Now we're going to study the life of faith in service. Section one, prerequisites of service to God. Number one, must first become a son. Psalm three and three. The Lord Jesus said, you must be born again. I'd like to say here that There was a great contrast between Old Testament concepts of service and New Testament. In the Old Testament, God generally looked upon all men as being his servants. God was dealing with a nation, and he held the whole nation responsible. And then he referred to the Gentile powers. as being his servants also. And he used one nation to chastise another nation. And then he rewarded that nation for their faithful service. But this was all on an earthly level. When he comes to the New Testament, this was entirely a different thing. Because service to the believer is secondary to his sonship. And in no way is his sonship dependent upon his service. Now, this is what many people misunderstand today. They seem to think that if you serve God well, then he'll give you eternal life as a reward for your good service. But this is entirely wrong. You've got to begin with the new life. Eternal life is a free gift. You begin with the new life, and then you go on to serve. A new life. Ephesians two, one and ten. You have the made alive or quickened who were dead in trespasses and sin. And be new power. Philippians two thirteen. It is God who worketh in you both the will and the do of his good pleasure. So you really can't take any credit for your service for God. It's God working in and through you. We saw this in our study of the Holy Spirit, that He is the enabling power within us. Now the second prerequisite of service to God is moral cleanliness. Isaiah fifty-two eleven. Be clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. If you're going to serve God, He wants you to be clean. Nice illustration of that in the Old Testament. The priests were given a bath at their being set apart to God, and then they had to wash their hands and feet every time they passed the labor. In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus speaks of this same thing in the Thirteenth of John. If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. They had a part in him because they were saved, but they didn't have a part with him unless they were cleansed. So moral cleanliness is essential. And number three, right motives. First Corinthians four, one to five takes us up. Paul said, I don't know anything against myself, but this doesn't justify me because he who judges me is the Lord. And he says, don't judge anything before the time, because God is going to make manifest the hidden counsels of the heart. And then shall every man have praise of God. So it's important that we have right motives in serving him. Now, here are some of them. A, avoid the fear of man. Proverbs twenty-nine, twenty-five says, the fear of man bringeth the snare. and be the praise of men. John, twelve, forty-three, the Lord Jesus said they loved the praise of men more or rather than the praise of God. Now you can't be sure about your own motives because your own heart is deceitful, but at least you can get into the presence of God and allow him to examine your motives and to point out to you if they're not right. C, by love, serve. Galatians five, thirteen. This is the right motive for anything that we do to serve the Lord. We ought to do it out of love to him. We ought to do it out of love to these people. We ought to do it out of love for the souls of the unsaved. And D, He says that he has promised the crown of life to them that love him, James one and twelve. So Galatians is love in serving your fellow Christians, and James one and twelve is love in serving the Lord Jesus. Now the fourth prerequisite to service is confidence in his leadership. Luke six and forty-two says, Why call you me, Lord, and do not the things which I say? If you really have confidence in the Lord Jesus' leadership, it'll be no problem at all to do what he tells you to do. And in John two and five, Mary said to the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you do it. That shows confidence in the leadership. What good would a man do working on a job if he questioned everything that the boss had? Thought he knew more than he did about it. How would you expect to do anything to please the Lord if you don't have confidence in his leadership? And five, willingness to do anything he says. And I stress the word anything. You can't pick and choose about how you're going to serve the Lord if you're going to serve him by faith. D.L. Moody used to say that if the highest archangel in heaven were asked to come down to Chicago and sweep the dirty streets, he would gladly do it because his Lord asked him to. But he said angels are unsinning and they don't reason like we do. Would you be willing to do anything the Lord gave you to do, no matter how menial the task, no matter how unimportant it might seem? If you have two men working for you and you tell one man to go out and dig a ditch in the hot sun and you tell another man, you wait there in the hallway because I've got a message I want to send you on. And he's sitting there in the hallway waiting and the other's out there digging. Which man is going to be rewarded? said to do. What the boss said to do. And the Lord has given you something to do. Maybe it's to wait. She must be willing to do anything he says. Now section two, how faith operates in service. One, it expects God to use me. I've heard people who thought they were sounding very spiritual say, Well, I could hardly expect God to use me. That's supposed to be very humble. That isn't humble at all. That's nothing but rank unbelief. Why? A, because the Lord Jesus has bought me. Twice in First Corinthians, he tells us that he has bought us with a price. And B, because I have yielded myself to him. Romans six, he plainly says, if you put yourself into his hands, he will make you his servant. And see, because it is God's power working in me. In Romans fifteen, the Apostle Paul said, by the power of the Spirit of God, I have fully preached the gospel in all of these places that he mentioned, by the power of the Spirit of God. So you see, I have, I should expect, I must expect by faith that God will use me