The Real Treasure : SERVE

The Treasure Series – Serving God

Good morning church! This morning we are continuing on The Treasure Series, which we been looking on for last 4 weeks. Today we are going to look into an amazing hidden treasure known as Serve. Serving God.

Why Serving God is a treasure?

Proverbs 19:17 says – Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.

What do you think? If it says you are lending to God and he is going to repay you back, was it not the real treasure? Receiving something from the precious person is really a treasure, right? So, of-course, serving God, is a real treasure. On saying that what does it means when we say serving God?

What is serving God means?

James 2:14-17 – ¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

We have looked in the past weeks, that we need to Pray to God, that too Fast & pray, Sing Praise to him, have Faith in him. So, does it end there? No. Unless and until there is no action against to what I believe in, on whom I have faith, how can I be fruitful? How does my Faith become meaningful? our Faith needs some action associated to it. That is what is called as Serving God.

It widely means two things. 1) Worshiping God, 2) Working/ Ministering for God. During the time of Israelites when they departed from Egypt and travelling towards the land that God has promised to them, where it says that milk & honey flows. They came across so many challenges and situations. There were lot of ups and down. Finally, when they were about to enter into the land, now currently it is Joshua who is leading them after Moses

However, while the land that they settling in offered so much promise and opportunity, it was also full of immorality and idolatry. The Canaanite culture was so bad, even their religion promoted both female and male prostitution. Their worship consisted of orgies and sexual acts and their prophets and priests murdered little children by offering them as sacrifices.

Now Joshua was well aware of these practices and so as he was already getting old, he assembled the people of Israel for one final time and led them in a ceremony of renewal. In this ceremony, he started by reminding them of God’s faithfulness -how God took them out of the land of Egypt, how God blessed them and how God fulfilled His promises to them. But in the same ceremony, he also challenged them to make a decision and a commitment towards God, by throwing away the idols of their ancestors. He warned them that the God who delivered them from the land of Egypt would be the same God who will destroy them should they disobey and follow the practices of the Canaanites!

Joshua 24:14-15  ¹⁴ “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. ¹⁵ But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Even Today in this time, the Christian life is being confronted by various modern-day trends, influences and other stuffs. So, it challenges us too, whom are we serving? We have to stand firm in our decision in-spite of all the challenges influences and changes happens. Because our God is a God who remains the same yesterday, today & forever. If I’ve decided to follow Jesus, then there is no turning back. It’s always the Cross before me & the world behind me.

Job – Worshipped God, Even after his own wife asked to deny God

Job 2:9-10  ⁹ His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” ¹⁰ He replied, “You are talking like a foolish^[b] woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

We knew the story of Job, where he had lost everything he had. Not because of his mistakes or wrong doings. Just because he was very true unto the God. Being faithful, upright and fearful to God. He lost everything, means literally everything. 7000 Sheep, 3000 camel, 500 oxen & 500 donkeys. 7 Sons & 3 daughters and large number of servants. Suddenly one after the other comes and says, I’m the only one got escaped everything else was lost. Now after losing all these belongings still more worser is happening. From the soles of his feet to crown of his head he is filled with painful sores. He was clueless what is happening around him. His own wife come to him and says, are you still maintaining your Integrity? Curse God and die. What a beautiful response he has made – Don’t be like a foolish woman. When we accept good from God and why not the trouble. He served God irrespective of the blessing that he has received. Even today if all my possessions are taken away, will I be able to serve my God wholeheartedly? Or what would be our response?

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – In-spite of the peer pressure

During those days king Nebuchadnezzar, was a very prominent king of Babylon. He has conquered Jerusalem and brings few of their young men’s to Babylon. He brought them so that he can use their talents in building his empire. Later sometime as they were still in this foreign nation, here the King had made a big statue and asking the whole nation to bow when the music is been played. Everyone bowed down, except these 3 men. It comes to the notice of king that these men of Israel have not bowed down. They were very strong and assured.  It’s an extraordinary response that they gave back to the king.

Daniel 3: 16-18 – ¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. ¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us^[c] from Your Majesty’s hand. ¹⁸ But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Being away from their hometown, nobody is around them to say that if you do so you will be sinning against the God. Not their Parents, nor their leaders nobody is around. They could have easily just bent as with the other multitude of people.  Even Today how many of us in our daily lives, where we are sure that our pastor is not there around us, our parents are not around us, our leaders are not around us, or for that matter, students – when the teacher is not around, employee- your boss is not around, husband when your wife is not around, wives when your husband is not around, how is our behavior? Is it the same or there is a difference? If there is a difference then we are not fooling the people on the other side, we are fooling ourselves. God has not called u and me to live a life with a double standard, not to live a life which has masks worn. Inside the church singing Holy! Holy! Holy!, outside it is totally different. God has called us to be the salt & light, carry his love and fragrance to the people outside. Serve God – In-spite of the peer pressure.

How can I serve God?

Give out of all what you have – poor widow offering

Mark 12: 41-44 ⁴¹ Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. ⁴² But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

⁴³ Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. ⁴⁴ They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Everyone gave out of their wealth, some portion from what they possess, whereas this woman gave in everything all that she had to live on. I’m not saying swipe your bank account and deposit into church account. It is not bad to have more money, but focused on having more money is bad.

