To Serve God…
2ND Thes 3 states Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; This states before the Anti-Christ is revealed there will first be a falling away. Let me explain what I believe what Paul meant by a falling away. Sound doctrine: “there will be a falling away from sound doctrine, true worship, and holy living.” I would like to present the attitude you must have to not be numbered with those who fall away, but of those who hold fast.
Job said, “Though He slay me, yet will I serve Him”, speaking of serving Satan—Job 13:15. In order for us to be a Christian we must come to the place in our lives where we say, I am going to serve God no matter what. In Job’s life this meant three things: I will serve God even if life seems to be going against me. It is easy to serve God when everything seems to be going well, but true faith rises when it is tested. To serve God on the top of the mountain is good, I love it! But to serve God and prove faithful in the midst of the valley is better.
You must serve Him with or without encouragement from others. Some people seem to need others to continually cheer them on in their walk with God. But sometimes we must stand alone and say like Joshua, for me and my house we will serve the Lord. I will serve Him, even when I don’t understand everything that He is doing. Abraham went out not knowing where he was going and became the father of the faithful. If you have to know why you are building arks you will never build any. A few weeks ago I preached in 1Kings 17, Elisha didn’t know how he would make it through the 3 yr draught and famine but he did because of God guiding him. He didn’t know the HOW but he trusted the Lord and so should we.
It is when you don’t understand the plan and purpose, that you build your greatest works for God. Israel’s Remnant- I Kings 19:18—Elijah thought he was at the place where he was the only one who had not given into the world. But God revealed to him there were 7000 who wouldn’t bow. It is the same now, we must be a part of the remnant you must decide these things: You must have the attitude that no matter how evil the world is, I will choose to live a holy life to God. God has always had a people in every generation who having done all to stand, will stand. If God is for us, it doesn’t matter what or who is against us. Elisha’s servant only saw the enemy, but Elisha saw God. To many times we focus on the problem when we need to see the solution.
Over my 47 years of being a pastor, people come and people go. They seek another church thinking just maybe these people or this pastor will be different. The problem is they need someone to continually pat them on the back and cannot encourage themselves like David said, we must do. I’ve heard people say on their death bed, “I’ve come too far to turn back now—I can see the lights of home. Peter’s Confidence- John 6:66-68 where would we go? Thou has the words of eternal life. For you to be a no matter what Christian, your confidence can’t be in yourself, or in others, it must be a confidence in the Word of God. You must be sure. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Romans 10:17.
As the bus driver (that’s what a pastors are in many ways), we sometimes get people in the wrong seat of the bus, but when we try and change them to a different seat regardless of WHY, they get upset and get off the bus. In my era I’ve learned you don’t chase them, but let them go, for God will send 2 in their place. The problem is they will go from bus to bus but will never be satisfied until they take an honest look in the mirror and realize all along the problem lies within self and they must make a change. Be a no matter what Christian and stand, don’t run. REMEMBER: IF you must know WHY you are building an ark for God, YOU will never build it.
