SELECTED TO SERVE

Jesus chose twelve men to follow Him. He set the model for them in His service to His Father, and mandated that they walk in His steps. We are selected to serve. It matters not what we do, we have this call as Christians. In this case, Paul was speaking to those who were bondslaves. If they saw that ultimately they were not serving men, but God, there would be a dignity bestowed upon their labor which would be transformative.

We are to serve the Lord COMPREHENSIVELY, “whatever you do.”  If you are a plumber or a pastor, a soldier or a sailor, a builder or a baker—there is no such thing as secular work. It is all spiritual service to Christ, if we are saved. We have been selected to serve.  This is comprehensive in its scope. 

We are to serve the Lord HEARTILY, “do it heartily.”  It would be a difference-maker for the preacher on Sunday morning if he would face his opportunity enthusiastically. That might impact the congregation as well!  It can be a contagious thing. It is an attitude adjustment for the employee on Monday morning that would direct him to say, “Good morning, Lord!” instead of, “Good Lord, it’s morning!” It will affect the mother who is rising in the night at a baby’s cry, if she hears this as a summons to serve Christ. Hear the Psalmist’s exhortation, “Serve the Lord with gladness,” (Ps. 100:2a). 

We are to serve the Lord EXPECTANTLY,  “as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”  We do not work for a paycheck on earth, but a payday in eternity!  We may think ourselves underpaid for the labor we perform. We may work hard all our life and in our old age have little to show for it—we think. But, if we have been faithfully and joyfully serving Christ through that vocation, then He is watching, accounting, and will in Heaven be rewarding us for that work!

I write this on Saturday, and Sunday is coming, so let me say a special word to those who work in church. There will be some pastors who read this who will stand in a pulpit with more empty pews than expectant people tomorrow morning. They may pour their heart out and be met with a yawn from the handful of sleepy saints who are there. Someone will have prepared to direct the music and the singing will not have the energy or harmony befitting praise to God. A Sunday School teacher will have readied a lesson and maybe one or none show up to hear. Elsewhere, a small number give sacrificially to keep the lights on and the doors open. You may be the bi-vocational pastor who perspires under a hot sun Monday through Friday to inspire the people with a sermon on the Lord’s Day or you are privileged to be in a larger work, perhaps with multiple services—yet both of you collapse exhausted on Sunday evening. No matter what we do in the house of God, the Devil will have some critics there to make us feel that we are failures.

Do not forget there is One who attends our gathering who is soaking it all in, and writing it all down. Jesus is sitting in that congregation, choir loft, or classroom!  One day you can hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” (Matt. 25:21). 

The old Gospel song is a wonderful reminder:

Sometimes the day seems long,
Our trials hard to bear.
We’re tempted to complain,
to murmur and despair.
But Christ will soon appear
to catch his bride away!
All tears forever over
in God's eternal day!

It will be worth it all
when we see Jesus!
Life's trials will seem so small
when we see Christ.
One glimpse of his dear face,
all sorrow will erase.
So, bravely run the race
till we see Christ. (Esther Kerr Rusthoi)

In a few minutes I plan to mow my lawn and later review my sermon to the glory of God!

GET BUSY!

 

He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread,

But he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding.  (Proverbs 12:11)

In all labor there is profit,

But idle chatter leads only to poverty.  (Proverbs 14:23)

We are saved by grace, apart from works, but the grace that saves us works in us to produce work through us.  Grace is the fruit of my life, but works are the fruit of that grace.  We work out what God works in.  If we are not diligent, disciplined and determined in our efforts, we will not be successful in our service.  You will never be productive in any realm of life by merely day-dreaming—you must flesh out dreams with deeds!  We may wish for better days, but will never see them until we work in better ways.  Big talk breeds poverty, while a better walk brings prosperity.  The wisdom of God found in the words of Solomon makes this plain.  The afore-mentioned verses are only a sample of much Scripture found in Proverbs on the subject of industry. 

Two old sayings are, “You get what you pay for” and “talk is cheap.”  Someone has said, “When all is said and done, there is more said than done!”  Dreams and schemes accompanied by hesitation and procrastination are inexpensive at first, but will be costly in the extreme down the road.  It is like neglecting maintenance on your car or house and ultimately receiving a bill for a major repair later that was avoidable by vigilance and diligence in the smaller things today.  Doing the right thing will cost you in the present, but it is not to be seen as a loss, but an investment that pays rich dividends in the future. 

No man was more committed to grace than the Apostle Paul, yet no one was more constant in good works than he was!  “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”  (1 Corinthians 15:10)  He would go on to issue this challenge to us, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”  (v.58)  Paul defended the Gospel wholeheartedly, but was devoted to good works continually.  He would uncompromising toward any who would subvert the truth that faith in Christ alone saves us, but was unrelenting in calling for an enthusiastic effort in response to that doctrine.  In his own life, he was unwavering in his passion and unstoppable in his pursuit of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

The sacrifice of Jesus calls us to give our all on the altar in response.  “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”  (Romans 12:1).  In the words of the old hymn, “Jesus paid it all; all to Him I owe.”  Now, GET BUSY!