Serve God!

Scripture Reading Matthew 4:8-11

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, !  For it is written: ‘ the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

This is a WILD passage of the Bible, but it has EVERYTHING to do with my life and your life and even this capital campaign season of our church. Has anyone NOT been tempted by evil?????

I’VE been tempted – to cheat on a test I wasn’t ready for, to fake homework I should have done, to lie to avoid some bad consequences, to avoid talking about something I should talk about – sometimes I’ve resisted and sometimes I’ve failed and given in. Am I alone in this?  Have you ever been tempted to take the easy way out?

We ALL need the power of Jesus to say “NO – I resist – I renounce the Devil and all his works – AWAY from me Satan! For it is written: WORSHIP the LORD your GOD and SERVE HIM ONLY!

I was talking to a longtime Christian salesman and I asked him what made a good salesman and he said, “I was resolved always to tell the truth – that way I didn’t have to worry about remembering what I’d told them before!” Resist the devil, and you’ll become a reliable person of integrity!

Temptation usually is lie that says, “If I do this I can avoid consequences” – but usually bad consequences happen anyway – usually worse than if you’d avoided the temptation!

But sometimes we’re so used to giving in to the fear, the poor self image, the addiction, the lying, the cheating, that we start to feel powerless. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a REAL superhero who could help us?

Well, look at this passage and consider Jesus as the ULTIMATE God-Man superhero:

Colossians 2:9 – ““… For in all the fullness of the lives in bodily form.”

Why do people like superhero movies and action heroes and supernatural heroes? Because there IS ONE REALLY that we long for and need – JESUS CHRIST!

Oh but is he so perfect and unlike us that he’s unrelatable? NOPE. He was:

Hebrews 4:15 – ““… in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin.”

• SO – there is evil in the world that tempts us, because this world is a long test; a sorting time; basic training for eternity…and God is interested in what we decide we truly want. Do we really want a relationship with God, or not?
• Do we really want to be a truly good and holy person, or not?
• Do we really want to love God and our neighbor, or not?
• Do we really want to worship and serve God above all else?

Our ACTIONS will prove our true heart desire – will we choose to act as part of the Kingdom of God, or what Pastor Gary Kesee calls the “Earth Curse System”?

How we approach and use money will be one indicator. If someone looked at how you used your credit card, debit card, cash, checks, and assets whether cattle or farm or gold or stocks or whatever – what would they say you value, serve and worship?

Are there ways in which you need to break free of the Earth Curse System?

The Cards are just spiritual tools for evaluation, reflection, hope, and life – to me, they’re really helpful because they force me to look at where my money really goes, and to decide, “Am I going to live in the Kingdom of God of hard work, frugal spending, prudent saving, and generous giving — or the Earth Curse system of fear and self-centeredness and cheating and greed?

Regular, annual “tithe” giving sustains our hearts and spirits and helps grow the Kingdom of God.

SERVE campaign over and above our tithe giving helps grow our faith and bless future generations of kids!

help us say “AWAY FROM ME SATAN — For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

Now don’t assume I’m going all legalistic here saying that you’re going to hell if you play the lottery or gamble or place sports bets – these pictures are just representations of what CAN embody the Earth Curse System. CAN lotteries and gambling of all sorts get ahold of you and waste your money? YES – why? Because they hook us on shortcuts…not working for it…not saving and giving generously. “Oh but I’d give so much if I won!”

How about this—you WIN if you GIVE where God leads you to give – and that’s a guaranteed, 100% win every time! BREAK THE EARTH CURSE SYSTEM!

Invest in the stock market – fine – do not GAMBLE with it looking for shortcuts to wealth!

It’s ALL GOD’S MONEY – how does GOD want you to spend it!

I tried to mentor a kid in school for a long time whose mother and siblings taught him that what was important in life was expensive shoes and a big TV and plenty of alcohol and cigarettes and videogames in the house. That’s what’s most important. As he got old enough to choose that’s what he chose and he’s floundered in life ever since.

I tried to work with a married couple who were in the 1% most wealthy people in America. The wife got ahold of Jesus and became this kind and generous woman. Her husband stayed a self-centered business guru, died, and left her NOTHING – left it all to his sons who treated their mom like a slave. It was hideous. God helped her make it through, but those guys are in danger of burning in hell because they sold out to the Earth Curse system with their wealth.

I was trying to witness to a guy in the middle —  not poor, not a 1% but wanted to be. Was at his house that was bigger and nicer and newer than mine, he had one kid I had multiple kids. He said, “yeah we need to sell this place” – WHY? “We just need more room we’re too cramped here.” His life became a mess, his daughter became a mess, broken relationships everywhere – they sold out to serve themselves in the earth curse system.

USE WHATEVER TOOLS God leads you to use! For me and my house, the Pledge Cards are painful but helpful. They set us free of the greed that would otherwise grip us, and the fear of scarcity, and the hard hearts of greed.

SOMEHOW you need to get to the place where you will stand with Jesus with your wealth —

FROM ME SATAN — For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

“AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE WE WILL THE LORD!”   (Joshua 24:15)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What have you received from God that probably has some sort of expectation from God that we will use it to “serve” in the world?
2. If someone were to audit the use of your time every minute of every day for a month, who would they conclude that you serve?
3. If someone were to audit how you use every dollar you use for an entire month, who would they conclude that you serve?
4. What acts of worship are you able to do “passionately” that help you to connect best to God? Why is that?
5. How much time do you think you should give to God in passionate worship, in terms of worship services and prayer / Bible study times? What do such times do for you?
6. How much money do you think you should give God by giving to a local church?
7. Which parts of our renovation project will help us serve God in Worship Services? In our daily lives?