Address—Jim Hyland
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I'd like to start the meeting this afternoon with him #33 in the appendix.
Rest my soul the.
Workers.
Done. Done by God Almighty.
Son, let's turn.
Let's ask God's help and blessing our blessed God and Father. We're so very thankful this afternoon for the Lord Jesus Christ, and we thank Thee that we rest this afternoon on a finished work. We thank Thee that that work has been accomplished to Thy glory and for Thy eternal satisfaction, and that we are on our way to the Father's house, where we're going to sit down in His presence and enjoy His His company.
The sunshine of thy love for all eternity. But now, as we're on our way homeward, we thank thee for this opportunity to be together in this way.
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And thy living word that thou hast preserved to us, We thank thee that Thou hast given us light and instruction even for these dark, difficult days. We thank thee that thou hast given us comfort and edification. Correction. And so we pray that whatever we need this afternoon might be ministered to us from this living book in the power of the Spirit. We pray that we might have Christ much before our souls, and that our hearts might go out more to him.
So we look to thee for help and blessing. Help us to stay alert too, and to take in what thou hast to say to us. We ask in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and for his glory. Amen.
By way of introduction to the subject I have on my heart this afternoon I'd like to read 2 portions of the Word of God, one in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament. The first one is in the book of Isaiah, Isaiah, chapter 42.
Isaiah Chapter 42.
And justice, the first part of verse one.
Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. And then in Lukes Gospel, chapter 22.
Luke's Gospel, chapter 22 and verse 27. For whether is greater he that sitteth at meat or he that service, is not he that sitteth at meat. But I am among you as he that serveth. These might seem like strange verses to connect at the beginning of an address to Christians, but I have it on my heart this afternoon to take up the subject of service for Christ.
It's the subject that's been on my heart for some time. And I trust, as we take it up this afternoon, we can, in the presence of the Lord and with His help, take it up delicately and with balance. It's a subject that runs throughout the entire word of God. And so we can only hope to mention a few things and look at a few scriptures in the time that is allotted to us today. But, you know, whenever we take up a subject in the word of God.
It's always to bring before us first and foremost some aspect of the person and work of Christ, and that's why I read these verses as well. In fact, at the end of the meeting this morning, the verse was read to us in Matthew 12, I believe it is, which is a quote from where we read here in the 42nd chapter of Isaiah. And it was really when our brother read it to us this morning that it was brought before my soul.
Because we have first of all.
In connection with the subject of service and ministry for Christ, the perfect example brought before us. And I thought of this verse in connection with this subject because again, God would always direct our attention to His Son, the Lord Jesus. There was many years ago, centuries ago, a perfect man that walked in this world. That's why the heavens on occasion would open up.
And heaven would gaze down at that blessed object, a voice declared. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
There was an object in the world, as one of the writers said, that would commend the place and heaven delighted to look down on that perfect man, that perfect servant walking here in this world, the one of whom we read in Romans. Even Christ pleased not himself. And it tells us, if we were to go to the book of Hebrews in the 12Th chapter, that he was the author and finisher of faith, that is, he was the only person.
Who began and completed his service, his pathway through this world in perfection for God, Oh, what a pathway of service it was. He came, not to be ministered to, but to minister and give his life a ransom for many.
And so he could say to his disciples, I am among you as one that service. If we had backed up in the incident we read in Luke 22, we would find that there had been a little discussion amongst the disciples who would be the greatest because, you know, they were thinking of greatness in connection with how the world measures greatness. You know, when the world thinks of servants or menial tasks, they don't think of greatness. They think of those who are perhaps lowest on the social rung.
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On the social ladder. But that's not the way it is in Christianity. And so the Lord Jesus really, very gently rebuked and corrected the disciples.
Showing them that he had taken the place of a servant amongst them, and that it was a great place to take, that it was a wonderful thing to be able to serve. He had served God, his father, here in his pathway, and now he was encouraging the disciples to not strive for worldly greatness, but greatness. And Christianity now was to take that low place as a servant. And I want to encourage each of our hearts.
And what we're going to take up this afternoon as we go to various scriptures is for every age group here.
