Do Your Duty

[0:00] Luke chapter 17 from verse 7, the Lord Jesus is speaking here and he tells us of how we are to be a servant.

[0:24] ! Luke 17 verse 7 onwards it says, Duty, service, ministry.

[1:26] See here the Lord Jesus talks of a situation of a servant and a master and he compares it to our service to God.

[1:41] And he says, When you've done that which you're commanded to do, say, we are unprofitable servants, we have done that which was our duty to do.

[1:54] Now, we don't live in a country where servants are very common, if at all. You know, some rich people might have a butler or a maid, I suppose.

[2:06] But we know in our country it's rare, but in some countries it's common. And in some countries everyday people have ordinary servants and people running after and picking up things and looking after them.

[2:18] And it'd be nice to have women. I know sometimes Julie is a bit of a servant to me. And she's such a loving servant. Spoiled. But we know that we don't have that situation in our country so we can't always relate.

[2:33] But of course we know that it is a fact in some places and people can willingly be employed as a servant. Where it's their job, it's their duty to serve the master.

[2:44] To be out there beck and call. And as we know in times past they had little bell, didn't they? Ding, ding. Oh, the master's calling. We've got to go and run an errand or run and see what our master wants us to do.

[2:56] What they're calling us to do. And I want to look at this little story that our Lord illustrated our ministry and our service and compare that and think about that and what that means for us, how we can relate to that.

[3:10] And firstly I'd like to put it to you. Everybody here, if you love the Lord Jesus, you're his servants. You are his servant.

[3:21] And I know, I love how Joshua says, of our Lord master. And he should be our master. You know, some use this phrase, Lord, Lord, so glibly, so carelessly when they pray, Lord this and Lord that.

[3:34] Is he really your Lord? Or are you just using it because it's a kind of habit, habitual thing to say, Lord? Is he really your Lord? Is he really a master? And being God's servant is about heart.

[3:47] It's about a heart. It's about who owns you. If you're a servant, he owns you. You've been bought with a price. As a believer, you are his servant.

[3:58] And you love serving him. You love doing his bidding. You are a servant. And in serving God, we are just doing that which is our duty to do.

[4:11] He deserves our all. He deserves everything. He deserves all of our time, all of our substance, all of who we are. And it's our privilege to serve the master.

[4:24] We do so as a bond slave, as a willing slave. Like in the Jewish days, there were some who willingly gave themselves as a servant. And they were marked.

[4:37] In some way, they had a special earring. Some kind of special way, or special sign in their ear that they belonged to the master. That they were his for a lifetime.

[4:48] And they had done so, they had committed so in a lifelong, freely manner. They had chosen to freely serve.

[4:59] And think about ministry. Ministry, it means service. Every one of you are a minister, are a servant of God in different ways.

[5:10] And God commends those who are addicted to the ministry. Now that's a good addiction to have. I don't know what kind of addiction some of you people have got. But I'd like to hope that all of you would be addicted to the ministry.

[5:23] It tells us of that in 1 Corinthians 16 verse 15. You know, this isn't an addiction that you've got to battle to get rid of. This is an addiction that you love to have. You love to be addicted to the ministry.

[5:36] To be addicted. Now there's some people here who are gluttonous for punishment. You know, those people that were ready to quit on day one of the youth group. But they were addicted to it. They're just addicted to it. I know there's some people, some lovely people here, the Tanties, who had a lifelong addiction to youth ministry.

[5:51] To wanting to minister to young people. To wanting to serve the Lord by ministry to the young people. That's an addiction. That's a blessing. That's an addiction that you want to have.

[6:02] That you want to have that kind of love for Christ that you want to serve. You want to be about. That which is His work. And how do we serve God? We serve God by serving others.

[6:14] They addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints. That's what ministry is. It's about caring for other people. Instead of being all caught up in your own self.

[6:26] And we serve God by serving others. Do we serve Him willingly? Do we serve Him faithfully? God loves a cheerful giver. Sometimes we can give, but it's grudgingly, can't we?

[6:40] Whether it's money, whether it's our time, whether it's our day by day, we give. We're kind of, oh, do I have to? Do I have to do that?

