# God Wants You On His Team

Key Passage: 1 Corinthians 3:6-9
Date: June 7, 2024

If you’re a born-again Christian, God always has loved you. Always has. He never forgot about you. He’s always loved you and he always will. And just to think about that, if you’re a morning-in Christian, he always will love you. I mean, none of us are the Christians we ought to be. None of us are, but he always will love you. That’s just amazing to think about. Jesus loves Eve and me. Isn’t that wonderful?

Turn in your Bible to 1 Corinthians chapter 3. Not only does he love you, but the title for tonight is he wants to work with you. He wants you to be on his team. Maybe we’ll word it that way. He wants you to be on his team. That’s amazing. That God would want you and me to be on his team. But he does. He wants you on his team. 1 Corinthians chapter 3, and we’re going to start in verse number 6. 1 Corinthians 3 and verse number 6 tonight. Would you please stand if you’re able to just to show the word of God in respect, 1 Corinthians 3 and verse number 6?

I thought that was awesome. They’re excited about that offering plate coming. It reminded me of my dad. He would have that offering. Typically, he’d give it to one of us kids if we didn’t have our own, you know, to put it in. And you’re like, hopefully Dad will give it to me to put in the offering plate, you know. I thought it was special. Those girls were ready to put that money in there. That was their own money, too.

1 Corinthians 3 and verse number 6. The Bible there says, “I have planted.” Now, most of you know, but that’s Paul. He’s the penman here. He said, “I’ve planted; Apollus watered.” Paul, he often started some of these churches. And Apollus, he’s really just a Bible teacher; he watered. But God gave the increase. It’s always God that brings the increase. Always is, no matter what the endeavor.

“So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.” If you will, verse number 7 there, God wants you on your team, but don’t get big-headed. All right, don’t get the fat head, if you will. God brings the increase. He wants you on the team, but God’s always bringing the increase. Don’t thank yourselves for all that because he wants you part of the formula.

Now, verse number 8: “Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one.” And every—watch this—“and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.” You don’t get reward for the increase. God brings that. You get reward for your labor.

Some of you say, “I’m laboring for March 19th; I’m inviting, I’m working on it.” You know, honestly, let’s be honest about it, some of you will have [someone with them], and I hope all of you will. But I guarantee you there’ll be some that’s worked and labored for March 19th, and they won’t have one with them. But if they’ve labored just as much as maybe their neighbor that will bring someone with them, they have the same reward. God says he rewards you for your own labor.

Really, March 19th, I’m excited about seeing that day. I’m excited to see what increase God will bring. But, you know, honestly, probably the biggest thing about that is these months leading up to it—all the labor. God doesn’t bring the increase until after you labor. But somebody’s got to labor. And really, that’s the part; it’s the big deal. I love over there, and I think it’s Matthew 13, he said, “Behold, a sower went forth to sow.” Behold is kind of like, “Whoa, stop everything. Look at this.” A sower went forth to sow. That’s the big deal. God brings the increase. God does all that. But just somebody out there laboring—that’s huge.

And God here, he says, “I see everything. Nothing gets by me.” And you’re laboring for the Lord, and God says, “I’ll reward you for your labor.” It’s amazing. Different areas are harder than other areas, and you go where God calls you to. Even ministries can be harder, some than others. Children—some harder than others. But God rewards you for your labor. That’s the big thing. You’re laboring for the Lord. How important that is, and every man should be rewarded according to his own labor.

Verse number 9: “For we are laborers together.” Would you say the next two words, please? With God. Oh, that’s important. With God. You’re God’s husbandry; you’re God’s building.

Jump over, if you would, to 2 Corinthians chapter 6, just one verse there briefly. 2 Corinthians 6 and verse 1. And he says there, “We then, as workers together”—would you say the next two words, please?—with Him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. So much to the grace of God, so much more than I think sometimes we comprehend. But I want you to notice that with Him. God wants you to be on his team. It’s just amazing that He wants you to be on his team, but He does. What a wonderful thing.

