A Word to the Church

Q: What does the Bible say about serving God?

The Bible teaches that serving God is fundamentally about serving others and showing love to fellow believers. Serving God is intricately connected to how we serve one another. In Matthew 25, Jesus emphasizes that acts of kindness towards others are equivalent to serving Him. The Apostle Paul also highlights in 1 Thessalonians 1:9 that believers turn from idols to serve the living God, which underscores that true service to God is manifested through our love and service to one another. Hebrews 6:10 affirms that God does not forget our work and labor of love, showing that our efforts in kindness towards others are both appreciated and significant in the eyes of God.

Q: How do we know that faith produces works?

The Bible teaches that genuine faith naturally produces good works as an expression of love for Christ. True faith is not idle; it is active and produces works. The Apostle Paul in Galatians 5:6 explains that faith must work through love. Additionally, in 1 Thessalonians 1:3, Paul mentions the 'work of faith' that the Thessalonians exhibited, highlighting that while faith itself is a gift from God, genuine faith manifests through actions. This aligns with James 2:26, which states that faith without works is dead, reinforcing that authentic faith is evidenced by loving actions and service towards others.

Q: Why is grace important for Christians?

Grace is essential for Christians as it underpins our salvation and the ability to live in obedience to God. The concept of grace is foundational in Christian theology, as it is by grace that we are saved (Ephesians 2:8-9), not by our own works. In 1 Thessalonians 1:1, Paul addresses the church as being 'in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,' emphasizing that our entire relationship with God is rooted in His grace. Moreover, Paul reminds us that grace is necessary for every aspect of the Christian life, from believing and trusting in God to enduring trials and serving others. As such, grace equips believers to live lives that are pleasing to God and productive in good works.

Q: How can Christians encourage one another in faith?

Christians can encourage one another through prayer, affirmation, and acts of love that reflect Christ's love for His church. Encouragement among believers is an essential aspect of the Christian community. In 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, Paul models this by giving thanks for the faith of the Thessalonians and praising them for their works, indicating that acknowledgment and prayer are vital parts of encouragement. Christians should actively pray for each other, lift one another's spirits through words of gratitude, and offer support in practical ways. This builds a strong bond within the church and allows for shared growth in faith, addressing the needs of the body of Christ as we serve together.

Q: What does turning from idols mean for Christians?

Turning from idols signifies a believer's commitment to serve the true God, rejecting false gods and distractions. Turning from idols, as mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 1:9, signifies a radical change of allegiance from false gods to the living God. In the early church, idols represented not just physical images but also anything that could take the place of God in someone's heart, such as wealth, power, or even personal desires. For Christians today, this means examining our lives for anything that detracts from our devotion to God. It emphasizes the call to serve God alone, relying on Him for identity, purpose, and sustenance, rather than the fleeting and hollow promises of idols.

