GET TO IT

If not you, who? If not now, when?

Isaiah 6:8, Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

There is a massive amount of people to reach and a little space of time to reach them. Have you ever thought about what you are doing for missions? Missions is the mission of the church. That is one of the primary goals of every New Testament church. How do you fit into that?

Are you supporting those who go? Are you praying and giving to them? Are you actively seeking new ways to get the Gospel out? Maybe, God has been working on your heart to surrender to the mission field. Don’t settle for Satan’s seconds, missing God’s will for your life! It will be the best for you, your family, and those who you minister to!

GET BUSY SERVING

When your will is God's will, you will have your will. –Spurgeon

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 7:21

Not everyone is called to preach, but every Christian can tell someone of Jesus. Not everyone can teach Sunday School, but every Christian can teach someone about the Word of God. Not everyone can drive the church bus but you can support the Bus workers with prizes for the kids. Not everyone can lead the choir but you can sing in it. There is one thing that every Christian can do and that is to pray. We have a lot of work to do—time to get busy serving!

JUST SERVE

The measure of a man is not the number of his servants, but the number of people he serves. -Moody

Romans 12:1, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

There is a lot to do in a church. Mowing, sweeping, running the sound, vacuuming, finances, song leader, teaching Sunday school, kid’s clubs, social networking, prayer warriors, and a host of other things for everyone to do something. In serving in the local church, we are serving God by serving people. Not just any people, but people who want to learn, follow, and grow in God’s grace.

How are you serving in your local church? Are you a member? Do you know why there is a need for more people to serve? Do you know what Scripture says about the Pastor and what his responsibility is in the church?

Instead of thinking about what a church can do for you, ask how you can serve the Lord by serving in the church!

SERVE THE LORD

The cross is 'I' crossed out. –Anonymous

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Many people are busy doing good things like serving at the homeless shelter, giving money to the poor, volunteering in the local school, or even a community garden while missing their real need of giving their life to Christ. While doing good things is right to do and needful, none of that will get you into Heaven. Only by confession of sin and repentance will one enter through Heaven’s gate. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Romans 10:9.

Don't miss the greatest opportunity of service!

THE NEED IS GREAT

            When a man turns to God desiring to serve Him, God directs his attention to the world and its need. -Brunner

Romans 12:1, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

            Right now, in our world there is a huge need of people who work in the medical and first responder fields. We are in need of doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, emergency medical technicians, military, firemen, policemen, and more. Obviously, this is due to the virus that has infected our world. By God’s grace, these servants will get the help to those in need. If we listen and apply the advice of those in the medical field, we will be back to normal daily routines in no time.

            There is another need in our world today. This need is more important than the temporal needs of people taking care of our physical lives now. This need is for people willing to serve the Lord in getting the Good News of the Gospel out. The infection of sin is leading souls straight to Hell. Sin is more deadly than the corona-virus. Sin is more deadly than the flu. Sin has ruined more lives than any virus. While a virus may take our life here on earth, sin will take our souls to Hell—forever.

            Are you prepared to share the Good News today? Have you asked the Lord for opportunities to serve Him? There is a great need, you are the tool in which God has chosen to use to get the Cure out to the world! You are the tool God uses to share Jesus with a lost, dying, and hurting world! Will you go? Will you tell?

Serve the Lord

It is high time that the ideal of success should be replaced by the ideal of service. –Einstein

Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Haggai 1:5-6

            The Children of Israel had gotten their eyes off of the Lord and on material things. They were no longer satisfied with just a tent. They started building homes with roofs. Roofs with big archways and the ceilings underneath adorned with fancy carvings and such. Yet God’s House was lying destitute. There were none that cared. The Bible says that God called for a draught upon the land. The prophet Haggai gave the people the message of the Lord. He told them the problem of their complacency and they repented. God used this draught to get His people back on the same page with Him.

            Christian, have you gotten your eyes off the Lord and on material things? Consider your ways. Are you busy doing things but nothing for the Lord? Consider your ways. Take a moment and look at the world around us and consider this, “What am I doing for my Saviour?”

            What will the Lord use in order to get your attention? Will it be a short devotion? Will it be a message your pastor gives? What drought will come upon our life before you get back on the same page with the Lord?

WHO ARE YOU SERVING?

