that we go out and reach out and let our light shine and share the good news to those who live around us as well as all over the world. That's the commission that we have been given. And so it's a blessing to have a church and many opportunities within our local church to be equipping the saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ. And another ministry that the Lord has used greatly here at Meadowlands is Foundation Baptist College. And it's such a blessing here in Edmonton to have a college where you can take courses, where you can audit. And it's not very far away. It's just right upstairs in this building. And that is a real blessing for us as a church to be able to host Foundation Baptist College and work together. And many of you have taken classes there. And in fact, I just talked to someone this morning who said, I'm excited this week is the first class that I'm taking at the foundation and that's exciting and I know many of you have benefited from our Bible Institute from the various classes that our college has. And so it's a blessing this week to have the Pattersons with us. They've been here before a couple times and Dr. Alan Patterson will be doing a block class for the college starting tomorrow night. So it's Monday through Friday and most of Saturday. And if you haven't signed up for that, you could probably still get in that class. But it's on the strategy of missions. And so the Pattersons have been involved in a lot of missions, ministry, overseas in various ways, and are currently serving with Gospel Fellowship Association, which is a mission board for many missionaries. That's what the Talbert's are sent out from. And so it's a blessing to have Alan Patterson here. Often when we have a guest who comes to the Bible College, we get the added benefit of having them speak at one of our services. And so I invite Dr. Patterson, if he would come and share God's Word with us this evening. Thank you, Pastor. It's good to be back here. I remember coming up with Bud, I'm not sure if Debbie came with us, but my wife is Bud Talbert's sister and we visited here I believe in 2008 and that was before the Bible College actually started. The idea was there, but it's exciting to see what God has been doing over the years. You probably don't know us, we know you better than you know us because we hear about you from Bud and Debbie Talbert and and Duncan and Meg and others that we know here. But just a little bit of background about us. My wife and I met at Bob Jones University. We actually went on a mission team together for the summer, and it was to Canada. It was to Manitoba area, working with the Indians in that area north of Winnipeg. So we met back in the 70s and the Lord led us together. We had both gone to secular schools in undergrad and we met at Bob Jones and I finished some grad work there in 1980. 3, I guess, 82, somewhere in there. And then in 1984, we went to Japan as missionaries. So we were there for about 18 years. And the mission director at Gospel Fellowship asked us to pray about coming back to the home office. If you're a missionary on the field, going back to Going back to the states or wherever is not really what, you know, that's not your ideal. But we had always prayed that our mission would get people in position of leadership who had missionary experience. So as we began to think about that, we thought, well, you know, we have to at least pray about this. The man whose place I sort of began to take, Dr. John Dreisbach, some of you maybe have known him over the years. He's passed away now, but he was getting older and there was a need, so we felt that was God's leading. So in 2002, we moved back to the States, and I've been working at the home office of Gospel Fellowship since that time. Responsibilities include recruiting, for lack of a better term, I don't really like that term, in missions you're not recruiting, you're trying to help people find God's will. And so, but I get to talk to young people all the time and I really enjoy that. And so that's part of my responsibility. In fact, I was out at Faith Baptist Bible College in Ankeny and saw Pastor Tillotson earlier this year. He had just been there a few months, I guess, about half, maybe three quarters of a year. So we travel around to other schools and also do a little bit of teaching in the Bob Jones Seminary in the area of missions and oversee some of our internships. And I'll talk just a little bit more about that after I show you a video in just a minute. But that's really exciting to see young people be able to go and be mentored. by veteran missionaries. So that's another responsibility. We also visit mission fields. Our mission has about 250 to 300 missionaries counting husband and wives and singles. So we've been in about 30 countries, I guess. And it's a joy to do that. And then another thing that's been happening lately is we've been trying to get into some of the restricted access nations, a little more effort to do that. In fact, I'm gonna saw Dwayne over in his place of ministry, I don't know, a few years ago. And so we have seen the Lord open some doors in North Africa and the Middle East. I just came back from Lebanon and Iraq and it's some open doors in both of those places. Amazing what God's doing. So that's just part of