Serving

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord, He is God. It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Be thankful unto Him and bless His name. For the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.

Father, we thank You for Your enduring truth. We thank You, Lord, that Your Word is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. We ask, Lord, that today, by Your Word, You would continue to transform us. By the renewing of our minds, we pray that, Lord, we would be a special treasure, a glorifying people unto You. Be magnified in us, Your church, we pray. Lord, in such a way that people who see us and know us—through work, through school, around town—would see You in us. We ask in Jesus' name. And all God's people agreed, saying, Amen. You can be seated. Amen.

It was the summer between my sophomore and junior year in high school. I was 16 years old. I had been taking school of ministry classes here at Calvary Escondido for about a year. During that summer, about 15 other high schoolers from the church and I were part of a youth summer intern program here at the church. It was the first year that they did it, and we still do it to this day with our high schoolers next door.

Near the end of that summer, we went to summer camp at Calvary Chapel Christian Camp Youth Camp in Green Valley Lake. It's just a few minutes away from Big Bear, up in the mountains. It was the first time that I had been to the youth camp, and before that time, I had not realized that the ministry of Calvary Chapel was much bigger than just a few churches in San Diego County.

I did not realize the scope of the movement, the Calvary Chapel ministry. The first night of that camp, as we all gathered together for dinner, there were over 400 high schoolers from churches all over California, Arizona, and Nevada. Then we gathered together for the first evening session that Sunday night. I don't remember the teaching from that first evening, but I do remember the topic; the theme for the camp was "In Christ." We were going to be studying through the book of Ephesians over that five or six-day camp.

I don't remember the teaching that Sunday night, but I do remember very well the teaching the following morning when a mostly bald-headed older man stepped to the pulpit to preach. His name was Chuck Smith. I had never heard that name before. I hadn't heard of the Word for Today or Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. I didn't know anything about the Jesus movement. But on that day, as Pastor Chuck taught three messages—two in the morning and one in the evening—through Ephesians chapter one, my whole perspective, and to be quite honest with you, without exaggeration, the whole direction of my life changed. That was a defining moment in my life.

I was a believer. I was following the Lord. I was learning about the Lord. But that was a defining moment as Pastor Chuck taught from Ephesians chapter one, which says this: "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places, according as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestined us unto adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the Beloved, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, wherein he has abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he has purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times he might gather together in one all things in Christ."

Both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in Him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things after the counsel of His own will, that we should be to the praise of His glory who first trusted in Christ.

Now, as Pastor Chuck taught those two morning sessions and that one evening session from this passage, he exhorted the group assembled there not to waste our lives. He encouraged us to walk worthy of the calling wherewith we have been called, as stated in Ephesians 4, verse 1. He challenged us not to meander, and I specifically remember him using the word "meander." Perhaps that was the first time I had heard that word; I don't know. But I know it was the first time I had heard that word in that context. He was saying to us, "Don't meander through this life, but follow hard after the Lord."

Chuck exhorted the 400 or so youth that were gathered there, and it was an awesome thing when a man in his late 60s or early 70s was able to speak to a group of 400 high schoolers, and they were completely zeroed in. They were completely captivated. That's not an easy thing to do. Yet he summoned us to a life of service and devotion to the Lord. I remember thinking, as he was speaking, that I wanted to do what he was saying. He was calling us to follow the Lord and to serve Him. In my heart, I recognized that I wanted to do exactly what Pastor Chuck was talking about.

I was astounded by this man who stood before us, this man of God who had sought the Lord and dedicated his entire life to serving Him. I was so blown away by it that, honestly, as he finished that night, I followed him out of the chapel and asked him if he would sign my Bible. He did. He signed the front page inside my little snap-flap pocket Bible, "Chuck Smith," and then he put a verse reference. I can tell you, I couldn't wait to read that verse. I wanted to see what it said, and it was 3 John, verse 4: "I have no greater joy than to see that my children walk in truth."

