Who Are You Serving
2 Samuel 15:15
Here we read about the loyalty of David’s servants. Absalom (David’s own son) was starting an up an uprising against David. Absalom apparently resented being ignored by his father and resented his brother Ammon going unpunished for the raping Tamar. Absalom had the favor of the men of Israel, in verse 6, “So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
So with you knowing a little of the history now, you can better understand the commitment of David’s servants. By them saying we will do whatever you want, it could mean their very life.
We all in some way serve someone in some way or another.
Some might feel like they serve their work. They are the one’s who put forth the effort to make sure the job gets done. Others may feel like they serve their family, whither it be their spouse or their children. Some even will go through great measures in serving the church. But if they are serving the just the church, then that is wrong. We are to serve God and not the church.
So how do we know that we are serving God? When do we know that we have the commitment like the servants of David that we can say, “We are your servants, ready to do what ever You ask”.
Here are four things to look for and see if you are serving God properly.
You will serve even though you will not always get the credit for what you do.
1 Samuel 14:6-7, 11-14, and 45
(Vs.6-7) Here we find Jonathan and this no name armor bearer. Now this armor bearer is never called by a name, other than an armor bearer. That would be like some one asking us to do something by saying, “Hey you”. We all have a name. And people like to be called by their name. But when asked, what was the response of this no-name armor bearer?
1 Samuel 14:7, So his armor bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart: Go then; here I am with you according to your heart.”
This is a sign from a no name servant.
(Vs.11-14) Here we find Jonathan and his armor bearer climbing up the mountain literally on their hands and knees to do battle. Now it must have been a steep mountain to have to craw up like that, and if it was that hard for Jonathan to climb, can you imagine how much harder it was for the armor bearer with all that extra weight.
Never do we read where he complained about the carrying or the fighting. We read in verse 13 that as they came after Jonathan, it was the armor bearer who did the killing but who got the credit?
(Vs.45) Not the armor bearer, Jonathan did.
So to be the proper kind of servant we need to remember that while others might not know or give you the credit, God will not forget the work you do for Him.
The next way you know that you are serving God properly is…
You will serve even when people complain about you
There was an elderly man whose hearing had gone so bad that he was nearly deaf. His family had encouraged him to get a hearing aid, but in his stubbornness he refused to do so. One day he on his own free will went to the Dr. and received his hearing aids. Upon his third visit to his attorney, his lawyer asked him if there was any particular reason that he wanted to change his will for the third time this month. He explained that he had received his new hearing aids and it had a great effect on him. The attorney asked if there was some kind of argument with his family for him receiving the hearing aids. His reply was no, not at all. They didn’t even know that he had gotten them.
Exodus 32:1-5, and 21-24
(Vs. 1-5) Here the children of Israel had lost their patients with God and Moses because of his delay in the mountain. So they began to complain that they were tired of waiting on Moses, so give them some gods to worship. So Aaron made a golden calf, this is what they had worshipped in Egypt as a representation of Baal.
(Vs.21-24) Moses turned to Aaron and wanted to know how this wicked thing happened and Aaron blamed it on the people complaining instead of his own wickedness for doing this sin.
If there is anything that I have learned in my first few years of being a pastor, you can’t please everyone. Sing out of the red book; no sing the oldies out of the blue. I prefer this translation of the Bible, I want the King James only, It’s too hot in here, it’s to cold. The list goes on and on.
But the true heart of a servant will remember whom they are serving. You’re not trying to please everyone, you can’t. A true servant knows who they are serving and that is God and that is the only one we should be trying to please.
The next way that you can know that you are serving God properly is….
To learn that you will have frustration comparing yourself to others
Numbers 13:30 and Numbers 27:16-19
(13:30) If you remember here, God commanded Moses to have each one of the 12 tribes to send out one man who was a leader into the land of Canaan to spy out the promise land. Ten came back and told that the land was every thing you could ever want but…. They would not be able to take it due to the giants in the land. But there were two who disagreed. But as we read, there was one who spoke out.
(27:16-19) It was Caleb who spoke out but it was Joshua who received the promotion.
How easy would it have been for Caleb to become jealous, after all he was the one who spoke out. Why shouldn’t he be the one to lead the Israelites to the Promise Land?
You find it now days. I’ve heard other pastor’s share in a boastful way of their attendance or how many they baptized. We have had a great thing going on in this Church, but God is the one doing it.
But even I find myself in the meetings comparing this church with others. That is our nature, but there is only one thing that we should be comparing ourselves to and that is Jesus Christ.
You see we are on the same side. Even if it is a church with another denomination, as long as it is a Bible believing, Bible teaching church. We should rejoice when we hear about God blessing another church.
But sometimes it is on a more personal level. You might think, why do so in so get recognized, I do something more important than they do. Or why should they be the group leaders, I am more qualified.
We need to remember we all are on the same side. We are not in competition, we just need to follow and obey God.
This leads me to my last point. You will know that you are serving God properly when you…
Realize that one ministry has no more importance than another
1 Corinthians 12:15-27
If you have received Christ you have been given a gift. There are people like myself who get a lot of the attention as well as the praise. But there are other people who do things without being asked. Without needing to be seen. Their job in just as important as any one else.
I tell you when you realize how much those people do is when they are no longer around to do it. But every church needs people those people as well as the others.
The main thing is to do something. You see there is a difference in being a cook and being a cook in the White House. And there is a difference between being a servant and being a servant for God. What ever you do, remember you are not doing it for this church or me, you are doing it for Him.
So remember…. Who are you serving? Jesus
It’s not about being great yourself but about making God look great.
I heard a story about one time when Thomas Edison was on a train. The conductor began making his way through the isles collecting the tickets. Thomas Edison began to look for his ticket, but could not find it. He search each pocket and still couldn’t find it. The conductor approached Mr. Edison and Mr. Edison began to apologize that he had misplaced his ticket. The conductor knowing Mr. Edison due to his famous inventions informed him that it was all right. He was sure with his reputation that he had bought a ticket. Thomas Edison still was frantically looking for his ticket and began to get on his hands and knees to search for it on the floor. The conductor once again told Mr. Edison it was OK, he did not have to produce a ticket, he was confident that there had been one purchased.
Thomas Edison stood up and said, “You don’t understand. I have to find the ticket. I don’t remember where I am going.”
More important in know who you are, is knowing where you are going. If you are here today and have never accepted Him as your personal Savior then today, you can know where you are going. If you are not serving Him than you are serving the world but you can change that today. The first step and the most important one in serving Him is accepting Him into your heart.
If you are here today and you have accepted Him, are you serving Him? Do you know where you are going with that service? Are you serving Him correctly? Are you serving Him without worrying about getting noticed? Are you serving Him even though you might get some grief from others? Have you learned not to compare yourself to others and that no ones ministry is more important than others?
Let’s pray.
