Automated Transcript
[00:00:04] Amen. Good singing this morning. Our children are going out with Miss Candy. Have a good time out there.
[00:00:17] It’s a little different service, isn’t it?
[00:00:22] But I thought that was a good choice of songs as we just reflect on all those who have given we have Veterans Day, as I said, we have Memorial Day and we honor our veterans and those soldiers, men and women who gave the ultimate price and gave their all for our freedoms. But on this day, Labor Day, I want us to remember that there was a whole lot behind those scenes. There was a whole lot of support that went into those men and women. Just the fact that they’re paving the road out here and you may drive down that road and say oh, this is a mess. It’s getting my car dirty.
[00:01:03] They’re holding up the traffic. And a lot of times we get frustrated with those kind of things. Anybody been there but me? And I’m the only impatient one here. But we all do that.
[00:01:14] But then ultimately, when they’re done we have nice roads to ride on and we have place where we can go. I used to thinking every time I go on a trip or we used to travel a lot when we had our motorhome and I said I’d look at my wife or the kids, I say, you know, we have traveled roughly 2000 miles. Do you know that? Back in Pilgrims days and when they did horse and buggy what’s, the two guys that went across the Rockies all the way to the West Coast? Lewis and Clark.
[00:01:48] Thank you. I told somebody earlier, it’s Labor Day weekend. I guess my brain’s on holiday too, I don’t know. But Lewis and Clark, as they traveled across the country and all those things that have put such work into finding new lands and experiencing those things that has made the nation that we live in today. And we see how God’s hand has been in each and every part of it all along.
[00:02:14] How he’s blessed our nation. Yeah, it looks kind of bleak sometimes and now we’re sort of wondering what in the world’s going on and all these different things. But I want to assure you God is in still control and God is leading and doing things in our nation to bring it back to himself to put things in place as he has seen fit. And there’s just a lot that goes into that. And it’s a little different message for me today.
[00:02:43] Usually I stand up here and try to do some kind of expository exogesis those are big words, right? Of scripture and help you to understand them. But if you can bear with me, I’d like to do something just a little bit different today. Not normal, what I do, but this is not a normal day. This is Labor Day weekend.
[00:03:04] And as I thought about that and a lot of times I think well, it’s Labor Day weekend. So what? Lord’s, give me another message. I can’t deal with that. I don’t always go with the holiday, but this day I felt like I should, or I’m being pressed upon to remind us to consider those things, those who work so hard in the factories to make the support for our military, those who work to give us our homes and to do all these things.
[00:03:33] A lot of jobs go unnoticed, don’t they? A lot of jobs we take for granted. This is the way it used to be, according to the History Channel. I looked this up just to try to refresh my memory and look into that. The history of Labor Day.
[00:03:48] Anybody know what that is? Yeah. It started back when I was a kid, when mom and Daddy was having a barbecue every first Monday of September, right? That’s not the beginning of Labor Day. That’s not what Labor Day is actually all about.
[00:04:01] It is a time of celebration, of something that took place, that was a victory in our labor force. It began back in the 18 hundreds. And when the Industrial Revolution began and we were turning from being farmers and hunters and those things, you began to see steel factories open up and all these factories begin to open. And the Industrial Revolution, they called. In the United States, the average American worked at least 12 hours a day.
[00:04:34] Now, today, we can’t hardly get into work 4 hours a day. But nonetheless, back then, 12 hours a day wasn’t uncommon to work. And you worked seven days a week as these big factories developed. And these rich that own these factories. And often the people were poor people, they were immigrants, they were people that had no choice.
[00:05:01] They had lost their farm, maybe, or they didn’t have a farm, and they went and worked for these big factories. Often I’ve been told that there was even children as young as five and six years old working in these mills. That’s unheard of today. Now, you take my six year old grandsons or my eight or nine or ten year old grandson granddaughters and want to put them meal work. You’re going to have to deal with Papo.
[00:05:32] We’ll have what they call come to Jesus meeting. We’re not doing that. They’re going to enjoy being children, so we didn’t hear that. But in that time, that’s what they would do. And they would pay him little or nothing to work these children.
[00:05:48] And this was a very troubling time in the workforce. And the people of all ages, like I said, particularly the poor and immigrants, were faced with hard work conditions, unsafe conditions. The mining industry has made great strides for safety, but it used to be they give them a pick and a shovel and a stick of dynamite and said, Dig that hole. Go down. Twelve, 1400ft.