The hook was set. I remember thinking, as I was laying down to go to sleep that night, that I wanted to serve the Lord, just as he was talking about. But there was, at the same time, this overwhelming tension in my mind as I considered the prospect of following God and serving God.

It went something like this. If I do what this pastor is calling me to do, to just dedicate myself to following and serving the Lord, then God is going to do something weird. God is going to make me do something I don't want to do. He's going to send me somewhere I don't want to go. It's just going to be crazy. Has anybody ever had that kind of thought when contemplating following the Lord?

As a 16-year-old in high school, early in my Christian experience, I was already living under the assumption that serving and following God meant a dreadful and joyless existence. I was under that mindset, and I believe it's a lie that the enemy loves to feed us: that serving God can't be fun. It can't be fun because it's death to self, because it's sacrifice. It felt like it was just going to be a matter of grinning and bearing it. I was saved and looking forward to heaven, but between now and when I get to heaven, it might be a long time. I thought I just had to bear with it and go for it.

There is this thought, I think, in many different people who are followers of God, and it's just a lie that the enemy loves to feed us constantly. With my heart, I recognized a desire to do just what Pastor Chuck was challenging us to do. But with my mind, I was reasoning thoughts like this: I need to follow the Lord, and I want to do that. As soon as I'm done with high school, I'll do that. But right now, there are some fun things I want to do. I thought I had to do all those fun things before I could actually say, "All right, fine, I'm going to serve the Lord." I would do that later, and when I was done with school, I would get into that.

Now, just so you know, that is a recipe for a joyless existence. I thought I would serve God later, but right now, I was experiencing total joylessness. For the next couple of years, as I finished out high school, I kind of served and followed the Lord with that mindset. I was going to serve Him, but only partway. I thought that a few years down the road, I would really engage because I had some fun things to do for now.

By the end of that year, 1996, I had already resolved in my mind that I was going to go to Calvary Chapel Bible College when I graduated in a couple of years. The Bible College had moved from Twin Peaks up in the mountains down to Murrieta Hot Springs, and I figured, perfect, I'll go there when I'm done. But between now and then, I still had some fun things to do. By the spring of the following year, 1997, I was still holding onto that plan.

I found myself experiencing an earthly happiness that threatened to completely distract me from the maximal joy, the abundance of joy that's found in Christ. I believe that the enemy loves to do that in the hearts and lives of Christians. He seeks to get them focused on things that produce some happiness and some fulfillment, but it's not maximal joy. It's not satisfying fulfillment in Christ. It's just like making mud pies in the slums when the offer of a holiday by the sea is available.

I think the enemy has many Christians in that place, seduced and distracted by marginal happiness when God is saying, "Come, I have something so much greater for you." I am thankful that I was not allowed to be completely distracted from what God had called me to and what He has for me.

As we have looked at over the last four weeks in our series on joy, we have considered this verse from John 15, where Jesus says, "These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might be in you and your joy might be full." God's desire is that He would plant in us this great joy that would expand into fullness. Yet, many Christians do not experience that fullness of joy in Christ.

Now, that joy begins, first and foremost, through Him in salvation. Psalm 16:11 opens with these words: "You, God, will show me the path of life." God has shown us the way to step into this eternal life. However, the joy that is to be abundant, overflowing, and full for eternity is not always experienced in fullness by the Christian. It starts with salvation, but it is supposed to expand in our lives to be full and enduring.

I suggest, as I have over the last several weeks, that the way we promote or encourage the increase of joy is, as we saw three weeks ago, through gratitude, and then, as we saw last week, through giving. Today, we will continue to look at it through serving. God promotes the increase of joy in our hearts and lives through gratitude, through giving, and then through serving—through walking in the good works that God prepared beforehand for us to walk in. Ephesians 2:8 says,

For by grace are you saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. A lot of times, we stop there. We don't go right into the next verse, which is just a continuation of what's being said in verse 10. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God before ordained that we should walk in them.