our responsibility and there are others. Just wanted to give you a little bit of background about us. Just a tidbit of information about Bud and Debbie Talbert. We had a double wedding with them, so we've always been quite close and we're hoping to spend a few days of fellowship after next coming week with them. So I really appreciate the opportunity to be here and to see Foundation Baptist College in action and to be able to have a part in that. And Pastor Bud has really expressed great appreciation for your encouragement and support to him in that ministry. I'm gonna show about a five minute video now. This is really a fresh one. It's just been out for a week or two, but it will give you some background on Gospel Fellowship Association and kind of what's happening today and a bit of a challenge also. And then after that, I will preach a short message from the book of Ephesians. So if we could see that video now. So just a word to some of the young people here You saw the Teens and Missions program. I'm not sure if there are teens here, but we've had the privilege of sending out a few teens. It's not for everyone, but the right teen can really profit from being mentored on the field. And then we have what has been more common is we call it our SIP program, S-I-P, and that's an internship for those in college. So if you're in that position and you're interested in serving for two to nine weeks, usually in the summertime, We'd be glad for you to check out our website, and I'll be glad to talk to you about that kind of opportunity. That is an intentional mentoring situation. We have a short-term program where we send missionaries to meet needs on the field, but the internships are designed to give you exposure, to give you a taste of missions. Okay, with that introduction, let's turn now to Ephesians chapter 6. Probably when you think of someone in, shall we say, full-time missions, you sort of gear up in your mind for a message about missions, and that would be appropriate for you to do. But I'm going to surprise you, I think, and I'm not going to preach directly about that tonight. I'll make an application maybe at the end, but we're actually going to look at a text that is not about missions directly. It's about service and work. So really what I want to preach to you tonight about is this topic. The true and lasting significance of your life and work. The true and lasting significance of your life and work. Now if I had given you a homework assignment before this service and said, find a text that you think I might preach from, I'm pretty certain this would be one of the ones you would never have chosen. So, let's look at it and see what kind of application there might be for all of us. And this does apply to all of us, and that's one reason I've chosen this text. But it's an unusual text for a mission's night, so let's look at Ephesians 6 beginning in verse 5. He says, Be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ, not with eye service as men pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service as to the Lord and not to men. knowing that whatever good anyone does, anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave, that's that same word, bondservant, or whether he is free. Let's pray. Our Father, we thank you for the opportunity to look into your word. We know these verses are applicable to all of us in some ways, so we ask that you would apply them. May the Holy Spirit apply them tonight to each heart. We ask that you would do this for your glory, and may there be an understanding of the true significance of our lives. May each individual understand that tonight, we pray in Jesus' name, Amen. So how do you measure the significance of your life? Does it have to do with the spiritual gifts you have? Does it have to do with the exceptional things you have done in your life? Does it have to do with the amount of money you make? Does it have to do with how long you live? Does it have to do with your vocation? Are some vocations more honorable than others? Now there are some, of course, that are not ethical, that are sinful. But if it's not unethical, if it's not sinful, is one vocation better than another? Do you think your life will leave any fingerprints on the shape of eternity? Does your life and work have any eternal significance? Do you think that working a job is less spiritual and eternally meaningful than being a missionary, for example? Well, I think every believer desires that he or she have a life and a work that is significant. I think that's our heart. In fact, the book of Ecclesiastes in chapter 3 verse 11 says that God has put eternity in our hearts. And it goes on to say that we don't really understand all that God is doing, but He has put eternity in our hearts. We know that You know, this life is not all there is. Sometimes we make a mistake. And those of us who preach about missions can make this mistake. And we can imply that the missionary is on a different level or different spiritual level, or that kind of work is more sacred than what other people might do. But the Bible doesn't really give us that dichotomy. A. W. Tozer said, the sacred secular antithesis has no foundation in the New Testament. I think we'll see that tonight in this text that we're going to be looking at. But it's