WE OUGHT TO SERVE GOD
Worldly people know that they ought to serve God, but they are foolish and pitiful because they acknowledge a thief as their father and serve mute idols as their gods.
1Cor. 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
God led the Israelites to depart from the wicked land of Egypt because He wanted them to serve Him.
Exo. 3:12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
Moses had informed the Israelites God’s instruction for them to love Him and serve Him with all their hearts and souls before entering into the land of Canaan.
Deu. 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul
After entering into the land of Canaan, Joshua once again charged the Israelites, saying:
Josh. 22:5 But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Paul mentioned in his epistle that the purpose of believing in God is to turn away from idols and to trust and serve Him as the living and true God.
1Thess. 1:9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
Indeed, it is God’s will for His people to serve him wholeheartedly. Hence, we ought to understand this as part of our spiritual nurture.
(a) Why We Ought To Serve God?
1) God is the greatest.
Those who have a higher status in the world require those who are lower in status to serve them. Likewise God is the greatest and the most honourable, hence it is reasonable for men to serve Him.
Ps. 95:3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
Ps. 96:4 For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
Deu. 10:17,20 17For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: 20Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.
2) God has a close relationship with men.
Though honourable, one does not need to serve another if the former is not related to the latter. For example, there are many idols depicted as powerful and honourable gods by worldly people including Jade Emperor, Saint Mary and Tin Hou (queen of heaven and protector of seafarers). Nevertheless, these idols are not related to us at all hence there is no need for us to serve them. Instead, God is our Father and our Creator who gave life to all living things and men. Hence we should serve God instead.
Ps. 100:3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Acts 17:25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
1Cor. 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
Mal. 1:6 A son honourethhis father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
God is our shepherd and we are the sheep of His pasture. Therefore, it is reasonable for us to fear and to serve God.
Rom. 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
3) God pours down great blessings upon us.
Besides giving us all things, God had sent a Saviour who sacrificed Himself to save us from sins so that we can obtain eternal life. God also gives us innumerable grace and blessings. As such, those who had received His salvation grace should not forget such great blessings. Instead, they should come before God and serve Him day and night.
Ps. 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Rev. 7:14-15 14And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
Peter’s mother-in-law had set a good example as she arose to serve God immediately after receiving His grace.
Matt. 8:14-15 14And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. 15And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.
(b) What Are The Ways To Serve God?
1) We need to depart from the world which hinders us from worshipping God, just like the Israelites of the past who needed to depart from Egypt (the world).
Exo. 3:12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
To depart from the world means we should not labour for things of the world or lust after monetary gains. The Bible tells us that no man can serve two masters. Hence, we must serve God wholeheartedly as no man can serve God and mammon at the same time.
Matt. 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
2) We must serve God with sincerity and willingness. Indeed, God will never forsake us if we know how to seek Him sincerely and serve Him with a perfect heart.
1Chron. 28:9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
3) We must serve God with reverence and godly fear.
Heb. 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
4) We must serve God wholeheartedly, walk in all His ways, love Him and serve Him with all our hearts and all our souls.
Deu. 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul
5) We must serve God by engaging in divine work (for example, spreading the gospel and serving the church).
1Tim. 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
Luke 2:37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
6) Ministering the saints is equivalent to serving God. Thus, the saints should minister to one another with love.
Matt. 10:40-41 40He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. 41He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.
1Pet. 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
We should emulate the house of Stephanas of the church in Corinth who ministered the saints with zeal.
1Cor. 16:15 I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)
7) We should offer wealth as our service, for those who belong to God should offer their wealth to Him.
Exo. 10:26 Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither.
The gold and silver which the Israelites brought along when they left Egypt were later on offered for the construction of the tabernacle to serve God.
Exo. 36:6-7 6And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing. 7For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.
The wealth which was accumulated by David was offered for the construction of the holy temple to serve God later.
1Chron. 29:3-5 3Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, 4Even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal: 5 The gold for things of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers. And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the LORD?
1Chron. 29:13-14 13Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. 14But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.
(c) What Can We Gain By Serving God?
1) One who serves God sincerely will be honoured by the Heavenly Father.
John 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
2) One who labours for God will not do so in vain. Instead, he will receive great reward from God.
1Cor. 9:17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.
1Cor. 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
3) One who serves God will be loved by Him and will enjoy the blessing of everlasting life.
Rev. 7:15-17 15Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
Conclusion
May everyone remember Paul’s advice: Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.
Rom. 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
(Extracted from: The Holy Spirit Times 1936 – Issue No. 150)