We are saved by grace, through faith, not by good works, but for good works. A lot of times, we mix those up. We say, "I'm doing these good works so that I can get to heaven." But Ephesians 2:6 says we are seated with Him in heavenly places because of the work that Jesus did by grace. Our end, being with the Lord in heaven, is accomplished because Jesus did the work on the cross. Therefore, we are not doing good works to try and get there; we are doing good works because He has saved us by His grace and has created good works for us to walk in.

As we go through this today, we will see that in those good works, our joy is increased. We are an incredibly blessed people. The Christian is a blessed person beyond belief, incredibly blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places, as stated in Ephesians 1:3. 2 Peter 1:3 says that by God's divine power, we have been given everything that pertains to life and godliness. Everything we need to live this life in a way that is glorifying to God has been given to us.

We are blessed with so very much. But why are we blessed with so very much? Are we blessed so that we can be like spiritual hoarders, holding on to all these blessings and saying, "Look how great my blessings are, but don't touch them"? How many of you have seen that show on one of the cable channels, Hoarders? It's freaky. People go into these houses, and it's just piled high with all this stuff that collapses on them.

There are so many Christians who live like that in their spiritual condition, like spiritual hoarders. We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. Why? Well, we are blessed to be a blessing. The story is as old as the Bible itself. Abraham, as he followed God in Genesis chapter 12, was told by God in verse 2, "I will make you a great nation."

And I will bless you, and I will make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. So, I'm going to bless you, and as a result, you are going to be a blessing. Why has God blessed us with so many awesome blessings in Christ? So that we can be a blessing. We follow Christ into the path of life, into a life of incredible blessing with full and enduring joy. All these things we've been blessed with are so that we can be a blessing, and such blessings are given for a reason.

Jesus said, "To whom much is given, much is required." This is found in Luke 12:48. Furthermore, in Luke 16, Jesus says that we will give an account of our stewardship. All the things that we have—our time, our talents, our treasures—everything that is gained to us in this life is given from God as a special treasure. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him, as stated in James 1:17. These are not things that we amass to ourselves; they are freely given to us by God.

He says in Matthew 10:8, "Freely you have received, freely give." So, use what He has given to you because you are a steward over it. You are not the owner of it; you are just managing what He has put into your care. One day, you will give an account for your stewardship—how you have used it, how you have given of your time, your talents, and your treasures.

The wonderful reality, which we began to see last week in Acts 20:35, is that it is more blessed to give than to receive. We have been given great blessings, and it feels good to be blessed with so much from God, but it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Jesus, as we have repeatedly seen over the last several weeks, is the key to unlocking joy, as evidenced by Paul's reckless abandon to apprehend Him. In Philippians 3:7-8, Paul writes, "But what things were gained to me, all these blessings that were gained to me apart from anything that I've done, I have counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, I count all things as loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them as rubbish, that I may win Christ."

Jesus is the key to unlocking joy, and Paul evidences that by his total willingness to abandon everything he has so that he can lay hold of Christ. Christ has shown us the path of life. He has shown us the way into salvation, into increasing and enduring joy. Psalm 16:11 states, "You will show me the path of life." In John 14:6, Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me."

As we begin to step into this path, into life more abundantly, as mentioned in John 10:10, we start to recognize that Jesus not only shows us the way into a life of abundance but also reveals that He is the source of all such abundance. Psalm 16:11 continues, "In your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." The potential for great joy is there. Jesus said, "I have spoken these things that my joy might be in you and that your joy might be full."

Why is it not certain? Why is it that so many Christians do not experience increasing joy unto its fullness for eternity? We need to promote the increase of joy in our lives, and we do this through gratitude. Gratitude is an emotive response; it is not something that is self-generated. You cannot make yourself be thankful from the heart. You can say thanks, but it may just be lip service, and your heart will not be engaged. This is what we read in Isaiah 29:13: "This is a people that draws near to me with their mouths, but their hearts are far from me."