really helpful to have hope, isn't it? To have hope that my life is significant. We talked in the video about hope. You know if people lose hope then everything is over. There's despair. Listen to this quote from Mark Twain to give you a contrast of where we're going in the message tonight. This is what Mark Twain had to say, A myriad of men are born. They labor and sweat and struggle for bread. Age creeps upon them. Infirmities follow. They vanish from a world where they were of no consequence. where they achieved nothing, where they were a mistake and a failure and a foolishness, where they have left no sign they have existed, a world which will lament them a day and forget them forever." Now is that how you feel about your life? I hope not. That's not a scriptural view of life, but it shows what can happen if you don't know Christ. So let me suggest to you some reasons why your work is significant, why your work and your life are significant. Number one, your work is significant because God has given us work as a gift. You ever thought about that? Before Adam and Eve fell, What were they supposed to do? They were supposed to work. He says, be fruitful and multiply, replenish the earth, subdue it, have dominion over this. God gave Adam and Eve work to do before the fall. You ever thought about what you'll do in heaven? Some of us are not super musical. Are you thinking you're looking forward to sitting on a cloud and playing a harp? I wouldn't know how, would you? That doesn't appeal, right? Not to me anyway, it might to some musical person. But God has given us work and we're gonna be working for all of eternity and it's going to be glorified work. But our work is significant because it's God's gift to man and it will be glorified. Turn with me if you would to 1 Corinthians 3, verse 13. This is sort of a, this is not just a textual message tonight, it's going to be somewhat topical, so we'll have some other proof text. 1 Corinthians 3, verse 13 says, each one's work will become clear in the day when God tests it. The day will declare it because it will be revealed by fire. And the fire will test each one's work of what sort it is. If anyone's work, and this is the regular word for work. This is not ministry. I mean, it can't apply to ministry, but this is work. This is the word for work. If anyone's work, which he has built on, on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. So not every work is done the right way. And of course, in the context, he's talking somewhat about false teaching, but it's not just that. He says our work will endure, at least if it's done right. So number one, your work is significant because work is God's gift to man and it will endure. Now, in Ephesians chapter six, think about the context. Who is he talking to here? Is he talking to missionaries? No. Is he talking to pastors? No. Is he talking to Bible teachers? No. He says bond servants. And that culture in those days, really it was almost some of these folks were, we might use the word slave. I know that has all kinds of connotations, but that really can be the translation of the word. But bondservants, he's talking to bondservants. He's talking about what we might call, and again I don't want suggest a dichotomy, we might call it secular work. He's not talking about necessarily working in the church or doing any kind of what we would call preaching or teaching or that kind of ministry. So your work is significant in the first place because work is God's gift to man, and when it's done right, it will endure forever. Number two, your work is significant because it is God's will for you. Now I'm assuming you're doing the will of God. God doesn't call, as the video says, He doesn't call everyone to go serve overseas. He doesn't call everyone to be a pastor or a Bible teacher. God's work is significant because it is God's will for you. Did you notice what He says to these bondservants? He says, you need to have a right view about your work. It says, doing the what of God? From the heart, the will of God. You mean these bondservants are in the will of God? And whatever they're doing, whether it be, you know, helping build a house, or maybe serving, you know, working out in the fields, or helping someone with cooking, whatever these bondservants were doing, he says, you are doing the will of God. Now Paul tells us in another text that it's good if these bondservants can get their liberty. He says in 1 Corinthians 7, were you a slave when called? Don't be concerned about it. But if you can gain your freedom, then take advantage of that opportunity. But what he's telling them is, this is the will of God. So you need, I'd like to challenge everyone here tonight, whatever your work is, you need to view that as acceptable service to the Lord, unless of course it's an evil, there are evil works. But if it's not that, then that's just as important as the prime minister's work or the president's work. Just as important. It's the will of God for you. Number three, your work is significant because it has eternal value. In other words, you are doing it for the glory of God. You're doing it for God. Listen to this statement. I think this sums up what I'm trying to say. The clear implication is that God is watching. and he will honor so-called mundane work if