• Those who are sincere about doing something for the Lord look for a church that will use them. They realized they are in training for the ministry and they want to be used by the Lord and get all the experience they can get.
• Some students that are not sincere are very content to find a church that will let them sit on the bench of “Do nothing” for the time they attend Bible College.
When you look at these two kinds of students, it is not difficult for us to figure out which ones God can use. God doesn’t use a lazy person because they are not willing to do anything for the Lord.
When it comes to lazy people, we know you can find them wherever you go.
Illus: Someone said that there are three kinds of workers. For example, when a piano is to be moved:
• The first kind gets behind and pushes
• The second pulls
• And the third grabs the piano stool and runs
Lazy people always want to do the least they can do.
Illus: A site foreman had ten very lazy men working for him, so one day he decided to trick them into doing some work for a change.
He said, “I’ve got a really easy job today for the laziest one among you.” He said, "Will the laziest man please put his hand up." Nine hands went up.
"Why didn’t you put your hand up?" he asked the tenth man. "Too much trouble," was the reply.
Illus: A man was walking down the street with a lazy fellow. They saw a sign in the store window that read: “NO HELP WANTED.” He said to his lazy friend, "You should apply -- you’d be great!"
Listen, if we are going to be good servants for the Lord, WE CAN NOT BE LAZY! There is too much to be done and if we do not do it, IT WILL NOT GET DONE!
In Matt. 9:36-38, we read, “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but THE LABOURERS ARE FEW; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.”
THE LABORERS WERE FEW THEN and THEY ARE FEW TODAY!
The Thessalonian church was a great church because it was filled with people that knew how to WORK FOR THE LORD!
We can learn how to DO OUR BEST from this great church!
Notice, first of all-
I. WE ARE CHOSEN TO SERVE
You are a very special person; YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN BY GOD TO SERVE!
Illus: Any time we get a new President, we also get new cabinet members to serve with him. The new president selects his own Cabinet members.
The purpose of the Cabinet is to advise the President on matters relating to the duties of their respective offices. Such as:
• The Secretary of Agriculture
• The Secretary of Commerce
• The Secretary of Defense
• The Secretary of Education
• The Secretary of Energy
• The Secretary of Health and Human Services
• The Secretary of Homeland Security
• The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
• The Secretary of the Interior
• The Secretary of Labor
• The Secretary of State
• The Secretary of Transportation
• The Secretary of the Treasury
• The Secretary of Veterans Affairs
The President asks these successful men and women to leave lucrative jobs to serve with him.
Why would they leave jobs that paid more, to serve with him? They are willing to do this because they recognize that the honor is so high. These men and women will look back later in life and recognize that the highlight of their life was when they were chosen to SERVE WITH THE PRESIDENT!
But listen, the God of the universe asks us to serve with him…WHAT AN HONOR! Those that God has ask to serve are:
• SPECIAL PEOPLE
…that are asked to do a
• SPECIAL JOB!
Illus: Speaking of being SPECIAL reminds me of an old man that was dating a very special girl that was simply gorgeous!
This old man walked into a jewelry store one Friday evening with this beautiful young lady at his side.
• He told the jeweler he was looking for a SPECIAL ring for his VERY SPECIAL girlfriend.
• The jeweler looked through his stock and brought out a $5,000 ring and showed it to him. The young woman smiled!
• The old man said, "I don't think you understand, I want something very special for a very special girl."
• At that statement, the jeweler went to his special stock and brought another ring over. "Here's a stunning ring at only $40,000."
• The young woman now was really smiling! The young lady's eyes sparkled and her whole body trembled with excitement.
• The old man seeing this said, "We'll take it."
• The jeweler asked how payment would be made.
• The old man said, “By check. I know you need to make sure my check is good, so I'll write it now and you can call the bank Monday to verify the funds, and I'll pick the ring up Monday afternoon…will that be OK?”
• The jeweler said, “That will be fine!”
• Monday morning, a very angry jeweler phoned the old man and said, "There's no money in that account."
• "I know", said the old man, "But I took that gorgeous lady out to dinner Saturday evening and she never would have gone with me if I did not make her think I was going to buy her that ring!"
Every child of God is a SPECIAL PERSON and has been CHOSEN BY GOD TO SERVE! How did you and I get chosen by God?
Look at 1 Thess. 1:4-5. “Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.”
We were chosen through the Gospel of Christ, that is:
• God chose us
• Then we chose Christ
Show me a church where people will not work, and I will show you a church that God can not bless! Why? Simply because they are not doing anything for God to bless!
GOD DOES NOT BLESS, “NOTHING!”
• God can not bless a choir that will not practice
• God can not bless a teacher that will not study and visit his/her students
• God can not bless Deacons that will not visit people
• God can not bless a pastor that will not study and prepare sermons
Illus: While Dr. Odell Belger was attending his first year at Bible College, he worked in the local hospital. They trained him to work on the Emergency Team. He said that if he was at the hospital and he was in the middle of his break and they called on the intercom…CODE RED 722, he stopped what he was doing and rushed to room 722.
God is calling for men and women to serve him. They have to recognize the seriousness of this call because the SOULS OF MEN ARE INVOLVED!
When God calls, it is time for action.
