INTRODUCTION: This morning I want to talk to you about motives, particualarly motives for serving God. Many people serve God but not all for the same reasons. We know that there are definitely some reasons for serving God that are unacceptable. Jesus made it clear that striving for position and popularity are unacceptable motives for ministry in the Kingdom of God. He told the disciples that the greatest among them would be the least, the servant of them all. The Bible also teaches that greed is an unacceptable motive for serving God, "not greedy for money, but eager to serve". What are acceptable motives for serving our Lord?
In 1 Cor. chapter 9:16-17 Paul gives us three levels of motivation for serving the Lord. Not all levels are equal in accpetability before God but each are legitimate according to Paul. Paul speaking of his own great ministry says, " For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; yea woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! 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." (kjv)
Notice three motives for serving the Lord.
I. FEAR OF DISOBEDIENCE (v16)
Paul says in verse 16 that there is no grounds for boasting in the fact that he is a preacher of the gospel. His preaching came about not because of his choice initially but he says, "necessity is laid upon me". Here he is obviously speaking of God's call upon his life. This was issued in a dramatic way just after his conversion on the Damascus road. Annanias was commanded by God to meet Paul and lay hands on him that he might recieve his sight. Annanias protested and Jesus said unto him "Go thy way, for he is a chosen vessel unto me.......For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my names sake." God's call upon Paul's life to preach the gospel was dramatic and clear.
I believe that each member of Christ's body has a Divine calling upon his/her life. Paul pictures each member of the church as a needed member of Christs body, each gifted by the Holy Spirit. "A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the common good." (1 Cor. 12:7)
We are all called to serve in some respect. Our call may not be the same as Paul's; to preach the gospel. Our call may not be as dramatic as Paul's or Moses' or Isaiah's but it is just as valid and just as real.
My own call to preach began with an inward knowledge that God was leading me to preach the gospel. It defied logic at the time and still does from time to time. Its an intuitive knowledge that God is in this thing, that I am in His will as I pastor and preach. Ittook faith to pursue His call and He has confirmed it to me many times over. How has God called and gifted you to serve Him?
Paul knowing that God called him made this awful statement. "Woe be unto me if I preach mot the Gospel" I once thought this was a cry of passion from a man that loved to preach the Word. We know Paul did have a real zeal to preach, however this is not what he is conveying here. Here he is crying out in fear.
"Woe" is a judgment term, a wrath term. When Jesus condemned the religious leaders he said, "Woe unto you scribes, pharisees, you hypocrites." When he condemned the rejecting towns he ministered in he said, "Woe unto you Chorazin, Bethsaida.....Capernaum....It shall be more tolerable for Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee." Speaking of Judas he said, "The Son of Man goeth as it is written of him, but Woe unto that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It had been good for that man had he not been born."
Paul trembled in his sandels with fear of ever stepping out of God's revealed will for his life. He feared disobeying God in this calling. "Woe" be unto me if I do such a thing he says.
The author of Hebrews talking I believe to Christians said, "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God".
The cries of protest ring out from our generation. "Fear is not a valid motive." Paul says yes it is. One who directly disobeys God's revealed will for his life should fear God's discipline.
Let me remind you of a little parable Jesus told about three stewards who were called to invest their masters money
while he was away. One failed to take advantage of his opportunities and instead burried the money the master had given him to invest. Jesus tells us that when the master faced this servant he said, "Thou wicked and slothful servant......cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkenss where there shall be weeping and nashing of teeth."
Fear is the lowest level of motivation, but we should tremble at the thought of disobeying God's voice. How many lives have been wrecked and miserable, and empty because they neglected God's voice?
II. A SENSE OF DUTY (17)
This is the second level of motivation, the third mentioned by Paul; Serving God out of a sense of duty and obligation.
Paul says, "If I do this thing willingly I have a reward, but if against my will a dispensation of the gospel has been committed unto me."
In the later part of this verse Paul mentions a state of ministry that would be considered by many grounds for disqualification from certain areas of service. I am speaking of "unwilling" service. "If against my will" Paul says.
An old pastor that I am aquanted with often makes the statement to young ministers, "If you don't enjoy it, get out and do something else". According to him and many in our society,personal enjoyment is the deciding factor for everything that we do.
Frankly, many things can make us unwilling to serve God. "I am not appreciated" or "It makes me feel uncomfortable", or "It seems like everyone is against me", or "I just dont feel like it", or "I dont see the fruit I'd like to see, its not that rewarding personally" we could go on and on.
Unfortunately, these feelings that all of us have xperienced in serving God have become the grounds for many to stop serving the Lord. Oh how humanistic our thinking has become! We now center on what we feel, not what God feels; what we want not what God wants.
All of us have felt like giving up. Even Jeremiah said, he would not speak again in God's name because of the trouble it brought him. Fortunately, God's word was shut up in him like a "fire in his bones".
Paul says, even if I serve when I dont feel like, "a dispensation of the gospel has been committed unto me". What is Paul saying here? The word "Dispensation" in the kjv means literally a "stewardship" or a "responsibility".
He says this responsibility has been "committed" unto him. The word Committed is "pisteuo" in the greek. This is the word often translated "faith" in the Bible. God made Paul a steward of the gospel and had faith in him to carry it out. Paul knew that even if he was unwilling, it was required of a steward to be found faithful.
There is something to be said for duty. While this is not the highest motive, and the most desirable motive for service to Christ, it is an acceptable motive. Sometimes its simply our duty to God that keeps us going when we dont feel like it.
I must admit that duty has been lost on my generation and the generations that are following mine. My parents generation and that of their parents knew something about duty, about responsibility, about playing hurt, doing things they knew theywere suppossed to do even when they didnt feel like it.
Jesus dreaded the cross in Gethsemene, but he remained loyal to God and His plan and submitted His human will to that of the Father. Remember he "endured" the cross. Sometimes we too must "endure" when serving simply because God has entrusted us with a reponsibility.
III. WILLING SERVICE (17)
This is the highest and holiest motive for serving our saviour. Paul said, "If I do this thing willingly, I have a reward" To serve God willingly is to serve Him because we love Him. Those who serve in this manner have been so touched and moved by the Love of God that their will is meshed with His Holy Will, and their desires are meshed with His.
Paul said, this is the only motive that is rewarded. The word reward here literally means "payoff". I believe he is talking about payoffs in this life as well as the one to come.
In the very next verse Paul says that his reward, his payoff is the fact that he gets to make the gospel known free of charge. Serving God in this way is payoff enough. When we serve God because we love him there is a payoff in the very opportunity to minister itself.
I believe this type of service will be rewarded at the judgment seat. Paul says "If I speak in the tongues of men and angels............If I have not love it profits me nothing" Great is the reward for love motivated service to the King. These are the crowns that we will cast down at the feet of the Saviour as we gather before His throne.
CONCLUSION: Each of you are called by God. Are you obeying His voice. Let us beseech God to baptize us with His Spirit of Love that we may serve Him with the highest of motives. But let us not forget the other two when love fails. May God bless you!