So, how do we build this great gratitude in our lives? It is encouraged through the contemplation of the greatness of God and His work. The secret to gratitude is to constantly behold the greatness of the glory of God as manifested through the beauty of His Son, Jesus Christ. When gratitude begins to be birthed in us as we remember His works, as we speak and tell of all His good deeds, and as we meditate upon His goodness, gratitude wells up in us. The overflow of gratitude is worship, which escalates our joy. Gratitude overflows.

Worship escalates our joy. The worship of God and our joy in Him expands in love for Him. We love Him because He first loved us, and that love for Him overflows into love towards others. Love for others is expressed not only in tender-hearted affections, such as really liking that person, but also in tender actions, like serving and giving. John Piper said that love is the overflow of joy in God that gladly meets the needs of others. Therefore, giving and serving, when motivated by love, results in increased joy.

Acts 20:35 states that it is more blessed to give than to receive. When we give out of a heart of worshipful gratitude, our joy increases. Giving is more than just giving money; it also includes giving of our time, our talents, and our treasures. In the culture we live in here in Southern California in the 21st century, it is often easier for us to give financially than to give of our time because we are far more attached to our time.

We are more likely to say, "Oh, you're going on a mission trip? Okay, I'll give you some money; you go on the mission trip. I'm not going on that trip; you go." It is harder for us to give of ourselves, our time, and our talents than it is to simply deposit something in the bank account.

When we start to talk about the issue of serving God for the increase of our joy, it is important to recognize that this is not an easy thing to do. It is sacrificial. However, I aim to show you through the Word that the sacrifice is purposeful for gaining greater joy. We must make that case biblically, as we want everything we do to be rooted in the Bible.

We will look at the case for giving of ourselves through service to God and His church for the increase of our joy. I have seven points. Count them. This is not a typical Baptist sermon, which would have three points, so I might lose you after point three. You need to write these things down.

Point number one: Jesus leaves us an example of service.

Mark chapter 10, verse 45 states, "For the Son of Man, Jesus, came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." This verse emphasizes that the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. Jesus leaves us an example of service.

We are exhorted to follow Jesus' example. Let me read to you from Philippians chapter 2, verse 5. Paul says, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." We are called to think like Him, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Instead, He made Himself of no reputation, took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. Being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Jesus leaves us an example of service. The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and He calls us to follow that example.

In John chapter 13, we read the story of Jesus washing His disciples' feet. He steps down to the level of a servant, the lowest servant, and begins to do something that none of His disciples were willing to do. The King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Creator of all things seen and unseen, became a man. He didn't just come and say, "Come and serve me, glorify me, worship me." Instead, He lowers Himself to be a humble servant. After He has done this, He says to His disciples in John chapter 13, "I have left you an example that you should do likewise." He calls us to follow Him in this example.

If the example of Christ is not reason enough to stir us to serve, we are commanded by God to serve with joyful gladness. Psalm 100, verse 2 reminds us of this command: "Serve the Lord with gladness." We read this when we began our study today. Verse 1 states, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands." That's a command. Make a joyful noise. Some of you may say, "When I sing, it's a joyful noise."

So make a joyful noise. Okay, I'm going to do that.

Verse 2: Serve the Lord with gladness. That is a command of the Bible. Jesus leaves us an example of service. He calls us to follow Him in that example. He commands us to serve.

Now, this one's heavy. Number four: We are promised severe punishment if we do not serve Him with gladness. Deuteronomy 28, verse 47 states, "Because you served not the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness." Verse 48 continues, "Therefore shall you serve your enemies." That's heavy. Jesus gives us an example. He calls us to follow Him in that example. He commands us to serve with gladness, and He promises severe punishment if we do not.

You might say, "Well, of course I am going to serve Him now. Now I am afraid of Him if I do not serve Him." Well, lest you only serve God dutifully out of fear, let us consider a greater promise than the promise of punishment.

