Greater Serving

All right, welcome everyone. Glad you're here. We are smack dab in the middle of Wednesday evening. You thought it was going to be something extraordinary. Uh we are beginning a new series. We are the month of August greater serving. We have been since the first of the year this year. Our theme of course is greater uh greater family, greater men, greater women, greater giving, greater vision, greater purpose. Somebody say greater. >> Greater. Uh and so we are continuing that for the rest of the year. This month on Wednesday evenings and on Sundays we are focusing on service. Um serving the Lord, serving others. Um I'm I'm going to start let's make sure my time's right. Okay. I'm going to start uh just with a couple of quick questions. What does it mean to serve someone? Let's start with that. To serve someone. No. No. Something else. >> To minister to a need. >> Minister to a need. Very well. So, what does it mean to serve? Anyone else? >> To give without expectations. >> To give without expectations or with expectations. I dare say your server at the restaurant's got some pretty high expectations. Anybody else? To serve. >> Simple to do something for someone. >> Do something for someone. Okay. Uh now, if you go to the Webster dictionary, you're going to find a whole stack because like you can serve somebody papers. You can serve somebody a drink. You can serve somebody a tennis ball. There's a lot of different ways to see the actual word to serve. By its definition, to serve is to be of service. That's it. Now, to assist, to interact with uh give me some examples. Let's talk uh Ethan. Ethan, we're we're in class. Um give let's talk about >> serving. >> He's serving his child. Gotcha. Let's uh let's give some examples of service. What does it mean serving? Give me some examples. We just mentioned one. A restaurant. What else? >> Military. >> Military. Absolutely. What else to serve?

>> Well, the program >> Oh, there you go. >> Serving the community. Perfect. Very well. Someone else. What's another example of service? >> Teachers serving kids. Here we are. Back to school. Absolutely. What else? >> >> retail. >> In retail, what happens at retail? >> Okay, very good. Someone else. It almost seems, and I know I know what probably some of you are thinking. It's almost like, well, duh. This is just part of who we are and part of our humanity. I wish I could say that was true. It used to be. I mean years ago, man, serving others was very very um very common. In fact, history declares to us that when our nation went to war in World War I and two, Korean conflict, Vietnam, anytime our nation went to war, man, people just went to they stood up. Here we go. We're going. In fact, history also proclaims that there were some men, young men that could not serve due to health issues and they committed suicide because they didn't feel like they were doing enough. Okay, that's in humanity serving. The issue comes is when the question of uh serving begins to to take a different route. Here here let me ask you another question. How do you feel personally when somebody serves you? How do you feel? >> You feel what? >> Blessed. >> Blessed. Okay. What else? >> Grateful. >> Grateful. What else? >> Awkward. >> What else? >> At ease. Yeah. What else? >> Okay. And sometimes depends on our attitude. We may not be in a receiving mode, right? Okay. What else? How do you feel when someone serves you? >> Sometimes. >> Okay. >> Depending on who it is or the situation. Okay. Yeah, that's true. >> Yeah. Okay. Uh, if I >> Yeah, if I may, part of the way you were raised can determine because to be honest, quite honest with you, there are many that love to be served. In fact, they feel like it's their responsibility to be served.

>> I give you a case in point. 15year-old, >> thank you very much. All of a sudden, everybody go, "Oh, now I see." Yeah. Um, question then. Again, I'm we're headed somewhere. Which one makes you feel better? For someone to serve you or you to serve someone? >> Now, hang on. This is Bible class. This is at the house of the Lord. >> It's a trick. Yeah. Wh which which makes you feel better? You serving someone or someone serving you? >> Why? >> Explain that. >> Because sometimes if I'm served, I have this thing where I sometimes I don't want someone to do something for me because I it's me it's my own I feel like I have to do something for them and it's not like I wouldn't want to but I would feel obligated to and some people will do it just because they love you that's how I love but for me it's something >> okay I gota I think that's probably human nature. Absolutely. >> Yeah. Yeah. Now, sometimes um sometimes the nature of humanity takes over and when it comes to serving others, we we will question many times motive either your motive, our motives or the motive of of the person we're trying to serve. Anybody understand that? Secondly, we'll question uh what are we actually trying to gain in serving or in receiving what has anybody ever served you and and you you took what they were serving but in your mind you were like I wonder what they want. >> See everybody why because we get nervous about that. How many love owing someone? In fact, in fact, this is just me, my this is my take when when we go I go to lunch with friends or pastor friend or whatever and I say, "I'm gonna buy this." No, no, you bought last time. I said, "Well, I'll buy I'll buy I'll buy this time because I'm keeping score." Well, now they don't want it. >> They're like, "Well, I'm I'm joking. I'm joking." But the the point is this. I understand how uncomfortable it can make us feel. I wonder why that's the case.

