John chapter 9. John chapter 9. We'll read from verse 1. John chapter 9, verse 1. And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, neither have this man sinned nor his parents, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me. While it is day, the night cometh when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay and said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, which is by interpretation sent. He went his way therefore and washed and came seeing the neighbors thereof. And they which before had seen him, that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? Some say, This is he. Others said, He is like him. But he said, I am he. Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash And I went and washed, and I received sight. Then said they unto him, where is he? He said, I know not. We'll end our reading at verse 12. Let's just unite briefly in prayer. Our loving father, I need thy help, and I need thine infilling. Be with me, I pray. Stand with me in the pulpit. Fill me with thy spirit. Help thy people to hear thy word. Open our ears, Lord. Open our hearts. We offer now prayer in Jesus' name. Amen. It was always my intention to return to the subject matter what the Bible has to say about work and preach one final concluding message. Now, in the previous messages, our focus was on the Christian, the Christian's involvement in work, both on a secular and on a sacred level. Well, today I want to turn our attention away from ourselves, and I want to focus our attention on another than the Lord Jesus Christ. and what the Bible has to say about him and work. And so with the Savior as our focus today, I want to preach a message that I've entitled, The Greatest Worker. The Greatest Worker. Now, you'll be aware that Jesus Christ is a great example that we ought to follow in our lives. When it came to the matter of suffering, it was Peter who would say in 1 Peter 2, verse 21, that Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example. that ye should follow in his steps. What was true with regard to suffering, that we look to God and to Christ as an example that we ought to follow when we come to suffer. So it is also true when we come to face anything in this world. Christ is our great example. Because Jesus Christ is not only the perfect man, he is the pattern man. He is the pattern that we are to follow in our lives. And therefore, His example in all things that pertain to life and godliness is suitable for us as believers to follow. Now, we often think about Christ's example in different areas and in different realms. We think about His example with regard to forgiveness and how even when He came to die, He would cry from the cross, Father forgive them for they know not what they do. We think about his great example in his love, his love for us, his love even for his enemies. We think of his example with regard to holiness, obedience, surrender, humility, benevolence, charity. In all of these areas we think of the Savior's example, but little emphasis is ever placed upon the example of Christ in relation to the matter of work. It was the matter of work that the Son of God addresses here in John chapter 9, when in the verse number 4 he declares to his disciples, I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day, the night cometh when no man can work. these words I take for my tax today. I want you to notice with me from the Savior's own words in John 9 verse 4. I want you to notice first of all the emphasis he placed on work. The emphasis that he placed on work. I want you to mark the word must in verse 4. For it is a word that Christ used to emphasize to His disciples the necessity of His own engagement in the work assigned to Him by His Father. I must work the works of Him that sent me. With Christ it wasn't, I may, if I will, or I can, if I like, but rather I must, I must. I must work the works of Him that sent me. while some spent their time talking, while others spent their time thinking, while friends debated, while foes argued, Christ worked. My time, my energy, my focus is given to the work that the Father has assigned me to do. I am focused on the work of the one who sent me. It wasn't then an option for Son of God to be idle. It wasn't an option for Him to be active. It wasn't an option for the Savior to be redundant when He came into this world, but rather He was under restraint. He was bound. He was compelled. He was constrained to engage in the work that the Father gave Him to do. What an example we have before us. Because, beloved, if the Master worked If he felt this compulsion, this necessity to give himself to the tasks assigned to him, why then would the servant be any better than the master? There's a work to do. There's a work to do. But do we see the necessity of giving ourselves to that work? Is there within our souls a compulsion? Is there a desire? Is there a burden to do the work allotted to us by the Father? Christ was no idle bystander. He was a worker. He was a laborer. He is one who busied himself with the works of his Father. Think of it even as a child. Think about the child Christ and how he gave himself to the work of his father. Do you remember him at just 12 years of age? He's gone missing on the journey home from Jerusalem. Mary and Joseph search frankly for him, busily for him, anxiously for him, and they eventually find him. After three days of searching, they eventually find him in the temple. Remember what Jesus Christ said to Mary and Joseph? He said to them, "'Wish ye not that I must be about my father's business?' Even at the age of 12, he was involved in his father's work, the business of the father. Yes, it's 18 years before he commences his public work, his public ministry at the age of 30, but even in childhood, it was proper for him to be engaged in the great business for which he came down from heaven. He would say in John chapter 5 and the verse 17, my father worketh hitherto, and I work." There's a great emphasis that Jesus Christ places upon work. Could I suggest to you one of the reasons why He was so emphatic with regard to work and about His engagement to work and in work? I believe that it relates to the