When I was maybe seventh grade, about to go into eighth grade, I think it was that summer. We had decided that we were going to try out for basketball at school. At that point, we were not basketball players; football, basically, you know. I said, “We’re going to do this basketball thing.” Well, I was so naive and so not in tune. I remember going down to there’s a school close by, an elementary school, believe it was, but they had a public school behind it, maybe middle school, I don’t know. They had courts, and we would go out and play on those courts. I remember, I think the first time I went out there, I went barefoot. Boy, you know, I was a country boy for sure. Everybody said, “Don’t do that.” And I thought, “Oh, I’m tough, I’m all right.” They said, “You’re going to get blisters.” I’m all right. Sure enough, I had blisters about the size of half dollars, you know, or bigger than that, on both feet after that. Well, I learned the hard way on that thing. I couldn’t play basketball. I mean, it just wasn’t me at the time at all.

People from the neighborhood, we’d go there, we’d play basketball. I could not play basketball at that time worth a flip. I mean, just wasn’t me at all. And there’s this guy that was coming at that time. I remember his name was Casey. And Casey, he could play ball. And us, a bunch of country bumpkins trying to learn basketball. We didn’t know a thing. Man, he was the guy. He hung the moon to us. And I was probably, if not, one of the worst ones out there at the time. And I loved it when Casey picked me to be on his team. I probably hurt his team more than helped his team, but he wanted me to be on his team. I thought I was somebody, man. I thought I was Michael Jordan or something. I’m playing. I’m on Casey’s team. And it’s amazing that God wants you. He picked you. He chose you to be on his team.

Being on his team can mean so many different things. He gives us the challenge of it. He calls us to the work. I love that verse: “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” He calls you. I don’t know the calling of God is on your life, but he calls you to things. He puts the desire in your heart, for God worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. He puts that will, that desire in your heart to do something. And the honest truth is he could accomplish those things without you, but he wants you on his team.

I remember when I was a teenager I started working at a place called Sampson Metal and Machine. It was a little metal fabrication shop, and up front was a machine shop. It wasn’t huge. I don’t know. Typically maybe 30, 50 guys working there. It would be down sometimes and higher sometimes. The high was maybe 100 employees when it was really, really good, and then lower when it was bad. But Mr. Sampson was a guy. He had started that business. He was kind of a man’s kind of a man. He had worked, you know, from day one. He’d started and grew that thing. And Mr. Sampson, he was a tall man, he was a big, strong man, and he was a sailor. He had been in the Navy before, you know. Do we have any Navy? Brother Warren is watching the nursing home down there, and he just said, “Hey man, he’s a sailor.” And Mr. Sampson was. Mr. Sampson, he was kind of one of those guys. He liked to occasionally, when we had the opportunity, I think maybe just to clear his head, go back and just do hands-on work sometimes back in the metal fabrication shop. That’s what he did all the time. And he just got there and worked sometimes on a certain job, whatnot. And every once in a while, sometimes he needed helpers. Typically he worked on his own, but sometimes—and I honestly think he really didn’t need help—but sometimes when he went back in the back, he would let me be his apprentice, if you will. We didn’t know anything about all that welding and all that stuff, and we were helpers, and sometimes Mr. Sampson would use me as his helper. Man, my head went whoop, whoop, whoop, somebody. Never forget one day.

One day, there are overhead cranes and all that, but one day, I don’t know why—maybe the cranes were busy—but he said, “Paul, let’s pick up that metal as an I-beam.” Now, I-beams can be pretty heavy, you know. They’ve got the top and the bottom, we’ve got a web in between; they can be pretty heavy. So, come on. We were going to carry that down—I can’t remember; we were carrying some machine, probably to do something on it, you know. But sure enough, he said, “Let’s pick this thing up.” Well, you know, I’m maybe 16, 17, 18 years old. He’s, I don’t know what—a big old man, like taller than I am. And he goes over and he picks up his end. Well, man, I’m running, you know, I’m trying to pick up my end. And he puts it on his shoulder; I put it on my shoulder. You know, it’s kind of like this because he’s a lot taller than I am. And, man, he’s got those long strides. He just takes off walking. Man, he’s just walking. I’m like trying to keep up with him. The honest truth is, there was a time or two in that metal fabrication shop, so I think Brother Bill will testify, there’s usually stuff everywhere; you’re tripping over half the time. I think there was a time or two I tripped over something. The honest truth is, I think I kind of held on the I-beam to keep me from falling instead of holding it up. But for some reason, he just saw a little something in me, and he wanted me to be his helper. Man, it did something to me that Mr. Sampson would use, probably the one that didn’t know the least amount in the shop at the time, to be his helper. Now, the honest truth is, he could probably do it on his own. He did fine, a lot better without me, but he wanted me as his helper.