Why can't we just gently receive it or genuinely give it >> due to bad experiences? >> You you think >> uh why can't we just genuinely want to serve somebody with as as has mentioned no expectation? It's a question. I think that's a hard question to answer because all of us want to be like Jesus. But when it comes to serving, sometimes I will be honest with you, it is work. It is a chore. There are occasions when you're serving someone and they don't appreciate it. And that really makes you feel good. Let's go let's go to Genesis. That's that's the first book in the Bible, the book of beginnings. Genesis chapter 2. This is familiar to all of us. Genesis chapter 2 verse number 15. Somebody gets there in your Bible. Would you read that out loud please? Genesis chapter 2 verse number 15. >> Theord of Eden. >> Thank you. The Lord God took the Adam the man and he put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. This is the first mention we have of service because the dress it and keep it translated from the Hebrew is avad a b- a d. The Hebrew meaning of that word is the act of serving. So when God created humanity that we know of, Adam, the man, he put him in this garden and he said, "I want you to dress it and keep it." The translators were using the word dress it and keep it intentionally because in our minds we understand it. It would be hard for it to take the avad word here, but that's that's what's here in the the origin of Hebrew because we don't see it as serving the garden. We see it as dressing and keeping it. Understand where I'm coming from with this. When it comes to the things of the Lord God, we have to understand from its initiation, from its point of reference, a vad is the word. Because of that, what God was saying to humanity, I need you to serve what I've created. Because if you take from what I have created, you have no way to give it back. That's why in the garden, God said, "This is all yours.

Touch it, use it, enjoy it, except do not serve the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In the day that you do, you will surely die. Because what when you change your direction of service, things now become put into your hands. The other tree in the garden that was so vitally important was also called the tree of life. And God's grace and mercy from the beginning said, you need to serve this that I've created for you. But if I let you live with the wisdom and the knowledge of good and evil and all that stuff, and you also have access to the tree of life, you'll live forever not understanding the value of service. Stay with me for just a bit. It's 7:20. I understand that to work at something is not always fun, right? Uh, in fact, there's probably a few of you in this room, please don't look at anyone but me. Probably a few of you in this room, the alarm clock went off this morning. You went, >> anybody don't you don't have to answer. Because you knew what the day possibly was going to hold. And serving on your job, your family, uh the stuff that your life is wrapped around can sometimes be a great challenge. Agreed. But when you avad things, then you understand that what God is really doing is God is saying, "Oh, this is so fun. This is so cool. God is really saying if you avoid what I've created for you, my work is easy. My burden is light. Because I know how to give you the strength you need to serve what I've given you. He told Adam, it's so cool to me. He told Adam this, you're going to dress it and keep it. You're going to serve this garden. Anybody have any clue in your greatest of imaginations or Hollywood version in your brain, what would Adam have done in the garden that God just created in order to serve the garden? What would he have done? Because at that point, he wasn't toiling over the soil. He didn't have a tiller. He wasn't running a John Deere.