[6:51] Do I have to give my time to them? To these? To that? To him? To her? To them? To them? You know, there's times when the flesh rises up, and I think like that.

[7:06] You know? Let me relate. For example, yesterday, calling around, finding out who wants to come to church on the bus runs, Saturday night and Sunday morning to save time.

[7:21] And driving along, we see one of the bus families walking along in the pouring rain, in, you know, in limited clothes, these little ones and their uncle.

[7:38] And I stopped and saw if they needed a lift, some kind of help, and offered to help, and they said they needed some food. So I came here and got some food out of our food cupboard, which is now empty, because there's nothing in it.

[7:54] And then I happened to see them again, part of my journey, and gave them what we had, sort of a limited amount, but something.

[8:07] And then I gave them a lift back home, because it was convenient at the time. And I thought, OK, I've done my duty. I've done, you know, done that which was convenient.

[8:18] It wasn't really going out of my way. It was what was in the cupboard. I didn't have to put my hand in my own pocket. And then so I dropped them home, and on the way home, the kids said, Oh, can we have some milk?

[8:28] Or, you know, the uncle said, because the family, the parents had left the uncle with these little ones with no food in the cupboard, because they'd gone to a funeral.

[8:39] And so I thought, OK, I'll get some milk. And then they said, I can have some Weet-Bix, you know, they didn't have any breakfast and anything. So I said, OK, OK, yes, OK.

[8:51] So I went to the local shop, and there was some milk. And then they didn't have any Weet-Bix, so I had to go miles away to the next shop, because it's being a public holiday. You go the second mile.

[9:03] You've got to go the second mile. Because why? Because who else is going to help them? Who else is going to bother? Who else is going to care? You know, we could think, Why should I? Why should I? Here's this man, the uncle, had a stubby in his hand.

[9:16] I thought, OK, well... And I challenged him. I said, Well, you've got that. And he said, Oh, I've been carrying it around for the last few days or something. I don't know whether he's telling the truth or not. But, I mean, it wasn't his kids.

[9:28] It was his... He was just minding them. So... But my natural feeling, I mean, why should I? Why should I bother with such a person? When, you know, when it would be such easier to just say it wasn't convenient, which it wasn't.

[9:42] But, are you a servant? Do you do that which is your duty to do? It doesn't have to be convenient for a servant, does it? It doesn't have to be easy. You don't need to like doing it.

[9:54] If you're a servant, you're a servant. And that's what it's about. It's about being a servant. That's what matters. And ministry is about using whatever God has given us to serve Him and the needs of others.

[10:07] And it's about being addicted. If something needs to be done, step up and offer to do it. Step up. Don't wait for someone else to do it. Don't have the attitude, why should I?

[10:18] Why should I bother? Because you're His. And your time is His. Your money is His. Your vehicle is His. Your life is His.

[10:31] And it's not for you to question and for you to also maybe make a value judgment about, well, they're not worthy of my help. These people are not worthy of my time.

[10:42] These people are not worthy of my putting myself out. My time's limited. I've got a job. You know, my weekends are very precious to me, as is my time with my wife.

[10:52] But it's about, are you His servant? It's about not whether you're better than them or they're less worthy than others that it could help. It's about they're His.

[11:04] This little child, I believe, loves God. They said, Pastor, can we have some Weet-Bix? I mean, what do you do? Do you say no? Do you say it's not convenient? Do you say you can't be bothered?

[11:16] Or do you have that attitude that you've got a heart that cares? A heart that, not that I'm praising myself, but it's the least that I can do. I'm just doing my duty.

[11:27] I don't deserve a recognition for that. Because I'm just doing my duty, that which I'm called to do, because I'm His servant. And that's the kind of attitude that we need to have, brothers and sisters.

[11:37] A selfless attitude. A not-me-first attitude. An attitude of stewardship. A heart attitude that you care enough to put your life into action, your faith into action, and produce fruit.

[11:53] Do you give of your best to God? Or do you have the attitude, why should I? Why should I? Do we go the second mile? Or do we just think, oh, I'll just go the first mile, when it's convenient.

[12:07] I've given some help. You know, they should earn their own money, and pay their own way, and get their own food. Or do we go above and beyond the call of duty? Do we care enough to follow Christ, to go the second mile?