fulfillment of the law. You see, the Scriptures remind us that the Son of God, whenever He came to earth, He came not to destroy the law, but rather to fulfill the law. Christ fulfilled the law, you'll know that Christ fulfilled the law by his own personal, unbroken, entire, perfect obedience to it. And thus, for him not to work would have meant that he would have failed to keep that part of the fourth commandment. Remember what we said, six days shall thy labor and do all thy work. Christ had a field to engage in work and just simply came to this earth to be idle, to be non-industrious, to be a man of simple leisure, then would he not have fielded in that part of the law? Would he not have failed to keep the law, that fourth commandment, knowing that the law must be fulfilled and upheld, Christ gave himself to the work that was allotted to him. In word, Jesus Christ becomes a great example for his people, the eternal Son of God, gave not himself to idleness or to continual ease when he came into this world, but rather, rather he gave himself to engaging in the work that the Father gave him to do. He would say of himself in Matthew 20, in the verse 28, even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many. And Christ gave himself wholeheartedly to the work that he undertook, whether it was on a physical nature or whether it was of a spiritual nature. Whatever work he engaged to do, he gave himself to it wholeheartedly, and by doing so, he gives us a commendable example that we ought to imitate in our lives. We ought to give ourselves to the work of God wholeheartedly, fully engaged, and without relent. And so this, what we have here is what the Savior, He speaks about the emphasis that He places on work. He says, I must, I must work. I must work. But let's move on to a second point today. Think about the essence of His work, this great worker's work. Let's think about the very essence of the work. And whenever we come to think about the work of Jesus Christ, What a vast subject matter that is. We certainly couldn't go into much detail with regard to it really today, but we could, as I thought about that, I thought about how we could break up the Savior's work. We could group the Savior's work under three distinct periods in relation to His existence, past, present, future. The past work of Christ, His present work, and then His future work, And that really then will entail the very essence of the work of Jesus Christ, the greatest worker. Think about, first of all, then, His past work. Think about His past work, first of all, in relation to the work of creation. Speaking about the Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul will write in Colossians 1 verse 16, for by Him, Speaking of Christ, were all things created that are in heaven, that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created by him and for him. Creation, Yes, it is a work of the triune God, but it is attributed on many occasions as a work that Jesus Christ takes the lead role. Could we put it like that? He takes the lead role in the creation of all things that are created, visible and invisible. Out of nothing, he speaks And all things come into existence, from the sun, moon, and stars, to the sea, land, and sky, to all the various creatures and living things within, and all things that fill all created realms, all things were created by the Son of God who spoke all things into existence. Unlike men, when Christ came to engage in the work of creation, He worked in such a way that no amendments, no adjustments needed to be made post-creation. When he made all things, the pronouncement was this, very good. All things, very good. It really gives us an insight to the quality of the work of Jesus Christ. It was all very good. From the divine perspective it was all very good. No amendments, no changes needed to be made. All things very good. That's the quality of the work that Jesus Christ undertakes. It's not some kind of slapdash. kind of smaller or lesser kind of work with regard to quality, but all that Christ did in creation was off the highest standard imaginable. Not one work was left incomplete, and ought we not to learn them with regard to our own work, whether it be the work of God or whether it be even our secular work, Christ being our example, that whenever Christ worked, his work was of the highest standard. Let me ask the children here today, is your school work of the highest standard? Let me ask with regard to the teenagers and those who went into secular employment, is your work to the highest standard? And those of an older age, what about your work? What quality is that? Well, Christ, whenever he worked, his work, his work was done in such a way that it was marked by this declaration, very good. Does your employer say that about your work? Very good. It's very good. And so, there is that work of creation. This is the Savior's past work. What about His work of compassion? The earthly ministry of Christ was marked by works of mercy and works of compassion. In Acts chapter 10, verse 38, we read these words, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good. and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with him. Lepers, dumb and deaf men, dead sons and daughters, infirmed women, palsied patients, were all grateful for the compassionate ministry of the Son of God when He walked among men. His works of mercy, His works of compassion, I ask myself the question, what works of mercy, what works of compassion did I engage in over the last seven days? What works of mercy? Who did I reach out to? Who did I help? Who did I assist? You see, Jesus Christ is a great example. He gave himself to this work, works of compassion. And then what about his work of evangelization? Matthew gives us a very succinct summary of the Savior's public ministry over there in Matthew chapter 9. If you want to turn there, it'll keep us awake in this very, very warm church. Matthew chapter 9 in the verse number 35 it says, Now there's no doubt that Jesus Christ engaged in acts of mercy and compassion. We've spoken about that let me say that his preaching and his teaching ministry were his primary activity. He came to