Real service to God is never outcome focused, how many people we can get to church, how much money we can raise to build a new sanctuary, or what can our church do for the community. Real service to God is always heart focused in obedience to God which never looks at effort or expense. The goal is how will God be glorified in all I do. I believe most Christians today serve the Lord so they can get things from God. Now God You know I am serving You, so here is my list now jump through the hoop, dance to my song, and give me what I want or I will leave You. This is the attitude and heart condition of the new age Gospel message you see on TBN and other Christian TV networks. It is an attitude of entitlement, just like the world has. Sadly but very much expectantly this entitlement thinking has slipped into the churches and deceived the people robbing them of the true Gospel message, and now America is broadcasting these lies to the world. I received a very interesting email last week that talked about this topic. The author of the email believes (and I enthusiastically agree) God is using (raised up like He did Pharaoh) Christian TV networks such as TBN to fulfill the Scriptures and usher in the apostate Church as described in 2 Peter Chapter 2. Please take a heartfelt read of Chapter two and I promise you will see what is on Christian TV (like TBN) and hear the ungodly message and in most churches of today. The heart condition of the folks on TBN and those that support TBN say we will serve God and He must give us His anointing, money, His blessings, and our destiny well my friend God does not dance to our tune. God does what He wants to do and we are along for the ride as long as we are obedient to walk in God’s ways. I hear, “so blessed not stressed,” this is nothing but deception not even wishful thinking, this type of thinking is selfish, self-seeking, and just plain greedy and will earn you a place in the apostate church and maybe Hell. Real service in God always kills us inwardly so that God can strengthen us with might in the inward man. Paul knew what I am talking about. The Church at Corinth was a troubled lot of people. Paul said they gathered together (1 Corinthians 11:17) for the worse rather than the better. The City of Corinth was a crossroads of global influence, industry, philosophy, and thought. Every practice and ritual of the world was present in the city. If you notice on a map the City of Corinth was built on an isthmus. And just like with the Panama and Suez Canal it is faster and cheaper to cross this isthmus then to go around the Peloponnese Peninsular. Now here was the problem the waters off of Corinth was dangerous so to solve this problem they would take the boats out of the water and put them on wheeled sled like transports to move them from one side of the isthmus to the other. As one of the hubs of the early world The City of Corinth had every religion present and functioning. The early Church in Corinth adopted, mixed, and matched other forms of other world religions (like today) to get people to come to church, but, John tells us, “That which is Sprit is Spirit and that which is flesh is flesh (John 3:6) It did not work then and it will not work today. The end result was spiritual confusion and open rebellion to God and His word. The early young church seemed to be no match for the established religions of the world, except for a man of God (Paul) who was willing to lay his life down for the Gospel message and endure criticism, misunderstandings, separation and loneliness from family and friends to be able to speak the truth in love to a religious world and people who knew not Christ. In 2 Corinthians 12 we read of Paul talking of the early Church at Corinth, “And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. 16But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile. 17Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? 18I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps? 19Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.” (2 Corinthians 12:15-19) Paul was willing to be spent physically and spiritually for them and the more he loved them the less they loved him. Do you hear what Paul is saying here? Paul never was a burden to them he worked as a tent maker for room and board I wonder why so many preachers are out there looking for a pay raise every year? When I pastored in Germany I took no salary (even though I could have) nor have I ever asked for one cent in all of the years I have traveled in ministry. Usually I come with money to help defer expenses of holding a BHG pastors conference and/or crusade. Sharing the Gospel message costs money, but my friend if you have to beg and plead for money to go abroad to minister maybe you should not be going. I cannot remember a single time begging and pleading for money to go abroad. I made the trip known to my friends and God moved on their heart to give. This was also a sign from the Lord to me that He was behind me going. My friend if God is not funding your ministry your better, in these uncertain and dangerous times, take heed and be careful what your are doing. Just because God said He wants you to go does not mean it must be tomorrow, it may be for another time. Remember, God’s speaking is always His intention (no matter what He says), but application and execution of His words is always seen in God’s timing and will.