[00:06:14] Never mind you don’t have good air, never mind there’s collapse and all these different we hear of some collapse even today, but we have made great strides in our mining industry, in that labor force. As manufacturing increased and agriculture began to die off as much in America, they developed labor unions, which first appeared in the late 18th century and grew more and more. These labor unions, now, I’m not a big union person, but they have done some good things. They have helped in our safety. They have helped in fair labor acts and payroll and stuff.
[00:07:02] I think, well, I just won’t get on my soapbox about that this morning. But they have done some good things. But they began to organize strikes and rallies to protest the poor working conditions, the things that were going on, and to try to get their employees to treat their employers, to treat their employees better, to give them better working hours, better pay, safer conditions. And this started big rallies, this started big protest, this started big strikes as workers would walk off the job and say, we won’t work this way. We’ve seen, you may remember, the strikes we used to always have.
[00:07:47] You don’t see much of them anymore. But they were a big thing back in the late 18 hundreds. And they say even some of them got so violent in that period. There was one main riot, the hay market riot. Anybody familiar with that?
[00:08:03] One of 1886, which several policemen, and they say roughly 70 people were killed when 10,000 workers took to the streets to strike seeking better working conditions. From that, they began to have, let’s say on September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square in New York City, holding their first Labor Day parade in the US. So the first parade, or just strike or I guess you could say that we need better work conditions was in 1882. On September 5, 1882, let’s see. I said that on June 20, eigth of 1894, president Grover Cleveland signed it into law that all federal employees would observe Monday of the first Monday of September as Labor Day for federal.
[00:09:10] Obviously, federal employees always get the first holiday, right? But as it grew down in many cities or states adopted that same thing. The Labor Day was born. When we celebrate fair labor standards and good working conditions and no longer children underage working, this took great strides in our nation. And I know maybe that’s sort of boring to some of you.
[00:09:38] Maybe it’s trivial information, but I think it’s good to know, to understand why we do, why we celebrate this day, why it is a celebration. I would get venture to say that most of us probably wouldn’t want to work under the conditions that they used to have to work under because of their labor, their work. And they’re taking a stand. We now have 40 day work weeks. Over 40 hours.
[00:10:07] You’re supposed to get paid overtime. You get paid holidays. You have better benefits. You have safer working environment because of someone’s labor, someone working for a better way, a better life, and how those things came about and what it all boils down to that anyone that works or does anything wants to be appreciated for that work, right? I mean, you don’t just go the job and just a lot of us, we work the job from payday to payday hoping to get by.
[00:10:43] But have you ever just wanted your boss to say, hey, that’s a good job, Mamas. Have you ever just wanted your children to say, thank you, Mommy, for doing this, mama’s. Probably one of the most unthankful jobs there is of self giving, the labor of love that she gives. And everybody wants to be appreciated for their labors, to know that their work is paying off. Often many work day after day and never feel they’re ever getting anywhere.
[00:11:15] We’re just looking for payday. They’re in that kind of situation. Some of it is self inflicted. Some of it is just because of the situation that they’re in. I understand that.
[00:11:27] And we as Christians, we talk about one day when we get to heaven, we’re going to rest. There will be no more labor. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord timeout. You know, we’re going to be working in heaven.
[00:11:43] Oh, my goodness. Now I’m not sure I want to go. You see, work started out all the way back in Genesis, chapter two, verse 15. Listen to as I read this. And the Lord God took man and put him in the garden to dress it and keep it.
[00:12:05] That’s labor. That’s working. But it was enjoyable working. I believe Adam and Eve couldn’t wait to get up the next morning and to go and name the animals and to prune these bushes and to do these things. There was no thorns at this time, remember?
[00:12:24] There was no dandelions to get out of your zorgia or your centipede. There wasn’t all that. It was beautiful. And God created labor for men. He understood that work was okay.
[00:12:39] Many of you work. I know Brian worked hard and many of you work hard. And ladies, you work hard. And at the end of the day, you just look back and see what I’ve accomplished. And it just makes you feel good.
