[0:00] Well, congratulations, Joss. Today, people finally get to notice what God has done in your heart. And it is a special day. It's a day which this church gets to recognize God's calling in your life.
[0:16] It was several years ago. I was with Pastor Trent and Pastor Gardner, and we were at an ordination up at Lighthouse Baptist Church in Dawsonville. And a man by the name of Aaron Vance was being ordained. And Brother Blackstock was up there, and he was given a whole bunch of wisdom.
[0:33] All these men of God, Trent, Brother Gardner, they were just pouring out this wisdom to him. Man, I was just getting excited because Aaron was writing down, I was writing down all this great stuff. They're talking about how to treat your wife, how to serve the Lord.
[0:46] And then finally, it gets around to a man by the name of David Gates. Now, if you guys don't know who David Gates is, you're missing out something. And David Gates looked at Aaron, and he looked at him, and he was just as serious as serious can be.
[0:58] And he said, forget about everything that you just said. You just serve the Lord. Do whatever he tells you to do. And I looked at him like, you little arrogant punk. You know what I mean?
[1:09] Who are you to tell this man? I mean, we're like all these wise preachers, and they're telling him, you know, all this gold. And, you know, that's pretty good advice.
[1:25] It really is. You get to serve Jesus. You get to serve your Lord. You get to serve him in a full-time position. I hope you don't take it flippantly.
[1:39] I hope you don't lessen it. Because so many times when you're on deputation, you've been there. I've seen you. You guys do a wonderful job. By the way, we're at a missions conference, and the pastor's like, those Miller girls are gorgeous.
[1:51] And I was like, oh, crap. There's no help for us. You know what I mean? There's just like every, I mean, that's all they were talking about, how cute those little Miller girls. And they all had prayer cards, and they hit up every person in the church. They had them trained them so well.
[2:02] They did a good job. But you know how it is. You know what I mean? You go out to ministry, and you know that you have to serve people. And a lot of times your focus goes on to the people. And a lot of times your focus goes in deputation.
[2:13] It might be on pastors. In 1 Samuel chapter 12, there's a story. It's actually Samuel confirming Saul.
[2:27] Saul has been anointed king by God. And now it's Samuel's turn to speak before the entire congregation of Israel. And Samuel goes up before everybody, and he blasts them.
[2:42] He's like, I've been serving God ever since I was a little baby, and now I'm gray-headed. And he looks at him and says, you guys have been wicked. You guys have done wrong.
[2:55] You guys have sinned greatly before your God. And in 1 Samuel chapter 12, verses 17, Samuel, as he's inaugurating Saul, he goes and he says these words.
[3:07] He says, is it not wheat harvest today? He says, I will call unto the Lord. Isn't it time for us to harvest the wheat?
[3:20] That means it should be a dry time, okay? He says, I'm going to call God, and he's going to send thunder, and he's going to send rain, so that you might perceive and you might see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, asking for a king.
[3:37] And so Samuel, which is so, this is very hardcore, he prays that God would send thunder and lightning and rain. And you know what happens? Thunder and lightning show up.
[3:47] And then the people are all afraid. They're fearing the Lord. In verse 19, they say unto Samuel, they say, pray for thy servants unto the Lord that we die not.
[4:00] For we have added unto all of our sins this evil to ask a king. We realize we're sinners, and we've added more sin to this. Pray, pray, please pray that God won't kill us and consume us.
[4:12] And I want you to notice the response of Samuel. What is Samuel's response? Verse 20, Samuel said to the people, fear not.
[4:25] Yeah, you've done this wickedness. But then he goes on and he tells the people something. This is very interesting. He says this, and I read this in my devotions just several days ago, and this is why it stuck with me. He says this, yet turn not aside from following the Lord.
[4:40] I know you've done wicked, but don't turn away from serving the Lord. This is what he says. He says, but serve the Lord with all your hearts. What is wicked people who sin against God supposed to do?
[4:54] Serve the Lord. With everything you got. With everything you got. And the people looked and said, please don't cease to pray for us.
[5:06] And I want you to notice what Samuel says. In his response, it just gets a glimpse of what is going on in Samuel's heart. See, Samuel was a prophet. He was a man of God for Israel.
