Service is …?
Text: Romans 15:22-29
Last week we had our VBS culmination and the Lord truly great. Thanks again for all who had a hand in honoring our Lord. Two weeks ago, we looked at verse 14-21 and Paul talks about all the glory going to the Father. This is hard for we are a selfish people and like to be praised ourselves.
He then goes on to tell us who to give the glory to the Father. First of all, glory depends on who you serve, vs. 22-24. Paul tell the Roman Christians that he desires to come unto them but that is not what God wants at this time. So, Paul chooses to follow the Lord’s leading. Now Paul wanted to go to the Romans to do a good work and to help them in their relationship with Christ but for some reason that is not what God wanted. So, whom do you serve, God and others or Satan and self?
Eph. 2:1-3 tells us that in our natural state, we serve Satan. We want to fulfill the desires of the flesh and this desire is ever battling us through our Christian walk. Jonah, was a man of God and yet he choose to serve himself and he ended up paying for it three days in the belly of a whale. When we serve ourselves and Satan, there will always be consequences.
On the other hand, Joshua in 24:15 challenges the people to serve God, “as for me and my house, we WILL serve the Lord.” It takes resolve and a decision to serve God. I John 3:16-18 encourages us to love in deed not just in word if we want to serve the Lord. You can choose to use everything the Lord has blessed you with to serve self. You can use your talents to bring honor to yourself. The choice is yours. Blessing and life or Cursing and destruction.
Next, Paul gets into the pleasure of service. If you have never sacrificially served the Lord, you have no idea what pleasure is. This world’s pleasure does not even come close to the pleasure of working with the Lord. Prov. 11:30 tells us that the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life. This world only offers heartache, pain, toil, and a fruit that is spoiled. Earthly fruit withers and rusts away but the fruit of the righteous sustains and withereth not, neither does moth eat it nor does it rust away. Notice as well, that righteous fruit is linked to winning souls. This is wisdom. Who have you told lately?
Lastly, Paul talks of priorities and obedience, vs. 28, 29. Paul once again reveals a heart that is serving the Father, not self. He will go to them when the Lord tells him to and not before. God’s priorities over his own. It is not our place to complete our agenda; it is our place to be submissive to the Father and to do His will over our own. Will you choose wisely and reap blessings or will you choose poorly and reap destruction?