because of these things. Now number two, faith recognizes the Holy Spirit's gifts and leading. In first Corinthians twelve, the first seven verses enumerates the various gifts. And he says that in verses seven and eleven that every member has a gift. So go down under A, that each member has a gift, at least one, maybe more. that each one has a place and a function. Remember in Ephesians four he says he has given to everyone this grace and then he says the whole body is fitly joined together by that which every joint supply. So each one has a gift and each one has a place and a function. And number three, faith willingly obeys the Lord's word. John thirteen and thirteen, he says, You call me master and Lord. If I therefore your Lord and master have done this, then this is what you ought to do. And number four, it counts on God to supply all A, as a soldier. Now, First Corinthians nine says that no soldier goes to war at his own expenses. That's quite obvious, but it's a good thing to stop and think about. Nobody would expect if he goes into the service that he has to pay all of his own expenses. And if you're going to serve the Lord, can't you expect him to supply your needs because you're now a soldier in his army. And you know some soldiers as the home guards and some soldiers are shipped over to an overseas post. That's beside the point. You're doing what you're told. You can expect him to supply your needs. And then be as a laborer. First Timothy five. An eighteen. He says the laborer is worthy of his hire. Incidentally, that word hire is the word for a soldier's rations. It doesn't mean you're going to get a salary. And you should never take a salary for serving God. This is absolutely unscriptural. Money that is demanded certain amount for a certain amount of service is called filthy lucre. and no servant of Christ should ever do it for that wrong motive to get money. And then see where to take nothing from the unsaved. Third John, verses five to eight, tells how that some went forth for his namesake taking nothing of the Gentiles, and John says in writing to Gaius, We ought to look after people like this. We ought to do what is right for them, because they've gone forth taking nothing of the Gentiles. The fellow who said that the water of life is free, but the congregation's got to pay for the plumbing wasn't very spiritual. Now, many people who are acting on this premise, they seem to feel that if they preach to you that you're responsible to pay them for it this isn't God's way at all count on God to supply all needs I can tell you from my experience that he never lets you down and number five it leaves results in God's hands a is not discouraged Isaiah forty two this is referring to the Lord Jesus God's servant, he shall not fail nor be discouraged. And B, does not resort to schemes, as old Jacob began. Two things, then, don't get discouraged about the results, and don't try to scheme so that you can produce results. This is what's wrong with organized religion, organized evangelism, organized Christian service. You've got to produce. So it's up to you to either get the results one way or another. If the Spirit of God isn't doing it, then you've got to manifest. Faith doesn't operate that way. Now the third section, dangers of organization. One, this may shock you, it has no basis in Scripture. I've been challenged on that, but I've never been proved wrong. A, the church is an organism, not an organization. It's a body. It's a living body. Indeed, we are directly accountable to the Lord. Here's a verse that you ought to put on your memory list, too. John twelve and twenty-six. If any man serve me, let him follow me, and where I am there shall my servant be. We are directly accountable to the Lord. Now you can see what organization does. I know a man who worked with a certain organization and he went to the head of that organization and said, the Lord has laid on my heart to do such and such. And he said, you've got your nerves. Come here and tell me that God told you to do such and such. He said, if you were in the army, he said, do you think that you would get your orders directly from the commander in chief? He said, certainly not. Commander-in-Chief, a telegeneral, a general, a colonel, a colonel, a major, a major, a major, a captain, and finally they get down to the corporal and he tell you. And he put him on three days, three weeks of discipline, disciplinary punishment because he dared to think that the Lord was showing him what to do. That's what our organization will do for you. Tie your hands and put you in bondage. Number two, it usurps the Holy Spirit's place as God. You remember in Acts thirteen at Antioch, the Holy Spirit said, separate me, Barnabas and Saul, to the work wherein two I have called them, and then he sent them forth. That's the Holy Spirit's place. Number three, it makes Men-pleasers of us. Galatians one and ten says, if I yet please men, then I am not the servant of Christ. And First Thessalonians two said, not as pleasing men, but God. Now, if you're working for somebody and they're paying your wages, you've got to please them. Whatever you do, don't take a job. serving God for a stipulated salary. Number four, it substitutes programs for prayers. And I refer you again to that wonderful prayer meeting in the fourth chapter of Acts where they went directly to God about the problem and God delivered them and used them mightily. programs are pretty poor stuff compared to anxious prayer. And five, it applies worldly wisdom. And I've given you three examples which I would like you to study when you find the time. A, as David copied the Philistines. Now the Philistines had sent the ark back on an ox cart. So when David got ready to move the ark up to Jerusalem, well, he put it on an ox cart. And he got in all kinds of trouble. And there's too many people who are using the Philistines ox carts to do the work of the Lord. And then B, as James catered to the Jews in Acts XXI, when Paul came back to Jerusalem, James had a big idea. He said, now, you go with these men to the temple and pay their dues and go through this ceremony and that'll convince everybody that you're still a good Jew and that'll get us off the hook. The truth matter is it