The JOY of serving God
Joy is a stable and ever present attitude in the midst of life. It is more than happiness. It is more than laughter. It is closely related to peace and hope.
But it was not a joy that was based on circumstances; it was a joy that was based on the power, the person, and the purposes of God!
How does joy take root? How do we get joy to grow in the soil of our souls and lives?
And joy is a characteristic of endurance.
Joshua 24:15
15But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
1. The first thing we see revealed is a whole-hearted commitment to please God.
“Choose for your selves this day who you will serve” “AS for me”
2. The second thing we see is a wholehearted commitment to serve
“As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord”
Luke 4:8
8Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”
1. The first thing we see revealed is a Command to serve:
Obedience is the hallmark of our commitment to the Lord. We cannot afford to be causal about our relationship with Him.
But what about God calling us to serve as He did Mary?
Luke 1:26-38
26In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37For nothing is impossible with God.”
38“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
1. The first thing we see revealed is a whole-hearted commitment to please God.
“May it be to me as you have said”
2. The second thing we see is a wholehearted commitment to serve God “May it be as you have said”
We need to have hearts that are ablaze and that burn with the passion for serving God and serving each other. Only then will we find fulfillment and happiness in life! Only then will we make a difference for all eternity.
Mary was willing to serve God no matter what the result was, life or death. In this time in history one could be stoned to death for adultery, as Mary was considered already marred to Joseph, so what was happening was Mary was making a choice to serve God or her own self. If you think about it, it was a scary thing to have to decide. God or me? She chose God.
Mary, a mortal, was in awe. How could she possibly have a part in this wonderful thing that God was doing. She was a sinner. And yet, here was Gabriel telling her that she would be a part of God’s Holy plan. Another of God’s surprises – mortals, sinners – being able to take part in that, which is Holy and immortal. Mary would be known forever because God chose her to be the mother of the Savior.
And she accepted Gods call.
Many look at serving as a punishment not a joy. Yet studies have proved over and over that those who serve are more content and happy with their life than those who do not serve the Lord and others.
The surveys show what the Bible has said for centuries "Serving is good for you because it will make you happy and it will have eternal value."
The right motivation for Christian service is love. When we discover God loves us with an everlasting love and that we matter deeply to him, we want to serve. As did Mary and Joseph.
There is an insatiable desire to return love to God. That love is returned to God through worship and service. It is so natural that anything short of passionate service seems unnatural.
The choice to serve is rooted in a word called commitment.
Two questions could be thrown out "Who do you serve?" and "Who are you committed too?" People today say they just do not commit to anything but in reality they do:
I see people commit to playing sports
I see people commit to watching sports and supporting there favorite teams
I see people commit to there jobs
I see people commit to there houses
I see people commit to the pursuit of money
I see people commit to watching their favorite TV shows
I see people commit to themselves- to live their life their way
I see people commit to political parties
I see people commit to the pursuit of pleasure
I see people commit to education
I see people commit to certain foods
I see people commit to going to State fair every year
I see people commit to racing cars, tractors, motorcycles, horses.
BUT I DO NOT SEE PEOPLE COMMITING TO ETERNAL THINGS - THINGS THAT MATTER TO THE LORD!
BUT ALL THROUGH THE BIBLE I SEE A THEME BREAKING FORTH OVER AND OVER -IT’S SERVE THE LORD AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR ALL ETERNITY! Mary did!
The question is what are you committed to, self or God?
Hybels states, "… Unless you are exchanging deeply committed levels of love with a few people, you will die slowly on the inside. This is precisely why so, many people feel almost nothing at all. Through the whole course of their lives, they have never exchanged deep levels of love with anybody. It hasn’t happened with their parents. It hasn’t happened with a spouse. And sadly, it hasn’t happened with friends. By this point in life they have become completely numb to the possibility that they might experience a passionate, loving relationship. This not God’s plan for us. He hungers for us to be loved and to give love to others. As a matter of fact, he wants this for us even more than we hunger for it ourselves"
I see people commit to their hobbies
1 Peter 4:10
10Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
Joy is tuning in to what God is doing around you, seeing the world through his eyes, picking up on his delight in us as his children. Anyone can find happiness for a while… Happiness depends on what is happening to you. Joy is different; joy goes deeper. Joy is when your whole being sings because you have caught a glimpse of God at work. Joy can creep up on you and surprise you in unexpected places.”
Because God loves us, He wants us to be joyful.
Joy is a critical fruit for us to have in our characters because it serves as an antidote to all the cynicism and despair that surrounds us on a daily basis. Let the joy of the Lord be your strength this day and everyday. Amen.