[5:18] Does that make sense? He was the go-between between Israel and God. He was like a judge. He was a man that could, he could actually hear the words of God. And Samuel, when he looks at him, in verse number 23, he says, moreover, as for me, my job, God forbid, God forbid, verse 23, that I should what?
[5:40] Sin against the people? No. Sin against the Lord for what? In ceasing to pray for you. If Samuel would not have prayed for those people, who would he have been sinning against?
[5:53] Those people? Was he even doing wrong to those people? No. His service was to who? The Lord. His service was to who?
[6:03] The Lord. I think sometimes we get caught up in that we're serving others and we're not serving the Lord. And today is a day of ordination.
[6:14] We're just recognizing that God has called you to do something, something big for Him. Not us, but Him. Does that make sense?
[6:26] Paper doesn't mean anything. You're serving the Lord. You're serving Jesus. The reason why you preach is because you're serving Jesus. The reason why you're loving other people is because you're serving Jesus.
[6:39] That's your job. That elevates everything in your life though. Does that make sense? That means, man, I need to make sure my life is right. I need to make sure I'm doing right. Why? Because I'm serving Him, not others.
[6:53] And Samuel says, hey guys, I know you've done wrong, but don't quit serving Him. Don't quit serving Him. Actually, now's the time to serve Him with everything you've got.
[7:05] And I know you guys asked me to pray for you, but I'm not going to stop praying for you because I know I do you wrong. I'm not going to stop praying for you because I want to serve Him and I want to do what's right.
[7:18] And then He tells the people this. Verse 24. This is what He tells them. These are imperatives in the verse. He said, fear the Lord. Fear Him.
[7:31] And serve Him. You know what's before the word fear? Only. You're only supposed to fear God and you're only supposed to serve God.
[7:46] Don't you realize of all the great things He's done in your life? What's our job? What's our job? What's our job as preachers? We're supposed to serve Him.
[7:57] What's our job? What's our job if you're out there and you're working a layman's job? What's your job? What's your job? Serve Him. Serve Him. You say, how in the world can you say that?
[8:08] Well, Colossians chapter 23 says this. And whatsoever you do, do it heartily. As unto who? Whatever you do. He's talking to servants.
[8:19] He's talking to servants in this passage. So if you get a cup and you get to serve your master, then you serve Him like you're serving Jesus. If you've got a job and you're an electrician, then you're supposed to be an electrician like you would for Jesus.
[8:31] If you've got a job and you milk cows, you milk cows for Jesus, okay? That's what you do. You do it heartily as unto the Lord. If you go out there and preach, if you go out there in the ministry, how are you supposed to go about it?
[8:44] As unto who? The Lord. But he doesn't stop there. He says, not as unto men. And then he says in verse 24 of Colossians chapter 3, he says this, knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance.
[9:00] I love how he ends it. For ye serve who? The Lord Christ. Josh, today, we recognize that you want to serve Jesus in ministry with your life full time.
[9:21] Don't forget it. Don't forget who you're serving. Don't forget it. Don't forget it. Remember it. Know it. Tuck it away in your heart. You realize that you are serving Jesus and He is worthy of your best.
[9:35] And He is worthy of all the best. Love you. I'm praying for you. I'm going to pray for the offering real quick. Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. Lord, I ask that you would just bless this offering as the men come to prepare it.
[9:46] Lord, thank you for this wonderful couple. Thank you for how you've provided their support. Lord, as they go out and they serve you. Thank you for all the people that's got behind them, all the churches, Lord, as they sacrificially give to you, Lord, as a service unto you, Lord.
[10:01] I ask you would continue to bless those people that are financially behind Josh and all the other missionaries and all the work that you have going and getting the gospel around the world. I ask you to bless your people, Lord.
[10:12] Lord, help them to realize that we get to serve you with all that we have and help us to give all that we have to serve you and help us to never forget that we are serving the most wonderful and awesome and gracious and kind King.
[10:25] And Lord, no matter what's gone on in our past, whether we're preachers or whether we're in Israel and we've sinned and we've done wrong, Lord, help us to serve you with everything we have.
[10:35] In Jesus' name, Amen.