A Grand Privilege for YOU

I had a double privilege today: (1) I got to serve the Lord at our church (2) I got to serve the Lord with one of the men of our church !  It was a delight to see one of our newer members serve the Lord today in a way he hadn’t before and to give his best effort.  It’s been a joy to see him grow over the past year and to see his willingness not just to help his pastor but to serve Christ ! After we were done, we just spent some good time chatting and fellowshipping.  Imagine what service and fellowship will be like once we leave this sinful world?!!!    Even better !!

Remember in Acts when the church was in it’s infancy and starting to really grow? The disciples soon experienced some persecution for their  service for the Lord but fellowship helped them tremendously to weather it and though they were told to no longer preach Christ their response was: “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.” (5:41) – WOW !!     The previous verse also says they were beaten too. THEY, it wasn’t just one but more than one of them. Fellowship, I’m sure strengthened their resolve for Christ but their attitude in serving is something we must all examine and emulate if we would, like them, change our world too.

See, we sometimes look at the things God needs done and wait for someone else to tackle them, or if we do it’s on our terms (what we want to do rather than what He needs done, our timetable not His). Yet, like our spiritual ancestors we must come to view service as they did, as a grand privilege – even if it means personal SHAME and SACRIFICE !  Often we won’t witness because we don’t want the shame the world may consider of us being associated with knowing Christ. Granted there is no legitimate shame, but isn’t it easier to not speak up and share the gospel, to not say grace in a restaurant, nor lovingly speak the truth on an issue when we really could be serving Him and risk the “shame”?   I don’t think we’re going to be beaten like the apostles, but yet Satan loves to mess with our mind doesn’t he?

So what could you do today for Him?  He holds out the privilege every day, and it’s truly an honor to serve the King of Kings !