[12:21] We know our Lord talks about going the second mile, doesn't He? Let's be addicted. Let's be addicted. We've just got to get an old fix. I know there's a lovely lady, a lady I missed here, who told me that she scarcely missed church.

[12:36] She's addicted. Now, she had a well-deserved sickie lately, because she wasn't well. All right? And God bless the faithful soldiers. Amen?

[12:47] Some people, we need a break occasionally. But be addicted. Addicted to Jesus. Addicted to their ministry. And have that attitude, that heart attitude, that we do care, we do go the second mile.

[13:01] And secondly, we see in this story, that they said, we are just unprofitable servants. Being God's servant is about humility. It doesn't mean that you deserve a pat on the back for anything that you do for God.

[13:15] You know? I'm just doing that which is my duty to do. That is what, that is the least that I can do for him who has given his all for me. That should be what drives us.

[13:27] It's about humility. It's been said that the world defines greatness in terms of power and possessions and prestige and position. But God determines your greatness by how many people you serve, not how many serve you.

[13:43] Because we know, in countries where they've got lots of servants, you know, they're great. But really, you are his servants, who is the greatest one. What a privilege for you to serve the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, for you to be his cupbearer, for you to be his steward, for you to be his doorkeeper, for you to be his lackey, his servant, for you to be at his bidding, at his calling.

[14:11] It's not how many people serve you, it's how many people do you serve. There's a story about a young boy he was drowning in a lake and he had some physical disability.

[14:23] He couldn't swim and he was drowning. And a man came, he saw him, he lifted him out of the waters, he saved him, he made sure everything was well and then he turned to leave and the boy said, thank you sir, for saving my life.

[14:40] The man replied, you're welcome son, see to it that you are worth saving. And this was a man, Bishop, more, is a preacher now and he had not forgotten those words for he was that boy whose life had been saved by a man who he didn't even know his name.

[14:58] He was just a servant. But he had done that which was his duty to do. And he had a humility, he didn't want to be recognised or known, he just did what anyone should have done in that situation.

[15:11] Do we have that humility, that humbleness of mind, to be humble while working for the Lord. We don't need our name in lights or we don't need some big glory from men.

[15:27] We just want his glory. We just want him to get the glory. We want to be willing and able and obedient servants. I know a lady who was complaining about her church, it wasn't our church, it wasn't anyone that we know, but she said, she was having a bad hair day I think, and she said, I work like a dog for this church.

[15:51] And she said it with a lip builder. And she had that attitude, I work like a dog for this church. Now look what, you know, look how they treat me.

[16:02] You know, she wasn't recognised, she wasn't appreciated maybe enough, she wasn't patted on the back enough or applauded enough or maybe, you know, given some warm and fuzzy feeling by the people she was doing it for.

[16:17] But did she have the right attitude? Was her attitude right? You know, we don't always get recognition and we don't need recognition. Who are we doing it for?

[16:30] Who are we doing it for? And it's about humility, isn't it? Acts 20, verse 19, it talks about serving the Lord with all humility of mind and with many tears and temptations.

[16:46] Philippians 2 says, let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. As his servants, our submission is to him, to our God and to one another in submission, to be willing like our Saviour did, to stoop down and wash our brother's feet.

[17:10] That must be the humility that is evident in you, in me. It's not about us getting any pats on the back.

[17:21] You might do things that you never get any thanks for. Think of these servants that our Lord said. The Lord says, does the Master thank them?

[17:36] Because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which I commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants, we have done that which is our duty to do.

[17:52] It's about humility, isn't it? We don't deserve anything from him. Even salvation we don't deserve, let alone all the blessings that he bestows on us.

[18:05] What more can we do but lovingly serve him? What less can we do than that? 1 Peter 5 it says, be subject one to another and be clothed with humility.

[18:19] For God resists the proud, he gives grace to the humble. God wants to bless you, to give you grace and yet you must be humble. Are you ready and willing to serve others, to consider the needs of others, to give him the glory?

[18:35] Who has the lordship? Christ, our master. When we have the lordship of Christ we have a humility in contrast to that and our recognition is not the matter, it's about exalting him.