Who knows the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior? On your schedule card, this meeting was scheduled as a meeting for Christians, an address for Christians. And I'm thankful that it was because as I say, this is not something just for the children as we had this morning. It's not just something for the young people, but it's something too, for those who are raising families. It's something too, for those of us who are a little further along in the past of faith and service.
And it's something I trust will exercise my older brethren in the light of Scripture as well.
And so I say what's before my soul? As we have mentioned, the perfect servant is to take up the privilege that you and I have of service and ministry for Christ. I'd like to go now to a verse in the 100th Psalm. We're going to take this up under different headings. I'll introduce the heading after I read this particular verse. Psalm 100.
Psalm 100 and verse 2.
Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before His presence, with singing. Now, some of these scriptures we're going to look at this afternoon. We're perhaps going to take slightly out of their context and make some applications, but I trust it will be relevant and that we won't take too much liberty with application. I realize this verse is Jewish in its character, as the Psalms are no doubt it will be fulfilled in a coming day.
When the remnant, and perhaps all Israel, come before the Lord, and they come with singing.
They couldn't sing, as we were reminded this morning, the Lord's song in a strange land as captive.
But there is a day coming when they're going to be established in their land and there's going to be the shout of the king amongst them and he himself in that day is going to lead the singing. Just say to that when you read the history of those that God used in connection with the revival of the truth of being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus and so on. Back in the 1800s brethren were exercised as meeting formats were re established as to this verse and that's why.
Most often we come into the presence of the Lord and start our meetings with a Him. They were exercised about coming into his presence with a hit, with a song, with Thanksgiving. But I want to apply it a little bit different this afternoon in connection with this subject of service for Christ. I said we were going to take up these verses in connection with various subtitles. Perhaps we could say. And I read this because I want to stress first of all.
In connection with service and with for Christ our spirit and attitude, you know what the Lord Jesus wants is happy servant.
He wants us to take up those things He's given us to do for his glory and for the blessing of others here in this world. But he wants us to do it with the proper spirit and attitude. And some of you have late have heard me speak on our spirit and attitude as we've gone through various scriptures in the word of God. Because this, our spirit and attitude, I believe, is as important as what we do ourselves. And it's often been pointed out that in the various aspects of the judgment seat of Christ.
One of the aspects in which it's taken up in Romans is in connection with the commendation in the coming day. Not just for what we do, not even just for the motive. We'll speak of that in a few moments, but the Spirit and attitude in which we take up service for Christ.
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He wants happy servants. You remember in First Kings chapter 10, when the Queen of Sheba came to King Solomon a picture of the Lord Jesus, and she spent time in the court of Solomon, and she lists there many of the things that she observed under the administration of the Kingdom in his day, And it was a wonderful day for Israel. They were at their pinnacle in the Old Testament, but one of the things the Queen of Sheba noted particularly.
In connection with his servants.
Was that they were happy servants. They went out and stood ready to serve in their various capacities, but they did it with joy. And that's what the Lord Jesus wants from you and from me. He wants us to be happy servants. Now I realized that in service for Christ there are many routine, perhaps very what seem mundane, tasks that we take up for the Lord, but where it's not to be a drudgery.
And we're going to speak in a few moments of those things that will safeguard our service being simply routine and a drudgery. Because if it is, if there's someone here and you say, well, I go to the little assembly where I come from and and I try to help out and serve the Lord where I can. But it's pretty tough sometimes and there doesn't seem to be much joy in my service. I trust that the scriptures were going to look at subsequent to this.
Will encourage our hearts and perhaps give us a little of the antidote to a spirit and attitude like that.
Because, as it says here, he wants us to serve the Lord with gladness and to come before His presence with singing. You know I love when I see a brother or sister taking up their little service for Christ. You hear a little note of praise on their lips. Maybe they're whistling a little Him, humming the tune of some Him, perhaps under their breath, singing a few words of a Him. Although I know that there's a person who's serving the Lord with gladness.
That's really what he wants. He wants that spirit and attitude of happiness and joy in our service. Now, brethren, that doesn't mean that there aren't going to be sorrows along the way. That doesn't mean that there aren't going to be tears, Paul said in summing up his service to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20. He said, serving the Lord with many tears and temptations That befell me, by the way.