Always remember if you desire to serve the Lord family and people who do not want to serve God will hate you. But we serve God because He and He alone deserves our service. When we serve God it will always cost us something personally. The cost always exacts a heavy toll on us and our relationships. I re-learned this truth with my late Father’s and Mom’s 60th Wedding Anniversary. Now we did go and congratulate my Dad and Mom on their 60 years of marriage (All Because Two People Fell In Love) on their anniversary (15 Aug), but we did not stay for the party on the 16th of Aug. God told us not to. Many would say God would never do that, well for those who would say that I see your words has betrayed your understanding of God and how He operates. Many months before the party God told us my Dad would be dying soon (you can verify this with Karen) and told me certain things to say to my Dad when I get time in the ICU with him, and lastly God told us if we wanted to see my Dad in heaven we could not go the anniversary party. We knew this party was very very important to my Dad, it seemed like he was holding on to life for the party. We also knew if we did not go it would break his heart. We also knew my brothers and sisters would never understand. There already was much friction between them and us over our stance for the truth of the word of God (how we have been raised from little children) and we knew this would only cause more division. The lies and mistruths about Karen and I are still there (and so is our position when it comes to God’s word) and must be dealt with someday, but strangely enough with the death of my Dad we have a greater pity for my brothers and sisters. I love them all very much, but still there is a line in the sand we dare not cross. Death always softens our hearts, but this is so we all can be drawn nearer the Lord where true salvation is. So we could not attend the party we knew my Dad’s soul was at stake. I have not shared this with anyone in my family until now. Were we willing to forego the party and not join in the festivities of 60 years of marriage to see my Dad go to heaven? Of course our answer was yes. You might ask how could this happen, your not going to a party and your Dad being assured of heaven, well I did not say he was assured of heaven, but the ground of sorrow and greater repentance was plowed in his heart out from the sadness I saw in his eyes from the pictures taken. Godly sorrow does work repentance in our heart. I may have missed the party, but my father (we believe) made it to heaven, a great trade off indeed. We serve God so that others may receive, never forget that my friend because if you do you will begin to drift over into the wrong thinking of the humanistic gospel message, serving God for what we can get from Him which has filled the Church of America and now is being exported to the nations.
Lastly there is a wonderful sermon preached by Paris Reidhead called ‘Ten Shekels and a Shirt” taken from Judges 17 that addresses the heart of why we serve God. After going to East Africa and finding the African pagans quite happy in their sin and having no desire to be saved he has a face to face with God. “There alone in my bedroom as I faced God honestly with what my heart felt, it seemed to me I heard Him say, "Yes, will not the Judge of all the earth do right? The heathen are lost, and they’re going to go to Hell, not because they haven’t heard the gospel. They’re going to go to Hell because they are sinners, who love their sin! And because they deserve Hell. But……I didn’t send you out there for them. I didn’t send you out there for their sakes." And I heard clearly as I’ve ever heard, though it wasn’t with physical voice but it was the echo of truth of the ages, finding it’s way into an open heart. I heard God say to my heart that day something like this, "I didn’t send you to Africa for the sake of the heathen, I sent you to Africa for My sake….They deserved Hell! But I love them! And I endured the agonies of Hell for them!!!! I didn’t send you out there for them! I SENT YOU OUT THERE FOR ME… Do I not deserve the reward of my suffering? Don’t I deserve those for who I died?" And it reversed it all!! And changed it all!! And righted it all!! And I wasn’t any longer working for Micah and ten shekels and a shirt! But I was serving a living God! I was not there for the sake of the heathen. I was there for the Savior that endured the agonies of Hell for me, who didn’t deserve it. But He deserved them, (the heathen). Because He died for them. Let’s be done, once and for all, with utilitarian Christianity that makes God a means, instead of the glorious end that He is. Let’s resign. Let’s tell Micah we’re through. We’re no longer going to be his priests serving for ten shekels and a shirt. Let’s tell the tribe of Dan we’re through. And let’s come and cast ourselves at the feet of the nail pierced Son of God and tell Him that we’re going to obey Him, and love Him, and serve Him, as long as we live, because HE IS WORTHY!”