You see, these people in Thessalonica
had come from all walks of life. I read today in one of the commentaries
they were Jews and Gentiles. They were people who came from
all walks of life. They were Jews and Gentiles like
this congregation, male and female, old and young. And these people
had heard the gospel. They'd heard the gospel of the
grace of God in Christ Jesus, down here in verse 5, says, Our
gospel came not to you in word only, but in power. They'd heard
the gospel of the grace of God in power, and in the Holy Ghost,
and in much assurance. And they had received that gospel. They believed it. And then they
became followers of the Lord. Over here in verse 6, you became
followers of us and of the Lord. They became followers of Christ
and followers of those whom the Lord had sent to preach to them,
preach the gospel to them. I'm always ready to hear. That's
the report that I always receive from men who come here to preach,
how easy it is to preach here, because everybody here received
the word so readily, so hungrily, so willingly. And these people,
they became followers of the Lord and of those who preached
the gospel to them, always ready to hear, always ready to receive
God's word. And then verse 7 says they were
examples, as you are to other churches. This church certainly
in all ways sets an example for other grace churches over the
world. And then verse 8, it says, they
were missionary-minded people. From you, for from you sounded
out the word of the Lord. Not only where you live, and
we're ministering the gospel to this entire area through television,
have through radio for many years. And also, not only in Macedonia,
he said, but Achaia, and also in every place all the way around
the world. In every place, your faith, your
faithfulness is spoken of. In every place, your faith to
God is spread abroad. And these people were missionary-minded,
and they were They were people, it says in verse 9, who had turned
from their idols to serve the living God. They were serving
God. And we'll talk about that in a few moments. And they were
people who believed in and waited for the return of Christ Jesus,
the coming of our Lord, who has promised that he would come again.
So Paul writes to them. And he writes to them, I believe,
for several reasons. Number one, to encourage them,
to encourage them. We need encouragement. The people
of God need comfort, and so Paul writes to them to encourage them
and comfort them. And then also, Paul writes to
them to praise them. You know, I think sometimes that
we, and I know we mean well, but I don't
know whether we're doing well. We may mean well, but I don't
know whether we're doing well. in always putting down ourselves
and others in reference to spiritual matters. Don't praise men, I'm told. Don't give credit to people. Don't
lift people up. They'll become proud and so forth. I'm not sure. You know the scripture
says give honor to whom honor is due. Praise to whom praises
do. Tribute to whom tributes do.
It says that. And I think sometimes that we
deprive others of a blessing when we don't praise men for
their faithfulness. I think they need to be. You
know, my wife and I have been married for 46 years. And I rarely, rarely, rarely
ever get up to the table without complimenting her on her meal. Just rarely ever. She'll tell
you that. I just appreciate the meal she prepares. You know,
I've had people in this church who have never thanked me for
a message I preached in this book. Not one single time. Not one single time. And I know,
we get the idea, they say, well, you don't praise men. Well, you
know, I know that, but then I know preachers who have never thanked
their congregations for supporting them all the years that they
have. But when you serve and when you give of yourself, it
helps a whole lot. Somebody says, I appreciate that.
It just helps a whole lot. I'm grateful, I'm thankful, and
I appreciate that. They're like the ladies who serve
in the nursery, and the people who play the instruments here,
and Mike who sings, and they're not doing it. You know, we carry
this thing, I think we carry it too far. Well, you know, the
Lord will bless you. I don't need to thank you. You
know, you can take that just so far. You don't add to their humility,
you add to their unhappiness. So Paul writes to these people
to encourage them and to comfort them, and also to praise them,
to praise them for their faithfulness, and then also to exhort them
to continue in the faith, to exhort them to continue in the
faith, and then to encourage them in their duties. Now, like
I said a while ago, I read that That talking about serving the
Lord there is to serve the living and true God. And there's a sense
in which God's people do serve the Lord. They serve Him. And Paul is encouraging them
in their duties toward God and toward others. So let's look
at the first two or three verses. That's where I'm going to camp
tonight, beginning with verse 1. And he says here in verse
1 of 1 Thessalonians, Paul and Silas and Timothy unto the church
of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father. This church
is in God the Father. I'm comparing the two churches.
I'm taking this church now and comparing it to the church in
Thessalonica. But we believe and worship the
one true and living God. This is a church in God the Father. We worship the one true and living