And that’s the way God is with you. God’s chosen you. I love that verse over there in John 15:16: “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, that your fruit should remain. Now, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he may give it you.” God’s chosen you. And God says, “I want you to be on my team.” He’s chosen you, every one of you, for whatever cause he’s put in your heart and your mind and your desire. We got soul when he’s coming up. The wind’s souls. He’s chosen you for that. John 15:16, we talk about on Wednesday night. But all these different things in God, he says, “I want you to be on his team.” Wow. We get to be co-laborers with God. We get to be on his team. That’s very important. Y’all out there tonight, you’re quiet tonight. You’re out there. It’s very important that we realize this first truth that really kind of hits in that verse number 6. Look back there, if you would, please, over there in 1 Corinthians 3. You’ll know it, but I don’t want you just see it for a second there. 1 Corinthians 3, verse number 6: “I,” that’s Paul, “have planted; Apollus watered, but God gave the increase.”

That does so much one thing: it takes the pressure off of you. “Well, I got to perform, I got to make it happen.” No. When it comes to increase, you’re not going to make it happen when it’s true increase. God does that. Mankind’s never made one blade of grass grow. Never one time. Mankind has never healed one person. Now, you can get stitches and staples, you know. I hope my mom, she’s going to be mad at me, but I was watching when the doctor or the nurse took the staples out of her knee. They can do all that, but they can’t make that thing heal up. Mankind’s never healed one person. They get infection out. They show you up. They try to take it. But God brings it. They’ve never brought life. Mankind’s never resurrected one person. That can’t bring life; God does it.

You heard about the scientist. He thought he was all that; man, he got it all together. And he went to God, “God, man, we’ve arrived. We got all these computers and we can make robots so we can do all this, artificial intelligence, all that.” And God said, “All right, okay.” And he said, “Well, let’s—I’m going to make something, God; you make. Let’s see who can make the better one.” God said, “All right, you go first.” So the scientist, he went over there and started grabbing some dirt; he was going to bring the minerals out of there. And God said, “Uh-uh, uh-uh, get your own dirt.” God brings the increase. We’re not all that. And, friend, when it comes to the things of God, God’s always the one that brings the increase. He does it all. Yes, we get to be on his team, and it’s a privilege and honor, and we must plant and we must water, but God’s the one that brings the increase. The pressure’s off. It shows no reason for us, you know, to think we’re all that. It’s a privilege for us to be on the team. What an honor.

God brings the increase. But can I say this? You are part of the formula. I don’t know why necessarily—well, I do, I guess, because he loves us; been singing about that all day—but he wants you on the team. God could bring the increase without you. He doesn’t need us, but he wants you on the team. Everything about it, as far as getting the gospel out, God could have done it so many different ways. I’ve said this all down through the years, and it’s true, but God could have made the Blue Jays, and their job was to sing, you know, whistle out John 3:16. How would that sound? I mean, God could have done that. God could have had the dogs. Isn’t it amazing how dogs can bark 24/7? Doesn’t it seem like that? I never forget when we moved from Indiana, and we used to say they had a dog per every five or ten houses. Then you come to Tennessee, they have about five or ten dogs to every house. It’s just Tennessee. Dogs everywhere, and they bark all the time. Well, God could have made dogs. Instead of barking, they could have said, “Jesus saves.” You ever watch a dog; their head has to go up in the barn. You ever see it? I’ve seen a hound dog the other day—I think me and Mother Anthony out sold him. Man, that dog could have flapped his ears in a flood. I’ll tell you why: those ears are so big. But, I mean, God could have done that. He could have had cows move out the plan of salvation, you know. “You’re a sinner,” Palio’s saying. Sarah’s laughing at me up there. “He’s God. I ain’t going to do it.” You get sad, you’re sitting there. He’s going to do that. But for some reason, God has trusted us. He’s trusted you and I. You’re part of the plan. Sometimes I would like it if God said, “I’ll just take you out of the plan.” Sometimes I like that, but God doesn’t do that. He says, “No, you’re a part of the formula.” You understand how God has made you a valuable part of his plan? It’s really amazing to think that.

