“Working For The Master”

Richard Thetford

T he Hebrew writer states: “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Heb 13:20-21). It is my hope and prayer that each one of us will have the desire to be complete in Christ, striving to do His work diligently day by day. Malinda and I are happy to be here with all of you brethren to help you in the Master’s work here in Grand Junction, Colorado!

One of the very first things that I noticed on the Sunday that I was here to consider the work was the friendliness and zeal that you brethren have for the Lord and His work. I welcome the opportunity to work with the church here and to be associated with a wonderful group of Christians. I am looking forward to the work before me in the teaching and preaching of the gospel to the lost in this community. I truly believe that the fields are “white unto harvest” here in the greater Grand Junction area and I am excited to have the opportunity to help bring these souls to Christ.

I can’t tell you how much I enjoy the teaching and preaching of the gospel. It is truly God’s power unto salvation (Rom 1:16). At this time I would like to let all of you know some of the things that you can expect of me as your preacher in working for the Master and also some things that I can expect to see from each of you in working for the Master.

What You Can Expect From This Preacher

First and foremost you can expect me to live a Christian life, well pleasing to the Lord. After all, how can a preacher teach others how to live righteously if the preacher doesn’t live righteously? My family and I put God first in all that we do. We are very careful how we dress, the places we go, and the shows that we watch. We do so because the Bible says “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Col 3:17). We understand that when we are working for the Master that we will serve only Him and be loyal only to Him (Matt 6:24).

You can expect this preacher to keep his word, appointments, and follow-ups. Many souls are lost because of ineffective follow-up with others. Except for unforseen circumstances, when I schedule times that I will be somewhere – I will be there. Bible studies and special classes will not be held up because of tardiness. Others will gain confidence in a preacher that is punctual and consistent. I truly care about souls and it must show in my willingness to be at Bible studies and other appointments on time.

I will have regular and steady office time. I am a “late night” person and do a lot of my studying from 8:00 P.M. until Midnight. You are always welcome to call me during these hours as I am usually in my office working. In addition, I spend several hours per day in study and preparation of class and sermon material. If you call and cannot reach me for some reason, please leave a message and I will call you back as soon as I can. Once I receive my new cell phone number you will also have that. During the day I try to make some visits. These visits may be to local visitors who have visited our services in the past week or they may be to some of our own members. Hopefully in a short time I will also be conducting some home Bible studies in the evening or during the day. One thing that you can expect, is that I’ll be “working for the Master” each and every day.

What else can you expect? You can expect to receive the “Walking In The Light” bulletin each Sunday morning along with handouts of the sermon charts that I use for each sermon that I preach. These sermon handouts will be available in the foyer after each service. I would recommend that you save these handouts, along with the bulletins, and keep them for future reference material. You can also expect me to conduct various classes from time to time such as a “Men’s Training Class,” or other classes that the congregation may think is needed. Remember, I am here to serve the Lord and to work WITH you in helping to seek and save the lost in this community. Jesus commanded: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). For you and me, our world is the greater Grand Junction area and we have a responsibility – given to us by God, to teach these lost souls.

What This Preacher Can Expect From You

This preacher expects each Christian to try to do the best they can to live a life for Christ (Rom 12:1-2). When the gospel is preached in simplicity and truth, I expect that each member will do their very best to conform to God’s will. Remember, the preacher is simply stating what God has instructed for us to do.

It is also expected that each member of the local church strive to attend all classes and services of the church. Those desiring to go to heaven will surely want to be with their brothers and sisters and help encourage them by their presence and love for God (Heb 10:24-26).

When working for the Master every member should want to do what they can to further the gospel of Christ. The gospel is upheld when Christians are careful what they wear, what they do, what they say, and what they watch. Remember, to be “sanctified in Christ” means to be “set apart” and made “holy.” Can it be said that you, as a Christian, are “working for the Master?”

Finally, may we all strive to do the very best we can for and with each other as we labor together in God’s kingdom. If we will all diligently work together, this congregation here in Grand Junction, Colorado will grow numerically and spiritually. Let’s all keep the following encouraging words of the apostle Paul close to our heart during our time together: “...my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor 15:58).