preach. Christ came to evangelize. He came to reach the lost. He came to preach to the lost sheep of Israel, and he went into all. Notice that he was a man who had no sectarianism within him. There was no, as it were, prejudice with regard to where he went. But Jesus went about all, all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom. And so he went about preaching. Repent ye and believe the gospel was his message. He was a man involved in the work of evangelism, well, what about us? Who did we reach this week? Who did we witness to? What worker did we spend time with and speak to and address with regard to their need of Christ? Their need to repent and believe the gospel. Who did we try to get in under the word of God? Who did we invite to our gospel meeting this evening? Who did we invite? This is the work of Christ. He's our example. We ought to follow in his footsteps. He came preaching. He came preaching. But his past work, we think about his greatest work, and that is the work of redemption. This is often the work we think about whenever the preacher speaks about the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. We don't really think about his evangelism. We don't think about his works of mercy. We really don't think about his work of creation. But focused and rightly so, we think about the great work of redemption. Redemption is his highest work. It is Christ's greatest work. Galatians 3, verse 13, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. Be made a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. Redemption is his chosen work. He undertook to do that work, and in undertaking to do that work, he accomplished that work. For he cried, It is finished. His resurrection proves that His work is a finished work. By His holy life, by His bitter death, He redeemed His people from their sin. It is His work with regard to His past work. But consider the essence of Christ's work in now the second realm or the second time period. Think about His present work. Although the earthly work of Christ is finished, Christ continues to be employed in work. First of all, there is the work of preservation. Preservation. The Son being appointed the heir of all things is said in Hebrews 1 verse 3, to be upholding all things by the word of His power. Christ is involved in the preservation of the physical creation. But not only is he involved in the preservation of the physical creation, and what a work that is, as I've said on occasions before, spinning through space at a mind-boggling speed, and how this world seems to avoid every other planet, every other star, every other asteroid. It's just an amazing thought when you study space and the universe around us. And He's preserving us. He's upholding all things. He's causing all things to be upheld, preserved in this world. But He not only upholds and preserves the physical creation, thank God He preserves the spiritual creation. John 10, 28. And I give on to them eternal life, and they shall never perish. neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." What a blessing to know, what a comfort to know that the preservation of the saints of God is a work that Christ is presently engaging in. He's keeping us on to Him who is able to keep you from falling. That's what he's doing, child of God. That's what he did this week for you. That's what he'll do for you in the week that lies ahead. He's going to keep you from falling. He's going to keep you from utterly falling away, apostatizing. He's going to keep you until the day, until the day that you're glorified, until the day you're found safely in heaven. This is the work that he's doing for us. Christ is preserving you, brother. Christ is preserving you, sister. Rejoice in that today. Think of not only his present work in preservation, what about his work in prayer? Scripture makes it clear that Christ is presently praying for us, interceding on our behalf. Romans 8, 34, Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Hebrews 7 verse 25, Wherefore he is able to see of them to the uttermost all that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to do what? To make intercession for us. Listen, brethren and sisters, the ascended Christ has risen to make intercession for his people, supported by the prayers of Christ. What a comfort. I'm supported today by the prayers of Christ for me. He's praying for me. What did he say concerning Peter? Peter, I have prayed for thee. Yes, Satan hath desired to have thee as wheat, and he's desired to sift you as wheat. But Peter, I have prayed for thee that thy faith feel not. He's praying for you. He'll pray for you this week. I don't know what circumstances you're going into. I don't know what trouble you're heading into, what I'm heading into. I don't understand or know what maybe health difficulties or financial difficulties or with regard to family problems you're heading into this week or in the month that lies ahead. But thank God He's going to be praying. He's going to be praying for me. He's going to be praying for you. Look heavenward, child of God. Yes, there is His present work, preservation, prayers, and then presentation, presentation. Hebrews 9, 24, for Christ has not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us. Presentation. There's one today in the glory child of God and he's there presenting his blood and his righteousness on behalf of his people. He's in heaven. He's standing there praying or seated there at the father's right hand. He's in heaven itself appearing in the presence of God for us. Calvary answers for me today. Praise God for that. Calvary answers for you. He's presenting The virtue and the value and the victory of his work on your behalf. He'll bring you safely to glory. Thank God for that. You have come to trust in Jesus Christ. But what about his essence, the essence of his work in the future? Yes, he's finished his earthly work. And yes, Christ is presently engaged in the work in glory. He's there praying for us. He's preserving all things, the physical creation, the spiritual creation. Aye, and He's also there presenting His work on our behalf, but there's still a work that He's to do. Part of that