Verse number 6, we just read it: “I have planted.” That’s Paul. “Apollus watered.” That’s part of the formula. Then God gave the increase. Verse number 9: “For we are laborers together with God.” That’s God’s plan. 2 Corinthians 6:1, we read it: “We then, as workers together with Him.” That’s His plan. He wants you part of it. You’re in the formula. Two plus two is four. You’re in there, and God shows up to make it like that. He wants you a part of his formula.

I think of a man down in Murphysboro. Some of you know him, and you may know about this, but he’s got some cows, not a whole lot, but he’s got several cows. And he’s got plenty of money; he’s not doing it for money and whatnot, but he’s got these cows because he and his grandson are a little bit in the cow business. He calls them his Bible cows. And I like to tease him about his red heifer, you know. But he could do those cows on his own. He knows cows and the business, and he really don’t even need to do it, but he wants to have something to do with his grandson. And he says those cows are his grandson’s cows, but he’s really kind of started it, funded it. Now his grandson’s to the point where his grandson can make some money off of it or lose money off of it. But really, the whole thing is so he gets to spend time with his grandson and teach his grandson and grow his grandson, and he loves it. Well, sometimes I’ve seen his son—the son of the grandson—say, “Your dad and your son’s still doing the cows?” “Oh, yeah, they’re still got the cows.” And now the purpose of that is for the grandpa and the grandson to be together. And God says, “I want to be together with you.” God wants you a part of the formula. God could do it on his own.

He’s got no problem with that. He’s an almighty God. Nothing is too hard for Him. I love that over in Jeremiah 32:17. He says, “O Lord God, God, Thou hast made heaven and earth by Thy great power and stretched out Thine arm. There is nothing too hard for Thee.” God can do it. He’s got all power in the world.

I love a story. When we were in Bible College, someone—I think they had a Jeep Cherokee—and they were pulling up in northwest Indiana. There are about a thousand trains to every car, at least it feels like that. Anytime you’re running late, you want to testify right here: anytime you’re running late, there’s going to be a train that stops you. It’s just part of it. And a lot of them—there’s a lot of steel up there—and they have these steel coils. These things are heavy. I mean, heavy. Sometimes they’ll have just one or maybe two on semis, quite as heavy as ones put on trains. You ever seen a semi going down the road with a metal coil on the back, and you can kind of sometimes see that semi, the bed of it, just kind of bouncing because of the weight on there? You know, those things are super heavy, tons and tons of weight. Well, that train that stopped this family, Bible College family, it had a bunch of those metal coils on there, very heavy ones on the train. And they pulled up; they had to stop at the railroad crossing. And just by chance, as the train came by, the chains broke on one of those metal coils. You’re talking about thousands and thousands of pounds. And it came off, and it literally bounced and landed on top of the back of that Jeep Cherokee. I mean, it should have crushed that thing to the ground. The bad thing is, in the back seat there was a baby in the car carrier. And that thing landed right on top of that baby. And when the police got there, they said, “We can’t explain it. There’s no explanation.” It just seems like there was like a hand over top of that baby, and that steel coil came down and it just kind of—it just stopped it. We don’t know why it didn’t come down further. Just a hand was there. I know whose hand that was. Friend, I’m saying, God doesn’t need us. He can do it all, but he has chosen you to be on his team.

I played soccer for three years in high school. I was always the goalie. You said, “You’re good at the goalie?” No, I just couldn’t kick, amen. That’s all. I was always in the goal box. And I think my senior year, I never scored a goal because I’m always in the goalie box. So one game, we were playing a team that we were a lot better than them. I don’t know what the score was, six to nothing or something. So the coach said, “I tell you what. Let’s get Paul out of the goal. He’s been in the goal box three years. Let’s help him score a goal.” Wow. Honestly, I did get a little coordinated with basketball in my hands and all that. I had five fingers on each hand back then, amen, you know, before my accident, but my legs have always been uncoordinated. I mean, I just couldn’t kick. And a little bit inside of me, it’s like, “Coach, are you sure you want to do this? It might be embarrassing for you, coach.” But they did. They set me up timing again. They would just—I’d be running down trying to score a goal. They would just knock everybody out of the way, just me and the goal. They’d give me the ball. Perfect chance. These other guys say they could have scored about a thousand times, but, you know, I missed, missed, missed, missed, missed, missed, missed, and missed, and missed, and missed. And the coach said, “No, we’re going to get a goal. He’s going to get a goal this game.” “Are you sure, coach? I don’t know about this.” You believe that I’m going to score more than I believe that I’m going to score. But finally, they just set everything up, and I scored a goal, believe it or not. Knocked the goalie out of the way and scored. I mean, you got to win. You can’t win by fair cheat. That’s kind of how God is. “Man, Lord, I can’t be the husband, the dad, the mom, the wife. I can’t be a soul winner. I can’t do this ministry. I can’t make a difference at work.” And God keeps feeding you the ball. He wants you on the team. Could he do better without us? Yeah. But he wants you on the team. We’re laborers together with him. You are, and I am, for whatever reason, we’re part of the formula. God’s made it like that.