God of heaven and earth. He's God the Creator. In the
beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. He's not only
the God of creation, but He's the God of holiness, holiness,
truth, and justice. And He's the God of covenant
mercies and the God of sovereign grace. Turn over to Isaiah 45.
John Gill said that the reason Paul addresses this church as
the church of the Thessalonians, in God the Father, he's saying
this in opposition to the heathen who worship idols and false gods. In Isaiah 45, listen, this is
our God. Isaiah 45, 20. Assemble yourselves
and come, draw near together. You that are escaped of the nations,
they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image
and pray unto a God that cannot save. Tell ye, bring them near,
yea, let them take counsel together. Who hath declared this from ancient
times? Who hath told it from that time?
Have not I the Lord? And there's no God else besides
me. I'm a just God and a Savior and
there's none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved,
all the ends of the earth, I am God, and there is none else.
I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness,
and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, and
every tongue shall swear, I am God." So the first way, let's
turn to Isaiah 46 now and read another passage. Isaiah 46, 9.
What Paul is saying here is I'm writing to the church which is
in God the Father, in the true and living God, the God of creation,
the God of sovereignty, the God of holiness, the God of truth,
the God of justice, the only God. Now look at Isaiah 46 verse
9. Remember the former things of
old, I'm God. And there's none else. I'm God,
there's none like me. I declare the end from the beginning
and from ancient times of things that are not yet done, saying
my counsel shall stand, I'll do all my pleasure. That's the
God we're talking about. That's the God. All right, let's
go back to our text. 1 Thessalonians 1. I'm to the
church which is in God the Father. He's the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. God the Father. Our Lord said,
My Father and your Father. And then the next line says this,
And in the Lord Jesus Christ. This church is in God the Father
and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, as I looked at that, I thought,
well, you can put your whole message on that, the church in
the Lord Jesus Christ. We're chosen in Him. Chosen in
Christ before the foundation of the world. We're redeemed
in Him. in whom we have redemption, the
forgiveness of our sins according to the riches of his grace, in
whom we have righteousness by his perfect obedience. We are
called by the Spirit to faith in Christ Jesus. We are accepted
in Christ Jesus. We are soon to be conformed to
the image of Christ Jesus, the church which is in God the
Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. The hymn writer put it
this way, O great is the gospel of our glorious Lord, where mercy
met the anger of God's rod, a penalty was paid, and pardon was bought,
and sinners lost to God were bought. O let the praises of
my heart be thine, for Christ hath died, that I may call him
mine. that I may sing with those who
dwell above, adoring, trusting Christ Jesus, our King of love."
All right, read on. Paul and Silas, Timothy to the
church which is in God, by covenant mercies, by sovereign grace,
in God the Father. The church in the Lord Jesus
Christ, chosen in Him, loved in Him, redeemed in Him, called
in Him, sealed in Him, accepted in risen in him, seated in him,
justified in him. All right, watch this now. Grace
be unto you. It's all of grace. It takes his
grace to seek him. It takes his grace to call upon
him. It takes his grace to believe
him and to keep believing. It takes his grace to trust him.
It takes his grace to continue in him It takes his grace, which
is sufficient in every trial, and it will take his grace to
die. Grace be unto you, grace upon grace, multiplied grace. And look at the next word, and
peace. Peace from whom? Peace from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ. There's no peace except in him.
Everything else is a false peace. He is our peace. He has made
peace for us through the blood of his cross, and he said that
he will keep us in perfect peace, whose minds are stayed on thee. Multiplied grace and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Now look at verse 2.
He says, we give thanks to God. We give thanks to God always
for you all. Now the Apostle Paul ascribes
nothing to them. He said, I give thanks to God
for you. I thank God for you, brethren,
beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation. I thank God for you. He ascribes
nothing to their free will. He ascribes nothing to their
qualifications. He describes nothing to their
decisions. He gives God all. I thank God
for you. I thank God for your faith. I
thank God for your salvation. I thank God for your being in
Christ. I thank God for your being in
his church, in his body. I thank God for your gifts. I
thank God for your grace. I thank God for you, for you. Everything in you and about you
is God's doings. This is the Lord's doings, he
said. I thank God for you. And you
know something else I noticed here? He not only ascribes nothing
to them, but he ascribes absolutely nothing to himself or his fellow
ministers. who ministered to them, who came
