You Are A Servant, Like It or Not

You have got to be a servant to somebody or something.

Charles F. Kettering (1876-1958, American engineer, inventor)

Romans 14:16-18 (HCSB)
Therefore, do not let your good be slandered, for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever serves the Messiah in this way is acceptable to God and approved by men.

We are not given a choice whether to serve or not, we are chosen servants of our Lord and king. I think that it would help us to overcome some of our most cumbersome pride issues if we would refer to ourselves as servants more often. There is something humbling about the word servant, and we will be His servants, if He is our King.

Paul is speaking of service here and our time in this world is to be marked by our service. Paul says then that “whoever serves,” meaning us, serves the Messiah in this way. This is to say that we, for whom Christ died, owe Him an eternal debt of service. We are His and He is our King, we are to live in a way that is “acceptable” to Him, and not ourselves.

What is acceptable to your King? Well have you asked Him? Have you kneeled before Him this day and asked His blessing on your endeavors? Remember, as we discovered yesterday, peace and joy are a result of righteous living. How can we as servants of “The King” live rightly daily without His Blessing?...God’s Blessings.
Pastor William

Kingdom Living

Him, who incessantly laughs in the street, you may commonly hear grumbling in his closet.

Johann Kaspar Lavater (1741-1801, Swiss theologian, mystic)

Romans 14:16-18 (HCSB)
Therefore, do not let your good be slandered, for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever serves the Messiah in this way is acceptable to God and approved by men.

In these verses we find the kingdom of God defined as what it is and what it is not. I find that Paul chose to first define what it wasn’t, and it wasn’t satisfaction of the flesh. He says that those things that make the flesh happy, and eating and drinking certainly make Baptist’s happy, were not the secret for everlasting peace and contentment.

So what does he define as our greatest source of strength, joy and answer to our daily needs? The Holy Spirit of God, and he tells us what things will lead us to contentment in the Holy Spirit. They are these, righteousness, which means letting God’s Word define “Right Living” for you,and I, which will lead to peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Paul doesn’t list “Peace” first, for peace is a product of kingdom living. He doesn’t list “Joy” first for it is also a product of “Walking in God’s Word.” He listed righteousness first because without it neither peace, nor joy can exist. The only lasting peace and joy that will be real joy in the street, and real peace inside your heart, comes only from walking according to God’s Word…God’s Blessings.
Pastor William

Can You See Christ In Me

If we are to live together in peace, we must come to know each other better.

Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973, American President (36th))

Romans 14:16-18 (HCSB)

Therefore, do not let your good be slandered, for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever serves the Messiah in this way is acceptable to God and approved by men.

This is something to consider as Christians as we endeavor to live for Christ and to win souls for the Kingdom of God. Can anything that I do be misunderstood or cast doubt on my life’s testimony for Jesus? Before you can ask this question, it is my belief, and I think Christ’s teaching that I must have a great concern and love for those around me.

When Jesus addressed the crowds, He always left the crowds with a thought of concern or love for each other, and He expressed it in his actions. As I have told you before the life verse that God gave me was Hebrews 13:1, “let love of the Brethren continue.” This isn’t the cheap or temporal love the world expresses, but the eternal love of Christ.

Paul is saying that I should really examine my life for things that do not reflect the Glory of God to others, and rid my life of things that do not honor Him. Acts 20:24 tells us this, “But I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.” Now that says it all…God’s Blessings.
Pastor William