got Paul in jail. That's all he ever gets for these schemes. And see, as Pergamus held the doctrine of Balaam, Purgimus was one of the cities, one of the churches to which John wrote in the second and third chapters of Revelation. And Purgimus means a bad marriage, and it represents that stage of the church when they begin to get involved in the world. Now, the doctrine of Balaam sounds pretty good. So does the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. But it made nothing but trouble for them. And last of all, number six, it makes faith a farce. A, by setting aside scripture. Matthew fifteen says the Lord Jesus accused the Jews of teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. It makes faith a farce by setting aside scripture. And B, by substituting fleshly wisdom. Second Corinthians one says, in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom. Now, Dale Carnegie wrote a very interesting book on how to win friends and influence people. But if you think for a minute that that will... work and soul winning, you've got another thing coming. Don't use psychology. Don't use worldly wisdom of any kind. Use scripture. Use God's way. Depend on the Spirit of God to do it. That's what the life of faith will lead you into in service. And last of all, section four, examples of faith in service. And I have chosen... Three, one, Abraham believed God. Romans four and three says, let me give you four things about him. A, the choice of faith. You know how he chose? He said lots, you go ahead and take anything you want. I'll take what's left. That's dangerous. unless you believe God. Of course, if you believe God, then you haven't got any problem. And he didn't have any problem. He let Lot have what he wanted. Faith can do that. Faith can afford to say, it's all right either way. And be the marks of faith. Can anybody tell me offhand what were the marks of faith in Abraham's life? There were two symbols that went with Abraham. Every time you think of Abraham, you ought to think of two things. that he had every place he went. One was an altar and the other was a tent. The tent spoke of his pilgrim character and the altar spoke of his worship. Those were the marks of faith. And see a life of faith. Hebrews eleven and verse thirteen says he confessed that he was a stranger in a pilgrim. That's a life of faith. And D, the test of faith. And you can count on this. If you decide to trust God, he'll test you. And the test of faith was whether or not he was willing to give up his only son, Isaac. He passed the test of flying colors. Now, number two, Moses was faithful in God's house. Hebrews three and five says, I'll give you four things about Moses. A, the refusal of faith. He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Now he's turning down a pretty good thing, wasn't he? Well, not to faith. And B, the choice of faith. He chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Now, there are pleasures of sin. Don't mistake it. Sin is a lot of fun for a while. But it's got a bitter sting in the end. And he saw this, and he chose to suffer affliction rather than the pleasures of sin. And then, see, there is the assay of faith, or the estimation of faith. It says he esteemed the reproach of Christ's greater treasure, greater than all the treasures of Egypt. And remember that Egypt was the greatest country in the world at that time, and the richest. And he would eventually have been the Pharaoh. because there's no mention of Pharaoh having any son. He only had a daughter, and daughters couldn't be Pharaoh, so Moses, the adopted son, would eventually have been Pharaoh. But he decided that the reproach of Christ was greater treasure, and, D, the courage of faith. It says he left the country not fearing the wrath of the king. Now, when you read the story, you think he left because he was afraid. But Hebrews eleven puts that record straight. He didn't leave Egypt because he was afraid at all. He left Egypt because he didn't want anything more to do with it. He was not afraid of the wrath of the king. You see, if he'd been afraid of the wrath of the king, he would have known that Pharaoh could find him any place he went. Casparo was the head of the greatest country in the world. But he got out because he had courage. And then number three, Paul believed God. That's what he said in Acts, verse twenty-five. He said, Sirs, I believe God. Nobody else did. The rest of them were sure that boat was going to the bottom of the Mediterranean. But he said, Sirs, I believe God. God told me that not a soul is going to be lost. We're going to lose the ship, but we're all going to get safely to land. He said, I believe God. He proved this in many ways. A. By the journeys of faith. And most of the acts of the apostles taken up was recording these journeys. And B. By the joys of faith. In Acts sixteen, you know, he was in prison at Philippi. He and Silas. And they'd had their backs beaten, so they couldn't lie down. And they were sitting with their feet fast in the stock, so they couldn't sit up comfortably. And they hadn't had any supper. So what did they do? They prayed and sang praise. The man must have been star-craving mad. Either that or he must have had faith in God. Joy doesn't depend on things being right. Happiness does. Happiness is related to the word happenings. But joy is a deeper thing. And then there was the contentment of faith. Philippians four said, I learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content. And finally there was the prospects of faith. Second Timothy four eight. henceforth there is later for me a crown of righteousness. He believed that God was going to have something better for him after this life. And then number four, the history of men and women of faith is good reading. I want you to add this to this so that when you study this lesson again, it will encourage you to get books. biographies or autobiographies, preferably biographies, which record the life of men and women of faith. George Mueller is outstanding. Mary Swetzer, the Scotch girl who went to Africa, is an outstanding story. Hudson Taylor's life is a great help to me as a young man. There are many of them. you find a big help in studying the lives of men and women of faith.