He was living in the place that God said, "I've got a place that I built for you, and I'm going to come and spend time with you. I need you to serve this place that I made for you. What do you think Adam was doing with this time? Anybody? Care to guess? I bet he was surfing the internet. I mean, no. I bet that's why the sloth got its name. He couldn't I don't know. Anyway, sorry. Here's the thing. I have to think and know in my mind that when God said I'm I have made man out of my my plan. I breathed into him. When I breathed into him, I breathed into him the ability to serve. And if he will serve, he will find out the value of the things that I gave him. So many times, let let me say it this way. I I mentioned the 15 year olds earlier, just as a point of reference. It could be 15 or 50, it doesn't matter. Things change in somebody's life and their mental capacity as they begin to be served and to serve. What changes in a teenager, for an example, when they get their first job? >> Do what? >> Their perspective. What? What? What changes? >> Why? >> Yeah. They're beginning to put money in their pocket. Yeah. Here, here, this is what always amazed me. My my teenagers at home, I have telling you, Lauren, my son would drink 92 gallons of milk a day if I'd let him. What? Two gallons of milk easy. We'd buy sometimes more. He's a grown boy. That's what that's what my mom would say. But then when when he moved out, Eli, he went to college, you go open his fridge, he have a thing in. I'm like, wait a minute. You you drank every drop of whatever and you ate every I mean, he was the disposal, you know, that big around. Anybody remember those good days, Tim? When you could be that big around and eat whatever you wanted. And then we went to his his his uh apartment when he was in college. He had a chicken breast in there. It was green. I just washed it off, Dad. It's fine. And and and it was winter time when we went and he had his thermostat set on 60.

We're never you touch that thermostat, Dad. That's expensive. That >> Well, now hold on a minute. At my house in the winter time, he or in the summertime punching it down. Why? What changed the perspective? >> Responsibility. He understood a little more the value of something. Stay with me. Stay with me. You do realize that if you'll ever discover the pleasure of serving the things of God, it comes with great joy and great pleasure. You can also though serve the enemy. Stay with me. If you serve the enemy, then the work, the labor becomes hard and unnecessary. Follow me. Somebody who is serving the enemy, they'll tell a lie. For an example, and then they will work as hard as they can to make sure that they maintain that lie. If they tell the truth, then they wouldn't have to back up the lie and remember the lie. But as your grandparents probably told you, one lie you got to cover to cover another lie to cover. Why? What you're trying you're working hard. All right, let me let me back up this one. All right, we won't go there. I I personally in my life have known people that work incredibly incredibly hard. I mean, incredibly hard at not working. True stories. I I I've I've had people that that I was on the job with and they were supposed to be working and they worked as hard as they could not to work. I'd find I'd find them, you know, with the tool in their hand. What have you done today? I just don't feel good. Just I'm sitting there going, "Okay, I'm trying to get this done and and it ain't anybody anybody ever been with, you know, they work harder at not work." I'm like, "If you would just work, you would serve, do what's expected, you'd probably already be done with the job." Now, stay with me. If you're serving the Lord God, serving him comes with the joy and the pleasures of knowing that your creator made things for your pleasure and now you are reciprocating that back to him.

If you are serving the enemy, you are serving the one that is contrary to all the things that God has done. And because of that, the word, listen to me, the word aad is the same word. The difference is the results of the source in whom you are aboding, working, serving for. Now, the reason that we we chose this topic for an example, this theme for the month, is because greater service, listen to me, is not simply saying, "I'm going to get a better job at a better restaurant so I can serve more people." That's not what we're talking about. What we're going to talk about this month on Wednesday nights is we're going to talk about the ability to understand what God's desire is for us. Serving him changes everything. When you serve God, there is gladness. Serve the Lord with gladness. You know why? Is because you have an understanding of what God's plan and his principle is in what you're doing. I I've used this scenario so many times in my ministry because I have seen it play out time and time and time and time again. We now live in a culture and in a society where it is really hard to find good help. I'm just going to say it that way. Well, it's hard to find good help today. Sorry, I got I always use that one cuz my bride, she turns it on in the morning and help is on the way. Anyway, we ain't living in the Caribbean. Can't tell. We need help. And I'm like, "Oh, Lord, it is stuck." And Michelle laughs and looks at Turn it off. Anyway, why is it hard to find good workers? Let's start using that word. Why? >> What has happened then? >> Maybe they're doing it. Isn't it interesting when you serve the Lord, there's something about knowing that God is recipient of what you're working, what you're doing and serving. But when you're serving yourself, when you're serving the enemy, it becomes this great incredible chore and you no longer enjoy it. And then you begin to look for excuses on how not to do what you're supposed to be doing.

