YOUR SERVICE WILL DETERMINE YOU BLESSING
GENESIS 24: 39-52 (NLT)
39" `But suppose I can’t find a young woman willing to come back with me?’ I asked him. 40`You will,’ he told me, `for the LORD, in whose presence I have walked, will send his angel with you and will make your mission successful. Yes, you must get a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family. 41But if you go to my relatives and they refuse to let her come, you will be free from your oath.’
42"So this afternoon when I came to the spring I prayed this prayer: `O LORD, the God of my master, Abraham, if you are planning to make my mission a success, please guide me in a special way. 43Here I am, standing beside this spring. I will say to some young woman who comes to draw water, "Please give me a drink of water!" 44And she will reply, "Certainly! And I’ll water your camels, too!" LORD, let her be the one you have selected to be the wife of my master’s son.’
45"Before I had finished praying these words, I saw Rebekah coming along with her water jug on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water and filled the jug. So I said to her, `Please give me a drink.’ 46She quickly lowered the jug from her shoulder so I could drink, and she said, `Certainly, sir, and I will water your camels, too!’ And she did. 47When I asked her whose daughter she was, she told me, `My father is Bethuel, the son of Nahor and his wife, Milcah.’ So I gave her the ring and the bracelets.
48"Then I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD. I praised the LORD, the God of my master, Abraham, because he had led me along the right path to find a wife from the family of my master’s relatives. 49So tell me--will you or won’t you show true kindness to my master? When you tell me, then I’ll know what my next step should be, whether to move this way or that."
50Then Laban and Bethuel replied, "The LORD has obviously brought you here, so what can we say? 51Here is Rebekah; take her and go. Yes, let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has directed."
52At this reply, Abraham’s servant bowed to the ground and worshiped the LORD. 53Then he brought out silver and gold jewelry and lovely clothing for Rebekah. He also gave valuable presents to her mother and brother.
WE SEE HERE THAT REBEKAH’S SERVICE DETERMINED HER REWARD! AND HER FAMILY KNEW IT AS THEY GAVE HER A DEPARTING BLESSING:
Genesis 24:60They blessed her with this blessing as she parted:
"Our sister, may you become
the mother of many millions!
May your descendants overcome
all their enemies."
This is a principle found throughout the Scriptures:
#1 INSANE SERVICE = INSANE REWARDS
Genesis 6: 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress [3] wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high.
You ask what kind of freak living in the middle of a desert land listens to this kind of advice?
#2 FEARLESS SERVICE = FORTUITUS REWARD (FORTUNATE, GREAT)
Daniel 6: 21 Daniel answered, "O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king
His fortuitous reward….
Daniel 12: 13 "As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance."
Daniel was given the vision of future kings and kingdoms involving the known world, and the unknown world then, the end times and their dramatic climax. He was blessed for his fearlessness
#4 HUMBLE SERVICE = HEFTY REWARD
Jude 1
1Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James,
To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by[1] Jesus Christ:
2Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.
Jude and James the half brothers of Jesus Christ, Don’t point that fact out!
They knew it was humility in understanding, wisdom in applying service to the spiritual family of God, not relying on biological ties.
JC makes us ALL FAMILY
#3 GENEROUS SERVICE = GRACEFUL REWARD
@ Simon the Pharisee’s house (if this man were a prophet…touching Him..)
Luke 7: 43Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."
"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.
44Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."
Her service was: cleaning His feet with her tears and hair, kissing His feet, poured perfume on His feet. MOST IMPORTANTLY, SHE LOVED MUCH!!!
Her Graceful reward: Her sins were forgiven, she was forgiven the amount she loved, the amount she SERVED! MUCH!!!
CONCLUSION:
You may say, but Eugene I got an excuse:
I got too much stuff going on in my life to serve others or God-
2 Timothy 2:4
4No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs--he wants to please his commanding officer.
But Eugene I have awesome gifts, God’s got bigger stuff in mind for me!
Galatians 6
3If you think you are too important to help someone in need, you are only fooling yourself. You are really a nobody.
Finally,
42Jesus got them together to settle things down. "You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around," he said, "and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. 43It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant.