future work relates to His judgment of all men. Acts 17, 31, God the Father is said to have appointed a day which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man by whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, and that he hath raised him from the dead." According to John, in John chapter 5, 22, the judgment of all men is that work that is assigned to Jesus Christ. Listen to the words of the Savior, John 5, 22, Judgment of all men is a work that will engage the Son of God in the future. And so, in a sense, His work is not complete. Now, don't get me wrong. Don't pick it up wrong. His work of redemption, it's complete. The work He did engaged on our behalf. It's a finished work. But there's still a work for Him to do. There is a judgment of all men when all will be gathered around the throne, when all will be gathered at the great white throne judgment. And on that day, He will judge all men according to their works. And there is another work that He will perform at His coming again, and that is the transformation of His people. Philippians 3.21, Paul states that at His appearing, the Savior will And I quote, change our vile body that it might be fashioned like onto his glorious body. According to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things onto himself. That transformational work will be undertaken by the one whose likeness we will come to take on. Again, a work assigned to the son that is still yet to take place. With all that in mind, with regard to the essence of His work, whether the Lord Jesus Christ participated in certain works that we can never participate within our lives, and I'm referring to creation. We can't create. I think of redemption. We cannot redeem a soul. I think of the work of preservation. I can't uphold the worlds. I think of the work of judgment, that's a work for the Son to do. I am this work of transformation, whereby I will take on the likeness of Jesus Christ. These are works that I can never be engaged in. And yet, though that is the case, there are works that he did involve himself in that I can engage in. What about the works of compassion? Galatians 6.10, as we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them that are of the household of faith. That's works of compassion. What about the work of evangelism? And he said unto them, go ye, go ye into all the world and preach the gospel. What about the work of prayer? Men are always to pray and not to faint. And so why there are works of Christ that we could never engage in. there are some of the works that we can give ourselves to. Well, let's busy ourselves in the works that we can do and leave the works that we cannot do to the one who alone can do those works, to Christ himself. As we think about the greatest worker, consider thirdly, the exclusivity of his work. The exclusivity of his work. In our text here, John 9, verse 4, the Savior said, I must work, and then he makes a qualifying statement. I must work the works of him that sent me. That's my work, the works of him that sent me. The Savior limited himself to do only, to do only, I shall repeat it again for emphasis sake, to do only the work that the Father had assigned him to do. Did you know that there were certain works that Jesus Christ refused to do when he was on earth? Let me give you two examples. He refused to establish an earthly kingdom. This is what his disciples hoped that he was going to do, but they were going to be bitterly disappointed when the Savior himself withdrew from public life, when it seemed that he was on the cusp of enthronement in the early years of his public ministry. John 6, 15, when Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force to make him a king. What did he do? He departed again into a mountain himself alone. Christ would repeatedly inform his listeners that his kingdom was not of this world. And so the work of establishing an earthly kingdom as in some kind of political kingdom to remove the Romans from their position was a work that Jesus Christ refused to engage in. much to the disappointment, as I said, of his zealous followers. They just thought that he would establish a kingdom, but that work he did not give himself to. Christ also refused to intervene into family disputes. How wise. Do you remember the occasion in Luke chapter 12 when that unnamed man came to the Lord Jesus Christ and asked him to arbitrate in a family dispute with It's all about an inheritance. Speak to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me. Why did Jesus Christ involve himself in that sticky work? Did he, as it were, delve into some family dispute? He would have been the most wisest person to do so. His wisdom would have been unsurpassed with regard to such a family dispute. But Jesus Christ did not involve himself in that work. He rebuked the man with the words, man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? Christ was aware that the matter to hand was a matter for a magistrate or a judge to decide upon, not him. And so he refused to give himself to that earthly matter. There were works that he refused to involve himself in. But note from our text that the Savior confined himself to the works of him that sent me. He would say in John 4 and the verse number 34, if you're in John's gospel, John 4 verse 34, he said, and Jesus said unto them, my meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work. Again, he speaks of the exclusivity of the nature of his work. It was a work, the work of him that sent him that he came to do. You know, in our lives, brethren and sisters, listen now, listen. In our lives, there's a great temptation to involve ourselves in works and enterprises and causes. But Christ teaches us here, I believe by His example, that we are to give ourselves wholeheartedly and single-mindedly to the work assigned to us by God. I was very interested to read Spurgeon's checkbook of faith yesterday. I don't know if you read it. I don't know if you use that little devotional. He was speaking on the words there in 1 Timothy 4, verse 15. Meditate upon these things. Give thyself wholly to them, that by profiting may appear to all. And this is what he said. He said, if we divide