1Timothy 6:10 says, For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. The heart of openness, allowing our self to die, go an extra mile when there is a need.

God’s commandment in New testament talks about loving others. I can’t love someone based on my self interests, knowing that I’ll get something back from that person in return. It should be genuine, whether the person will be able to return me back or not, still I’ll go ahead and share my shoulder. That’s the true love. It’s not just money, it can be anything. It can be any resources, like your time, your car – dropping someone back home from church, your home- keep it open for people to come and stay, your talents – use it for the kingdom of God. Your good in teaching, then try teaching who is struggling to learn. If you are good in cooking, then teach the one who is not able to do, if you are good in artworks, train someone who can earn something out of it for their living. If I keep on listening sermon after sermon every Sunday without doing anything during the week, what is the point. I miss the point. It’s not just listening, it has to be in action. If I just preach and not exercise what is it, I’m missing the main point.  Many times, I’ve heard people saying, I want to do great things for God, and when they are asked why don’t you join our ushering team? No response. I want to do great things for God, why don’t you join our street children ministry? No response. I want to do great things for God, why don’t you join the setup team? No response. I want to do the great things for God, why don’t you join the worship team? No response. I’m not blaming or I’m not pointing fingers at anyone. If we are looking something positional based, where there is light, where others can clearly say, I’m sorry to say, we actually missed the point.

In the workplace, if an employee was asked to do a certain task, but the person started doing so many other things around every corner, and when the status was enquired started with all those other things, then the Boss interrupts, wait you missed the point. How many of you are with me?

Matthew 23:23  “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

God is not interested in your money. He is interested more in you and me, in our lives. We could Tithe, but more importantly, we have to love people, we have to be kind with others. We need to live a life faithfully.

Looking at all these, it’s all about something I’ve to do which is an outward act from me. If so, how can then the serving be a treasure? Treasure is something which is a reward, which is an incoming, which I get not give.

What is the treasure I get by serving?

1 Kings17:7-16 Elijah and the Widow at Zarephath

7 Sometime later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”

12 “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”

13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”

15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So, there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.

It was a very crucial or a critical situation for this woman to do. Everything was got over, now they reached their last breath. So she wanted to make something out of all what they have. It was not even sufficient for her and her son. But now, there is this 3^rd person coming and asking to give a portion of it to him as well. But when she did, she experienced this miracle. Thy had sufficient for all 3 of them, not just for that one time, rather every day. That is the reward or a blessing or a treasure that we get in serving God. Nowhere else it is said to test and see God.

Malachi 3:10 – Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

I would like to share a small testimony of my own personal life. Till few years back, Due to my Financial crunch, EMI’s and other stuff, I was not regular in my tithing. Also, I use to borrow some money from my friends to manage. And next month I borrow again so that I can repay the previous person, so it was like a loop and it was the scene every month. One fine day, when we decided as a family, that we will give to God regularly a portion from our salary, things started changing. Within few months I came out of the looping of borrowing from friends. My EMI’s are still there. In fact, they increased, as we bought a home, later few months down we bought a car. But it’s truly a great miracle. I got a job switch with the good market salary range, and we also increased the amount we give to God. I’m not boasting about my-self saying I’m giving to God. No, the reason why I say is, when we serve the LORD he will surely bless us and reward us.

We all knew the parable Jesus spoke about talents. One who received 5, made it to 10, one who received 2, multiplied it to 4, one who received 1, kept it hidden. On the day Master arrived back, It was taken back from him. Whereas, the other two joined the master in the celebration. Yes, there is a reward for our righteousness, there is a reward for our faithfulness.

Serving God is just living our daily life in the way that God want us to be. We don’t have to be something extraordinary to serve God. No, just be ourselves is more than enough. Because we have this assurance and a great Hope. Jesus has paid it all. With him, in him and through him we have access to the Abba Father. We don’t have to struggle all alone to the commitment we make, he hung on the cross for u and me to saved. He took it all alone so that we could have an everlasting life. He took it so that we might be forgiven. WE have Christ now with us through Holy spirit, we don’t want to be alone even for a minute. He is with us right now and also in every problem, every difficulty we face, he’s there to help us in making every decision of our lives. What job should I pick up? Which location I need to chose for my vacation? Whom to marry? What should I speak? How to respond to the situation? How to handle my finances? He is there to help. Am I ready to serve him by responding to his voice. Church can we make that commitment this morning, no matter what I’ll serve you LORD. In-spite of what was our past, In-spite of what is there or what is taken away, In-spite of the peer pressure shall we make a commitment this morning? I’ll serve you Lord with my all my abilities, talents and resources that you have blessed me with. Be it money, Be it time, Be it my resources, be it my gifts, be it my Talents, I use them all to serve you and you alone God. Jesus said this –

Matthew 6:24 ²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

No, it is not possible to serve both. LORD, we surrender our lives unto your hand by saying We will serve you O Lord. As we are also going to take part in the Lord’s table this morning, I request every one of us to reflect back in our lives, where am I struggling, what is that stumbling block which stops me from Serving God. Let’s make the commitment meaningful as we remember his sacrifice on the cross. Amen!

Paul Anand is working at Accenture and worshiping in Renewed Hope Community. The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel, Church in Karanjade because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.