Paul had many sorrows and tears as he sought to serve the Lord and his brethren. But he said on another occasion, sorrowful, yet always rejoicing. And so I don't want to give the impression that there aren't going to be tears, that there aren't going to be times of sadness. But through it all we can have that rejoicing if we know that we are in the will of the Lord and doing that which pleases him for the blessing of others.
And for the glory of God. But now I'd like to connect three scriptures in connection with our motive.
We've spoken of our spirit and attitude. But if your spirit and attitude is not what it should be, perhaps these scriptures that we look at will speak for themselves. And perhaps, as I say, it will be a help to you in raising your spirit and giving you that proper attitude that he so desires will connect these three portions and then again make a very brief comment on them. Let's go first of all to First Samuel, Chapter 12.
First Samuel, Chapter 12.
And verse 20 And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not ye have done all this wickedness, yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And then I want to read 2 portions in the New Testament first of all in the book of Galatians.
Galatians, chapter 5.
Galatians, chapter 5.
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And.
Bertie, Just the end of verse 13.
By love serve one another and then one more portion in Colossians chapter 3.
Colossians Chapter 3 and verse 22.
Servants, obey in all things your masters, according to the flesh, not with thy services men's pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God.
I'm sorry.
Verse 23 And whosoever, and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as unto 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. Well, as I say, this perhaps brings before us the thought of our motive. What is our motive in service? You know, if our motive in service is not right, then nothing's right, really. And if our motive in service is not right, it is going to become just a burden to us. There's not going to be that gladness and joy and that song from our hearts and on our lips during our service for Christ. And so we find here that Samuel.
Rebuking, but also encouraging the people of God at a time of real failure and weakness in Israel. I say a time of real failure and weakness because they had desired a king, and God in his permissive will had allowed Samuel to anoint Saul as king over Israel. It was really not in his directive will the mind of the Lord, and as a result there were consequences.
And now we find that Samuel is burdened, and the people of God are feeling the consequences of their failure and sin. But what does Samuel do? Well, on the one hand, he does rebuke them. There's something for their conscience. He wanted them to realize that there had been failure come into Israel. But he encourages them as well. He could say fear not. How could he say such a thing at a time?
When things seem to be falling apart in Israel. And yet he could tell them to fear not.
And brother and I think of the day in which we live. These are days of weakness amongst the people of God, and we can't stand apart from it. If we're honest with ourselves, young and old, we have to hang our heads and confess that we're part of the failure and ruin that has come in to the Christian testimony. But all I want to say to each one of us, fear not, because it doesn't depend on us. The blessing depends on his heart. He God's desire was to bless his people here.
And God's desire in spite of us is to bless us and encourage us and encourage us in a path of faith and service. And so while he rebukes them for their sin, he tells them to go on. And what does he say? Serve the Lord with all your heart. And what is to be the motive of our service? It's to be the heart. Because as we've already said in these meetings, and as we've said many, many times, it really is a question of the heart.
I was impressed in going through the Psalms one time, particularly the 119th Psalm, to notice how many times the Psalmist speaks of wholeheartedness. With my whole heart, I will serve thee, With my whole heart I will praise thee, and so on. And that's really what he wants.
You know, brethren, he doesn't want half hearted Christians. He wants our whole heart. We see it perhaps with Daniel. He purposed in his heart as a young man that he would serve and follow the Lord, be faithful to the word of God, and oh, it stood him in good stead at the end of his life. He's still a man of God, going on faithfully, not compromising the truth, serving the Lord, praying three times a day.
But it began with wholeheartedness. It began with a real purpose. That was his motivation. Because the purpose of heart is really to have an object. It's to be motivated by an object. And what is the object for our service? It's Christ. It's not so much reward, but it's Christ that is to be the object. And I believe, brethren, young and old, that the more our hearts go out to the person of Christ.
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The more will desire to serve him and walk for his glory, and the more our hearts will go out to his people and take up his interests here in the in this world. And so he wants us to serve with all our hearts, not with Samuel's desire for the people of God. And in some in some little way, that by the grace of God, that's my desire for you this afternoon, that each of us would serve and follow the Lord not just half heartedly.
But uh, like Caleb, it says he wholly followed the Lord. And then we read in in Galatians because here's another motive. It's first of all, love for him. It's a heart that goes out to Christ. But as I say, in the measure in which our hearts go out to Christ, they'll go out to the people of God as well. His interests here in this world by love serve one another. Do you love the people of God? You can prove it by serving your brethren. You know, it doesn't take great things. And we'll speak of this again a little later.
You know, I noticed someone put a bottle of water on this podium this afternoon just before the meeting. You know, I thought of that. Probably most of you didn't see who it was, and that's OK. But it was service for Christ. It was some, some, some motivation. And I trust it was love for the for the Lord and love for their brethren that motivated them to put that water here on the podium. It's not great things. It's love for the for your the people of God.
If you really love someone, you're going to want to serve them. But then to move quickly. We read in Colossians as well, because here's something else he warns us about, and that's I service. You know, these. Once he was writing to in Colossae, many of them were no doubt slaves, or at least employees to ungodly masters. And they might have wondered, how can we be serving the Lord in this way? We've got to get up every day.
And we've got to work for an ungodly master who doesn't pay us, or at least pay us enough, who doesn't appreciate what we do, who treats us in a rough way, all the Apostle Paul says you do your work for the Lord and it's counted as service for Christ. Because at this juncture, I want to say this, we're not all called to leave our secular employment and go to foreign lands to serve the Lord as missionaries.
It's a wonderful thing if you are, and I trust if there's someone here and you're hearing that call this afternoon, that you'll listen to that call, that you'll listen to that call of the Lord. Because it's a wonderful thing if we have opportunity to serve the Lord in that way. But we're not all called in that way. But when you go back to school and you do your work to the best of your ability into the glory of God, that service for Christ.
If your testimony in your classroom and amongst those that you go to school with, that service for Christ, if you go back to work and you do your work according to the best of your ability, and you don't cheat on the time clock and you pull up your end of the team that you're working on, that's a testimony that service for Christ. Maybe I say, we're not all called to leave those things and go out in what we sometimes refer to as full time service, but we are all called to be servants for Christ where we are.
You are a servant for Christ. I am a servant for Christ, as the boys and girls sometimes sing you in your small corner, and I in mine. But he warns them here not to do. I service as men pleasers, because again, if the motivation is for Christ and out of love for his people, we're not going to serve simply to be seen by others. In fact, I believe that those quiet little services that are done for the Lord.
Perhaps without any recognition, without any thanks, because nobody knew you did it.
I wonder if those services aren't going to get the greater reward at the judgment seat of Christ, because you have to have the right motive to carry on a little service for the Lord. And I'll just say this too. It's a little bit of a parenthesis, but I just say this too in passing. As you serve the Lord, do it.
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Again, not for.
A pat on the back and don't do it.
When you're criticized for doing it, for doing something, don't try to justify yourself. You know, Jonathan, he was used one time in Israel to win a great victory. And you know, his father, King Saul came along and King Saul really tried to get the get the praise for it, for what had happened. But you know, Jonathan never tried to vindicate himself. Jonathan knew that God had the record down properly. It's often been pointed out in John 12 That when Mary poured out her ointment at the feet of the Lord Jesus.
Not only did Judas speak against her, but all the disciples spoke against her. You read that account in the beginning of John 12. Mary never spoke up. In her defense, she left the Lord vindicate her. And so maybe you've tried to serve the Lord. And you say I'm not appreciated. My brethren criticized what I do. You know, Paul experienced that too in his service. The Corinthians, Saints, they didn't appreciate Paul. They questioned his authority as an apostle.
They questioned his ministry. They even questioned his ability to present his ministry. He said That's OK. We labor that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. Now it's true, our brethren have good things to say to us and we need to listen to them. And Paul listened to his brethren, but he was a servant of the Lord. He sought to please the Lord in his service, and when there was criticism, he said, I know who might have believed.
And am persuaded that he is able.
To keep that which I've committed unto him against that day, he said. When there's criticism, I just leave that with the Lord. There's a day when it'll all be straightened out in the light of His presence. Again we have the perfect example of the Lord Jesus in his pathway. It says, who when he was reviled, reviled not again. When he suffered, He threatened not, you say. How could he do such a thing? Here was the perfect servant. He committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.
As it's just as if he said my father has the record down properly and he knew there would be, and there still will be a day of vindication when the Lord is revealed from heaven in a future day. Now let's go to Galatians chapter 6 to follow this up just a little bit.
Galatians, chapter 6.
And verse 4.
But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
For every man shall bear his own burden. Well, here we have an exhortation to every individual to take up the work that God has given them to do.
Because as we alluded to earlier, the service that God has for you is not the service he has for me.
And whatever service he has for you, he's going to fit you for it. And he's going to give you all the resources that are needed to carry out that service. It's not really a question of can you do it, It's a question of is it the Lord's will for you to do it? Because if it is the Lord's will, then he's going to provide everything that's needed. Oh, it's true, He may allow certain things that will keep us dependent.
Paul had a thorn in the flesh, and the Lord said, I'm not going to remove it, Paul, but I'm going to give you the grace to go on and serve me and serve my people in spite of that thorn in in the flesh. And so God may allow certain things in our lives to keep us dependent, but I say again, whatever little service he has for you, he's going to provide everything that's needed. And as some of us were saying at the dinner table today.
God has unity. There's one body, but it's unity with the diversity everyone of us here he has fitted for some little service, and that's one reason why the believers on earth are likened to a body. We're referred to as the body of Christ, and if we were to go to 1St Corinthians 12, we would find that he takes up the illustration of a natural body because we understand very clearly in the natural body.
That every member has a specific function. You know, if I lose a hand or a foot, the other one can can take over and I can get along through life pretty well, but not as well as with two hands or with two feet. But not only that, but many members of our body have a hidden service, the hidden function that we are not, perhaps not even aware of, but if it broke down, the body would suffer.
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And brethren, I believe this that there are many little assemblies gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus that really suffer a lot because there are those in the assembly who do not carry out the little function that God has given them to perform.
I think when Paul wrote to the Saints at Colossi, he perhaps really had that in mind when?
Near the end of that epistle, he says and say to Archippeth, take heed to the ministry that thou hast received of the Lord, that thou fulfill it. You know, we don't read much about Archippus. We don't read what is little ministry or service was. Perhaps it wasn't anything really public.
But Paul felt that Archippus needed to be stirred up to fulfill his ministry, that he wasn't carrying it out in the way he ought to, and that the Saints at Colossi were suffering a lack. When you go home to your little assembly, if the Lord leaves us here, are you going to be exercised as to what the Lord has given you to do? Because, again, no matter how young or how old we are here, the Lord has given us a little service to perform.
As long as we're left here in this world, and I just say this too, it begins with small things. You know, anybody that's ever run a corporation or a business knows that, generally speaking, you don't start people at the top. You hire someone, you put them perhaps on probation. You start them at the ground level, and if they prove themselves in little things, they move, you move them along the ladder. They don't usually start in a top management or CEO position.
Now does God run something more careless than humans? And I've noticed that the boys and girls and the young people who help after the team meeting the fellowship, lunch or whatever it is, helped to clear the tables, maybe help do up the dishes, get the chairs ready for the next meeting. Those are the boys and girls and young people that God often uses later on in greater things. The work of the Lord in every aspect I believe has small beginnings.
Whether it's in your, as we were saying in a local sphere, whether it starts in the classroom, in the local assembly, at work, it always starts with those little things. God proves us in those things, trains us for His service, and then perhaps later on He will give us something else to do. But I know too, there are many that God never gives a public service to. Again, it's like the members of our natural body, they function from day-to-day and year to year. But again, they're never given an outward public service.
But our function. But their function is important. And so he says, let every man prove his own work.
And I believe, too, that there's a great deal of conflict sometimes amongst the people of God because we're not willing to take up our own work. That is, we're not content with the little service that God has given us to do. God doesn't want us to be jealous of anothers work because, again, every person has an individual service, and it's not the greatness of the service that counts, but it's doing it.
As unto the Lord, it's that heart motivation that we spoke of earlier. It's perhaps illustrated with the Levites in the Old Testament, because there's been so often pointed out, and I've heard it from the very early days of my youth, from brethren that are now along with the Lord. But they would point out to us that the Levites all had a different and specific function. And Can you imagine when the Tabernacle was ready to be taken down and moved in the wilderness?
If some of the Levites had decided that they didn't want to do that particular service, that it was either a service that was too small, had too little recognition, or it was a service that was too great and too big a burden. Can you imagine the chaos that would have caused when they got to the next location and they went to set up and all of a sudden the pins hadn't been gathered up, They were left back at the previous location, or the person that was responsible to keep the ropes and keep them from tangling hadn't taken up their responsibility.
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Or the person who carried the board said, well, that's too great a service. That's a burden I just can't. But I can't carry around. Imagine what would have happened. No, everyone of the Levites had a service, and when they performed that little service, then the Tabernacle was set up and taken down with a great deal of order and precision. And again, as members of the body of Christ, he's given each one of us a little service to do.
And won't it be wonderful, brother? And when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ to have his commendation? Not so much how well my brother or sister performed their service.
But how well I performed my service for him, and the motive and attitude, spirit and attitude, in which I carried it out, Isn't that what's really going to count in a coming day is his well done. Thou, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord, thy Lord.
I do want to say something specifically for those who are a little younger here this afternoon in passing we've mentioned the Levites and the children of Israel. And if we were to go back to the book of Leviticus, I think it's the 27th chapter. We would find there that the value of a Levite from 20 years of age to, I believe it was 60 was 50 shekels. That was quite a bit, but when?
Someone who made a vow got to be 60 or over.
Their value dropped. I think it was to 15 shekels. That was quite a drop, wasn't it? Some of us are getting close to, I'm getting close to 60 years of age. I'm not there yet, but I'm getting close. My value in that way is going to drop, so to speak, as to the type that we have there, showing the value that God places on those that are younger. You know, I look into the faces of you young people. You have a lot of energy and zeal for the Lord. I'm thankful sometimes, I'm sure all the time when I'm on a trip if I have a young person.
Who will lift those suitcases of Bibles for those boxes of literature on to the next plane or the next boat, or the next Jeep, or pick up? I'm thankful for that. You have a lot of energy, a lot of zeal, and the Lord wants to use you. We're going to see, as we look a little further on. The Lord wants the best years of your life. Now, don't misunderstand me. I'm thankful for those who retire from their secular employment and their exercise to use what retirement the Lord gives them for His service. That's wonderful, you older brethren who are serving the Lord in that way and that it's tremendous. It's a great encouragement to those of us who are younger.
But again, I say the Lord wants the best years of our life. He wants us to be exercised.
In our youth as to service for him and what he has.
For us to do now, let's go to 1St Corinthians Chapter 7.
First Corinthians Chapter 7.
And verse 20. Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.
Art. S called being a servant, care not for it. But if thou mayest be free.
Use it rather. We're just going to make a very brief comment on this on this verse. I'm perhaps taking it a little bit out of its context. We know in this chapter he's Speaking of, particularly of marriage. It's really maintaining holiness in our natural relationship.
Up until this point in the epistle, he spoke of maintaining holiness collectively as gathered to the Lord's name. We can't claim to be in the presence of the Lord. Jesus has gathered to His name if we're in different to sin and allow it to continue. And so now he's talking about holiness or righteousness, practical righteousness in natural relationships, as I say in this chapter, perhaps more particularly in connection with marriage. But these little verses are inserted here and I want to apply them in connection.
With our secular employment, I realize there are some here who are nearing the end of their school schooling, whether it's high school or college or university training, vocation school, whatever. It might be your exercise perhaps, as to what the Lord would have for you. Maybe there's some just starting out in higher education as we say the exercise that you don't spend a lot of time studying for something that's going to put you into a position.
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Where you cannot serve the Lord in that position because you know there are secular jobs.
There's employment where you may find when you get into it that you really can't be a testimony in that position, that you really can't serve the Lord in that job or in in that field and so be exercised. He exhorts us here to abide in the same calling with God. And that's really what it boils down to. Again, we're not all called to leave our secular employment and go out at full time in service for Christ, but we are all called to abide in the same calling with God.
Can you go to work with the sense of God's presence with you?
Can you work at your desk or at the bench or wherever you are with a real sense of the Lord's approval and that he's there and enjoy his presence? Now let's go to the book of Joshua. We're going to move along very quickly now.
Joshua, Chapter 24.
Joshua chapter 24 and verse 15. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom he will serve, whether the gods which your father served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Well here was Joshua. You know Joshua had been a wonderful servant of the Lord.
Raised up to lead the children of Israel across the Jordan and into the good of their inheritance, the land of Canaan and Joshua exhorts the people of God here, seeks to encourage them to serve the Lord. And he says, in spite of what you do, I'm not going to give up serving the Lord. I want to apply this in connection with those who are heads of their home here. I'm thankful to see those with children and young people here.
And I want to encourage you to make your household a venue for service for Christ. I'm thankful I grew up in a home where our parents taught us the joy of service for Christ and fathers. We can't expect our children and young people someday to have a real joy, a real exercise and joy in serving the Lord if we haven't taught them that again. I'm thankful, too, for those in the assembly I grew up in who provided venues for us for service.
Who provided an opportunity to go and sing at a nursing home once a month? Who provided opportunity to put things together to take to our elderly brethren in the nursing homes or in their homes? They taught us the joy of service for Christ and I want to exercise my own soul, but especially those who still have children and families or those who are expecting children to make your home a place where you say, As for me and my house, I will serve the Lord. Many of us have this little verse on our mailbox or our front door. I trusted exercises our souls every time we enter our homes. But now let's go back to the New Testament, to Luke's Gospel.
Chapter 10.
Luke's Gospel, chapter 10 and verse 38. Now it came to pass as they went, that he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus feet and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister?
Hath left me to serve alone. Bitter therefore that she helped me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things, but one thing is needful, and Mary has chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her. And then I want to connect it with a verse in John 12, John's Gospel, chapter 12.
And we'll read the 1St 2 verses of the chapter. Then Jesus, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, which had been dead.
Whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper, and Martha.
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Sir, I love this. First of all, we find the Lord Jesus coming to this little home. You know, there were very few homes when the Lord Jesus was here in this world where he was really welcome. Later on it says every man went to his own home. Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But there was one home at least where the Lord Jesus was welcome and often turned his weary feet to sit down in the presence of those that loved him and have his spirit refreshed.
And here we find he comes to this home on this occasion and I really believe that both sisters were busy.
They were working together because when Mary complained, she said, Carest thou not that Martha hath left me to serve alone.
When the Lord entered that home, Mary left working with Martha, maybe preparing a meal, getting the house ready.
For their divine guest. But Mary said, oh, here's an opportunity I can't miss. I want to sit down and sit at Jesus feet. And that's wonderful, wonderful, wonderful privilege Mary had. And you and I still have that privilege of sitting at Jesus feet with the word of God before us and listening to his word. But here with Martha, Martha said, we've got to get things done. It tells us that it was Martha's home. No now no doubt she felt responsible.
To have everything just right for this divine gas, and maybe to serve him some refreshment or a meal. I don't want to read into scripture more than here, but we find that Martha was cumbered with much serving. Or if you notice another translation, she was distracted. Why? Because Martha needed to be occupied with Christ. Martha had to learn a lesson. And that's why I read in the 12Th of John, because I believe for between the 10th of Luke and the 12Th of John.
That Martha learned the lesson that the Lord so patiently sought to teacher.
And that was that. True joy in service springs from sitting at Jesus feet. And so we find when he came to that home for the last time before he went to the cross. I love it. It just says. And Martha served. It wasn't cumbersome or distracting. There, no rebuke from the Lord Jesus. Because I say I believe that she had learned, like her sister Mary, that true joy and service springs from sitting at Jesus feet. I mentioned earlier that the Queen of Sheba noted.
That the servants of Solomon were standing ready to serve as happy servants. But I believe if you back up in that account, you find the answer to why.
They were happy servants because one of the things that she noticed about those servants too was.
They were the sitting of his servants. You know, we don't often think of servants as sitting, but again, I suggest that there was a time set aside in the court of Solomon where those servants could come apart, each from their busy occupation, each from serving in their proper capacity to sit down in the presence of Solomon, to be occupied with him the glories of the Kingdom, to listen to his wisdom, to see, and then acted in the administration of the Kingdom of Israel.
And then they went out and stood ready to serve as happy servants. And that's the way it will be in your life and mine. We have the privilege of sitting collectively in the presence of the Lord Jesus this morning. We have the privilege of sitting in His presence individually. We have the privilege of sitting, being in His presence, so to speak, as families with the word of God before us, hearing His words, enjoying His presence, His company. Then, and I believe, only then, can we go forth as happy servants.
And serve in what he has given us to do. But I mentioned I wanted something for every age group here.
And in this regard, I'd like to go back to First Samuel Chapter 2.
First Samuel chapter 2 and verse 18.
But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child.
Gird with a linen, he thought. There are three times in the first part of this book that Samuel as a child is referred to as ministering to the Lord. You know, you boys and girls who know the Lord Jesus as your savior. You can be a minister to the Lord. You can serve the Lord. Now you say, What did Samuel do that was considered ministry to the Lord? Well, his mother had brought him up to the temple to serve under Eli. Eli was a priest who was getting old.
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And again, I don't want to read more in the scripture than we have, but I've often wondered, what did Samuel do to help Eli? We know one thing he did was help open the doors of the temple. Eli was old, perhaps getting feeble. Those doors were heavy. I like to think, too, of Samuel perhaps helping to bring in the wood for the offerings, perhaps helping to clean up the ashes. Whatever it was so valued was it by the Lord.
That it is recorded that as a child he ministered to the Lord. You know, you boys and girls, when you go home.
As you help your parents around the house, as you display something of Christ in your life, as you are obedient to mom and Dad. As you go to school and do your work for the glory of God, as you bow your head and give thanks for your meal in the cafeteria, the Lord will so value that that he will record it in his book called the Book of Remembrance, as ministry to himself.
You may think you're just doing it for Mom and Dad. Maybe you're handing out him books for an older brother at the Gospel meeting at the meeting room. That's wonderful. But if you're doing it with the right motive because you love the Lord Jesus.
You're gonna rejoice someday to think that you've so pleased his heart that he's gonna open a book with a page.
With your name at the top and there it's going to be recorded that you gave out those hymn books. You help dad take out the trash. You helped clean up the yard on Saturday. You helped mom with the dishes or some chore. And he says that was ministry for me. That was well done. You were a good and faithful servant, boys and girls. Wouldn't you like to hear that when you stand before the Lord Jesus another day? Are you going to give him the delight of his heart?
You think it's going to be joy to your heart, but are you going to give him the delight of his heart in being able to say you are a good and faithful servant? Like to turn to another verse? Our time is almost gone. I'd like to go to Romans chapter 12 now really to really cap what we've been saying in connection with service for Christ.
Romans chapter 12 and verse one. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God.
That she presents your body, the living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable or intelligent service.
And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
That ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Here we are to give ourselves in service. This isn't just giving of our substance. This is not just giving praise and worship as he desires from us. That's all service for Christ as well. But here is complete dedication. This is giving ourselves, you know, it's easy sometimes to give to some 'cause that would be has come to our attention to help another believer or someone out.
Who has a need? But it's another thing to give ourselves, isn't it?
To present our bodies a living sacrifice, You know, we may never be called on to give ourselves as martyrs for Christ.
In the way that many have and still are today. But we are called upon to put ourselves on the altar and to give our bodies a living sacrifice. Our time is gone. There's much more that could be said, but I'll just quote a verse from Revelation, the last chapter of Revelation. It says his servant shall serve him and they shall see his face again. I'm going there. There's more to it than what I'm going to bring out, but I believe at least part of the thought of that is.
That there were two types of service under the Levitical order. There was the service of burden and the service of song. The service of burden, in the way we've spoken of it this afternoon, is something that's only given to us for this life. When we get to heaven, he's going to make us to sit down and come forth and serve us forever. He's going to minister to our every joy and satisfaction for all eternity. But there is a service we're going to render to him for eternity.
The service of song We're going to open our lips and our hearts are going to burn just about burst as we praise and worship Him for all eternity. But in the mean time He desires that we would give ourselves and that each one of us would be exercised. How we can live for His glory and serve Him in a way that is acceptable and it is for the good and blessing of others. Let's pray our God and Father were so thankful for Thy word that would encourage us and admonish us.
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The press on in the path of faith and service. Even in these dark, difficult days, we're thankful for the perfect example of the perfect servant, and we pray that we might seek more and more to follow in his footsteps as he has marked out the road for us. Now we ask blessing on my word, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.