[00:12:51] That felt good to work and see the fruits of your labor. I used to have my garden, and I always had a five gallon bucket sitting out of my garden. And I’d go out there and hoe and pick and prune and do all the things I was supposed to do. And at the end of the day, I’d turn the sprinklers on and I’d just sit on my five gallon bucket and just watch my garden grow. It was satisfying.
[00:13:15] Anybody ever done that? Just watch it grow? Isn’t that satisfying? The fruits of your labor? See, that’s what God intended originally.
[00:13:25] That labor was not supposed to be something we dreaded. Labor wasn’t something that was a chore, but it was a privilege to do. We’re to work and to provide for our children. That’s the way God designed it, for our families, men. He said, if you don’t do that, you’re worse than an infidel.
[00:13:45] So labor hasn’t always been bad. What made it bad? The same thing that made everything else in God’s beautiful creation bad is sin. When sin came, then thorns came and cot picking dandelions came, and I’m sure Cudzu’s in there somewhere and all them other viny things that grow all over the place and make a mess out of everything that you can’t seem to get rid of for nothing. But all those are a result of sin.
[00:14:14] And so today we look at labor and say, oh, this is awful. But I believe that when we get back to heaven, or when we go to heaven, we’ll go back to what God originally intended for us to do. We’ll have jobs in heaven. I believe the jobs in heaven will have the talents that we have now and the gifts that God gives us now, the desires he gives us now to do things I believe will have some kind of impact of what we do for eternity. Robin, Jill, y’all might be playing pianos and organisms for eternity.
[00:14:50] David, you might be singing for eternity. Oh, I can hope not. Oh, I didn’t say that out loud. But those things that you love to do here and now, I believe God’s put it in your heart, and I believe you might be doing those kinds. David was king over Israel, loved it.
[00:15:09] What’s he going to be doing for eternity? Being king over Jerusalem, under Jesus, the King of all the world that you see these things throughout Scripture that take place in heaven, the responsibilities and duties he gives us now, I believe, will have something to do with what we’re going to be doing. We’re not just going to be all just sitting around the throne playing harps and fluttering our wings, which we’re not going to have. But that’s the picture everybody paints and just singing and worry, oh, we’re going to be singing and worshipping, but we’ll be worshiping not only in song and voice, but in the labor that we provide for our Savior, for God, our King. So we’ll be doing those things in heaven, and it won’t be a drudgery, it won’t be a pain.
[00:15:57] It will be a perfect work of labor. Where am I going with this? I want us to remember today all that we do, all that we have. God’s given us that ability. God’s given us talents.
[00:16:12] He’s given us desires to do, do them wholeheartedly as unto the Lord.
[00:16:20] The writer of Hebrews writes in chapter six, verse ten for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love which you have showed toward his name, and in that you have ministered to the saints and do. Minister and would desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of the hope unto the end. Father, as we study your word this morning, I just thank you and praise you that you’ve given me the abilities and the strength to work these years to be able to serve you and to serve your people. Lord, what an honor and what a blessing. We thank you for each one of our church family that works so diligently for the nation that we live in, all the ones behind the scene, the secretaries, and the ones that put together all the different things to make this nation what it is to be one nation under God, Father, that’s what we seek.
[00:17:24] And Lord, as we just reflect today on those who have given so much, those who labor, lord, let us be grateful for all that have done and before us. Help us, Father, to be the ones that would carry that torch to work diligently to make it a better nation, a better community, a better church, for your honor and for your glory, in Jesus name I pray, amen. He says, God’s not going to forget your labor of love. See, what he was teaching them here is he was telling them that stop being Hebrews in the book of Hebrews, that’s what it’s all about. Jesus is enough.
[00:18:08] His finished work on the cross is enough. And when he told them, stop doing temple worship, stop doing sacrifices, stop going to the high priest every time you fall short, every time you sin, that’s no more need. And we have all that. Jesus fulfilled all of that on the cross. We go directly to the throne of God through Jesus Christ.
[00:18:33] He says, you don’t have to do this anymore. See, they thought their labor of love was offering sacrifices. They thought their labor to God is doing temple worship and obeying the law and doing all these things. And the writer of Hebrews is saying, no, that’s done. Jesus fulfilled that.