And that demonstrates itself on the job. >> It demonstrates itself with family relations. I mean, you know, sometimes you got to work hard at family relations. It shows up in in spouses. It shows up in marriages. It shows up in so many different places because if we are not serving the way God intended for us to serve, we are finding other things to put our focus in. Stay with me. Who you avad makes all the difference in the world. I I know that you know this, but it's it's it's worth reminding you. You do know that if you serve if you if you serve the devil, if you avoid the enemy, your end result is not going to be good. You're not. In fact, what is going to happen at the end of it all if you have avadotted served the enemy? What is your reward? Separation. >> Separation. What else? >> Lake of fire. What else? >> How about in the not at the end of it all, but in the midst of it all? >> Misery. What else? >> Hopelessness. Helplessness. Yeah. What else? >> Anxiety. >> Anxiety. Certainly. What else? >> Frustration. >> Frustration. Come on. What else? I I think the only reason y'all are saying these words is because you've probably experienced some of them or know someone who has. Now listen carefully please. Greater serving means if we can understand the value of what God actually intends for us and we can focus on him and what he's doing. It changes everything in why we serve. I started to say this a while ago. I'll finish it right now. If you are serving the Lord as if he is the one you're working for, that changes all the perspective on your job and your family. What if you do it as unto the Lord? I've said some so many times to some of these young folk, look, this culture you're living in, if you'll show up to your job and just work, it won't take long. You'll be the manager, you'll be the owner, you'll be the whatever. I know, but the other co-workers, they're lazy. Just keep working.

You're not doing it for your co-workers. You're not doing it for your boss. You're doing it as unto the Lord. And if you do that, the hand of the Lord, because of the way you're serving, the hand of the Lord will be upon your life. I promise you, I am a living testimony of that. I know what it's like to feel like I'm not appreciated on a job. For an example, that there's walking all over. They don't do nothing. They're getting paid as much as me. All that stuff. You know why? We all feel that some way. You know what? We can justify it many times, can't we? And you may be working as hard as you can, as as intentional as you can, and and nobody receives it or nobody appreciates it. Guess what? You didn't do it for them. It's as unto the Lord. And I can promise you this, the Lord will bless you. The Lord will bless you. He'll multiply what you have done, what you're doing. He'll turn it around and give it back to you 10fold. Man, God blesses those who serve him. Greater serving says, "Lord, help me to realign myself to the purpose in what I do." Now, when you go into the New Testament, this is worth saying. When you go into the New Testament, the word changes from abad to the yakeno, which is the root word for deacon. A deacon in the church. The New Testament was used for what? They were first mentioned when, hey, we got widows and orphans going without. We got we're doing all this serving and we're not able to focus on the ministry and on the things of God. And so they said, he said, "What? Well, then let's pick some men of good good report that know how and let's put them over these things of serving the tables." Anybody remember that? You know, that's where the word deacon came from. We're going to make them deacons. They are going to serve under the authority of ministry. Stephen, he was one of those deacons. What's the Bible say about young Stephen? He was a man full of faith. Died at the feet of Saul. But he was a man that said, "I know how to serve." a server.

Notice the words of Jesus. Now, again, I'm I'm trying to watch my clock here. Luke chapter 16. You got a Bible? Let's Let's look at this. If you got your uh journals, make some notes. Luke chapter 16, verse number 13. Somebody read that for me, please, out loud. Luke 16 13. Someone >> No servant can serve two masters for either you will hate the one the other will and despise the other. He cannot serve God and man. >> No servant can serve two masters. That's interesting. The phrase again uh you have your Bible is that is that red letter that means this would have been identified to the way Jesus spoke to what he would have said. You cannot serve two masters. What do you think was his reason for using that? Why why why would he I mean does anybody here ever have two jobs? Anybody here ever serve at work and then go home and serve? You know, no. You all just one track? Some of y'all probably serve bunches of folk. So what is it meant no servant can serve two masters? >> I kind of take that as like you ever been in your household where There's two but they one kid will talk to one and they turn around to the other >> and >> what what difference does that make? Well, the two adults may not have problems. >> So, there's conflict, >> right? >> Because the purpose of serving has not been established. >> Is that okay? And that does happen someone else. But Jesus even gives a point of reference here. He says you cannot serve God and mammon. Mammon by its definition is >> riches, wealth. That's right. Now, hold on a minute. You can't serve God and wealth, riches. Then why do you serve? Why do you work? Why do you labor if you're not interested in making money? That almost seems It almost seems like we ought to just stand around and not do nothing. We're serving. We're waiting on God to talk to us. We're We're just serving. We are so serving right now. Y'all don't even know how much I'm serving right now.