Why do we serve God? So that He and He alone can be glorified, any other reason we name is dead wrong. Written by David Stahl
Always remember if you desire to serve the Lord family and people who do not want to serve God will hate you. But we serve God because He and He alone deserves our service. When we serve God it will always cost us something personally. The cost always exacts a heavy toll on us and our relationships. I re-learned this truth with my late Father’s and Mom’s 60th Wedding Anniversary. Now we did go and congratulate my Dad and Mom on their 60 years of marriage (All Because Two People Fell In Love) on their anniversary (15 Aug), but we did not stay for the party on the 16th of Aug. God told us not to. Many would say God would never do that, well for those who would say that I see your words has betrayed your understanding of God and how He operates. Many months before the party God told us my Dad would be dying soon (you can verify this with Karen) and told me certain things to say to my Dad when I get time in the ICU with him, and lastly God told us if we wanted to see my Dad in heaven we could not go the anniversary party. We knew this party was very very important to my Dad, it seemed like he was holding on to life for the party. We also knew if we did not go it would break his heart. We also knew my brothers and sisters would never understand. There already was much friction between them and us over our stance for the truth of the word of God (how we have been raised from little children) and we knew this would only cause more division. The lies and mistruths about Karen and I are still there (and so is our position when it comes to God’s word) and must be dealt with someday, but strangely enough with the death of my Dad we have a greater pity for my brothers and sisters. I love them all very much, but still there is a line in the sand we dare not cross. Death always softens our hearts, but this is so we all can be drawn nearer the Lord where true salvation is. So we could not attend the party we knew my Dad’s soul was at stake. I have not shared this with anyone in my family until now. Were we willing to forego the party and not join in the festivities of 60 years of marriage to see my Dad go to heaven? Of course our answer was yes. You might ask how could this happen, your not going to a party and your Dad being assured of heaven, well I did not say he was assured of heaven, but the ground of sorrow and greater repentance was plowed in his heart out from the sadness I saw in his eyes from the pictures taken. Godly sorrow does work repentance in our heart. I may have missed the party, but my father (we believe) made it to heaven, a great trade off indeed. We serve God so that others may receive, never forget that my friend because if you do you will begin to drift over into the wrong thinking of the humanistic gospel message, serving God for what we can get from Him which has filled the Church of America and now is being exported to the nations.
Lastly there is a wonderful sermon preached by Paris Reidhead called ‘Ten Shekels and a Shirt” taken from Judges 17 that addresses the heart of why we serve God. After going to East Africa and finding the African pagans quite happy in their sin and having no desire to be saved he has a face to face with God. “There alone in my bedroom as I faced God honestly with what my heart felt, it seemed to me I heard Him say, "Yes, will not the Judge of all the earth do right? The heathen are lost, and they’re going to go to Hell, not because they haven’t heard the gospel. They’re going to go to Hell because they are sinners, who love their sin! And because they deserve Hell. But……I didn’t send you out there for them. I didn’t send you out there for their sakes." And I heard clearly as I’ve ever heard, though it wasn’t with physical voice but it was the echo of truth of the ages, finding it’s way into an open heart. I heard God say to my heart that day something like this, "I didn’t send you to Africa for the sake of the heathen, I sent you to Africa for My sake….They deserved Hell! But I love them! And I endured the agonies of Hell for them!!!! I didn’t send you out there for them! I SENT YOU OUT THERE FOR ME… Do I not deserve the reward of my suffering? Don’t I deserve those for who I died?" And it reversed it all!! And changed it all!! And righted it all!! And I wasn’t any longer working for Micah and ten shekels and a shirt! But I was serving a living God! I was not there for the sake of the heathen. I was there for the Savior that endured the agonies of Hell for me, who didn’t deserve it. But He deserved them, (the heathen). Because He died for them. Let’s be done, once and for all, with utilitarian Christianity that makes God a means, instead of the glorious end that He is. Let’s resign. Let’s tell Micah we’re through. We’re no longer going to be his priests serving for ten shekels and a shirt. Let’s tell the tribe of Dan we’re through. And let’s come and cast ourselves at the feet of the nail pierced Son of God and tell Him that we’re going to obey Him, and love Him, and serve Him, as long as we live, because HE IS WORTHY!”
Why do we serve God? So that He and He alone can be glorified, any other reason we name is dead wrong. Written by David Stahl
No comments:
Post a Comment