preaching the gospel to them. He ascribes nothing to them and
nothing to himself. For he says, we're only servants
and ministers by whom you heard the gospel. Some of our young men are going
to a certain place every Lord's Day preaching. They've been doing
it now for several months. And all of them come back and
tell me of the growth, how the people are growing, how they're
learning, how much easier it is to preach, how the messages
are bearing fruit, and how the folks are coming together, and
how that they're growing in grace, and they just keep talking about
this. Well, let me tell you something.
It's not your fault, and it's not theirs. It's God. It's not your doing, though you're
the servant, you know that, you're the instrument. You can't do
anything else but preach the gospel. But it's not your doing. You can't take any praise, take
any criticism, because we've been other places where they
didn't grow. We've been other places where they split. We've
been other places where they hardened their hearts. We've
been other places and preached the same gospel and nothing happened.
Isn't that right? Well, if it was you, then there'd
be progress everywhere. If it were our doings, then everywhere
we went with that message, there'd be prosperity and success. But you know that's not true.
Sometimes we go somewhere and preach, take the same message
and preach it one place, and it's dead. Take the message,
preach it somewhere else, and it lives. Then you can't take
any credits, can you? That's what Paul is saying here.
I give thanks to God for you. I don't thank you. I don't thank
myself or the fellow ministers. I give thanks to God for you.
Now look at the next line. And I make mention of you in
my prayers." Brethren, Paul said, pray for us. Let me ask you something. Do you pray for one another? You know, Samuel said this, God
forbid that I should sin against the Lord in my praying with you. Do you pray for one another? Do you mention God's people in
your prayers? That's what Paul said here, I
give thanks to God for that church and I pray for you. I give thanks
to God always, always, always for you. And I make mention of
you in our prayers. I pray for you. I pray for you. And then in verse 3, here's where
I want to get for the next little bit. In verse 3, Paul says this,
remembering without ceasing your work of faith, your labor of
love, and your patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in
the sight of God and our Father. Now, in this verse, the Apostle
pays a special tribute to this congregation. That's what I want
to do tonight, pay a special tribute to this congregation. Like I said a while ago, We don't
thank one another enough. We don't let one another know
how much we appreciate each other as we should. And I don't want
to be short. I don't want to come up short on that. So this
is what Paul is doing here. He writes to this church and
he lays the foundation first. Did you understand the foundation
I laid? I thank God for you. I don't praise you for your salvation. I praise God. I don't praise
this messenger. I praise God. But still, but
still, I remember some things. I remember. What does he remember?
Every time he thinks of them and gives thanks to God for them,
he remembers some things about them. He calls to mind these
things about them. And here are the three things
he calls to mind. Their work of faith. And secondly,
their labor of love. And thirdly, their patience of
hope. Now let's look at those three
things. First he says, I remember. I remember without ceasing. I
constantly remember. It doesn't slip my mind. It's
always with me. I remember your work of faith."
Now, he's not talking here of the principle of faith, which
is not a work. Now, you understand what I'm
saying? Paul is not talking here about the principle of faith.
That's God's work, and not ours. The principle of faith that's
in you, the principle of faith that's in you is not your work,
it's God's work. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves." If you believe Christ and you
believe the gospel, you believe the word of God, you believe
God, I don't praise you for believing. I praise God for leading you
to believe. See what I'm saying? So we're not talking about the
principle of faith. You understand that? When he says here, I remember
without ceasing your work of faith, he's not talking about
the fact that you worked yourself into believing. Thy people shall
be willing in the day of thy power. God gave us faith. God
gave us repentance and God gave us faith. And that's the gift
of God. But true faith is a working grace. In other words, faith that is
faith works. Now, I want you to turn to a
scripture here, Galatians chapter 5. This will help you to see
what we're saying here, Galatians chapter 5. In other words, that faith is
the gift of God. He has not only given unto us
to suffer for his sake, but to believe on him. It's God that
worketh in you both to will and do his good pleasure. But now
look at Galatians 5, verse 5 and 6. Galatians 5, verse 5 and 6. That's it, Galatians 5. For we
through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
What he's saying there in that verse is, The hope of righteousness
is salvation. The hope of righteousness is
conformity to the image of Christ. The hope of righteousness is
eternal life. The hope of righteousness, of
