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Serving God |
Dear Brethren,
How important is it to serve God? Is
it difficult? Is serving God an obscure thought today? Do we
often think about serving God? Perhaps we like to consider more
exciting subjects than "serving." We all know that we must honor and
worship God, but does He require us to serve Him,
also? How important is serving to God? Serving is pleasing
to God - but do we stop to consider that serving is also a salvational
matter? What example did Jesus Christ give us? Please
notice, first of all, that Jesus will, Himself, serve
those brethren who are, themselves, servers. "Blessed are those
servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching:
verily I say unto you, that He shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to
meat, and will come forth and serve them. Blessed is that
servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so
doing." (Luke 12:37, 43)
Over and over God spoke of being served in the Old Testament.
Service to God was so important that it put the Egyptians in jeopardy. God
told Moses, "Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto
thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of
Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this
mountain." "The Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in
the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say
unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve
me." (Exodus 3:12, 8:20) Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:13, "Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve Him, and
shalt swear by his name." Even the Egyptians knew the importance of
serving God. "Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall
this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the
LORD their God." (Exodus 10:7)
How are we supposed to serve God today? What is our service to our
fellow man? How do we honor all men? (1Peter 2:17) What kind of
serving is pleasing to God today? How do we apply the clear Biblical
teaching of service toward others? "If any man serve
Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be:
if any man serve me, him will my Father honour." (John 12:26) Here is the important question, "Where is God that we may serve Him?"
"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation
of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was
thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me
in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in
prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him,
saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave
thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked,
and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came
unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say
unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my
brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them
on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for
the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no
meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and
ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye
visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when
saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in
prison, and did not serve you? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I
say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did not [serve] one of the least of
these, you did it not to
me." (Matthew 25:34-45)
When it comes to true Godly serving, we are not speaking about
credentials. We are to be as lowly as an unknown slave. If
we do not serve others - we are not serving God. Why do so many
believe that being in charge is the most important thing? Paul
considered himself to be the lowest of the low. "Whereof I was
made a servant, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the
effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least
of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the
unsearchable riches of Christ." (Ephesians 3:7-8)
Could God have made it any clearer for us? Brethren, it is not
about position and authority - it is about being servants. "Jesus
called the [disciples] unto Him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the
Gentiles exercise dominion over others, and they that are great exercise
authority upon them. But it shall not be so among
you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your
server; And whosoever will be chief among you, let
him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not
to be served, but to serve, and to give his
life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:25-28)
"Whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of
all. For even the Son of man came not to be served unto, but to
serve, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Mark 10:44-45)
Let's not make the mistake in thinking that it is the deacons who should be
doing the serving. Let's ask ourselves, when do we, as Christians, go
beyond the norm in our serving? Brethren, let's consider Jesus Christ's
example to us seriously: "I am among you as He that
serveth." (Luke 22:27) "Wherefore we receiving a
kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve
God acceptably with reverence and Godly respect." (Hebrews 12:28)
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| Sermon: |
"Public Servants"
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