illustration of downward slope of sin we slide on.   Warren Wiersbe’s word for this is DEPRAVITY.  This was Pastor Eldon’s word, too as we talked and thought about the shooting, looting, raping, and pillaging that we’ve seen in New Orleans.  There are those who have taken advantage of the disadvantaged and defenseless, that’s A DOWNWARD SPIRAL OF MORALITY, that’s DEPRAVITY.

Let’s move to our FOURTH RESULT OF SIN, that is impending DOOM.

“Like the rest we were by nature object of wrath.”  Ephesians 2.3c

We’ve heard about the wrath of Katrina.  The levi’s couldn’t hold back the wind and water.  Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not making a theological statement here at all.

I’m just use this as an illustration that New Orlenes was exposed and vulnerable to the storm because what was to protect New Orleans wasn’t able to protect New Orleans.

My friend Charlie was exposed and vulnerable to the snow and cold on that fateful day walking the interstate.  His light jacket was not enough to protect him against the

elements of cold and snow. 

The parallel is that you and I because of sin are expose to the judgement and wrath of God and we need protection, we need a covering.

Paul wants us to see the consequences of sin’s labor  but even more so wants us to know that God’s Labor of Love in Christ results in LIFE, and he can’t wait to tell us.  He’s excited as he rambles on, “But because of His great love for us, God who is rich in mercy made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions-it is by the grace of God you have been saved”  (Ephesians 2.4-5)

He starts with but, which you remember means that what is coming is bigger, superior, or  more important than what came before…in this case that is good

We read, but God, rich in mercy…remember justice is getting what you deserve, mercy is not getting what you deserve, and grace is getting something better than you deserve…

Let me say that again…justice is getting what you deserve, mercy is not getting what you deserve, and grace is getting something better than you deserve.

God, rich in mercy and by grace is able to overcome, deliver, protect us in Christ Jesus from the results of sin, death, disobedience, depravity, and impending doom for when we die in him, when we trust him, we are raised in him. …now that’s good news.

Call calls us to, invites us into LIFE because of his labor of love in dying and being raised to new life.

I’ve got to tell you this story.   Diane was pregnant with what was going to be a little girl.

Her son, 5 year old Jason sang to his unborn sister day and night. He sang,  “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.  You make me happy when skys are grey, you’ll never know dear how much I love you please don’t take my sunshine away.”   Eventually Sally was born and not doing well.  In fact she was dying.  Jason wanted to go into intensive care and see his sister.  The nurses wouldn’t let that happen.  Finally they told the family that Sally might not make it through the night.  Jason again pleaded his case, mom consented, the nurse conceded and he got to see his sister.  He went in  and begin to sing, “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skys are grey, you’ll never know dear, how much I love you please don’t take my sunshine away.” And what do you think happened?  That’s right, she lived. 

You see God calls you and I out of death and covers us in the blood of Christ.

God’s Labor of Love results in LIFE.   It also results in our being LIFTED UP.

“And God raises us up and seats us with him…   Ephesians 2.6-7 

Now that Paul’s told us about the potential of sin’s labor in our lives, and sings to us about  God’s Labor of Love in Christ, he has a few words to say encouraging us in  our work, our service, our labor love in, of, and for God.  “We are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus, to do the good works that God has created in advance for us to do.”  Ephesians 2.10  

As people of faith, the work you do providing for your family and caring for others could be considered a labor of love.   You express your faith in the church by the many different

things you do, whether in the limelight or behind the scenes.

Paula brought some people together yesterday for a Stephen Ministries Meeting.  Stephen ministers pair up one on one with another person and are there primarily to support and encourage that person.  If interest in that ministry or if you know anyone who needs some

support of some kind call the office. 

Anyway she said that one of our primary functions is to listen.  She said listening  was an act denying self, you give up not stating your own opinion, not fixing the problem

you  die to your agenda, and simply listen to the other person. What a labor of love.

Don has asked that some of you impact the lives of young people as teachers or mentors,

that’s a labor of love.

Now, think about the people affected by this Hurricane…Bev and Laurie reminded us that we need to bear each others burdens…we can pray, we can give money, if you give it to the church we’ll send every penny of it to the United Methodist Committee on Relief and they in turn will invest it wisely to meet the needs of the people we’ve seen on TV…people  without homes, without food and in need of health care.  Pastor Eldon is thinking down the road that we may take some work teams.  Would that not be a labor of love?

Let me tell you about the rescuing hug.  This is what I think it means for us to do the work God has set aside for us to do or to bear each others burdens.    These  babies were born as twins.  The yellow dotted twin became very sick.  She has a high fever and low blood pressure.   A nurse defied hospital  policy and put the healthy twin, red dotted baby, in with the sick sister. You see the healthy baby has put their arm around the sick baby and guess what?

The fever went down and blood pressure when up. 

Hey that is a great picture of the church, isn’t it?

Today we celebrate God’s Labor of Love in Christ Jesus and our Labors of Love for God.

And my friend Charlie?  He’s walking down the right road now.   Not everything has gotten better and some things are even worse.  He still drinks, but now only from the Spirit of God. He is alive. Instead of blasting, he blesses the name of God.  I think his goal is to tell more people about how much God loves him than Paul did. He is much happier.  He seems to find a few of those good works to do and he talks to God a lot. 

Why don’t we do that now.  Let us pray.