his righteousness, is acceptance with the Father. And by faith
and through faith, we wait for that. We don't work for it. We
don't earn it. We wait for it. It's the gift
of God. Now, what's the next verse? For in Christ Jesus, in
Jesus Christ, neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision,
but faith which worketh by love." Verse 5 says faith waits. Verse
6 says faith works. You know what it says there?
Verse 5 says faith waits for the hope of righteousness. Verse
6 says faith works. Now if you can look at these
two words and understand them, you can have the answer to a
whole lot of things. And Spurgeon said you'll be a theologian.
If you can learn the meaning of faith that waits, empty handed,
in my hands no price I bring, empty handed, I wait. No works,
no deeds, no merit, just wait. for the free gift of God's righteousness
in Christ. But at the same time, it's a
faith that works. Let me see if I can show you
what I mean. Faith waits, but faith looks to Christ for every
provision, and keeps looking, looking, looking, looking to
me, and be you saved. Now, faith doesn't sit like this,
you know. Faith looks. All right, faith
waits, but faith continues to come to Christ. to whom coming
as unto a living stone. To whom coming. We keep coming
to Christ. We're waiting, but we keep on
coming to Christ. You understand what he's saying?
Faith waits, but faith pleads. Pleads his promises in Christ. Faith waits, but it pleads. And
faith waits, but it obeys his ordinances and worship. Faith
doesn't wait down at the house. Faith comes to the house of God.
I was glad when they said to me, let's go. Let's go to the
house of God. Faith waits, but it attends to
the worship and to the ordinances and to the Lord's table. Faith
waits, but faith searches the scriptures to seek these things
itself. Faith waits, but faith seeks ways to serve him. Ways
to serve him. Ways to glorify Him. Ways to
honor Him. Faith waits, but faith works
in suppressing this flesh and the world. Putting things out
of my life that hinder my walk with Christ. It's waiting, but
it still works. It works on this old nature.
It works on this old heart. It works on these old ways. It
suppresses these things. Crucify, mortify your members. Faith waits, but it mortifies. Faith waits, but it's willing
to do any task. Here am I, send me. Do not be weary in well-doing. Is that waiting? Yes. It's waiting,
but not weary in well-doing. In due season you shall reap
if you faint not. True faith does not look to others
for approval, it looks to Him for approval. True faith does
not look to others to compare my activities and my works and
my deeds, for true faith is motivated by one thing, and that's a love
for Him and a desire to please Him. So Paul says to this church
in verse 3, Every time I think of you, I thank God for you. Every time I think of you, I
pray for you. Every time I think of you, I
remember, without ceasing, your works of faith. Your works of
faith. Now watch this. And your labor
of love. The believer, the believer loves
the Lord Jesus Christ. If any man love not our Lord
Jesus Christ, he's none of his. We don't take credit for that.
We love him because he loved us. But he does love Christ. He doesn't love Christ like he
wants to. He doesn't love Christ like he ought to. He doesn't
love Christ like Christ ought to be loved. But he does love
Christ. And he has a sincere heart love for the Savior. And
the Savior is his first love. And the Savior is his great love.
And that love determines all that he does and all that he
is. Turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. 2 Corinthians chapter 5. You know, our Lord over there,
while you were finding 2 Corinthians 5, our Lord said something about,
if anybody comes to me, let him hate his mother and father, brother
and sister, husband, wife, yea, his own life also, he can't be
my disciple. What our Lord is saying there
that it's like when, I'll give you
an example, when Brother Groover felt led of God to go to Mexico,
this was 26 years ago, and he had five little And they were
little children. Some of them were very tiny and
very young. And things weren't as well then
as they are now. They didn't have as much support
then as they have now. The outlook was bleak. The situation
was very, very dangerous. Living conditions were very poor.
In fact, for the first year they were down there, I think Betty
was so sick she got down to 89 or 88 pounds, almost died the
first year. They slept in hammocks and sat
on boxes. And it was tough, tough, tough,
tough life. And they knew what they were
getting into. And many people said to Walter,
when he was getting ready to go to Mexico, pack all those
little soldiers, everything, pack them in that little board
band headed for Mexico, and people heard him say this. Don't you
love your children? Why would you subject your wife
and children to such hard living, such difficult circumstances,
such terrible surroundings? Do you hate your family? Well,
nobody loves his wife or children anymore than Walter Gruber. But
what I'm saying is he was willing to subject himself and them to
that because he loved Christ. And in the eyes of the world,
it looked like, in the eyes of people who don't know anything
about a love for Christ that will motivate a person to give
of himself and give of his means and give of his time and give