No, that doesn't make any sense. So, you get a job. There's there's your novel idea for 2026. And that job, what do you do with the money that you gain from it? You live, huh? You make bills, you pay the bills, you you eat, you you put you pay the rent so you can have a roof over your head. You you you buy uh $3 drinks out of the fridge at church. You buy $5 coffees when the machine's working at church. That was a plug. Sorry, guys. Um the uh the truth is there is nothing at all wrong with riches. None. Nothing. Nothing. In fact, I know personally I know people that have God has blessed them with riches so that they can bless the kingdom. I know people that have that. The difference is what? >> The serving. The serving. I hear tell now again I've used this this example before, but I hear tell those who win the cabajillion dollar lottery end up being the most miserable people ever born. Wonder why. I mean, we all say it, man. Man, if I could win a quarter million dollars, I I'd pay I'd give my money to the church. Yes, I would. I'd love to bless the church with more stuff. I'd buy my mom a house. I' I'd buy everybody I know a car. You know, you hear all this. But nobody who's ever won the lottery bajillions of dollars. You don't get any of that testimony. You know what you get? Within 24 months, they're in a crazy house somewhere. They don't have a dime under their name. Why? >> Well, they didn't earn it. What else? >> The main reason very simply is what? >> They served it. >> Because they served it. And as they served mammon riches, they forgot all about God. And God said, "You know what? Now, can I say this and and just be as honest as I can be with you? Listen carefully. If you will serve the Lord with gladness, there will come a time when God will bless you financially. God will bless you with peace of mind. I don't know about you, but I I've used this testimony so many times. My wife and I, we were early in marriage, part-time job.

I lost my job. I was trying to do whatever I could just to put food on the table. Our banking account was definitely in the red. But for some reason, some reason God came through every week. I don't I can't explain it. I cannot explain how that worked. I remember on deputation we were trying we were struggling trying to put had a had a motor home. It cost $200 $210 to fill up the gas tank. >> Yeah. Back then that was, you know, and I was getting $50 offerings. I remember that so vividly. And I remember looking at that gas gauge going, "Jesus, Lord, you know, and just keep on driving because we had another service to go to." And somehow someway we got to that service and we made it back to the campground. And you know what am I telling? I'm telling you this. I'm not saying the million dollars is what I was looking for. I was simply trying to serve the Lord. And through that, >> God gave the riches the mammon needed. >> I'm not saying that I had $300,000 to put in a savings account. No. Hey, can I confess something to you? I have a pastor friend of mine, pastor friend of mine, good friend of mine that went and preached a a service for a guy, two-hour drive if I remember the story. He went and preached it, left there. The pastor that he preached for didn't didn't honor him with an with an honorarian anointing for God. He didn't know. He still had to drive home. So he stopped at a con at a convenience store. He said, "I got to get fuel in the car to get home." He said, "I went in. I had $1 in my wallet. I can't get home on a dollar." He said, "I took that dollar and I went to the lottery thing machine and I bought a lottery ticket >> and I won $20.

>> I took it, put $10 of gas in the car, bought a $3 hamburger, walked out, got in my car, went home, and I paid tithe on the $20." >> He said, "You can call me silly if you want to and say that I've did it for the devil." He said, "But I'm convinced God can bless even through the enemy's tools." Listen to me carefully. The reason I'm telling you that is this. Serving was the key. I I will I will say tonight again, my clock's ticking here. You cannot serve mammon, riches, and wealth and serve God. You have to make the choice. You got to pour into what you believe is going to be the right thing to pour into. The reality is as humans, we want to connect. We want to be connected to what God is doing, right? But to do that, you got to learn how to serve. I'm not saying that you got to learn how to serve the table in front of somebody or you got to learn how to set the plates in the right order. I'm saying that whatever you do in word or do or deed, you do it as unto the Lord. Greater service, greater serving the things of God. Both are fed when you serve. If you serve yourself, something's fed. If you serve others, something's fed. If you serve Jesus, something's fed. If you serve on your job, if you serve your job, something's fed. If you serve your family, something's fed. If you serve your money, something's fed. We make choices. It is our free will to make those choices. What your children need to learn, mom and dad, is they need to learn how to serve the things of God. Because in so doing, you will set them up for success for the future. You've got to intentionally do that. Don't feel bad, mom and dad, if you're telling your kids, "We're going to the house of the Lord. It's Tuesday night, or it's Thursday night. It's not a church night, but we're going to do things for God." Don't don't do yourself a disservice by saying, "I'm sorry, guys. We got to go to church tonight." What are your kids going to find out?