Number five: He promises great reward if we serve Him gladly. He promises great reward if we serve Him gladly out of love. Let me read to you from Hebrews 6, verse 10. There, the author of the book of Hebrews says, "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and your labor of love, which you have showed toward His name in that you have ministered to the saints and do minister." God will not forget. He keeps record of, He keeps account of our service for His name. Why? Because He blesses openly. He gives reward to those who serve Him, who serve Him cheerfully.

God loves a cheerful giver, as stated in 2 Corinthians 9, verse 7. He does not want someone who is just doing it out of duty, saying, "I guess I have to do this now. I was told to. He said, 'If you don't, I'll judge you.' Well, fine, I'll do it." No, He promises great reward if we will follow Him in this service.

We see an example of this in Matthew's Gospel. Turn in your Bibles, if you will, to Matthew 25.

In Matthew 25, Jesus gives a parable. It's a story with great spiritual truth. In this story, He speaks of a man who had three servants. To one of his servants, he gave five talents; to another, he gave two talents; and to a third, he gave one talent. A talent was a measure of funds, a monetary value applied to it.

The master called his three servants and said, "I'm giving you five talents, you two talents, you one talent." Then the master went away for a long time. When he returned, we read in verse 19 of Matthew 25: "After a long time, the Lord of those servants came and reckoned with them." He squared accounts with them.

He that had received five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, "Lord, you delivered unto me five talents. Behold, I have gained beside them five more talents." His master said unto him, "Well done, you good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of the Lord."

He also that had received two talents came and said, "Lord, you delivered unto me two talents. Behold, I have gained two also besides them. I have four. Here they are." His Lord said unto him, "Well done, you good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of the Lord."

So, he gives the reward of great joy to these faithful servants who governed what they were given in a way that brought return and glory to their master.

However, there was a third servant. The third servant came and said, "You gave me one talent. Here's your one talent. I buried it because I knew you were a tough guy. I was afraid of you. So here, you have what's yours." The master of that servant said, "You wicked, perverse servant," and he judged him severely.

There is a punishment for not serving gladly, and there is a reward for serving in a way that brings glory to the master.

So, number one, Jesus leaves us an example for service. Number two, we're called to follow Him in that example. Number three, we are commanded by God to serve with gladness. Number four, we are promised judgment.

If we do not serve with gladness, we miss out on the blessings that come from serving others. However, we are promised great reward when we do serve. We take up the cross in service to God and His church to obtain joy. Last week, we looked at Hebrews 12, verse 2, which speaks of Jesus. It says, "Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross." He endured loss so that He might gain great joy. The same principle applies to us. He calls us to sacrificial loss, to give and to serve of ourselves, so that we can obtain great joy.

There is a reward for the willful, selfless giving of our means to serve others. Paul emphasizes this in Second Corinthians chapter 12, verse 15, where he says, "I will very gladly spend and be spent for you." This reveals that there is great reward in such acts of service.

I want to zero in on a story of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke, specifically Luke 18, which I believe illustrates this point. Turn in your Bibles to Luke 18. In this chapter, beginning at verse 18, Jesus is met by a wealthy ruler. This wealthy man, who possesses great power and riches, comes to Jesus. In examining his wealth, this rich man recognizes that he lacks something very, very important. Luke 18, verse 18 states, "A certain ruler asked Him, saying, 'Good Master...'"

What shall I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus said unto him, "Why do you call me good? There is no one good but God. You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and your mother."

The man responded, "All these have I kept from my youth." When Jesus heard these things that the rich man said, he acknowledged the man's good deeds. Yet, Jesus said unto him, "You lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute unto the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven. Come, follow me."

When the rich man heard this, he was very sorrowful, for he was rich. You see, set before this rich ruler that day was the opportunity to follow hard after the Lord. But in his mind, just as in my mind when I was 16 years old at camp, was this thought: If I do that, I'm going to lose an awful lot.

