This week, Michael writes that in Luke 4 Jesus was tempted of the devil in the wilderness. The devil took Jesus up to a high mountain and showed Him all of the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. He said to Jesus, all this will I give you if you will bow down and worship me, for it was delivered to me and I will give it to whomsoever I will. Adam had transferred the power and dominion over the world to the devil when he committed the original sin in the Garden of Eden. Jesus responded to the devil’s offer, “Thou shall worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve.” Jesus made it clear that we must worship and serve God. The question is whom do you serve? Why are you doing what you’re doing? What is the motive behind your action?
God will humble us to teach us to learn humility and to serve Him from a heart of love. This is a hard lesson to learn. Jesus said, whoever humbles himself as a child will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. In Mark 9 and Mark 12, Jesus said, whoever wishes to be great among you must be servant of all. Then In Luke 9 Jesus said, the Son of Man must suffer many things … if anyone wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake shall save it. In the Upper Room Jesus said to the twelve disciples after he had washed the disciples’ feet, “if I’ve washed your feet you shall also wash one anthers’ feet.”
Jesus said to Peter, “feed my sheep”. Jesus taught Peter that if you’re serving without the love of God, you will not endure. You will burn out if you serve for any other reason. Jesus knew what was in the heart of man. Jesus himself said, “I came to give my life as a ransom for many.” John 3:16 declares, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have ever lasting life. Jesus came not to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved.”
The question is, whom do you serve? The world teaches us to serve ourselves … to look out for number one. However, Jesus said, whoever wants to be my disciple must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. The “kingdom of self” is heavily defended territory. However, Jesus said, you need to die to self in order to live to serve me. According to Galatians 2:20, “For I was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me and the live that I now live I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Without loving God above all, we cannot serve faithfully for believing faith works in love. The love of God activates believing faith that sustains the energy that appropriates the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish His purpose. The world creates works-based systems to get people to follow worldly leaders. The church prioritizes attending, spending, and sending ... these are works based priorities. In other words, attend regularly, give generously, and serve diligently. It’s one thing to work, as long as the work is motivated by the love of God. However, if the work is the purpose, it will profit me nothing. This is the theme of 1 Corinthians 13:1-2 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity (the Love of God,) it profits me nothing.
There are two great Commandments upon which hang all the law and the prophets: You shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind and you shalt love your neighbor as yourself. Why did God say to love their Maker above all? CS Lewis asked this question: Is God so egotistical that he demands our worship, praise, love, honor and glorification? Serving God is the nature of the spirit of life in Christ, not the sin nature of our flesh. Our fallen nature is to serve ourselves. The world indoctrinates us to ask, what’s in it for me? This “WIFM” paradigm doesn’t miss anything, except the boat. Jesus said to his disciples, get on board with me and we’ll go over to the other side. To serve the Lord is to obey His word from a heart of love.
Serving the Lord is believing faith that works in love. The greatest blessing is not in seeking the blessings but in seeking to bless the Blessor, in loving God above all. For what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve from a heart of love, that we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace.
Your bother in Christ, Michael
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