When it comes to our nation, America, born-again Christians like you are really—you’re so important to this country. Would you look over in Isaiah 1:9, I believe it is? Let me look at 1:9. This is an amazing verse. I love it. God, in our country, you are a valuable part of the formula. We can look at a lot of different verses about this and a couple of different angles, but this is a great verse, Isaiah 1:9. When it comes to America being preserved and God’s mercy and grace on our country, you’re valuable, so very, very valuable. If we drop out of the formula, whew, America’s in trouble. Look at this. Isaiah 1:9, what a wonderful verse. He says there in Isaiah 1:9, “Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.” If it wasn’t for that very small remnant of people that love God—they’re not perfect, but they’re trying to serve God. They’re in church. They’re trying to raise their family for the Lord. They believe in the Bible. They’re trying to win souls. They’re trying to be everything God wants them to be. And God says those people right there are a valuable part of my formula. In fact, in my formula, if I don’t find ten righteous, judgment’s coming. You see how important you are. God wants you a part of the formula. God wants you on his team. You are key. Every time before God brings destruction to Israel, the northern kingdom, he said, “Hey, if I can find one righteous man, that should stand in the gap, make up the hedge before me, then I should not destroy it.” But I found none. One of the saddest phrases in all the Bible, but I found none, and his destruction came. Ten righteous, I’ll spare it. I’m just saying, you’re a valuable part of the team. And though the devil will put you down and just try to make you think you’re nobody and you’re nothing, you’re not important, God says, “No, no, they’re on my team.” And God passes the ball to us. I’m going to use you this time. And our nation, friend, you’re so valuable. God wants you. He wants to use you. You’re a valuable part of Rutherford County Baptist Church, every one of you. Every one of you. You’re part of it. God’s chosen you to be a part of the formula of the church.

Every part is important. We have some people out of town today, and I understand that. We have some people with sick family members and all that. But I was thinking as the choir was singing this morning, how valuable everyone is. A couple of people were missing today. And those who did a great job—and I’m not saying it’s wrong that those people are missing—but just this morning I thought about how valuable every member of the choir is. I could tell. They did a great job, not trying to doubt it, but I could tell a couple people were missing. That means every person is important. Every person in this church is important. You’re part of the formula that God is putting together at Rutherford County Baptist Church. You’re part of it. You’re so valuable.

I’ve said this often, but this is really the way it is. You ever see a dad that’s going to move the coffee table? And the honest truth is, Dad can pick it up, put it on those shoulders, and walk across the living room, no problem at all. But what does Dad do? “Come on, Johnny, help me. Help me. I need your help. Come on.” And little Johnny comes over there. His head gets real big. He’s like, “Poor, I’m going to do it.” Little Johnny comes over there. The honest truth is he gets in Dad’s way. Dad could have moved it quicker, easier, but Dad wants little Johnny there with him. And that’s why God is with you. God wants you. Every once in a while I say, “Lord, I’m messing it all up. I’m tripping over everything, kind of making it heavy for you.” Maybe, “Would you use something?” God said, “No, no, stay on the corner.” By the way, that’s so often the key: just staying on the corner. Just stay on there.

I was talking to someone this morning; they’re going through a rough time, such a rough time. And I don’t know if they even call it, but I just said, “Nobody goes through rough times, and that’s perfect.” Job didn’t. You’re sure not going to. Peter didn’t. Nobody ever has. But stay on the table. Stay on the corner. Just stay in there. And there are times you want to quit, but just stay on the corner. God wants you there.

Now here’s a wonderful thing about it. Here’s the special thing about it: when you’re on the corner of the coffee table, if you will, you get to be with God. Nothing like that—just His presence in your life. God answers one of your prayers; man, doesn’t it do something to you? God sometimes gets us in the ballgame where we need to answer the prayer. And usually—well, I wouldn’t say usually always—that’s not a coincidence, by the way. God’s very capable of answering prayers. And when you get to see God work, man, there’s something special.