ourselves between God and mammon, or Christ and self, we shall make no progress. We must give ourselves wholly to holy things or else we shall be poor traders in heavenly business and that our stock taking no profit will be shown. Am I a minister? Let me be a minister wholly and not spend my energies upon secondary concerns. What have I to do with party politics or vain amusements? Am I a Christian? Let me make my service of Jesus my occupation, my life work, my one pursuit. We must be in and in with Jesus and then out and out for Jesus or else we shall make neither progress nor profit and neither the church nor the world will feel the forceful influence which the Lord would have us to exercise. Brother, sister, there is a work for you to do. It is for you to find out what that work is and then do it. Having been sought by His Spirit, having been bought by His blood, having been taught by His grace, we therefore should engage in the work that He has called us to do. Too often, fueled by our own ego and pride, we give ourselves to our work, our work. But what about the work that God intended us to do, having created us, first of all, and then redeemed us? What about that work, brother? What about that work, sister? We need to ask ourselves the question, am I doing the work that God saved me to do? Will you say today that although you have been hesitant to give yourself to the work of God, this moment that from this day onwards, are you going to say, I'm going to commit by God's grace to engage in the work of God? And if you have drawn back from God's work for whatever reason, will you recommit to the work of God today? Just now, where you sit, you're going to say, I'm going to give myself to God's work, the greatest work. As you read this text, may God impress upon your heart, I, I, I must work the works of Him that sent me. Now I could give many reasons why we ought to work the works of Him that sent me, but let me confine my closing brief remarks to the reason why Christ gave. And so think with me finally about the extent of His work, and it is with regard and in relation to time. You see, the Savior says in our text that the reason why He must work the works of Him that sent me, this is His rationale, this is His reasoning. He says, because the night's coming when no man can work. My time on earth is coming to a close. And I need to busy myself in the work that the Father gave me to do. The night cometh when no man can work. With limited time available to him, the Son of God gave Himself to the work of God, to the work of His Father. Postponement, rescheduling, not an option for the Son of God. I must work today, now. I have just the day. The night cometh when no man can work. We are in a day. The day here speaks of life, the night speaks of death. Thank God we are still in the day. opportunities to serve God abound, but what are we doing with our days? We cannot boast ourselves of tomorrow, but thank God we still have today to serve the Master. And soon the night, the night of death will take us, embrace us, and remove us from this world, and take us to the grave where there is no work or device, then all opportunities to serve the Master will be forever gone. The night's coming for this minister. The night's coming for you. It is our duty to employ the time then to serve the Lord. We ought to live and we ought to labor in light of this, brethren and sisters, in light of the fact that the night cometh. The night cometh. May it be written over our minds and our hearts. The night cometh when no man can work. Amy Carmichael came from this province. She spent her life serving the Lord Jesus Christ as a missionary to India. And Amy Carmichael, she said these words, we have all eternity to celebrate our victories. but only a few hours before sunset to win them. We have all eternity to celebrate our victories, but only a few hours before sunset to win them. Christ had a work to do, and he finished the work before the sun set on his life. He says, I have done and I have fulfilled the work. I have done the work. Let me ask you, is there a work that remains unfinished in your life? Maybe a loved one to win, maybe a friend to be reconciled with, Maybe some service to be rendered in the work of God. Is there a work that remains undone, unfinished? Well, beloved, the night when no man can work is coming. Let us work then while it is day. Following the example of the greatest worker, Jesus Christ, who said, I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day. The night cometh when no man can work. May God help us to follow in his footsteps for his praise and glory. Amen. Let's bow our heads in prayer. Let me thank you for your attention to the children, young people, adults. We thank you for your listening, your attention. I trust you'll do something with the word preached today. The Lord will impress upon all of our hearts there's a work to do. We need to get busy. We must get at it. While it's day, while we're living, the night cometh. The night cometh. Our loving Father, we pray that we will labor and serve Thee. Will Thou just give us the health, the energy, the vitality, to do so. We may not be found on the sidelines, but may we give ourselves wholeheartedly to the work of God. May we be single-minded in this, just as the Master was. He gave Himself to the work of Him that sent Him, not even to do His own will. He would say that, I came not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me. He delighted to do the Father's will. Oh, may we delight to do the Father's will. May nothing deflect us or distract us from it. Answer prayer, and may we be busy in winning the lost, evangelizing our districts, our families, and may we see men and women and young people brought in under the sound of the gospel even this evening, for the night cometh. The night of eternal darkness for the sinner cometh, when there will be no way of rescue, no remedy for the lost soul. Part us with thy blessing. May the favor and the smile of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit rest and abide upon thy people until the day break. and the shadows flee away, we offer prayer in Jesus' name. Amen and amen. Thank you.