Good & Faithful Servants
Gtcotr/ss052007
We may never serve Christ in this life except we engage ourselves in service to others.
Colossians 1:10: The way you live will always honor and please the Lord while you will continually do good and kind things for others. (Paraphrased)
Key Scriptures: Ephesians 5 (New Living Translation)
1 ¶ Follow God’s example in everything you do, because you are his dear children.
2 Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ, who loved you and gave himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, because that sacrifice was like sweet perfume to him.
God is all about others.
In fact, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son for others, even those others who were the worst sinners.
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John contain the accounts of the life of Jesus. These stories show that He spent His earthly ministry on others and not for Himself.
We are told in Philippians 2 that Jesus chose the life of a servant.
Philippians 2
7 He made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant …
Whether teaching one person, the 12 disciples or whole multitudes of people, Jesus occupied the days of His earthly life with ministry to others.
If we wish to be more like Jesus perhaps we too must consider our willingness to serve and what we are doing with our opportunities.
Two accounts in the book of Matthew show Jesus spending quite a long time, sitting in one place teaching exhaustively on one central topic to a group of people.
In Matthew chapters 5, 6, & 7 Jesus, very early in His ministry, taught a multitude on a hillside in
Later, at the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, on the side of another famous hill, the Mount of Olives just outside the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem, Jesus again teaches a long sermon on a single topic. He begins in Matthew 24 and continues for two very long chapters.
In this sermon Jesus responds to a question about the end times.
Matthew 24: 3 Now as He sat on the
Jesus takes the following 94 verses to tell His disciples about the coming end of the world and what people must do to escape the deceptions of this age.
After His long discourse detailing:
* wars and rumors of wars
* false prophets
* mass deception
* the love of many waxing cold
* the gospel proclamation reaching around the world
* afflictions, sorrows, tribulations and woes
* false Christs
* deceptive signs, wonders and miracles
* He talks about the parable of the fig tree and
* the fact that only God knows the day and the hour
* but we are to be continually ready, serving the Lord
Matthew 24
44 "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
45 "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?
46 "Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.
Jesus continues in Chapter 25 with:
* the parable of the Ten Virgins – 5 wise & 5 foolish
* the parable of the talents & the difference between:
> v.23 “Well done, good and faithful servant”
> v.30 “Cast the unprofitable servant into …”
Then He concludes this sermon with a description of the final gathering in heaven.
Matthew 25 NKJV
31 ¶ "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.
33 "And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 ‘for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;
36 ‘I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?
38 ‘When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?
39 ‘Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’
40 "And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
These are the things righteous people do. In other words:
People who are right with God serve God by serving others.
We serve others because we love God and because we know our sacrifice and the demonstration of our love pleases and honors God.
Serving others is the fruit of a life right with God.
It is God’s will and purpose for our life that we:
* Make A Living
* Make A Life
* Make A Difference
Consider a lifestyle of service to God by committing to serve others with your time, your talents and your resources.
Make room in your life for others outside your self, your family and your circle of friends.
God is all about others.
We may never serve Christ in this life except we engage ourselves in service to others.
“Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while, you will learn to know God better and better.” Colossians 1:10 (NLT)
Brother McGee’s altar call opportunity.
