Serving the Lord: an Introduction
Let's begin today with a question: what do you want to see happen in Imperial Community Church? What's missing, what do you feel is needed here?
Those are all great ideas! The reason I asked this question is because I was asked myself this week, and my response was, "I would like to see more involvement on the part of the members and congregation at this church." By a show of hands, how many in here would like to see that happen, too? Very cool! That leads us to a series for Sunday School, which we'll introduce today with a look at what God requires of us before we seek to serve Him in some sort of ministry.
We're going to be looking at spiritual gifts in a few weeks so that each of you can take a close look at each of the still-active gifts that God gives to his followers today. My prayer to God is that He will reveal to you what your gift is and how He wants you to use it right now in this church and community.
In fact it is God's commandment that we serve Him. Romans 12:1-2 says "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. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
But there's a place we must get to in our lives with God before we can serve Him.
What does service to God begin with? What kind of lives must we lead before we are ready to serve Him in a Biblical manner? Salvation; faith and trust in Him; an obedient life. We must be transformed first!
SALVATION: A good picture of what it takes and means to be saved occurs in Acts 3:18-20 — "But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ[a] would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus."
>>> Look at Peter's instructions in verse 19: we must first repent, which means to turn away from, our sins; when we turn away from our sins, we must turn to God, which involves reading the Bible for understanding and instruction. Jesus is prepared to wipe out our sins like a teacher wipes a chalk or white board, if only we would put our faith in Him and repent from our sins.
OBEDIENCE: Obedience is what God demands from us once we have entered into a personal relationship with Him through our salvation at Christ Jesus' hands. Pastor Albert spoke about this last week; Matthew 7:21-23 says “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’"
In fact, God responds in a very particular way to actions that have no obedience in Him behind them. How do you think He responds to actions that have no obedience behind them? He rejects them!!!
If you'll remember back in 1 Samuel 15:22 after Saul disobeys God's command to destroy the Amalekites and all their animals and then claims He was going to use the animals as sacrifices to God, the LORD uses Samuel to rebuke Saul — "So Samuel said: 'Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams."
Now, let's reread that passage, but instead of the word "sacrifice", put the word "works" into the passage; just as the Israelites' sacrifices to God should have been driven by obedience first, our actions and works today should be driven by obedience first. As Paul said in Romans 12:1, living our lives for God is a sacrifice, but it must be driven by obedience.
God elaborates on this concept in Isaiah 1:11-20 —
11 “ To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?”
Says the LORD.
“ I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
And the fat of fed cattle.
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
Or of lambs or goats.
12 “ When you come to appear before Me,
Who has required this from your hand,
To trample My courts?
13 Bring no more futile sacrifices;
Incense is an abomination to Me.
The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—
I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
14 Your New Moons and your appointed feasts
My soul hates;
They are a trouble to Me,
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands,
I will hide My eyes from you;
Even though you make many prayers,
I will not hear.
Your hands are full of blood.
16 “ Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
Cease to do evil,
17 Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Rebuke the oppressor;[a]
Defend the fatherless,
Plead for the widow.
18 “ Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the LORD,
“ Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land;
20 But if you refuse and rebel,
You shall be devoured by the sword”;
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
There's even a list of qualifications that God gives for those who want to be in a ministry for Him, and it's a very narrow set of qualifications that can only be accomplished through obedience:
1 Timothy 3:1-13
" 1 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop,[a] he desires a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,[b] but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); 6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8 Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, 9 holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. 10 But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. 11 Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus."
If we strive to meet God on His terms with regard to service, then we will be prepared to hear Him and learn what ministry He has planned for us individually =) We'll get into spiritual gifts next week!
