P2. Serving the Lord in the Last Days

If you have a desire to serve the Lord, you must be willing to change. What do I mean by this?

To become more like Jesus than you were before. Are you more patient, kind than before? Do you let someone speak and listen better? Do you have room to grow or are you satisfied where you are at?

When you are able to submit yourself to these principles, you grow, and your service in ministry grows.

We let go of the micro life in the flesh (you once had) and live by the macro life in the Spirit. God has given to us now abilities we did not have before.

We are formed into his Sons image as we let go of the old, allowing his power to shape us His way, so we are able to reach others in the particular calling he has us in.

John 17:17 “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” Eph. 5:26 we are “ sanctified and cleansed with the washing of water by the word”

Being sanctified is to be set apart for Gods use, which means we are to separate from false teaching and pursue good doctrine. Choose our teachers and mentors carefully.

Eph. 2:10 “ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

God has a ministry for each of us, and doing ministry is foremost about people. You show your love for God by how you love people. From God to us, and through us to them. Are you more willing to do what would seem uncomfortable to you? Because ministry can be very uncomfortable when dealing with certain people. In our day it has become more difficult to reach people, to converse and explain the gospel and Bible truths. There are so many road blocks in our way that we must circumvent around.

We are asked to do good not just to the brethren that accept us but to those who are our enemies. Some may not want to hear what you have to say, and it may not be from anything you said before, but they are still watching your actions, how you react, how you interact. It’s important as the world watches us that we represent Jesus the best way we can so they have no excuse because of our mistakes.

As we learn the Word of God, allowing God to work through our lives on a personal level we better understand the world we live in. We are to be pilgrims not permanent citizens of this world or it keeps us from seeing correctly what the Bible speaks of. We are remember that we are citizens of heaven and we serve the king of Kings, not some higher power boss.

We must settle the fact that the world, its system is our enemy, just as the Devil is; but not the people. Eph. 6:12 ‘ we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

This can be hard to distinguish with so many having a hatred for Christ and the Church,

One of the functions of the Church is to be like a spiritual hospital, but we don’t want to fill the rooms with people lying in bed to be made comfortable. But to give them life, and have them go out to others to make them well.

Our witnessing is guided by certain Scriptures. 1 Peter 3:15 “ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear. ”

We are to be longsuffering, and when we see a genuine interest – speak. If not we should wait until they are ready. We should not be wasting our time trying to breakdown a door that is locked. They are to let us in so we can dialogue about the Lord or it is useless.

Some may ask some may not, but either way we should be prepared. And above all “ a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.” (2 Tim. 2:24-26)

You will not win anyone if you mock them, call them names to their face.

James 5:19-20 “ Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

This is brother or sister that has become deceived and believes in a lie or has been taken captive by error and needs to be rescued. This becomes a harder situation than normal, to show them they are wrong. Eph. 4:15 Tells us to speak the truth in love,” for love cannot be misinterpreted as doing wrong. But this does not guarantee friendship will be kept intact, sometimes we must echo what Paul said to the Galatians “ Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?” (Gal. 4:16)

As we serve the Lord, days turn into week, weeks turn into months, and months turn into years. Before you know it you can look back and remember the many things the Lord has done, how he used you for helping others and be satisfied with what he has done in your life.

Know that nothing is wasted or forgotten, as we will one day be rewarded for the smallest work in Christ we have done.

 

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