Mindset For Ministry Series

Sometimes I have to go back and remind myself why I am doing what I do. Why in the world would you give your hard earned money to a church? Why would you volunteer to teach children or lead worship or clean the building? You would only do it if you had a vision of what it means to your Lord. Matt 25:40 "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.” NKJV

3. Jesus also knew where he was going. Look closely and you will find that in verse 3 of our text, “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God.”

I don’t think we talk enough about heaven anymore. The cares of life tend to occupy our minds. We can so easily get caught up in the daily activities of life that we forget not only who we are but also where we are going. Soon and very Soon We are Going to See the King. Does that truth grip your heart and fortify your integrity? Does the fact that this life is but a vapor[12] compared to eternity keep problems in perspective?

I think about the possibility of being among that number who one day stand upon the glassy sea of heaven and cast their crown at the feet of Jesus[13] and I’m motivated to do something that makes an eternal difference. After a lengthy discussion of the resurrection, Paul concludes I Corinthians 15 with these words, “1 Cor 15:58

“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

We have many servants of the Lord in this room. But how many have discovered that it is a lot easier to start out being a servant than to continue as a servant? I have found that being a servant gets to be work real fast. If I serve just when I’m excited I won’t serve very long. If I don’t learn how to nurture as servant’s heart, I will get tired of doing things for other people while expecting nothing in return[14].

But when I think about that great day when I stand before God and give an account for every moment, every idle word, every bit of my life—something rises up in my heart and says, “I want that to be a good day, not a bad day. I don’t want to be ashamed when I stand before the Lord who loved me and gave himself for me. I want to put some joy in his heart and hear him say, ‘Well done good and faithful servant’.”

Paul reminds the Christians at Corinth of something that we all need reminded of—your labor in the Lord is not in vain. Turn to the person next to you and just remind that person of that truth—tell him or her, “Your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

So, Know who you are in God.

II. Know who you are serving.

In verse 1 of our text John makes it very clear that Jesus knew that the time for him to lay down his life for you and me was very near. But in that verse John also makes this comment about Jesus and it is related to this issue of servanthood,

John 13:1 “Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.”