The source of strength to help build God’s work

Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider had to cover roughly another 900 kilometres after landing in Tanzania before arriving in Mbeya—a large city in the south of the country—to conduct his first divine service in this East African journey. For our brothers and sisters there, 17 April 2015 was a premiere event: this was the very first time they had ever experienced a visit from the Chief Apostle and all the District Apostles of Africa.

At the start of the divine service the Chief Apostle directed the attention of the approximately 3,000 participants to a misunderstanding between Jesus and His disciples: after His encounter with the Samaritan woman, they encouraged Him, “Rabbi, eat.” He replied, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.” When the disciples thought that He had already received food from somewhere else, He explained to them as follows: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work” (John 4: 34).

Food for spiritual life: doing the will of God

“What does this mean?” asked Chief Apostle Schneider before going on to explain the first half of the Bible text by way of five points.

• “For as long as we live we must eat,” he said, applying a natural phenomenon to the spiritual. “We bear the life of God within us. Doing the will of God is the food which sustains the divine life within us.”
• The body needs food every day: “We heed the will of God in daily life, not only on Sundays or when we need His help. Our souls need food every day.”
• Food strengthens the body: “If you are strong as a child of God, you will be sure that God is with you. — Those who do the will of God know that they are on the right path.”
• The body requires food in order to grow. “We want to grow and become like Jesus.” This means that we must increasingly do the will of God. “The more obedient we are, the more like Jesus we will become.”
• “In the case of certain illnesses, doctors recommend a special diet. As human beings, we suffer from a particular kind of illness, namely sin. In order to become healthy again, we must also keep to a special diet, namely to do the will of God.”

Perfection: taking the last step ourselves

“God chose us before the foundation of the world. Jesus has redeemed us through His sacrifice. The Holy Spirit has sanctified us through baptism with water and the Spirit—and all of this has happened so that the work of redemption could make a start within us,” explained the Chief Apostle, as he went on to explain the second part of the Bible text in another five points. “But we must take the last step ourselves!”

• “It will not suffice to merely attend the divine services, bring sacrifices, and pray. We must continually question our own behaviour and change constantly.”
• “Jesus started out by teaching the gospel. We must bring the gospel to people today! — God arranges things in such a manner that we come into contact with those people whom He desires to redeem. However, we are the ones who must do this work and preach the gospel to them.”
• “Jesus proved that it is possible to be obedient even in very difficult situations. — Today He wants us to prove to the people around us that it is still possible to behave in accordance with the gospel, even in our time.”
• “Before He left the earth, Jesus established His church. He sent Apostles, commissioned Peter, and sent the Holy Spirit. — But the Lord also needs our sacrifices and our commitment in order for His work and the church of Christ to be brought to completion.”
• “Shortly before His arrest, Jesus interceded with His Father on behalf of the disciples, and asked that they would remain one. — In order for His work to be completed, God needs us to ensure that this oneness becomes greater and greater, such that we may grow together increasingly into one people.”

“This is the task we have been given, not only here in Mbeya, but all around the world,” said Chief Apostle Schneider as he concluded his sermon. “Let us consume this food—in other words, let us fulfil the will of God. Let us complete the work that God has begun. Let us work on our salvation, teach the gospel, be an example to others, do our part to bring glory to the church, and strongly advocate for oneness.”