The dumpers. I hear them. I can’t remember any specific stories, maybe a couple of them. But you know what they tell nowadays? They’ll tell about special times in the ministry when God did a great thing. It’s just something about being—you get to work with God, and you get to see God do special things. That’s what he’s saying all through: “For we are laborers together with [God].” “We then as workers together with Him.” That’s what he means over there, Matthew 28:19. You know the verses: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” And here it is: “And, lo, I am with you.” Old Bob Gray in Florida used to preach, “No go, no low”—something special. You get busy on the gospel, you get spreading it, and God—He’s with you in a special way. That’s a wonderful part about it. God wants you on his team, and boy, you get to work with God. That’s just wonderful.

Can God do it on his own? Yes. But man, we get to be with you. Moses said, “Hey, if Your presence be not with me, I don’t want to go.” I said, “I’m going to be with you.” Moses said, “I’ll go.” Yeah.

I’ll never forget, and I’ll be done with this, but I never forget, I was a boy, we lived in Chattanooga. I don’t know how—it was probably very young—but my dad worked at a carpet place. I think he was still, maybe he was already out of Tennessee Temple, I’m not sure, but he worked at a carpet place there. We actually lived, I think, in Ringgold, Georgia, at the time, but right there by the line, you know, Tennessee-Georgia line, a little bit further south, down there’s Dalton, Georgia, where all those used to be carpets—now it’s a lot of laminate and all other stuff there. You know I’m talking about that section driving I-75, you’ll see all those plants along there. Dad worked at one right there by the state line, but he worked at a carpet place for a while. And I don’t know why—I don’t know the backstory behind it, I can’t remember—but they wanted Dad—he typically did not drive the truck—but they needed someone to take a load of carpet, just a box truck, not a semi. Dad didn’t have that license back then; they didn’t have quite the license like they have now, but Dad could drive a box truck, a pretty good-sized truck, legally. So Dad was going to take a special trip from Tennessee—I believe it was North Carolina. I don’t know how old I was, maybe six somewhere on there, maybe five. I got a brother that’s a year and a half younger than me. Me and my brother, Dad said, “I’m going to take you boys with me.” Man, we thought we were somebody. I still remember sitting in the cab of that truck by my dad. We are driving a big truck, and we’re hauling stuff, and we went to another state. I’m in the truck. I still remember. Any of you folks remember the glass thermoses they used to have inside with a glass liner that was broke about the majority of the time? Remember, we had one of those thermoses, and we would get to pour coffee for my dad. Man, we thought we were somebody because we were with Dad.

But when you start working together with God, the special part is… I remember Mr. Sampson. I was talking about him earlier. Mr. Sampson used to say, “You think you know a man, but when you get to work with a man, that’s when you really get to know what he’s like.” And you get to work with God; that’s when you really get to know what He’s like. That’s the special part about it. Our labor is together with Him. That’s when you start seeing answers to prayer and His provision and what all His mighty hand can do. Wow, when you’re working with Him.