[18:49] About our model for Christian living, our Lord Jesus who said, Matthew 20, but it shall not be so among you but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister, your servant.

[19:03] Whosoever shall be chief among you, let him be your servant. Even as the son of man came not to be ministered unto but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many.

[19:15] What an example, what a model. Our Lord Jesus is the model and what did he do? He died for us. We need to die to self. It's been said, you cannot serve others without daily dying to your own selfish wants, desires and attitudes.

[19:32] We should have a willingness to serve God or serve in a ministry of God. Don't serve only when it's convenient but serve through the good and bad times.

[19:43] It's not always convenient to serve God. But if it's required, let it be done. We've got our duty to do.

[19:53] It's like, you know, the Boy Scouts do our duty to God and the Queen. We've got a duty to God. We've got a duty to our country. We've got a duty.

[20:05] There's a duty, brother, sister. Be found in the place of duty. You don't have to want to do it sometimes. Do you think the soldier wants to go and get shot at? Yes, sir.

[20:19] We don't always serve when it's convenient. We must be a faithful soldier. It doesn't have to be convenient or comfortable. We don't even have to like doing it sometimes.

[20:30] Amen? It's not always pleasant cleaning the toilets. But somebody has to do it. It's our duty. It's our duty to do it. We're his servant.

[20:41] Yes, sir. That must be our attitude. Brother, sister, there's no place to humble. There's no duty to low. For you, you are his servant.

[20:54] Whatever he bids you do, do it. It's about dying to self, isn't it? It's about serving him. And there's a joy in serving. The task itself may not be pleasant sometimes.

[21:07] There's all kinds of things that, as God's man or woman, he might give you to do. Yet, our joy is in his face. Our joy is in his smile.

[21:17] Our joy is in his well done. Our joy is in serving him. And being joyful. And as we're joyful in our serving, no matter how irksome or unpleasant at times it may be, our joy is what motivates us.

[21:34] It's his joy. Our joy is in obedience. And it's also that people can see God's hands through you. As you serve God, as you witness, as you minister, as you reflect Christ in your day by day, people will see God's hands at work through you.

[21:53] Are you his servant? Will you make yourself available to him? Sometimes we have a bit of a box around that which is convenient for us to do, don't we?

[22:05] That which is, oh, that's about how much I want to do. Don't ask me to do any more than that. You know, but if we're his servant, there's no limit.

[22:16] There's no limit. If you only serve when it's convenient to you, you're not a real servant. Are you available to God any time? God, it means giving up the right, as his servant, it means giving up the right to your own schedule and allowing God to have his way whenever he needs you.

[22:37] And 1 Corinthians 15, 58, it says, it's worth the effort. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be you steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that.

[22:52] Your labour is not in vain in the Lord. Steak fast, rock solid. Don't focus on pleasing others, but focusing on pleasing the Saviour, on serving Him.

[23:04] It says of our Lord, let this mind be in you, this attitude, this heart, this mindset, this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, yet made himself of no reputation, no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man, for it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure, being God's servant.

[23:39] It's about heart, it's about having a heart that says, yes Lord. It's about having that kind of humility humility, that says nothing is beneath me, because I am at His bidding, and being God's servant is about His will, it's about His will, His good pleasure, that's what we want to do, isn't it?

[24:04] I know I was encouraged last night by the youth talk, talking about how we glibly pray, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven, and the challenge was, who's going to do God's will?

[24:21] It says that we should do His will, that's Ephesians 6, 6, it says, not with eye service, as you're talking about people in employment, when people are looking at you, not when they're just looking at you, with eye service, as men please us, but as the servants of God, doing the will of God from the heart, we should be doing God's will from the heart, doing His will day by day, in every day, in the workplace, in the school, in our everyday living, and it's not about pleasing men, not as men pleases, but who do we want to please?

[24:54] We want to please Him who sees that which we're doing in the everyday, we don't have to be focused on pleasing people, but on pleasing Him. The servant said, the master said rather, he did the things that were commanded him.

[25:15] Do we do what God's commanded us to do? Or do we just take this very glibly, freely, carelessly? It's about doing His will.