We see that WE ARE CHOSEN TO SERVE and -
II. WE ARE CHOSEN TO MODEL
Illus: Have you ever been to a restaurant and had the waitress say to you, “Hi. My name is Jane and this is Mary Ann and she is being trained to be a waitress!”
In other words she is saying, “I am a good waitress and as she watches me, she will learn how to be a good waitress too!”
One of the best ways to teach someone to do something is not to TELL THEM HOW, but to SHOW THEM HOW!
God said that the church in Thessalonica was a model to others. Look at verse 7, we read, “So that ye were ensamples (Models) to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.”
YOU BECAME A MODEL TO ALL OTHER BELIEVERS!
Illus: Have you ever watched the models in some of these fashion shows?
They look undernourished as they walk down the runway. They are so undernourished, that as they walk, it looks like their hip is about to kick out any minute!
Why do they have fashion shows where these skinny girls wear ridiculous looking dresses? Because buyers are in the audience, and if they see something they like they will buy it.
Listen, every day we are on the runway of life and people are watching us and if they see something they like, they will want it too!
All of us Christians are in the modeling business, believe it or not! WHAT ARE WE MODELING? We are modeling the Christian life before a lost world.
Look at Matt. 5:16, we read, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
The Bible says that the Thessalonian church was a model. They rang out the gospel. They modeled the gospel by word and by deed!
The Bible says that the church in Thessalonica was modeling before a lost world, showing them how to turn FROM IDOLS TO SERVE THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD!
When these Christians got saved, they quit living their old sinful way and immediately started living a new godly way.
We, who have come to know the Lord, are also modeling how we have turned from our idols that we once served, and are now serving the true and living God.
Every Sunday when we come to church we are modeling to:
• Our lost family members that Christ is real to us by putting him ahead of job, recreation, and family reunions.
• Our lost neighbors when they see us walk out of the house, dressed up to attend church. We show that Christ is real to us as they see us pack the family up and head for church.
• Our lost co-workers that Christ is real to us as they hear us talk about God answering prayer in our life.
Every time a problem comes up, we model our faith by letting others know that we trust the Lord with these problems.
We see that WE ARE CHOSEN TO SERVE, WE ARE CHOSEN TO MODEL and -
III. WE ARE CHOSEN TO COMMUNICATE
Look at verse 8, we read, “For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.”
The Bible says that the Lord’s message rang out from them. What a great testimony of their faith! When folks believe that they have good news to share, you can’t shut them up!
God’s church is an exciting place!
• Some church’s favorite song is, “Oh say, But I’m Glad!
• Other church’s favorite song seems to be, “Oh say, but I’m sad!”
These churches are boring! We have the most wonderful message in the world to deliver! God wants His church to be the "construction" crew, not the "destruction" crew!
Illus: That’s like the church service where the preacher had delivered a long, dry sermon. The preacher announced that he wanted to meet with the board after the service.
• The first man to show up was not a board member.
• The preacher said, "I’m sorry, but you must have misunderstood. This is a meeting of the board."
• "I know," said the man, "but if there is anyone here more bored than I am, I’d like to meet him."
Illus: The sermon was longer than usual on this particular Sunday morning. Little Johnny was getting more restless by the minute. Finally, in what was supposed to be a whisper, Johnny blurted out, "IF WE GIVE HIM THE MONEY NOW WILL HE LET US LEAVE?"
The sad truth is that many churches are boring. Why are they boring? Because all week long people have not prepared themselves spiritually, and they head out to the house of God to see what God is going to do! And God guess what? Nothing happens!
God does not do anything because all week long they have not done anything, and now God does not have anything to bless.
Illus: A certain preacher never prepared his sermon during the week, and on Sunday morning he’d sit on the platform while the church was singing the hymns, desperately praying, "Lord, give me your message, Lord give me your message."
One Sunday, while desperately praying for God’s message, he heard the Lord say, "Ralph, here’s my message. You’re lazy!"
The Bible said the church in Thessalonica sounded forth the gospel. The church in Thessalonica communicated a gospel that was exciting to the lost world.
Conclusion:
God is going to reward those that have done something with their lives.
Those that have been saved by the grace of God but sit around and do nothing SHOULD NOT EXPECT ANY REWARDS IN HEAVEN! Absolutely none!
Illus: Many today remind me of the family that came to the attorney’s office to see if they were included in their father’s will.
The lawyer somberly opened the will and began to read:
• To my cousin Ed, I leave my ranch
• To my brother Jim, I leave my money market accounts
• To my neighbor and good friend, Fred, I leave my stocks
• And finally, to my cousin George, who always sat around and never did anything, but wanted to be remembered in my will, I say, “Hi, George."
Illus: Someone well said: What a power the church would be...
• If all the sleeping folks would wake up
• If all the lukewarm folks would fire up
• If all the dishonest folks would confess up
• If all the disgruntled folks would sweeten up
• If all the discouraged folks would cheer up
• If all the estranged folks would make up
• If all the gossips would shut up
• If all the true soldiers would stand up
We’ve been:
• Saved to serve
• Won to win
• Told to tell
WE MUST DO OUR BEST! DO YOUR BEST!
We see that –
I. WE ARE CHOSEN TO SERVE
II. WE ARE CHOSEN TO MODEL
III. WE ARE CHOSEN TO COMMUNICATE