I remember a preacher—I won’t mention his name—telling a story about when he was a younger fellow and his grandpa owned a trailer park, a nice one up in Michigan. He says it’s a very nice one, but they had like a trash compactor type thing, and on Saturday, Grandpa would empty that; they’d load it all up on the truck and take it to the landfill. He said, “Man, after a week of them putting their garbage in there, it would compact it, and it stinks so bad.” And he said, “Then you go to the landfill and you have to unload all that. Man, you get your shoes muddy and sink down in that slop, and the stench and all that.” He said, “I didn’t really like to go as a grandson.” But he said, “Sometimes Grandpa knew on Saturdays I was going to go.” And sometimes Grandpa, I’d go with Grandpa, but I didn’t like to. He said, one Saturday, Grandpa said, “Hey, you’re going to go to the dump. You want to go with me?” “Are you sure? There’s an ice cream shop?” Boy, he said they had the best ice cream shop. Anybody ever had butter pecan ice cream? How about mint chocolate chip? Well, I’m on Brother Patterson’s level about that butter pecan. How about chocolate peanut butter? That’s a pretty good deal. Moose Tracks? How about Snickers ice cream? Tell me, on the count of three, tell me your favorite ice cream. Here we go, one, two, three. Anybody going to go to Baskin-Robbins when we’re all done tonight? His grandpa said, “Well, you know, we might stop by.” He said, “No, Grandpa. Grandpa, would you pick me up someone on the way back?” Grandpa didn’t get anything. But a little later on, he knew. So Saturday’s here later on, Grandpa’s going to the dump. He said, “Grandpa, can I go with you?” And he said, “Man, we went to the landfill in the tank. You put a clothespin on your nose, you know. It just stinks.” But they dumped the trash off. And he said, if I remember the story right, he’s going to the ice cream shop. And they got those stools sometimes you sit at, sitting in this stool beside his grandpa. And his grandpa was kind of like, “Anything you want, son.” Now I got it for him. And this whole world’s got a lot of sin. It stinks in a lot of ways. It’s a hurt and messed up world—the trash of this world. But God loves this whole world. He loves the people involved in that sin. And he tells us, “Come on to the dump with me. Let’s go make a difference in this world.” And that’s when God, he really gives you all his resources, empowering and able to you, when, if you will, you go into the dump with God. And then, if you will, we get to sit beside him in the ice cream shop. God says, “I got you.” By the way, one day we’ll rejoice, washing our shoes with Him, and have it one day with Him.

My friend, I want to say it’s a privilege to be on His team. Maybe if nothing else, God just wants us to see it like it is. It’s an honor. It’s a privilege to build His team. He brings the increase. It’s just awesome to see Him work and be on His team. Maybe here tonight, you say, “Preacher, I want to get involved in the team, and I want to give it all I can.” I know He brings the increase, but He did it after the planting and the watering, and I want to be involved in the work. I want to be a co-laborer with Christ. God just spoke to my heart somewhere in the mess. God spoke to my heart somewhere along the line. “Preacher, God spoke to my heart.” Oh, amen, amen. Let’s be involved in God’s work. Let’s be on the team. It’s an honor. It’s a privilege to be on His team. Would you please stand tonight? Let’s have a word of prayer. Let’s respond. Maybe He’s pricking your heart even tonight about doing something for Him. Would you respond? I’m glad. I’m honored to be on your team. The devil gets us complaining about being a part of this. Oh, it’s a privilege. I’m honored. Would you let Him know that tonight? Thank you, Lord, that you give us the privilege of being on the team with You. Forgive me, Lord, sometimes I complain. What a privilege it is to be with You. Thank you for that, Lord. Lord, would You see our efforts? Would You bring the increase in Your time? And in the meantime, help us be honored just to be on Your team, to be with You, Lord. Bless our people tonight. Jesus, let me pray. Amen.

Would you spend some time with the Lord, be obedient to Him? Would you do that? We’ve got knocking doors. A knock on the door. They answer the door, and I said, “I’m, you know, Brother Paul, whatever, from the County Baptist Church.” And they said, “We know who you are. In fact, we were just talking about you right now, right as you knocked.” We were talking about you. It was good or bad, you know? And it really caught me off guard. I probably didn’t say everything right because it caught me off guard. Probably kind of stumbled over words and whatnot, but the honest truth is, from that visit, I would say for years… And I said, I’d say, “It wasn’t me.” I probably stuttered because it caught me off guard so much. God brought the increase. You just go and you just obey. You stay on the team, and God brings the increase in His time. It’s just in His auspices God works. And to be with your Dad—nothing like it. His presence brings joy. Glad you’re in church on a Sunday night. Thrilled you’re here tonight. And I tell you what, I’m excited about the future days. I’m thrilled about it. Had a good Valentine banquet Friday night. Just a good, sweet banquet. Praise the Lord for that. And a good day yesterday. Praise the Lord for that. Brother Anthony, I think I led somebody to the Lord yesterday. Praise the Lord. Just people still being saved, and that’s a wonderful thing. Praise the Lord for that. God just working and blessing, and people make things happen around here. What a blessing. It’s awesome. Praise the Lord, you’re a part of it. We get to be a part of the Lord’s team, and I’m glad you’re in on it. It’s a wonderful, wonderful thing. Praise the Lord. Brother Garrett had a friend with him this morning. He didn’t ask me if he could get a coffee mug ahead of time. I’m teasing. He did have a friend with him this morning. He didn’t say that stuff.

Original File: Pastor Paul Chisgar - God Wants You On His Team - Sunday PM 021223