of everything to someone who doesn't understand that kind
of love, that he doesn't understand that kind of action. See what
I'm saying? That's what Christ is saying
here, is it appears when you turn your back on a beloved father
over the gospel, or a beloved son or daughter, or a beloved
friend, and you choose Christ rather than them, the world looks
like to the world you hate them. You don't hate them. But your
love for Christ is so intense, and your love for Christ is so
great, that you're willing to give up not only them, but your
life for Him. Is that clear what I'm saying?
That's what this Word teaches. That's what this Word teaches.
Now, this little decision for Jesus that folks come down here
and get the preacher's hand and go out that way, unaffected,
it's a joke. Religion today is a joke. It's
not discipleship. It's not commitment. It's not
surrender. It's not a relationship with
a living God. It's accepting Jesus. That's
what it is. They use the term. That's what
they mean. That's accepting Jesus as your personal Savior, and
I'm my own Lord, or my family is my Lord, or something else
is my Lord, but Christ is not my Lord. But when a person is
truly redeemed and has saved in faith, Christ is his Lord.
Lord of all. Absolute Lord of all. And anything that runs any kind
of conflict, no matter how... He said, if your right arm offends
you, cut it off. Christ never told anybody to
mutilate their body. If anybody gets a hatchet in
the morning and cuts his right arm off, for Jesus' sake, he's
a fool. If your right eye offends you,
pluck it out. He's not telling you to mutilate your face. What
he's saying, your right arm, you know, I'd give my right arm,
somebody says. Something so important to me,
I'd give my right arm. That's what he's talking about. Anything,
no matter how precious it is, as precious as a right arm or
as precious as a right eye, if it comes between you and him,
get rid of it. No matter how painful it is,
no matter how Costly it is, it'll be worth
it. It's better to go through life
with one arm than to go to hell with two. That's what he's saying. If someone or something is so
important to you that it hinders your relationship with Christ,
you go to hell with that, because he's got to be Lord of all. I'm
telling you the truth. He's got to be Lord of all. However
long it takes him to become your Lord, that's how long it will
take him to save you, and me too. But that's what he's saying
here. Now, look at 2 Corinthians 5.14.
For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, if
he died for all, then we're all dead, and that he died for all,
that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves.
Do we live unto ourselves? Who's first? When we're contemplating
action, or contemplating giving, or contemplating living, or contemplating
relationships, contemplate. Now, do we live unto ourselves?
I'm going to do what I'm going to do. Yeah, you might do it too. We're not living to ourselves,
but unto Him. unto him who died for us and
rose again." That's love. The love of Christ
constrains me. That's my motivation. Go back
to my text. He talks about love. I remember
your label of love. The believer, Christ is his first
love. Christ is his great love. Christ
is his true love. Christ is that love that determines
all that he does. And because the believer loves
Christ, he loves all that are of Christ. He loves all that are in Christ. He loves Christ's word. He loves
Christ's gospel. He'd die for it. He's not going
to compromise the gospel. People tell me, you think a man
can believe the grace of God and not preach it? No way! No! A man wouldn't lie on Christ
whom he loves, would he? He loves his gospel, he loves
his will, he loves his providence, he loves his church, he loves
his people. Look over here at Hebrews a moment,
chapter 6, verse 10. This is a verse I looked at also
in connection with this. In Hebrews 6, 10. Labor of love, Hebrews 6.10,
for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and your labor
of love, your work of faith and your labor of love. Now, somebody
comes up, you know, that has no understanding and says, Brother
Man's preaching works. He sure is, but not the kind
you're talking about. I'm preaching works all right.
Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good
works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. But I'm clearly
defining that faith is the gift of God. Faith is the gift of
God. Do you understand that? From
beginning to end. He's author and finisher of our
faith. But a faith that does not work is not a faith God gave. Is that right, John? A faith that does not work is
not a faith that God gave, because faith worketh by love. Faith waits and faith works.
And here in Hebrews 6, 10, it says, For God is not unrighteous
to forget your work, your work of faith, your labor of love,
which you have shewed toward his name. How did you show it
toward his name? In that you have ministered to
the saints, and you do minister. I put out a call here two weeks
ago about the parks coming home to the island, and I asked this
congregation for $2,700. You gave me over $3,000, just
like that. Every time a call has ever gone
out from this pulpit for any kind of help for missionaries, For anyone else in need, for
other churches, readily respond. God's not unrighteous to forget
