539: Your Garden Work

When I was in Zimbabwe last December, I taught on the topic of purpose in the book of Revelation. Now that's something I imagine you haven't heard anyone else try to do! Since I love risks, I thought I would take the next few weeks, seven to be exact, to share with you what I talked about there. If it doesn't work out, we can blame it on the Antichrist!

THE GARDEN

Jesus came to restore all things that were lost when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden. Before they sinned, our parents freely ate of the tree of life.  They had fellowship with God, purpose, creativity and the ability to work together as a team.  When they fell, they lost all that, or at least it was marred by their sin.

The evangelical church has emphasized, rightly so, that Jesus came to offer us forgiveness for sin and to restore our fellowship with God. The problem is that the message has stopped there. The church has done little to tell people, "Once your sins are forgiven, your fellowship with God also enables you to have purpose, be creative and work in a team with others."  Therefore believers forfeit much of the finished work of Christ due to ignorance. Their sins are forgiven but they are cut off from "the tree of life," which in part is purposeful, joyful work.

That brings us to the book of Revelation and to what I call your Garden Work.

THE TREE OF LIFE

The book of Revelation contains many references to familiar symbols from Old Testament, like the Temple, tabernacle, and covenant. This is to indicate that what was begun in the Old Testament was finished in the New through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.  There are two important passages that indicate Jesus restored what was lost:

1. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God (Revelation 2:7). 
2. Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lambdown the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:1-2). 

So if the tree of life is once again available to God's people, then that means the conditions of the Garden have been restored and you are now free to pursue what I call your Garden Work, or purpose, because of the finished work of the cross.  Since God paid such a high price to restore your ability to flow in purpose, don't you think you should urgently be about finding and fulfilling it?

The message of Revelation is not one of fear, but of liberation. The Lamb is on the throne and reigns, and that means that we reign too.  Part of our royal rule is to function in purpose and finish our Garden Work under God's direction with your gifts and creativity once again rightly related to God. I hope this series helps you live in the fullness of Christ's work for your life.  Have a great week!

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FOOD FOR MIND AND BODY:  Our supplies are heading over to Kenya, and I am getting ready to go over on March 15 - but I need your help!  $550 came in last week so we are on our way to raising the second half of The Big Blessing $25,000 goal.  Read the latest from Pastor Peter in Kenya here (the picture at left is of two young men who are waiting for the library) and then please do what you can to help me provide food for minds and bodies over there. You can give through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.

WWJA: I started my latest daily devotional called What Would Jesus Ask? on January 1 and it is going well.  If you would like to check it out or subscribe to receive it every day, you can do either here.

MEMO INDEX:  Did you know that every Monday Memo I have ever written is on my website?  Did you also know that there is an index with the title, topic and biblical cross references for each Monday also on my site. To browse through any of the 538 prior Memos, you can go here.  Next month, the Memo turns 11 years old! 

ISRAEL 2013:  Just so you know, I have postponed my next trip to Israel until September, 2013. If you are interested in information when it is available, drop me a line and let me know.

Comments

[jane anzaldi]

I love these thoughts pastor John. i have always loved the image the verses from revelation 22 conjer up . thanks for sharing

[Kim Fleming]

HI Dr. J,

you are so right we are to be seeking (wisdom), our purpose...as though we were searching for hidden treasure. It is hard work and after having a 25 year search for my purpose, the Lord is revealing much.

Also, when you mention the garden, that work was fulfilling to Adam and Eve, God made work to be meaningful, not waiting till Friday. When we work unto the Lord in all we do, (even cleaning toliets), we are pleasing our Father in an act of worship.

Thanks for everything!!

Kim

[MONICA.WANDOLO]

Thank you for the the elaborate information esp on Easter activities which were so real CHRIST IS INDEED RISEN.