DOING GOOD IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

The most acceptable service of God is doing good to man. --Benjamin Franklin

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

There is nothing within man that is good. But, with His imputed righteousness, we are able to do good through Him. He equips us to do good. He makes it possible to accomplish anything He desires for us to do.

When is the last time you sought out to do something for the Lord? When is the last time you prayed asking the Lord to give you an opportunity to serve Him? Has it been a long time since you were found doing good in the neighborhood? Maybe it’s time to get busy for the Lord!

WORKING FOR THE LORD

God will not look you over for medals, degrees or diplomas, but for scars! -Hubbard

Romans12:1-2, 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. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Scarred feet from sharing the Gospel. Scarred hands from working in the harvest fields. Scarred feelings from being let down, deceived, and lied to. If you have been serving the Lord for any amount of time, these things are inevitable. Folks are going to use you up and walk all over top of you. They think you owe them something. They think they have all of the answers. They think they impress God in their lip service.

Friend, if you’re not going to do something for the Lord, get out of the way and let those that are do it! Working for the Lord isn’t for the faint of heart. You’re going to get hurt and scarred as you serve. But continue working for the Lord anyway!

CHECK LIST CHRISTIANS

       Look at who He is, and what He has done; not at what you are or what you have done.

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

            I tithe- check. I attend church- check. I sing in the choir, help with the youth ministry, and teach Sunday School- check, check, CHECK! Some Christians literally think that serving God is all about the check list of what they need to do in order to be accepted by God. However, the Bible says, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;” It’s not about a check list. Whatever we do should be out of the love we have for Him. No other reason is sufficient.

BE SERVING

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

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

How many opportunities have we missed this week to serve the Lord? How about while in the line at Walmart, did you hand out a Gospel track? How about at church, did you hold a door open for someone? How about at work, did you have an opportunity to share the Gospel?

How many opportunities will we let go by today? In order to limit the number of missed opportunities you had yesterday, you better have a plan before you step foot outside to serve Him today!

READY SET IGNITE!

            Nothing will ignite your passion for ministry and your joy in the Lord more than using your divine enabling for His glory.—Paul Chappell

As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10

            Oh that everyone that walks through the door today would get a grasp on this thought of serving in their church! If more than the ten percent would get active in every church in the world, revival would come and we would see a multitude of souls saved for God’s glory and man’s good!

            How about you? How are you serving in your church? Are you being faithful opening up avenues of other service? Have you talked to your Pastor about areas of need? Don’t just sit there! GET UP, GET READY, and ignite the passion of service by GOING to Sunday School and then church today!

WHAT WOULD YOU DO FOR JESUS?

            When we read, we fancy we could be martyrs; when we come to act, we cannot bear a provoking word. –More

 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

            Have you ever heard someone say, “I would do anything for the Lord”? Many times they really mean it. They may even start out running well for the Lord. However, when they see the sacrifices they have to make in order to REALLY do something for the Lord they are nowhere to be found.

All the Lord really wants is your availability; available to listen to Him, available to love Him, and available to labor for Him. Would you really do anything for the Lord? Then, be available!

WHO ARE YOU LIVING FOR?

Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.—C.T Studd

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. Galatians 2:20

During the Christmas season we can see who some people are living for in the way they respond to kind gestures, gifts, and time they spend with loved ones. A simple thank you for the help provided with a Christmas Party, a word of gratitude for the “unwanted” present, and a few extra minutes spent with the family get together; all magnifies the purposes of one’s heart. Is it for them self or is it for others?

Christian friend, the way you respond when Jesus came as a babe in a manger, how you respond to the gift He gave us when He got up on the Cross, and the amount of time we spend with Him displays what our motives are.

Do you love Him? Do you serve Him? Do you know Him? Who are you living for?

SITTING ON THE BENCH

Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.  –Ovid

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. Hebrews 4:9

After a seven innings, there he was sitting on the bench. The young man had pitched over 100 pitches and what he didn’t see could be seen by his coach. So his coach sat him down in order to give his arm a rest before the next game. What a wise coach!

Many times we wonder why it seems as if we aren’t being used by the Lord. It seems as if He has sat us on the bench. Well, while it may seem He has benched us for eternity what He is really doing is preparing us for the next place of service!

Stay faithful Child of God! Get the rest He has given you! It may be for a few days or months but gear up and take advantage of it! What a privilege to sit on the bench preparing for the place of service God is preparing!