[00:18:52] That was for Jesus to do and for us to trust and rest in Him. Stop doing those things, stop working. And so anticipating there, well, what do we do mean? How are we going to express that we love God if we don’t do sacrifices, if we don’t go to the temple, if we don’t do these things, how do we express our love to God? He says, hey, the best way you can express your love to God is to serve one another.
[00:19:24] Jesus gave that example when he washed the disciples’feet. He said, do you know what I’ve done to you? I didn’t just wash your feet. I God of all creation, the one who could pull down 10,000 legions of angels and destroy the world and not have to go the cross. I humbled myself and I washed your feet.
[00:19:49] I served you. He says, do that same thing to one another. And the writer of Hebrew says, don’t worry about is you serving one another. You’re helping the poor, you’re helping the homeless. You’re helping the child, the weak.
[00:20:05] Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly unto the Lord, because he sees all things. He’s not going to forget your labor of love. That’s what he’s telling them here. Your love is no more expressed in old legalistic system of religion, but as a pure heart who loves God and loves people, god will recognize your labor of love. Do you all understand that this morning, as Christians, that’s the greatest thing we do is to love one another, care for one another, pray for one another, lift up one another.
[00:20:42] That’s what I want to do today. That’s where I’m at today. I want to remember those things. I told you it’d be a little different service, little different than what I normally do, but I just want to read some scripture to you two. Corinthians 912 for the administrations of this service not only supplyeth the want of the saints and is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God.
[00:21:11] Now, our Wednesday night crowd, as we just went through second Corinthians, you know exactly what he’s talking about, right? Y’all just shake your head yes, even if you don’t remember what he was talking about in their giving and those things that they did. This was a labor of love that supplied the needs of those less fortunate. And he said, this is a great thing that you’re doing, because not only are you supplying the needs, but what is it doing? It’s causing those that you supplied the needs to to praise God and thank God for his blessings.
[00:21:48] And ultimately, that’s what we are all here for, is to glorify God. So when you give, when you do some type of labor for the Lord, you’re not just helping someone else, that someone else recognized that and recognizes it’s from God, and they praise Him, all glory goes to God. Do you understand that no matter how trivial it may seem, you may have just held the door open for somebody that’s a labor of love. As trivial as that is, there are little things that we can do to show act of kindness and love. And he’s saying that not only does it help their need or their want, but it also brings thanksgiving to God.
[00:22:35] Now we’re going back to our understanding that God is not going to forget our labor of love. I want to just give you some points here in giving. Oh, boy, here he goes. Preacher goes. Talk about tithing now.
[00:22:50] No, I’m not. When we give, I mean, obviously we can give money, but I think one of the most precious things we can give is just our time, because not many of us have much time for that anymore, right? Time seems to be in lack. We’re in a time recession anymore. We’re so busy going and doing.
[00:23:14] But if you stop to just give your time, just to sit and listen to someone pour their heart out, you gave them your time. That can be a labor of love. And then giving he says, as an example, he’s talking about giving money. In Matthew 64, he says that thine arms may be in secret, and thy Father, which seeth in secret himself, shall reward thee openly. So as we give of our offerings and of our times, you don’t have to go telling everybody, look what I did, look what I did, look what I did.
[00:23:51] Jesus says, you have your reward, you have the praise of men. But this verse is so awesome to me if I give of my money, my time, and I really don’t want anybody to know, I’d rather just keep that secret. It’s not because I need the praise. I want them to praise God. There’s been times, and I almost hate to say this because I don’t want you to know, but I’ve been in restaurants before and see a couple of three soldiers sitting at a table and I tell the waitress I want to pay their bill, but I don’t want them to know who it is.
[00:24:29] I just want to show my appreciation for they’re given their all. I don’t need them to know who did it. I don’t need their praise. I want them just to understand they’re appreciated. And if they do anything as they pray over their foot, they can thank God for supplying the need.
[00:24:48] He gets the glory. And in him getting the glory, he rewards me. He rewards me. I’d rather have his reward than your reward, david, you got a lot of money, but God’s got a little more than you do. David, you’ve got a lot of things, or Gerald, or you’ve got a lot of things.
[00:25:06] But you know what? God can bless me more than any you could ever think about. And he blesses in ways that exceedingly abundantly, above all that I could ask or think. Now, don’t get me wrong, I appreciate everything you all do. That’s not what I’m saying.