Matthew's Gospel records this same incident in chapter 19, and verse 20 tells us that this rich ruler was a young man. It is my speculation, as I've studied this passage and the corresponding passages in Mark and Matthew, that this young rich ruler came into his wealth and his position by inheritance. It's the only thing that makes sense for this young man to be wealthy and to have that position of authority in that culture and at that time. He came into this by inheritance.

The wealth and authority that he possessed were given to him with little work of his own. It was just gain to him; one day he stumbled into it. However, there was something missing in his inheritance. Notice his question to Jesus in verse 18: "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He had inherited everything else, and now he was saying, "You have something that I don't have. You're talking about something I don't have. I want what you have. I want to know how to inherit that. I didn't inherit that. It wasn't in the will."

So how do I get it? Jesus gives him an exhortation. What is Jesus saying here? Is He saying that everybody needs to do exactly what He is telling us? No. He identifies, in this man's heart, the core issue. He was seeking to follow the law, but there was a core issue deep in his heart that he could not reckon with.

Jesus gives this exhortation: "One thing you lack. Go sell everything you have, distribute to the poor, and come follow me." This man went away sorrowful because he was very rich. Upon hearing the exhortation of Jesus, this rich young ruler went away sad. Why? Because there was a tension there. He wanted to do what Jesus was talking about, but the treasure he had was too great. That is the recipe for the most joyless existence in all of life. He could not let go of his marginal joy for something greater. Why? Because Jesus was a treasure too small.

This rich young ruler was not like the man we considered a couple of weeks ago, the one Jesus told a story about. The kingdom of heaven is like a man going through a field who stumbles upon a treasure. For the joy of that treasure, he goes and willfully gets rid of everything he has to apprehend that great treasure because it is greater. But for this rich young ruler on that day, he looked at Jesus and said, "What you're saying, who you are, what you've done, and what you're calling me to is a treasure too small. It's not nearly as weighty as what I have here."

In verse 24 of Luke 18, when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, He said, "How hardly shall they that have riches enter the kingdom of God?" In verse 22, He heard the man's testimony of his good works: "All these things I have done since my youth." Jesus identifies the core problem: "Okay, go sell everything you have and come follow me. You have treasures in heaven."

Now He sees the man's reaction in verse 24 and says, "It's hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. For it is easier," as stated in verse 25, "for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." It is very hard for someone who is attached to their worldly gain to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Now, when Jesus' disciples heard this, they were completely shocked by His words because their theology was rattled. They had a false understanding of the way that God works and the way that this world works. Their mindset was that people who are blessed with gain in this life, those who are wealthy here, would also be wealthy in heaven. They equated those two things as one and the same: if you're wealthy here, you're blessed here, and you'll be blessed in heaven.

Jesus challenged this belief by saying that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. The disciples were taken aback, asking, "What in the world are you talking about?" Their response was, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus replied, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

He revealed a great truth of the kingdom of heaven found in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew chapter 5, verse 3, it states, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The rich young ruler could not step over that hurdle; it was too much for him.

I love the response of the disciples, particularly Peter. As we noted a few weeks ago, it's always Peter, isn't it? We appreciate him for moments like this. Then Peter, in verse 28, said, "Lo, we have left all to follow you." Matthew records it in Matthew 19, verse 27, saying, "Behold, we've forsaken everything to follow you. What shall we get?"

Jesus had just told the rich young ruler to forsake everything he had and come follow Him, promising treasure in heaven. Now Peter, realizing they had done just that, asked, "What are we going to get?"

You would expect Jesus' answer to be, "Peter, how selfish of you! How long do I have to be with you? You're still thinking about yourself." You might anticipate that Jesus would respond in that way, but He does not. Instead, He says to him, "Truly I say to you, there is no man that has left house or parents or brethren or wife or children for the kingdom of God's sake who shall not receive manifold more in the present time."