done for the right reasons. The performance of their earthly task is related to his rule over their lives. Ultimately then, the distinction between the sacred and the secular breaks down. Any and every task, however menial, falls within the sphere of his lordship. and it's done in order to please Him. There are three phrases to look at here that indicate this. Look at verse five, bond servants be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling and sincerity of heart as to Christ. Verse six, you do this as the servants of Christ, as bond servants of Christ. And then he says in verse seven, doing good, with goodwill, doing service as to the Lord and not to men. So your work is significant because you are doing it for God and his glory. You know, let's say these were slaves back in those days. In a sense, they weren't free. But you know what was free? Their hearts were free. He says, ìYouíre not servants, youíre not doing this for men. You are doing this for Christ.î So the right attitude then is found in 1 Corinthians 10.31, ìWhether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.î This is in Great contrast to the attitude of the worldly man. This is what the worldly man thinks. Ecclesiastes chapter two. I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do, and behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit. And there was no profit under the sun. Vanity of vanity, all is vanity. That's the idea, that's the worldly man's thinking. the bond servant, and any of us, if we have the right attitude, realize that our work is significant because it is done with a view to pleasing Christ. You know, it's interesting that it uses these kind of words. It says, with fear and trembling. Does that mean you're afraid of your boss? No, it's not talking about being afraid of the boss. It's saying, you do this very seriously. You don't want to do this with the wrong attitude and you want to do it right. There's fear and trembling that you might do it wrong. It's not so much talking about the attitude towards your boss. You do it for Christ's sake. A fourth reason why your work is significant is this. And we don't often think of this, I'm afraid, but it's significant because it shapes the character of those around you. Think about that. What you're doing, how you do it, what you say, and even what you don't say is shaping the character of those around you. This is true, obviously, for parents. This is true for teachers. This is true for the influence you have on your coworkers. We forget sometimes how much influence we have on those around us. I was reading a book a while back about character, and one of the chapters had this title. I heard what you didn't say. In other words, even though you didn't say anything, Your attitude, the way you looked, your spirit, I heard that. So if we are influencing people, even when we don't talk, what do you think we're doing when we do speak? Your work, my work is significant because it shapes the character of those around us. You know what? Today, millennia after the fact, Israel's example affects us. You ever thought about that? 1 Corinthians 10 talks about Israel, and what they did is an example to us, even in our day, hundreds and hundreds of years later. So we are shaping the character of people all around us. Turn to Philippians chapter three. You don't have to turn very far. I want you to notice what Paul says in chapter 3, verse 17. Philippians 3, 17. Paul says, brethren, join in following my example and note those who so walk as you have us for a pattern. And in other places, Paul says, Look at chapter four, just go over one more chapter in verse nine. Notice what he says, the things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. The things you received, the things you heard, even the things you saw, you are to imitate Book of Hebrews, I'll be teaching that book tomorrow. We'll be doing kind of a quick survey through the book of Hebrews. But in chapter 13 verse 7 it says, consider the outcome of those who taught you the word. Seems to imply that some of those leaders have already passed away. Consider their exodus literally as the word. And he says, imitate their faith. So our work is significant because it shapes the character of those around us. Children learn from their fathers, from their mothers. What did Timothy learn from his mother and his grandmother? Number five, your work is significant because it shapes your character and it lays the foundation for your work in eternity. What do you think is going to happen to you when you die? Is God going to make you someone else? Are you going to be a different person when you die? Or are you going to have personality and character that you've been developing all along? I think it's pretty clear God's not going to destroy us and remake us. He is perfecting us now for the life that we're going to have forever. Think about that. What we are and do now. we will be and do forever only in a perfect state, a sinless state. But we're going to have personality and we're going to have character that we're developing right now. Listen to these words. The significance of our labor today is staggering when you put it in light of what's going to happen in eternity. Because in this vapor of time we call life, you and I determine our capacity