JUST WING IT?

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

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24

I often hear someone say “Just wing it!” I understand there are times when we must jump in and do something when we are not well prepared. I am also convinced that when the Lord does this He gives us exactly what we need. But when we know ahead of time we are to teach or preach, we don’t wing it, we get prepared! We study! We invest time in searching the scriptures! We do it heartily unto the Lord!

Child of God, get your hands out of your pockets and get busy serving the Lord! But get ready first!

SAVED TO SERVE

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

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. Galatians 5:13

How prepared are you to serve others? Has the Lord given you a Sunday School Class you take for granted having the opinion, “I’ll wing it”? God hasn’t “winged” anything for us. He has with purpose and design planned what is best for your life. So why would you not put forth your best when He has given you His?

NEVER QUIT!

Cumberland said, “Better to wear out than to rust out.”

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Ephesians 4:28

     Paul challenges the church at Ephesus to serve the Lord daily in their Christian walk; to put off the old man, to speak truth, to hate sin, to not give place the devil, then I see in verse 28 a help to do it all—“but rather let him labour”. When we work for the Lord with the right heart attitude it’s hard to be doing the things we shouldn’t.

     So on this Saturday morning get up and do something for the Lord! Go visit some shut-ins. Go visit someone in the hospital. Go help an elderly person around their house. Go on visitation with your pastor. Go invite someone to church tomorrow! Never quit, don't rust out because you're not doing anything, just wear out for the Lord! 

BURNT OUT?

Anything worth doing is worth doing for the Lord.

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

     So often we quit serving in the capacity we are serving in because we are doing it for the wrong reason. We do it for praise of parents, praise of the pastor, or praise of the people. When those people stop praising us we burn up and burn out.

    Go into service for the Lord with one goal in mind... bringing glory and honor to the Lord! When you do, burn out will not be an option!

LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MEN/WOMEN!

There is no better test for a man's ultimate integrity than his behavior when he is wrong. --Unknown

Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. Proverbs 19:1

       Let’s admit it; no one likes it when they are wrong. However, the way we handle when we are reveals a lot about our heart. If we cover the wrong up, if we are deceptive, or if we tell an outright lie we reveal how wicked our heart is.

      Child of God, do you want to have a life of integrity? Start by having pure thoughts; begin by getting the Word of God into your mind daily- Romans 12:2. Second- have a pure tongue; your mouth reveals what’s in your heart- (Matthew 12:34). Last have a pure testimony before God and man. God knows your heart better than you do- David says in Psalm 139:1-2, “O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.”

     God is willing to work with you right where you are at but are you willing to be the man or woman of integrity that He needs?

WHAT ARE YOU HOLDING BACK FROM GOD?

A buried talent is never a buried treasure. Talents become treasures only through use. –Rupert

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

            When we bury something it’s normally dead or of no use. So unless our service here on Earth is finished we ought to be about our Father’s business! We don’t need to hold anything back while serving Him. We need to use every ounce of life that is within us to edify and equip the saints and to evangelize the lost. Give it all to Him! 

EXCUSES, EXCUSES, QUIT MAKING EXCUSES!

It is easy enough to make excuses, some people have even made the excuse, “I’m out of peanut butter.”

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Romans 1:20

Moses made excuses. Jeremiah made excuses. Jonah made excuses. Do you ever wonder what blessings these men may have missed out on because of the excuses they gave, I do. I wonder if Moses would’ve said, “Yes, Lord”, how much more God could’ve used him. I wonder if Jeremiah said, “Lord, I will be glad to preach for you.”, if God would’ve given Him one convert. I wonder what blessings Jonah would’ve received if he would’ve went to Nineveh instead of running at first.

It has been said, “One excuse is as good as another.” So, quit making excuse and make opportunities!   

WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE ME TO DO, LORD?

I used to ask God to help me.  Then I asked if I might help him.  I ended up by asking him to do his work through me. –Taylor

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

From the pulpit to the pew, the Lord has plenty of work for everyone to do. All you have to do is make yourself available. Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” We should echo Isaiah’s response, “Here am I, send me.”

Send me to the beggar on the street. Send me to the drunkard in the ditch. Send me to the lame in the hospital. Send me, with the Gospel in hand to meet the needs of the lost, hurting, and dying world. Would you echo with me, “What would you have me to do, Lord?”