They're going to figure out very quickly that mom and dad don't want to be there. So I don't have to want to be there. You know, again, I'm old school. I know it was never an option at my house. Church time. You got five minutes. But I don't feel Yes, I do feel. Yes, I do. You better know I do. I am all over this, Dad. All over this. What am I saying? If you are serving the Lord and you're doing it with bitterness and anger and strife, the next generation is going to reap that harvest. But if you're saying, "Lord, today I get to go to your house. Today we get to do the things of God. Today we get to serve you." Then your children are going to go, "You know what? This is not terrible. Mom and dad enjoy it, so I'm going to enjoy it." Now, you may have to be creative. You may have to say, "Look, kids, we're going to go today and we're going to pass out door hangers to invite people to our dedication weekend and afterwards we're going to do this or whatever and let them know that it's okay." Explain to them when someone receives the Holy Ghost in the service where they went and knocked on a door, say, "That's the fruit of what we did." >> Don't sit your children down in a seat and say, "Sit there. Let me go serve. No, sir. From the very beginning when our children were born, we had decided we're going to let our kids serve with us. So, if we were at the church cleaning, guess what our kids were doing? That's right. They were messing up. No, I'm joking. They were there with us learning how to push a vacuum, learning how to push a broom. Now, that this big, it was they couldn't, but they could do things. It all depends on who you're serving. Mom and dad, do not be upset or angry. Grandma, grandpa, don't be mad if your kids or your grandkids don't want to go to the house of God. Somebody has painted a picture that it's work and it's struggle and it's hard and it's not worth doing.

That's why I say Sunday after Sunday, service after service, coming together, guys, this is the greatest day the Lord has made for us. Come on, let's just love the Lord through it because we are serving him. We're worshiping him. There is a reason that a worship opportunity is called a church service because we are there to serve. You can't make it a drudgery. You can't make it something where again I can't believe this. Because if your attitude is that mom and dad, the ones that are downstairs right now or upstairs in the youth room, they're going to develop that same thing. Amen. Greater service. Next week, Brother Sam will be teaching and he's going to continue on another topic of serving. I'm convinced, guys, that here at CAC, we are learning how to serve the Lord by serving others by serving our community. Again, this weekend, next weekend are going to be great examples of serving the community, letting them come in. What do you need? How can we help you? What is something we can do for you? Yes, this is open for you. Anybody can come then. All right, pray with me. Lord, thank you so much. >> Thank you so much, Jesus, for the power of serving you, the investment, Lord, that we make in the things of God. Thank you, Lord, that you never forget them, but that you take note of them. Thank you, Lord, that you bless and that you work, dear God, and you do things in our lives. You You change us, Lord. You You've given us so many great examples in your word. Examples like Abraham, examples like Moses and Daniel, like Peter and like James. You've given us examples we can look to to those, Lord, who simply gave themselves serving you in whatever capacity, in whatever life situations they were in, God, you were blessing them and using them. We're learning, God, in our generation, Lord, we can serve you with gladness. We can come with expectancy, Lord God, knowing that if we do it as unto you, blessings will come to that. We love you, Lord, and we trust you.

And we thank you for our time together tonight. Bless, Lord, our worship time here this evening, Lord. Bless this weekend's events and next weekend. We pray. Let the spirit of the Lord be evident in this place tonight. I pray. Let God arise and let our enemy be scattered. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Thank you Lord for the power of serving you. In Jesus' name we pray and all of us say amen. Thank you guys so much for being here. We got a few minutes. We'll walk down the Jericho Mile and then we'll start our worship.