your works and your labors of love. What? Toward his name. You didn't give it in your name,
you gave it in his name. You didn't do it to get recognition,
you did it that he might have the recognition and the praise
and the glory. But you did it! A lot of folks
that don't do it! They're so afraid of works they
don't work. They're so afraid of works that
they don't have any works. And if you don't have any works,
you don't have any faith. That's right. Listen, in that you have
ministered to the saints, and do ministry. You know, we don't
really need any deacons around here, because everybody's a deacon. Everybody visits one another.
Everybody takes meals and helps to one another. Everybody ministers
to everybody. That's the work of a deacon.
It's to minister to those in need and those in trouble and
those in trial and those in sickness, to contact one another, encourage
one another, exhort one another, help one another, lift one another,
praise one another. That's works. That's how you
serve God. That's exactly how you serve
God. Let me show you that. You know, I read a while ago,
well, look at this Hebrews 16 again, clearly now, let's get
this straight. God is not unrighteous to forget
your work, your labor of love, which you've showed toward his
name, in that you've ministered to the saints and do minister. And over here, it says that you
turn from your idols, verse 9, 1 Thessalonians 1, to serve the
living God. Now, my friends, I can praise
God. I can praise God, half I can
praise God. Secondly, I can worship God. I can thank God. I can bring sacrifice through
thanksgiving. But there is not but one way
in this world that I can serve God. I can't add a thing to God, Richard.
God doesn't need, he said if I was hungry it wouldn't God
is so infinitely above me, there's no way that I can add to God's
glory, I can contribute to God's independence so that I can serve
God. How can I serve God? By serving
you. By serving his children. That's
exactly it. That's exactly it. I can praise
God, not serve him. I can worship God, I can thank
him. But there is but only one way
in which I can serve God, and that is by serving God's people. Helping God's people. Encouraging
God's people. He sat down with Peter. Do you
remember the story? Do you love me? Do you love me? Feed my sheep. Do you love me? Feed my lambs. That's how you
serve me. That's how you serve God, by
serving one another. And he who does not serve others
does not serve God. That's just so, because you can't
serve God. There's no way, there's nothing you can add to God. God
is complete and independent without anything, any move you make,
or any word you say, or any deed you do. You cannot serve God
Himself. But you can serve his people,
and in so doing, you glorify God. Turn to Matthew, let me
show you that. This is so clear to me, this
is so clear to me, it's as clear as anything I've ever read. In
Matthew 25, and then I'll sum it up. That's 45 minutes, isn't
it, Ronnie? Got one more minute. Two more minutes? Take another drink and go ahead. Matthew 25, listen, verse 34. Then shall the king say unto
them on his right hand, you remember, sheep's on the right hand, goats
on the left, Come ye, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world. I was hungry, you
gave me meat. I was thirsty, you gave me drink. I was a stranger, you took me
in. Naked, you clothed me. I was sick, you visited me. I
was in prison, you came to me. Now, when did we ever do that?
And that's what they say. The Lord's never been in that
shape. The Lord Jesus Christ has never been in that condition.
He said, I didn't come to be ministered unto. I came to minister
and give my life a ransom for many. And the righteous shall
say, Lord, when did we ever see you hungry? and fed you, and
thirsted you, and gave you drink. When will we ever see you a stranger,
and took you in, naked, or clothed you? When were you ever sick
and prisoned, and we visited you? And then shall the King
answer them, and say, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as you
have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it to me." That's
how you serve the Lord. Evelyn, you know something about
this. serving the Lord by serving his people, caring for his people,
making somebody happy, giving of yourself. And don't be weary. There's one other word. First
Thessalonians again. First Thessalonians. Turn over
here. One more time. And this is a key word here about
this work and labor. No matter what you encounter,
no matter the opposition, the discouragement, and we run into
it, no matter. Disappointments, all these things. But there's another word here.
I remember, verse 3, your work of faith, your labor of love,
and your patience. Don't quit.

A Word to the Church

What does the Bible say about serving God?

How do we know that faith produces works?

Why is grace important for Christians?

How can Christians encourage one another in faith?

What does turning from idols mean for Christians?

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A Word to the Church

What does the Bible say about serving God?

How do we know that faith produces works?

Why is grace important for Christians?

How can Christians encourage one another in faith?

What does turning from idols mean for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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