[25:26] What is His will? The things I have commanded you. One thing it says that we should do is do all to the glory of God, whether we eat, drink, or whatever you do.

[25:37] 1 Corinthians 10 31. Another thing we should do is let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

[25:48] Notice it says, they may see your good works. It doesn't say, they may see your good works and glorify you. You might do lots of good things that no one ever praises you for, but they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

[26:04] Some people might get saved because you've got that fortitude, I know that love, I know there's a lady at the youth group who cared for a child moving away. Now we could maybe just say goodbye and forget them, but people who care, it's about caring, it's about showing the love, it's about shining the light so that they may see and glorify your Father that they might one day get saved because of your example.

[26:29] And it's our privilege to glorify Him. It's our privilege. For we are His workmanship, Ephesians 2, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. You've been made to work, made to be His servant, created unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

[26:47] You've been gifted, you've been called, you've been equipped, you've got talent, you've got ability, you've got gifts and callings. God wants to use you for His glory.

[26:58] Every believer is a special, necessary part of His body. 1 Corinthians 12, 27. Do your duty. Do your duty.

[27:11] We have done that which was our duty to do. We are duty bound to give what is due. You know, sometimes we don't like the word duty, do we?

[27:22] Do I have to? Do I really have to? Do I have to get out of bed? Let alone go to church. But no, it shouldn't be that we have that thinking, should it?

[27:38] We've done that which was our duty to do. We ought to do it. We should do it. And of course we know we don't, it mustn't serve God out of a sense of duty. duty, there are some things that you ought to do.

[27:52] They ought to do. And when we do that which is the biblical thing to do, God will give you the joy and the love and the satisfaction out of doing it.

[28:05] Because why? Not out of the task but out of pleasing Him. That's what's driving us. Do your duty. And duty and obligation, sometimes they're necessary things. You know, the soldier learns the duty that he has to do because the country depends on it.

[28:20] And the duty and obligation as a Christian, you've got a duty and an obligation to live the Christian life. People are watching you. You're his ambassador. You are the one who is representing the kingdom of heaven in this place where you live.

[28:35] You've got a real responsibility and an obligation to live bright and faithful and godly. Think of some of the duties. I looked up this word duty where in this verse that we read at the start, we have just done that which is our duty to do.

[28:52] And in the Greek the same word is used in other locations and it's translated as ought. Often it's translated as ought. You've got a duty to do. You've got something this is something you ought to do.

[29:04] You've got your duty bound to do these things. And these are some of these references that's quite interesting. We have just done that which was our duty to do. For example, John 13, 14, a familiar passage where our saviour bowed his knee, he stood down, he clothed himself with a towel and he got his hands dirty on stinky, filthy, smelly feet and he took the lowly task of the common servant.

[29:33] If I then, your lord and master, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. What is that saying? We've got a duty to serve one another.

[29:46] We've got a duty to love our brothers and sisters in Christ. You ought to, he says to you. Romans 15, 1, we then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please ourselves.

[30:01] Some of you are strong here. You're strong, resilient, godly men and women. You ought to bear with those who are less so. You ought to bear with those who are less godly.

[30:13] You ought to bear with those who are less strong. You ought to bear with those who you wonder whether they're even a Christian or not. Bear with those who are weak.

[30:25] Bear with them, love them, care for them, consider them. You've got a duty to forbear. You've got a duty to your spouse. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence and likewise also the wife unto the husband as a duty to our spouse.

[30:42] 1 Corinthians 7, 3. Same word, ought, duty, but a duty. And likewise Ephesians 5 tells husbands, so ought men to love their wives as their own bodies.

[30:54] He that loveth his wife loveth himself. There's a duty for a husband, for a wife, a duty to our spouse. And there's a duty in 1 John 3, 16. Hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

[31:15] You've got a duty to your brothers and sisters to the degree, to the extent of death. That's the extent of it. That's not a that's my little box how much I'm going to love you.

[31:28] love you like he would, like he does, and love you with everything I have, to love you with my life, to love you enough to lay down my life for you.

[31:41] That is how much we ought to love. We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren and like that 1 John 4, 11. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

[31:55] We've got a duty to love. We've got a duty, and I know for some at times in the youth ministry, the Sunday school, the people that we contact with as a church at times, we ought to love, to love the unlovely, to love the unlovable, to love with Christ's love, to love to the extent of Calvary love, to love without all, and to love one another as brothers and sisters.