In the world to come, there is life everlasting. Jesus says here that you cannot outgive God—of your time, of your talents, of your treasure. I realize that the statement "you cannot outgive God" can be misused in a very bad way, suggesting that if you follow God and give everything to Him, He will reward you with a Mercedes Benz and a nice big house. That is not what is being said here at all. The reward He speaks of is greater than earthly treasures that fade away. It is an increased and enduring joy that the world cannot give. That is what God provides.

There is no way that you can forsake, give up, or count loss of these things and not receive manifold more, both in the present time and in the world to come—everlasting life. In Matthew's Gospel, it is recorded like this: "Everyone that has forsaken house, brethren, sisters, father, mother, wife, children, lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold and shall inherit everlasting life." The hundredfold speaks of the great reward promised to those who follow the Lord and serve Him. They do so out of gratitude, having considered the great things He has done. They say, "You've done so much for me; I cannot help but do this and follow hard after You."

I am not doing it to get something from You; I am doing it because You have saved me and seated me together with You in heavenly places. I am saved by grace through faith unto good works.

Now, the men that Jesus spoke to—Peter, James, John, Andrew, Bartholomew, Philip, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Matthew, Thaddeus, Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot—were probably there, along with other disciples at that moment in time. Of the twelve, all but one followed hard after the Lord and served Him until their death. One of them opted instead for earthly temporal gain: thirty pieces of silver. Clearly, his treasuring of Jesus was small because he was easily bought off for thirty pieces of silver. After several years as a follower of God, he chose to betray Jesus.

This Jesus, He's great, but there's something greater. That happens with people within the body of Christ. They follow Jesus for a time, and then they say, "Well, I've found something greater." This reveals that they did not fully treasure Him. However, the eleven disciples, the rest of the group, treasured Jesus. They gave up much to follow Him. They forsook everything to heed the call. They served with every ounce of their being to pursue the one who said to them, "Come, follow Me." Each of those eleven individuals went to their death as martyrs, most of them.

Now, I want you to consider this: if twenty minutes before their martyrdom you had the chance to talk with Peter, as the cross was ready upon which he would hang upside down to die, or with John, as he looked at the boiling pot of oil they were going to throw him into, or with whoever it was that would be beaten to death or have their head cut off—twenty minutes before, you have the opportunity to talk with them. If you were to ask them in that moment, "Was it worth it?" do you suppose that they would have hesitated for a nanosecond to answer you? Of course it was worth it. Do you think at all they would have had to ponder for a moment or two, thinking, "Well, I lost this, and I guess I got this"? I don't think so, because I believe their mindset was what we find in Paul in Philippians chapter 1.

Turn in your Bibles to Philippians 1. The context of the book of Philippians is that Paul is in prison in Rome, awaiting the day of his execution. He would be beheaded for his faith. While he's there, he says in Philippians 1, verse 19, "Pray for me that I'd be released." But then he says this in the following verse, Philippians 1:20: "According to my earnest expectation and my hope." This is Paul's chief end, his goal, his desire, his hope. He states that in nothing shall he be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also, Christ shall be magnified in his body, whether it be by life or by death. Paul says to the church at Philippi, "Pray that I get out of here. But if I don't..."

I want you to know that nothing is lost because Christ is going to be magnified in my body, whether I live or I die. If I live, that's great because it will be a blessing to you. It will increase your joy that I'm still alive. But if I die, no big deal. Why? Philippians 1:21 states, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."

Many people, most people, face death with dread and fear. Yet Paul says here in the following verses that if you gave him a choice to choose to live or to die, he doesn't know what he would choose. Living would be beneficial to you; it would increase your joy. But if he dies, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Death means the loss of all power, pleasure, and possession of everything in this life. And yet Paul says, "To live is Christ, to die is gain."

Paul states that he reckons all things as loss for the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus, his Lord, for whom he has suffered the loss of all things and counts them as rubbish that he may gain Christ. To live is Christ, to die is gain. Relinquishing all rights to yourself and reckoning all your earthly gain as loss now means that in the future, when you are faced with the actual loss—and every single one of us will be faced with the actual loss of all things at death—reckoning now the loss of all things means it's not mine; I've given it to the Lord.