[00:25:22] But I think as we do things, we let God handle the reward. We let God reward us in the way that he wants to reward in praying. He also says in Matthew six six, but thou, when thou prayest, enter thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father, which is in secret, shall reward thee openly. See, he was talking about the Pharisees. They used to love to stand in the synagogues and poke out their chest and oh, our Heavenly Father, I thank you that I’m not like that guy.
[00:26:04] And they’d pray these long philosophical prayers. And what they were wanting was people in the synagogue saying, what a man of faith. What power in prayer. They’re awesome. I wish I could pray like that.
[00:26:22] And jesus says no, when you pray, go by yourself in a closet and you pray. And what God sees in secret he’ll reward openly. Little different thought process in the world, right? We all want to see our labor, we all want to see what we do. God says, that’s not so, that’s not how I work.
[00:26:45] How about in fasting? You’ve heard people say, and I know some people do it for health reasons, but I’ve seen some people I’m on my fourth day of fasting, only got three more days and I think I’m going to perish for it. Obviously I haven’t fasted in a while. But some people fast and they just want to tell everybody they’re fasting for the Lord. Oh it’s me.
[00:27:13] Jesus warned of that too. No, you don’t walk around with your head hanging low and I just wish I could have a Big Mac, big old glass of sweet tea. But I’m fasting for the Lord right now by the only one that’s ever seen people kind of act I’m over exaggerating, I know, but you’ve seen people do that. That’s not why you fast. You fasting is something between you and God.
[00:27:42] You’re seeking his face. That’s the purpose of fasting to putting aside. And by the way, fasting can be more than just food. Fasting can be something that’s near and dear to you like surfing Amazon for next thing to buy all the time, anything that you just love dearly to do. You say, lord, I’m not going to do that for a week.
[00:28:09] Instead I’m going to study your word. I’m going to seek your face with all my art, every spare moment I have, I’m going to focus on you. That’s a type of fasting. See fasting is giving up what your body craves and desires. And it’s not always just food.
[00:28:27] That’s generally what it’s referring to, but it’s something that you crave and desire and want to do. You’re saying, lord, I’m going to put that aside, that I can focus on you, that you’ve got my undivided attention. Speak to me and through me. And when you do those things again he said, when you’re fasting that thou appear not unto man to fast, but unto your father, which is in secret and thy father, which is in secret, shall reward thee openly. See my point in all this is that I believe the labor of love that we do, no matter what it is, there’s many things that go on around here and in our community, in our homes, at our jobs.
[00:29:14] And a lot of times we just feel like we’re very unappreciated. It’s a thankless job, but I assure you there’s one who sees it all. And what you’ve done in secret, what some don’t know, what this person don’t even have any idea you did it, god knows. And God would not forget your labor of love, what you’ve done in secret that no one knows about. God will reward you in due time and in his way, in a blessing that is exceedingly abundantly above all that you ask or think.
[00:29:50] So I just want to spend a moment here, and this is the different part of the service. As your pastor, I am very thankful that God has allowed me to be a part of what he’s doing here. So very thankful. I am humbled every day that I have this awesome privilege. I appreciate all that you do for Robin and I.
[00:30:17] As we work, we do those things. And I often hear, oh, Pastor, thank you. You hear that in other church, our pastor’s awesome. Our pastor’s great. Well, I want you to know one thing today for sure, that while you may think that I don’t know Robin’s great, I just tag along with her.
[00:30:45] I understand. There’s no way I could do anything. This church would not do anything it does without you. I’m just a little part of what God’s doing. God’s working.
[00:31:00] God’s working things out for his glory in his way, in his timing, and in his plan. And I see so many of you just come together and say, I want to be a part of what God’s doing, too. That’s the blessing. I get to see us come together as a family and work. We have Pastor Appreciation Month, and that’s good.
[00:31:25] I appreciate that. But I think a lot of times maybe we ought to just have congregation appreciation. So I’m going to announce that Labor Day is congregation appreciation for me. I just want to tell you thank you for all that you do. And I told Robin I’m going to get in trouble this morning.
[00:31:46] You know, I prayed. Preacher gets in trouble, he starts naming names. And I know you’re not seeking glory, but the reason I want to do this is that Paul often commended workers that helped him in the ministry. Remember Phoebe and all these did timothy he commended them. He thanked them for their work, their diligence in the work of the Lord in the service.