[32:26] We should love and have that love that Christ had. Friends, I've got so much more to say here, I've got too much written down, but there's a duty, and we need to have a duty, a sense of duty, and sometimes, yes sir, that's what we have to be like, brother and sister.

[32:44] We don't have to feel like it, it doesn't have to be convenient, it doesn't have to be comfortable, we ought to do it. Here's a quote about doing a duty. Oh God, give us some people who will swallow their pride and give themselves up with deep devotion and say, whatever it is Lord, I will do whatever I can, I will do my duty, I will serve you out of love and devotion.

[33:08] God help us who have minds, our health, our physical strength, and can go at leisure and do whatever we want to do, yet we sit around and whine, moan, complain, and make excuses, maybe next time, maybe next week.

[33:22] He goes on, you look at somebody with half your talent and wonder why God is using him like he is, why? Because he is willing to go. He may not be much, but he will raise the flag for his saviour and do what he can because it is his duty.

[33:40] God help us if we would put aside our pride and simply say, I may not be the best in the house, but by the grace of God, I'll do what is my duty to do.

[33:52] It seems to me that it is my duty to believe every word in this book. I'll do my duty. I think it's my duty to keep a warm heart, so I'll do my duty.

[34:02] I think it's my duty to rejoice every day, so I'll do my duty. I think it's my duty to walk with God, so I'll do my duty. I think it's my duty to stay clean, so I'll do my duty.

[34:15] I think it's my duty to give out tracts, some so I'll do my duty. I think it's my duty to love sinners and go soul winning, so I'll do my duty. I think it's my duty to be in church, so I'll do my duty.

[34:28] I think it's my duty to give, so I'll do my duty. I think it's my duty to run with the right crowd and to avoid the wrong crowd, so I'll do my duty. I think it's my duty to support my church, so I'll do my duty.

[34:43] I think it's my duty to stand against the enemy, so I'll do my duty. I think it's my duty to pray and to be spirit-filled, so I'll do my duty. I think it's my duty to love what is right and hate what is wrong, so I'll do my duty.

[34:58] I think it's my duty to separate myself from the world and live right and be right, so I'll do my duty. I think it's my duty to represent my Lord well, so I'll do my duty.

[35:11] The Lord is looking for folk that are not so impressed with themselves who say, Lord, I'm not much, but I'm willing to do whatever you say, do. He's looking for someone who will say, I'm an unprofitable servant, but I'll do what is my duty.

[35:26] Friends, there's a duty that we have. We have a duty to serve Him. And shouldn't we want to? Shouldn't we long to? Shouldn't it come out of our heart?

[35:37] Shouldn't we desire that? Shouldn't it be something that drives us, that we're addicted to, that we're driven by to minister, to serve, to do our duty and trust Him?

[35:48] The least that we can do. Obstacles are going to come, count on it, but do your duty. Offences will come, count on it, but do your duty. Opposition will come, count on it, but do your duty.

[36:00] Just a quote here. Let us do our duty in our shop or our kitchen, in the market, the street, the office, the school, the home, just as faithfully as if we stood in the front rank of some great battle and we knew that victory for mankind depended on our bravery, strength and skill.

[36:20] When we do that, the humblest of us will be serving in that great army which will change the welfare of the world. We know our duty, but do we do it? But sometimes we're not there at the post.

[36:34] We're not at the post. Do your duty, carry out your orders. Friends, I don't mean to put you under condemnation here, but there is a sense of duty.

[36:46] And as a believer, as his son, as his daughter, don't you want to serve him? Amen. Can't you help yourself but from serving him?

[36:58] Don't you love him so much that your love for him drives you to want to serve him, to please him? As Moody said, the measure of a man is not the number of his servants, but the number of people he serves.

[37:11] Be a servant to those around about you. What has your faith ever cost you? We live in a country here where being a Christian is easy peasy.

[37:27] Isn't it? It's a cinch. It's easy. It's simple to trust Christ. You're not in a firing line. You're not in a country where it's dangerous to be a Christian.

