Called to Serve Jn.12:24-26 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

According to Jn 12:24-26 when we are called serve the Lord Jesus, we must follow him.  We must hate our lives in this world to be able to serve God fully.  Jesus did [Matt 4:10].  Anna did [Lk 2:37].

And our service to him is never to be considered a big deal to us.  We do that which is our duty to do [Lk 17:7-10].  But that duty is of grave importance to the overall work of God.  In Acts 6:2 some had to serve tables.  But notice that at least two of them were preachers and all of them were overly qualified to do this work [Acts 6:3].  They freed up the apostles to continue in their service to the Lord [Acts 6:4].  And notice the effect it had on the ministry of the church [Acts 6:7].

Your service to God may not seem profitable to you down here or even when you give account of it in heaven.  However, your inheritance depends upon it [Col 3:23-25].

It is important to remember that in the service of the Lord, the greatest people among us serve [Lk 22:26-27].  That’s what Jesus did even at the expense of his own life.  We must be willing to lay down our lives for the Lord and to serve one another.

Now when you are called to serve the Lord it is vital to remember these things:

• Don’t become cumbered, careful and troubled by serving [Lk 10:38-42] – notice that Martha learned to serve without trouble and care [Jn 12:2-3] – in the work of the Lord, some are more like Martha and some are more like Mary; but this time Martha wasn’t cumbered.
• You cannot serve God and mammon – Matt 6:24 – you must choose whether to stay with making money in business or whether to answer the call of God if he is calling you into full time service.
• You cannot serve God and your belly – Rom 16:18 – you’re not in the service of the Lord to satisfy your own needs and wants but his.
• You cannot serve God and idols – 1 Thes 1:9 – Roman Catholics, for instance, who get saved must realize that God is not in all of those idols [the statues and the Eucharist] that they worship – you must choose.
• You cannot serve God and the creature – Rom 1:25 – you cannot serve the thing that is made [i.e., in espousing evolution] and the God who made it at the same time – you must choose – many young Christians leave the service of the Lord after entering college – they realize that to be accepted they must renounce creation and profess [Rom 1:21] that they believe evolution.
• You cannot serve God and sin – Rom 6:6 – you can get away with sin for a little while, while you are serving God – but at the most inopportune time, the sin is coming out and you will fall – you must choose whether to serve your sin or your God.

Conclusion: Serving God is one of the greatest privileges in the world – but it will cost you – I hope and pray that when you are called to serve, you will choose to serve God fully!!