There are many of us that are willing to do great things for the Lord, but few of us are willing to do little things. –Moody

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. Isaiah 6:8

I’m sure all of us have had folks cross into our life with the only intent was to see how much they could get out of our pocket. Some slip into the church with the same thoughts in mind. This is not why the church is here. The church is here to evangelize the lost and edify the believer. It’s not here to equip the moocher! Even though we the church are to serve we are also suppose to be wise with the finances God has given us!

When the opportunity arises, are you willing to serve where God opens the door? If not, why not? What’s hindering you from serving? Why ever it is, get it out of your life and be in preparation to serve where God plants you! Who are you serving?

HIS LOVE COMPELS ME

            A little love goes along way—now imagine what the love of God can do!

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

            If the love of another human has the potential to inspire an individual to go to college, serve their country in the military, or serve in their church—imagine what the love of God can do. According to 2 Corinthians, it will cause them not to live for themselves but live for Jesus. It will cause them to sell everything and serve on the mission field. It will cause them to serve in their church. It will cause them to give of their time, talents, and treasures.

            Living for Jesus is simply recognizing Him in every aspect of life. Not only in church on Sunday, not only when others are around, but every day and in every situation. Living for Jesus is dying to self daily and surrendering your life to His will.

            Does the love of Christ prod, compel, cause, push, or have you surrendered to live for Jesus? If not, there isn’t a problem with His love—it’s yours!     

A USE TO CHRISTIAN

What keeps you from serving the Lord like you use to?

Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? Galatians 5:7

            I never want to be one of those Christians who say something to the effect, “I use to work with the youth”, “I use to sing in the choir”, or “I use to go to church.” If there is something you use to do for the Lord and now you are not, what is hindering you from doing so? Yes, we all get old and we may not be able to serve like we use to but there should never be a time when we just sit down and quit. We should remain faithful to the Lord until the He take us home!

            So, what is hindering you that you should not obey the truth? Most of the time I find, it’s ourselves! Get rid of self and get back to serving!

THERE’S LIBERTY TO SERVE IN JESUS!

Those are no friends of Christ and his disciples, who make that to be unlawful which God has not made to be so. –Henry

But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. Romans 7:6

I am thankful for grace this morning! I am thankful my salvation is founded in the depths of God’s amazing grace. I am thankful I am not bound to the law in such a way I have to do this or that in order to obtain my salvation. No, my salvation is complete in Jesus’ finished work on the cross and resurrection! This does not give us liberty to sin, it gives us a liberty to serve!

WHAT A JOY TO SERVE JESUS!

When a man turns to God desiring to serve Him, God directs his attention to the world and its need. -Brunner

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1

            There is no better place to serve God than in His will. We can strive to go against what He wants but true joy will only come when we are where He wants us. There is no substitute when it comes to serving the Lord. We cannot substitute going to church with watching a TV evangelist and expect God to be pleased. We cannot substitute tithing with faithless giving and expect Him to work in our lives. We cannot substitute serving where He wants us to serve and expect Him to bless our ministry.

            Here is something God wants all of us to do today—GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH! Don’t wait! Don’t put it off! JUST GO serve Jesus and watch how He begins to bless your life!

WHAT A JOY TO SERVE THE LORD!

With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Ephesians 6:7

Serving the Lord shouldn’t come with strings. We should never have the mentality of; I’ll serve the Lord if He will do this. I will serve the Lord if I can do it when I want to. I will serve the Lord if I don’t have anything else going on! But yet, so many of us respond to the Lord in such as the ways mentioned!

Child of God, get busy doing the Lord’s Work! Do it His way with His Word in hand! It will bring about a blessing bringing a smile to your face and joy in your heart!

SITTING OR SERVING?

The living Church, though never neat, keeps God's world from complete disaster. -Macleod

One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. Psalm 27:4

The sold out born again Christian has more to offer this world than the world realizes. From common sense life issues to dignity in business dealings, the true Christian will be the catalyst God uses to bring peace in a troubled world.

Will you be one of the Christians He uses or will you be on the side line watching? What makes the difference? Will you pick up your Bible and begin to read or will you make more time for the game? Will you invest in others or will you be stuck on yourself? Will you be GETTING UP, GETTING READY, and GOING TO CHURCH this morning or will you sleep in? These things are what make the difference! So what will you be doing sitting or serving?

VICTORY IN JESUS

Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for the Lord.

Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:14

Many that claim to be Christian forget one of the things Christ said, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28 Jesus came to serve and that is about the last thing anyone wants to do today. As Children of God, this should be one of our goals as well; to serve others! Without the thought of fame or fortune, we need to get down in the trenches, get our hands dirty, and serve one another! Without serving we will not see lasting victories in our life! But the key is to be “In Christ”!

If you are not in Christ, the victories you have in this life will be temporary. The only victories that will mean anything or last for eternity are those accomplished in Christ.

NEW YEAR, NEW OPPORTUNITIES

You will never "find" time for anything.  If you want time, you must make it. -Buxton

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:10

While reading my Bible several years ago I came across Galatians 6:10. It became the verse I would pen at the bottom of a card, when signing a Bible, or at the salutation of a letter or email. It is so applicable how I look at life.

We have so many opportunities every single day to serve others and our Lord and Saviour; a fellow customer in the parking lot with their hood up, a widow with a door about to fall off the hinges, a single mother with uncut grass, a man who’s wife left him, a child about to be expelled, a family in need of some counseling, a newly married couple with a baby on the way, the list goes on and on.

The opportunities are endless! Will you make yourself available to serve in 2019? Or will you continue on down the road serving only self? I am reminded this morning of the acronym “JOY”:  

JESUS

OTHERS

YOURSELF

Are you in the right spot? If so, your joy will be full. If not, you’ll be of most men miserable!

WE NEED SOME MEN!

God ordained men to lead the home, so men, LEAD!

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Ephesians 5:22-23

What should we be led by, culture or the Word of God? If we follow culture then we will not recognize the Word of God’s counsel on the home. I mean really, it’s not popular today to say a man is the head of it. Much less is the counsel the man is the head of the wife. But can I share with you a simple truth, when men lead their homes in the way God has ordained, the wife is happier, the children are better, and society improves!

Men, lead your home in the way God wants you to; loving her as Christ loved the Church, serve her with your life, and most importantly forgive your wife when she doesn’t live up to your expectations, isn’t that what Jesus does for us?

WHY DO YOU SERVE JESUS?

There are many of us that are willing to do great things for the Lord, but few of us are willing to do little things. –Moody

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1

Some serve the Lord for fame and fortune. Some serve out of duty. Some serve because it has become an obligation. Some serve because they feel indebted to Him for what He has done for them. Some serve just because they love the Lord.

What’s your reason for serving? Jesus said in John 14:15, ‘If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Above all else, Jesus said our motivation to serve should be our love toward Him!

WHY DO YOU DO WHAT YOU DO?

The world cannot always understand one's profession of faith, but it can understand service. –Maclaren

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

I recently met a man who is very wealthy. Not only is he wealthy monetarily, he is rich in his salvation as well. When he got saved he started to serve the Lord. While serving the Lord he quickly began to understand that you can’t out give Him. So he started a ministry and the ministry money to church planting missionaries and churches all over the planet.

Some wonder why he does this. You see his salvation has impacted what he does not only with his money but in every aspect of his life. His salvation has impacted where he goes, what he says, what he drinks, etc. If you hear this eighty some year old man tell you why, you will quickly understand it’s because he loves God and he wants to glorify Him!

So… why do you do what you do?

A LIFE TO VALUE

The purpose of life is not to be happy-but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you lived at all. -Rosten

And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land: And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh: Exodus 18:3-4

God reminds us of Moses’ children’s names here in Exodus 18:3-4. I see two reminders;

1. We are strangers in this land, just passing through to our Heavenly Home!

2. God is my help! Not just in my time of need but at all times! He gave me help last night to get the sleep I needed. He helped me this morning to get up. He will help me throughout my day, sometimes even before I knew I needed help! That’s just how my God works!

With that being said, How will you spend your day?

C.T Studd said, “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.” What meaningful thing are you planning on doing for the Lord today?

TOO BUSY TO SERVE?

      Loyalty that will do anything, that will endure anything, that will make the whole being consecrate to Him, is what Christ wants. Anything else is not worthy of Him. --Burdett Hart

Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. 1 Corinthians 4:2

      It has been said that 10% of any given church does 100% of the work. I wonder why that is. I wonder why someone can’t see the need to give of their time, talents, and treasures. I wonder why we hoard up what God has given so freely. Maybe if we were to follow His example we would see others follow suit.