to reign over the new earth as heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. There is a connection between now and then. You have that parable in Matthew 25, for instance, he says, well done thou good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." What does Galatians chapter 6 indicate? Whatever we sow, we will reap. When is that? That's just in this life? I don't think so. Whatever we sow, we're going to reap for eternity. Now, we're not talking here, we're not talking about loss of salvation, those kind of things, you understand what I'm saying? But the character that we're developing, we're going to take with us into heaven. There are some who will be rewarded, we'll get to that. Our lives, our stories have no ending. your labors, your interests, your experiences, your skills, your relationships, your trials, your victories, your defeats, forge who you are. All of it will be part of you forever. You are everlasting. Isn't that amazing? I'm studying now to teach a couple of classes when I get back at Bob Jones, one of my My wife's, another brother teaches on this in the seminary and he has a class on the theology of religions. And I'm gonna be teaching on Hinduism, Buddhism and Shintoism. You know, all religions are trying to explain our existence. The problem is they don't understand it. And so they can't explain it. But even they talk about, at times they talk about eternity. The fact is we are everlasting. And what we're doing now is going to establish what we'll be doing forever. Number six, your work is significant because it offers the possibility of receiving the Lord's reward. Evidently not everyone will be rewarded. or at least not to the same degree. Look at what he says. Go back now to Ephesians. You may have to turn back a page or two. But notice what he says. Verse 8, knowing that whatever good anyone does, it doesn't matter your age, it doesn't matter your gender, it doesn't matter what type of work it is, as long as it's good, it could be giving a cup of cold water. to a dear brother or sister, right? Or it could be visiting them in prison. It could be sweeping the floor. It could be cleaning a toilet. It could be preaching a message. It could be changing a diaper, whatever it is. If it's good, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is slave or free. So there are rewards possible for God's people. This is really quite amazing. What I want to focus on first is just to remind you, he says anyone here and he's talking again to bond servants. So just think, what is your labor? Maybe you build houses, maybe you teach a class, maybe you mow the hay, maybe you're a farmer, maybe you dig a ditch, maybe you design software, maybe you are a mother and you change diapers, you fix meals, Anything anyone does that's good, he says, will be rewarded. There are a number of texts that talk about rewards. The parallel text in Colossians puts it this way. We receive, knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance. So there is a coming inheritance for faithful Christians, those who do good things. One of the last texts in the Bible says this, if you want to turn there, Revelation 22, verse 12. Revelation 22, verse 12, the Lord reminds us about what we're talking about. There are possibilities for rewards for God's people. Verse 12 of Revelation 22, Behold, I am coming quickly. And notice what he says, my reward is with me to give everyone according to his, what? His work. Now, this is not about salvation. Everybody clear on that? Salvation is purely by grace. No question about it, Bible's totally clear. However, God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, He tells us in the book of Hebrews 13. He's not unrighteous. It would be wrong for Him to treat everyone just exactly the same because not everyone has been as faithful and as diligent. He is coming with His reward. to give it according to everyone's work. So your work is significant because it offers the possibility of receiving the Lord's reward. It's also significant, I think this will be number seven. Your work is significant because it reveals your motives. You know, our deeds are important But even more important is the motive behind those deeds. Let me give you some proof for that. We won't have time to look at these texts, but you'll know these texts, I think. Our eternal significance and worth is based not so much on what we do, but who we are. For instance, 1 Corinthians 13, the chapter on love, you know this chapter. He says, Paul says, okay, let's say that I gave away all of my goods to feed the poor. That's great, right? Well, what does he say about it if my motive is not love? How much is it worth? Nothing. What if I give my body to be burned? I'm a martyr. for the faith. And we've been to many places where we've seen, especially in Scotland and England, we've seen places where people were martyred, burned for their faith. What if their motive was not love? Paul says, it profits me nothing. Let's say you're a great preacher. Have a great gift for expositing the Bible. Matthew chapter 7 has some fearful words to certain people. You don't have to turn there, but listen to what he says. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. There are just a few who will say to me in that day. No, that's not what it says, right? Many. