What is the Work of God?

Short Talk (SHT109a) What is the work of God? © Jane Hulme 2018 Aim of Short talk: Use of Short talk: Main themes: Biblical references: Lectionary: To teach that the work of God, according to Jesus, is to believe in Him. This is a short All Age talk picking out one issue from the Lectionary Gospel reading of the Sunday main service. The talk stands alone and assumes that the Gospel Bible reading may not yet have been read to the congregation. It could be used for example, for the whole congregation before the children go out to their age specific groups, leaving the adults with a full sermon later. Jesus, Faith John 6:24-35 Year B – The 9th Sunday after Trinity. N.B. The talk will work best if it is used before the Bible reading SHORT TALK: “What is the work of God?” and not after. .................................................................................................................. I need 4 different people to come and tell me about the work that they do. • So I need a child, a teenager, a man and a woman to come and join me. (4 volunteers join you) (To each volunteer ask the questions:) Where do you work most of the week? (Volunteers answer the question and you hope for answers like school, college, at home, in a company etc.....) • What work do you do? (Volunteers answer the question) • Do you enjoy your work? (Volunteers answer the question) • Thank you volunteers, would you like to sit down. We have just heard from our volunteers that work is about doing something; • it is about getting something done. So when we are younger our work may involve tidying up our toys or feeding our pets. • As we get older our work includes school or college work, as well as the different chores we do at home. When we are adults our work may be at home, looking after our families, or it may be that we go somewhere else to work. I wonder if any of you have ever wondered what work God wants us to do.... • What work does God want us to get done so that we can please him? • Does anyone have any ideas? (Receive responses) Over two thousand years ago, people asked Jesus what work God wanted them to do after Jesus had fed over five thousand of them with five small loaves and two small fish. • Listen to what Jesus said. © Jane Hulme 2018 2 Jesus said: “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”” (John 6:29) • “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent”.....in other words put your faith in Jesus. Did that answer surprise you? • I think Jesus’ answer probably surprised the Jewish people all those years ago as they were most likely expecting Jesus to give them lists of good things for them to do so that they could please God. But Jesus said to them and He says to us: “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” • The work of God isn’t about us doing a whole load of good deeds to try and please our Heavenly Father. • The work of God is actually about us choosing to put our faith in Jesus, whom our Heavenly Father has sent to us so that we can enjoy relationship with Him. • Choosing to put our faith in Jesus is the most important work that we can do and faith in Jesus pleases God. Once we have put our faith in Jesus and we are walking in relationship with Him, He will then send us out to do many of the good things that you mentioned early on. (Refer to some of the answers that people gave to your question: “What work does God want you to do?”) So today as we have talked about work, about getting things done; • remember that according to Jesus: “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” • Have you put your faith in Jesus? © Jane Hulme 2018 3