[37:41] You've got it so easy. You don't realise how easy you have it. And people today, we need to be found in the place of duty. We need to be in the place of service.

[37:52] Just to close, Ephesians 6, again, it says, Not being men pleasers, but as the servants of Christ. Doing the will of God from the heart. Our satisfaction comes not from pleasing people, not from pleasing even ourselves.

[38:12] Take up your cross daily and follow him. It's not easy sometimes. It would be easy not to be at your post and to think someone else can do it. It could be easy not to be faithful.

[38:25] It could be easy not to be diligent. It could be easy not to care. Why should I? Why should I bother? About them.

[38:40] It's about humility. It's about, but for the grace of God, I could have been that little boy, walking down that street, in rags, no food in my tummy, but I love Jesus.

[38:54] And the pastor is there. Can I have some Weet-Bix, pastor? What would you say? What could you do? Would you care? Would you give the time of day?

[39:07] It's not convenient. Your time is precious. There's other things you could be doing. You could be careless. You could be selfish. We all can.

[39:18] That was what I wanted to do. That would have been easy for me to say. To do, to be. To be selfish. To be uncaring.

[39:30] Why should I do? Why should I wash his feet? People today, we've got a duty to do. There's people all around us, Christless ones.

[39:40] And there's little ones. If you should offend them, you've done it unto me. Do your duty.

[39:52] Go the second mile. The second mile. Don't just stop at the first mile. In those days, I'm told the Jews have the practice of measuring out a mile from their home and putting a post in the ground when the centurion says, Hey you, come and carry my bag.

[40:15] Carry the bag grudgingly, you know. Oh, there's the post. Jesus says, go the second. Be a second miler. Be a second miler.

[40:25] Go the second mile. Where you're surfing from your heart. Not out of grudging. Not out of the least I can do. Do the best you can do.

[40:38] Is our service God-pleasing? We can ask this for our church too. Is everything that we do as a church, is this pleasing God? Or are we about pleasing men? Is it about being relevant?

[40:49] Are you more like the world? Or should we be more like heaven? Shouldn't we be more like heaven? Don't we want His glory? Don't we want His praise? It's not about serving men.

[41:01] It's not about serving your flesh. It's not about giving you entertaining music or razzmatazz. It's about do your duty. Be a believer.

[41:13] He's faithful. He's obedient. He's serving. And listening to the one who says, occupy till I come. Occupy. In other words, take possession, employ yourself, apply yourself, busy yourself, expend yourself, occupy, be occupied about heaven's business until I come.

[41:43] that's what we're here for on planet earth. We're not here to please ourselves. We're not here to make a living or make a fortune. We're not here to pamper ourselves.

[41:56] We're here to represent heaven and to make a difference while we can. While we can do our duty, let's do it. There's a time going to come when some of you will be less able than you are now.

[42:10] I know I'm less able than I used to be. Looking at the youth group, I see these 70-year-olds running around with the kids and I think, oh, I've got the energy. I don't know where they get the energy from because I don't have that same energy to run around playing basketball than I used to at one time.

[42:28] And you wonder, I'm less able than I used to be. You're going to be less able down the track than you are now to serve Him. Do it now. Do it today. Do your duty now. Don't wait till later on.

[42:39] You're going to be less able then. And what is it we're occupied with? Do we want to be occupied with heaven? He says, occupied till I come. He's coming soon.

[42:49] The Lord Jesus Christ is coming back for a spotless church without spot or wrinkle, a glorious church. And He's coming. He's going to find some working, watching, waiting.

[43:03] He's going to find some slumbering, snoozing, snoring, people today. Let's be found useful, be found used of God, being occupied with heaven and doing our duty.

[43:16] People today, be encouraged. We want to serve Him because we love Him. It's not an irksome thing. We can give cheerfully. We can give joyfully because there's no greater joy.

[43:30] There's no greater blessing than to be about His work. He'll be found useful. He'll be found useful. He'll be found useful. He'll be found useful. He'll be found useful. He'll be found useful.

[43:40] He'll be found useful. He'll be found useful. He'll be found useful. He'll be found useful. He'll be found useful. He'll be found useful. He'll be found useful.