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? Have we not cast out demons in your name and done many wonders in your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. They did marvelous things. Their motive was wrong. We know that God looks at the heart. Man looks at the outward appearance, right? So there's a stress in Ephesians 6 on the heart. So why is your work significant? Let me go back over it with you. Your work is significant because work is God's gift to us and it will endure for believers, especially when it's done right and it's not burned up, it will endure forever. Number two, your work is significant because it is God's will for you. You might be a bondservant, but if that's God's will, then your work is significant because He has given it to you. Number three, your work is significant because you're doing it for God and not for men. Number four, your work is significant because it shapes the character of those around you. Mom, dad, you need especially to pay attention to that truth. Number five, your work is significant because it shapes your character and lays the foundation for your eternity. You're everlasting. Number six, your work is significant because it offers the possibility of reward. And number seven, your work is significant because it reveals your motives. So this is not your normal missionary text. But here's the application to missions. God does have that work for some. And if that's His calling for you, then that's what you need to do because that's how you will get your reward. That's how He will say to you, well done, thou good and faithful servant. But if that's not His calling, that's fine. Part of my job, part of my responsibility, part of my joy is to help people find the will of God. And sometimes we tell them, I may say, well, that's, you know, this is not what God's calling you to do. He's not calling you to go overseas. He's not calling you to be a church planter. You don't have those gifts. You don't have passion. God's given you other gifts. What is His will for you? Maybe it is to go to one of those creative access nations. I like that better than restricted access nation. Same place, but there are creative ways to get into many of these places. What is God's will for you? If you'll do it, then you might hear Him say to you, well done, thou good and faithful servant, and you might get a great reward. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Let's pray. Father, we thank You for giving us encouragement from Your Word, knowing that everything a Christian does, if it's in the will of God, is significant and it will be rewarded. You will take notice of it. Help us to do it with the right motives. We're not trying to please men. Help us not to do it with eye service. Help us to do it with fear and trembling that we might be unfaithful. Help us to do it with diligence. Help us to do it with carefulness. Help us to do it with accuracy. We ask that you would speak to hearts. There may be some here who should respond to the call to take the gospel to other lands Lord, if that's your call, help them to be obedient. Even as Todd Beeman, as he was an eight-year-old, he felt your call. It was his passion, it was his desire, and you've given him now his heart's desire to be a missionary in Africa. We pray that there might be others who would follow that obedience. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you, Dr. Patterson, for challenging us. These are great verses to take with you this week because we all have responsibilities. We all have important tasks, and they are important because we're serving the Lord as we do them. And maybe there's some in this auditorium, part of our church family, who God is calling to expand in your ministry. and in shaping the lives around you, or maybe even going somewhere else to share the good news and seeking God's will. We all have an important task because what we do is for eternity to serve the Lord. Let's just close in prayer. It's a great day that we've had together as a church family. Let's God to help us as now we leave this place. Our Father, you have been good to us and we have heard your word. We have talked about worship this morning and that Your glory is preeminent, that we were created to glorify You. And we see how that plays out even in the passage we were instructed in tonight, that we can glorify You in the mundane, in the minutes of our work, in our schools, in our jobs, in our household responsibilities. And so, Lord, we pray that glorifying you would not just be something on our minds when we're in a building, but that we would be looking to glorify you every moment of our lives, Monday through Saturday, as we leave this place. That we would be shaping the lives of those who are around us, influencing others, realizing that all that we have, if we are in your will, is of great value because you have given it to us as a gift. And Lord, we don't know the future. Lord, we want you to direct our steps, and we pray that even from this assembly, you would direct the steps of increased gospel witness, whether it be here in Edmonton, but that you would send out laborers into your field where there are needs from this congregation, all for your glory. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.