He gave it to me; I'm just a steward over it. It's not my house, it's not my car, it's not my job. He gave it to me. Everything I have is given to me by God. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. So if He calls me to use it in this way, I use it in this way. If He calls me to give it up, I give it up.

So, reckoning all loss now means that on the day when you actually lose it, it will be no loss at all. When He comes and says to give this up, you say, "Okay, not mine, here you go, no problem." And Christ is supremely magnified in this. Christ is supremely magnified.

In us, when we treasure Him so much that we are willing to lose our time, give of our talents, and let go of our treasure in sacrificial giving and serving, we recognize that it is worth it. He is worth it. We understand that we gain so much more by giving and using what we have for His namesake than we ever did by possessing it in the first place.

Then we can truly say with Paul, "To live is Christ, to die is gain," because the actual loss of those things through death is no loss at all. Through death, we gain more of Christ, and that's what we want anyway. It is proven that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. Giving and serving out of gratitude to God for all that He is and all that He has done brings, as the Bible makes it very clear, maximal joy and true satisfaction. The result is that He is magnified; He is lifted up.

When people see that your source of joy and satisfaction is not in that promotion, not in your retirement account, not in that cool car, and not in that house, but rather in Him, and that you are using whatever He has given to you for His glory, they recognize that He must be really valuable to you. You value Him over all these other things, and then He is magnified; He is lifted up.

So, here I stand, 15 years later, after Pastor Chuck called us to not meander with our lives. I remember very clearly that little voice of the enemy saying, "If you do that, He's going to do something wacky." I'm here to tell you right now, He has done some wacky things, but every single one has been a source of incredible joy. It blows my mind every day to see what He will do and what He has done.

If I were to sit down and try to contemplate what I have lost in following God, I honestly cannot think of a single thing I have lost in light of all that has been gained. I count all that as trash that I may gain Him. It then becomes true in our lives what King David said in Psalm 40, verse 8: "I delight to do your will."

O God, His will, His path, and His direction become our joy every single day. Whether you're working at a church, as a teacher, a firefighter, an engineer, a police officer, or a construction worker, you find great joy when you see that as given to you from God and the place through which you are to serve for His glory.

And if you lost it, you've lost nothing because you've gained Christ. Jim Elliott, just days before he was killed as a martyr on the mission field in Ecuador in the 1950s, wrote in his journal, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Just a few days later, he and several of his missionary friends were killed by a head-hunting tribe in the jungles of Ecuador. The news of that shook many in the nation here in America, Christians and non-Christians alike.

There were articles written in magazines and newspapers about these missionaries who were killed down there. Many articles stated what a waste it was, calling it foolish. But Jim Elliott and his friends knew the truth: "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." I mean, we can ask him when we get to heaven, but I do not believe for a second that Nate Saint, one of the men who was with Jim Elliott when he was killed, thought to himself, "Oh man, what a bummer," when the spear went through his heart. To live is Christ; to die is gain.

So God, in calling us to serve in His kingdom, is not calling us because He is shorthanded up in heaven, wondering how He is going to get this done. He is calling us into joy. Every command of the Bible is actually a promise for our joy. The only way to see if it's true is to test Him in this.

Test Him, and you will see the windows of heaven opened in great blessing.

Let's stand and pray. Father, I thank You for Your word. Again, it is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, and it does challenge us. It challenges us to the core. It's paradigm-shifting, Lord. It opens our eyes to ways we never thought before and into paths we've never seen before.

Lord, work by Your word in our lives this week that we would be transformed in our affections. Lord, that our affections would not be misplaced upon the things of this world, but they would be rightly placed upon You and Your kingdom. For in You dwells all the fullness, and we are complete in You.

Lord, challenge us to step into that completeness that is only found in You, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank You.