09-04-22 “Can you recommend a good carpenter?”

Scripture                                                Colossians 3:23-24
HISTORY OF LABOR DAY
          Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers. It was created by the labor movement in the late 19^th century and became a federal holiday in 1894.

HONOR THE CARPENTER
          On this labor day, I particularly want to honor the occupation of carpenter.
          When my extended family decided to tear down our 60 year old 3 bedroom vacation cottage on Put in Bay, and build a much larger, much nicer year round home, they wanted to make sure we hired the best carpenters available. Therefore, we hired some Amish builders – they are the best. They aren’t just carpenters, they are artisans and craftsmen. There is a quality to their work. They build it like they are building it for themselves.
          There is so much pleasure watching this new home go up on the same property that has been in my family for my entire life, but there is some pain letting go of the house that has always been there. That sounds like the Christian life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! And in Ephesians 4:22-24 we read, You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
          I guess we could say God is a carpenter. After all, He created, or ‘built’ the world. He built Adam from the dust of the ground and built Eve from Adam’s ribs. That takes an artisan and a craftsman. In Christ, he demolishes our old life and builds a much larger, much better new one. It would have been interesting if Jesus’ earthly occupation had been that of carpenter!?!...Oh – it was. Mark 6:2-3 "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?"

          On this labor day, where we honor workers. We recognize that every occupation can be God honoring. Is that true? Yes. That is not dependent on the type of work. Let me ask, which is a more sacred job, being a pastor or being a farmer? If you don’t eat food from the farmer’s field, then I am serving spiritual food to a bunch of dead people. Which is a more sacred job, a farmer or a truck driver? If the food is grown but can’t get to you, it doesn’t matter. Which is more sacred, a delivery truck driver or a garbage truck driver? If, the waste we create isn’t taken away, we will all die from unsanitary conditions.
          We could do that with nearly every job that exists. Every job, including pastor is not inherently sacred (God honoring) it depends on the individual worker. A job is just a job until the worker works at it as though he or she is working for the Lord. Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
 
BUILDING ROOMS IN HEAVEN
John 14:1-14
          "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going."
          5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
          6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
          8 Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."
          9 Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
 
 
George Lucas First Hired Harrison Ford as a Carpenter
Star Wars creator George Lucas hired Harrison Ford, then a carpenter, to build a door in the casting offices. But the director wasn’t just impressed by the star’s woodwork skills. Despite hundreds of people competing for the role, Lucas decided Harrison was actually the best person for the part.
Legendary producer Fred Roos said, “Harrison had done a lot of carpentry for me. He needed money, he had kids, he wasn't a big movie star yet. The day he was doing it, George happened to be there. It was serendipitous."
It was this serendipity that launched one of the greatest movie careers in history. Without it, Star Wars may not have been as big of a hit; we'd also have a different Indiana Jones, and quite possibly no Blade Runner.
Possible Preaching Angle:
Perhaps we can learn from Ford. Are we willing to work at whatever comes to hand? The Hands that flung stars into space also washed some pretty dirty feet at a memorable meal with the disciples. Sometimes we miss opportunities for service because we are waiting for the big important roles.  (Amazing how many people want to be stars – guy who wanted to be a preacher like me – without the 12 years of college and years of experience.

 

BUILDING HIS CHURCH
Matthew 16:13-19
          When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" 14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.  19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

 

BUILDING HIS PEOPLE
SHINE LIKE STARS
          People want to be stars – you can be but only if the one who put the stars in place is the one you have building your life:
Philippians 2:14-16
          Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16 as you hold out the word of life — in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

BUILDING HUMORE: