Sermon nuggets Tues Aug 5
Theme- Principles from the Master
Verse:John 12:26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
The Principle of HONOR through SERVICE
When Greeks become seekers Jesus does something unlike many seeker sensitive churches today. Instead of adapting the message to appeal to the comfort of the crowd, Jesus gives principles that seem almost to repel them from their comfort to commitment. Yesterday he talked about giving up their lives. Today he talks about obedience.
He is telling the Greek hearers that if they want to serve him they must follow him. Following Jesus has implications of obedience as well as threat to comforts of the present life. We cannot serve Jesus without following Jesus. I do not know how people get the idea that they can be a Christian without following the teachings and the ways of Jesus. You do not get that from the Bible. You get that from the world that wants us to be deluded into thinking, "I can be a Christian and not change a thing in my life." There are things that we do not want to do, but if it is following Jesus then we do them. There are things that you will want to do, but by following and serving Jesus you do not do them. Where Jesus is, His followers are there too.
In that commitment of service there is honor given by God. I look at the Rev. 7 passage and talk about the people who have literally followed
Jesus to death, they are honored in eternity. I have seen in Hebrews 11 the horrible illustration of people who have suffered and bled and died for their faith and the world is not worthy, but they will be honored for eternity. In the parable of the talents it didn't make any difference whether the Master gave the servant 10 talents or 5 talents they were honored for their faithfulness to the task of stewardship, service.
Christmas Evans was always on the move serving Christ. he said, "It is better to burn out than to rust out." When Joan of Arc knew that her enemies were strong and her time was short she prayed to God,. "I shall only last a year, use me as you can" Jesus is teaching that only by spending our life of service do we receive honor.
The problem with most people is they are short sighted, looking only to this life and not having the hope of the faith in the truth of God's word. He will honor those who serve him.
The question comes, "will we still serve Him even when people forsake us?" God knows that we cannot live the Christian life by ourselves. We need the encouragement of others. But what happens when friends forsake us? Will a student still serve God in school if he or she must stand alone and be the only one who turns down particular invitations and no one else is there to comfort and encourage? Will a business man serve Jesus when he knows that he boss will get on him if he doesn't make a sale, if it meant misrepresenting the product? Will the lady serve Jesus when she's the only one not participating on the community gossip and even defending the one who is being discussed?
Jesus goes much farther than that. He teaches us, "Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake will receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life.
God will honor His faithful servants.
Pastor Dale