[00:32:11] Well, I’m not Paul, but I want to try to do that day. And if I leave your name out, don’t get mad at me. Remember, this is Labor Day and my brain’s off today, but I want to just take a moment and say thank you for all that you do for the music program. Jill and Robin and David, David McKinney, that fills in your work doesn’t go unnoticed. The times of preparation to prepare songs and to practice and to learn songs.
[00:32:44] And all those who help with the music program, we couldn’t do it without you. Thank you for your labor of love to the audio and video and the website. People, guys, you don’t know. I know I talk directly with Clint and David and Kent quite often. This morning, we had an issue of the server or something’s down, and we couldn’t do a live podcast.
[00:33:13] I don’t know. If it got worked out or not, we may have to record it. But just that little thing right there this morning, none of you knew about that. But before, an hour before the service started, keen identified that problem called Clinton, Alabama. Clint’s on the website trying to figure out what’s going on, how do we fix it?
[00:33:32] All that work was being taken place and none of you even knew it. But I knew it. I know the hours that they put in learning that new sound equipment, that audio equipment, the hours that’s been put into the website to make it better, to post things, to get it out that we’re here, we’re doing these things. There’s a lot of labor that goes into that. So thank you, Clint and David and Ken and Stacey helps your work doesn’t go unnoticed.
[00:34:06] For our children’s workers, tiffany and Paula, ken and Candy and Candy Strickland. To Bobby and Debbie, to David and Carol, and to all the ones that have worked in vacation Bible school and helped to do meals and teach lessons, thank you. You may say, I just did that and nobody cares. I care. We couldn’t do it without you.
[00:34:38] Thank you.
[00:34:43] How about the cleaning around the church?
[00:34:49] Most of you don’t know this is a pretty big place now, especially with our new building. And one little lady does it. Faithfully is when you walk in those doors and it just oh, it smells good. Thank you, Susan. It doesn’t go unnoticed when there’s paper towels in the bathroom to wipe your hands on.
[00:35:14] Thank you, Susan. Those little things that may seem meaningless and nobody cares that there was a little piece of paper, but it’s not here today. Thank you. Your work doesn’t go unnoticed. I’m talking to you from my heart as your pastor.
[00:35:32] I couldn’t do this without you. It takes a lot of people to do many things. And how about our deacons? What a great group of deacons we have. They come and meet and we talk and discuss and plan and look and try to figure out ways of reaching the community and making this a better facility and putting all this together.
[00:35:57] Deacons, thank you from the bottom of my heart. It has been an awesome pleasure to work with you over these years to see us come together unified. And you know what? It’s a more awesome thing. We walk out the door still unified.
[00:36:15] I’ve been in deacons meeting before when that didn’t happen. What an awesome privilege it is to work with you guys. Daryl. David. David.
[00:36:25] Lanny. Kenneth. Clint. Mr. Philip.
[00:36:31] Thank you. Your labor doesn’t go unnoticed with me.
[00:36:37] How about our Sunday school teachers? We got Jack, who’s been faithful since I’ve been here. I don’t know that you’ve missed a Sunday, maybe occasionally, but Jack, he don’t think a lot of himself, but he’s there faithfully every week. Mr. Phillip, who helps.
[00:37:00] We have the Marjorie used to help when she was here. For Clint, who teaches for all those to do with the children, to teach them the gospel and the good news of Jesus Christ, to have that one on one time where we can have fellowship, breaking bread, the word of God together. Thank you. Your work doesn’t go unnoticed. Well, I’m out of time on our hostess committee now.
[00:37:28] I’m sorry I can’t name every one of you. I don’t even know who all’s on it, to be honest with you. I know it’s a big crowd, but I know you’re there before the event. I know you’re there after the event, and I know you spend a lot of hours, a lot of time on your feet and your knees are sore and your backs hurt, helping prepare the meals and make sure everybody has what they I notice. I see your world labor of love and thank you.
[00:37:57] We couldn’t do those things without you. And the hours that goes into that, preparing even before the thing happens, making sure that we have the supplies, making sure we have the food, they’ll start a week before the event even happens, working. Thank you for your labor of love. And to all the ones that I mean, they’re just Calic things that you don’t think about just the simple fact of turning the air conditioning on or the heat on so we’re comfortable in it, at least so you all are comfortable. I burn up up here, but they try to accommodate me.
