Dover Assembly of God
Joshua 24:15 ESV
Servant - From the Greek doulos - literally a slave. In a metaphorical sense used for voluntary service - can be used for various offices (prophet, minister or worshippers of God, etc).
Key idea is choice - we get to do that everyday and in every moment.
Deuteronomy 30:15-20 ESV
Isaiah 1:19-20 ESV
Willing - To be acquiescent - as a verb meaning to yield or to desire. Its primary meaning is to be positively inclined to respond to some authority or petition; consent to authority. By extention - to be content.
Obedient - to hear intelligently (with understanding) - hear and listen. (in the causitive to make loud music, to shout aloud)
Refuse - Utterly refuse. A refusal or rejection of an offer.
Rebel - To be rebellious, to make bitter to resist.
Who makes the choice? You do.
Jeremiah 29:11-13 ESV
God has the plan, but we have to call on Him. We are the ones who have to seek. And we can’t do this half heartedly.
2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV
My people. This passage is not talking about the world in general.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV
These are all of our natural tendencies - but this isn’t an exhaustive list.
The first step in service is obedience. It is God’s plan that all be saved, but unfortunately not all will. God knows the plans He has for us, but He leaves it up to us to choose. This pattern is consistent in every area of life.
So it would be fair to say we want to do God’s will - but how do we really go about this? Are we doing it whole-heartedly or grudgingly? In other words, do we obey willingly or do we go kicking and screaming?
You can’t serve God grudgingly
Colossians 3:1-17 ESV
Colossians 3:23-24 ESV
Let’s look at just one example - we’re commanded in Malachi to tithe . . .
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 ESV
Reluctantly - translated as grudgingly in the KJV. Often murmuring is used - in fact, it’s used over 100 times in the KJV.
1 Corinthians 10:1-10 ESV
Philippians 2:14 ESV
1 Peter 4:8-10 ESV
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV
This does not mean we thank God for hard times. We thank Him because He has the answer and the way out!
Remember that we mentioned initially we were servants. Many of you would agree with this statement - and be correct insofar as it goes. But if we were actually servants in the true Biblical sense of the word, we would never mess up. We would simply obey God, but we don’t always. Why is that?
John 15:15 ESV
This is how we can know God’s will and why we can ask Him what His will is and expect an answer. And we are not just friends. We are adopted heirs. We belong to the Kingdom.
Luke 15:25-32 ESV
All that I have is yours - when we really begin to get ahold of God’s Word and realize who we really are in Christ, we begin to have a hunger for more of it.
And as we draw closer we begin to realize that all of the book applies to us - not just bits and pieces. Nothing has passed away - the only limiting factor is ourselves. Do we really believe or not.
From this basis comes the foundations for faith. And faith always produces action. Otherwise our faith is dead. And if our faith is dead then what we have is a social gathering, not a place where we come together to experience the one, true, living God.
You can’t serve God if you’re holding back.
James 4:3 ESV
1 Thessalonians 5:19 ESV
1 Thessalonians 5:19 NCV
We hold back by not surrendering, by not putting God at the absolute center of everything in our lives. We hold back when we insist on walking by sight. I’m not talking about growth, I’m talking about where we know to do better and we deliberately don’t.
It is never God’s Will that we perish, but He allows us our choices and the consequences thereof.
Deuteronomy 30:15 ESV
But like the best teacher he gives us the answer a few verses later!
Deuteronomy 30:19 ESV