[00:38:37] But the ones that turn the air on, that lock all the doors and turn off the lights when everything’s over and make sure the building’s secure, these are the little things that you think go unnoticed. For the ones that just change out a light bulb or maybe some air filters in the HVAC, these are all things that need to be done. It’s part of the work of the labor of love that you show, and it doesn’t go unnoticed with me. I appreciate what you do. To all who I can’t say enough that gave of their money, of their time to help this building come about to see God work and all the hard labor and preparation that went into that.
[00:39:27] Thank you. I think it was probably just about everybody in this building that gave some part what how God has blessed us with that. Your labor, your labor of love, your giving of love does not go unnoticed. And even to all the ladies that brought us workers lunch every day, thank you.
[00:39:55] Bobby loves that especially. He thought he was going to die a few days of your families before he got d, but thank you for that.
[00:40:07] The hours that go into planning and preparing and doing the different things, the function of this church to help get the gospel in this community, your labor doesn’t go unnoticed. Y’all don’t know many that know, probably, but there’s a lady named Nicole that puts in hours of bookkeeping and writing checks. Worked closely with Daryl. And I know Daryl don’t want me mention his name, but y’all don’t know the half of what that guy does. The hours that’s put into just making sure the lights stay on, that the gas bills paid, the water well, we don’t have a water bill, but all the different bills are paid, and that we have the right insurance and the bookkeeping is taken care of.
[00:40:57] Thank you for all that. Thank you for keeping this afloat. Those that don’t even know them, thank you for those things. For your labor of love to everyone who prays and gives to the church, I think that includes every one of you. Like I said, the greatest thing you can do for a person for this church is to pray for them, ask God to lead and guide.
[00:41:22] And I want you to know that your labor of love doesn’t go unnoticed. From the bottom of my heart, on this Labor Day, this Congregation Appreciation Day, for everyone that does their little part to make this go, I couldn’t do it without you. Thank you. And I’ll close with this galatians six, nine through ten, and that labor that you do and I Miss Tony, she wasn’t sitting here, y’all know, many of you know, but Miss Tony is excellent at giving out cards. Somebody’s not here, somebody’s not sick, never wants any of notice, never wants it.
[00:42:07] But, boy, she can give them cards. I get them. Anybody in here get a card from Ms. Doug, just about every one of you. Just a little labor of love, but it means so much is what she does, and that doesn’t go unnoticed.
[00:42:22] But Galatians 610 through nine. Let’s don’t be weary and well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. And as we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto who are of the household of faith. Let’s don’t be weary I know a lot of times it seems like what you do goes unnoticed and nobody cares.
[00:42:54] The workers paving this road out here probably think everybody in Lizzieville hates their guts because they’re holding up traffic and old dirty road and maybe just drive by them next time. Say, thank you all. That goes a long way when we just take a minute to say thank you for giving thank you for your labor. So on this Labor Day, think of those who all put so much into everything and just take a minute to say, lord, thank you for them, for their efforts and for their time.
[00:43:31] I think that’d be a good way to end this up. I know I picked out a song, but I’m going to change that again. If Lord, laid on my heart, I want to just stand and sing. I know that’s a shock to you, David. Just stand and say to the family of God, we all know that I’m glad I’m part of this family that works with a labor of love to encourage, to lift up, to do the things, to do the ministry, to reach this.
[00:44:00] Let’s don’t get weary. Satan wants to beat us down and discourage us but God’s still on the throne. He sees all that you do and if we don’t weary and we don’t faint we’ll reap in due season let’s just keep marching on father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the encouragement of Your word, Lord, that things that just seem little and mundane and no one seems to care. Father, we thank you that you see all things, that you understand all things.
[00:44:35] You know what goes into everything. Lord, you will bless those who in a way that they could never begin to dream of you’ll bless them in ways and more than just material things but just a satisfaction of heart and peace. What a blessing. We thank you for today and we thank you for all that have been a part of this ministry here as we go forward, help us to labor to to a labor of love to you. That’s not a drudgery, that’s not bogging us down.
[00:45:14] But, Lord, because we love you, we want to serve you. We just thank you and praise you for that. For each and every one that has a part, in Jesus name I pray. Amen.