Be Faithful in the Work God Gives You

In the parable of the talents, when the servant entrusted with five talents returned ten to his master (Matt. 25:20), he was told, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord" (v. 21). Stephen was one who took the opportunity before him to serve the Lord in even greater capacities. Having been "faithful over a few things," God put him in charge "over many things." We pick up the story in Acts chapter six. "And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people" (v. 8).

"Wonders" and "signs" in the original Greek are two words that are always used together in the New Testament. A "wonder" is a miracle so amazing that people do not soon forget (Spiros Zodhiates, Th.D., The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, [AMG International, Inc., 1992, revised edition, 1993], 1377). "Signs" is a word that indicates God is putting His stamp of approval on the work Stephen is doing (Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged, [William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1985], 1172).

As a result, much opposition rose up against him and they were "disputing with Stephen" (v. 9), because of the message preached concerning the Savior Jesus Christ. "And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke" (v. 10). They brought him before "the council" (v. 12) and brought "false witnesses" (v. 13) as well. "And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel" (v. 15).

Continuing in Acts 7, given the opportunity, Stephen took advantage and clearly preached the gospel to those who were on the council, along with all who were gathered there: "When they heard these things they were cut to the heart… But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, 'Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!' Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him" (vv. 54-58a).

Stephen was faithful in a few things, just as he was faithful in many things. Great or small, whatever God asked of him, he did, no matter the cost. And for him the cost was his life as he became the first martyr to die for Christ. However, though they could take his life, they could not take his soul. They merely ushered him straight into the presence of his Savior in heaven.

What you do for Christ won't likely cost you your life, though it could bring strong opposition against you, as well as suffering. What Stephen understood was that Jesus was with him, bringing him through whatever he faced. The same is true for us. So we need not fear men because the worst they can do to us is to usher us into the presence of God. And that is not such a bad thing. So we must "take up our cross" and follow Jesus. Amen.

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

Jesus said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Luke 9:23). A statement that applies to all believers. So what does it mean to "take up" your cross? It means to lose or give up your life for Christ (v. 24). It means to follow Him faithfully in righteousness. Be holy as He is holy. Let Jesus live through you. It means to follow Him in loving others. Seek the welfare of your "neighbor." Help him with his needs in whatever way the Lord has provided and talk to him about faith in Christ. It means using your spiritual gifts "for the work of service" (Eph. 4:12, NASB).

That passage in Ephesians says, "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" (Eph. 4:11-12, NASB). Having been mentioned previously in some of my earlier blogs, let's dig a little deeper into what this verse is saying to us.

By God's design, your pastor and other teachers and leaders in the church are there to train you how to discover and use your spiritual gift or gifts in ministry within the church body. All believers are gifted for service. When you have a willing heart, you will sit under the teaching of your pastor and other teachers within your church and learn from them. You will also get involved in the outworking of the ministry in your church, according to your gifts. When all of us do our part and work together in the ministry outreach of our church, God's purposes are accomplished, and God's will is done in our lives and in the lives of those to whom we minister.

Some lay people who got involved in the ministry of their church are found in Acts chapter six. The church in Jerusalem was experiencing growing pains. Some of the widows were getting overlooked in the distribution of food and various other necessities. To solve the problem, a meeting of the church was called, and the apostles said: "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:2-4).

Note how these men were walking faithfully with Jesus. They were reputable, filled with the Spirit, and wise. They were men who followed the Lord with a willing heart. They worked hard at the task they were given. As a result, they soon saw their individual ministries expand as more was given to them to do. Jesus said, "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much" (Luke 16:10, NASB). So those who were faithful in the area of ministry they were given, received greater responsibilities in their work for the Lord.

When you grow and learn under the teaching of your pastor and other teachers, and as you discover and begin to use your gifts faithfully in service for your church, Jesus takes notice. He will then give you greater ministry, greater things to do for Him, as you are ready. It will be a great blessing to experience. Amen.

When the Lord Calls

One man who did not draw a line in the sand was Isaiah. His heart was willing without any reservations. He set no limits on what He would or would not do, or where he would or would not go for God. Isaiah chapter six reveals that willing heart when God calls.

He was in the temple and saw a vision. "I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew" (vv. 1-2). As they flew one cried out, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory" (v. 3). Then Isaiah noticed that "the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke" (v. 4).

What a scene it was. Isaiah must have been astonished at what he saw, and greatly elated at the same time. At some point he spoke to the Lord with a humble heart, saying, "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts" (v. 5).

He then continues describing the scene: "Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar" (v. 6). He touched Isaiah's mouth with the hot coal and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged" (v. 7).

Then came the critical moment—God's call. The Lord spoke to Isaiah and said, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" (v. 8a). Then Isaiah, with a willing heart, said, "Here am I! Send me" (v. 8b). He was in the temple, serving the Lord. He was likely praying at that moment, searching with all his heart. And he found the Lord—or rather, the Lord found him. When God called him to take a specific message to His people, Isaiah accepted the call eagerly because he had a willing heart.

You might say that this is all fine and good, but what about me? So far it has been all about a prophet. What about us common folk. I am not a prophet. I am not even a pastor or anything like that. I am a person in the pew at church. I am a layman seeking to live my life for Jesus. How does this apply to me?

When God speaks to us through His Word, or directly to our hearts and minds, we would do well to listen and do as He directs. God has great plans for us. "'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope'" (Jer. 29:11, NASB). When we have a willing heart and listen to what the Lord says, and we discover His will and follow His plan, He will accomplish His plan and fulfill His purpose in our lives. So listen for that still small voice, read and listen to God's Word, and do as He leads. Amen.

Build Your Life on Jesus

What if you seek to follow Jesus, for the most part, but you continue to limit God? You continue to draw a line in the sand as to what you will or will not do and where you will or will not go? What then?

We are warned about this in 1 Corinthians 3:9-15. There Paul uses the metaphor of a building: "You are God's building" (v. 9b). The "foundation… which is laid… is Jesus Christ" (v. 11). Upon that foundation we build our lives.

Concerning how we build on the foundation of Jesus Christ in our lives, Paul warns, "But let each one take heed how he builds on it" (v. 10b). Anyone who lives their life in righteousness as God designed it and follows Him in service as He leads, builds on that foundation with "gold, silver, precious stones" (v. 12a). When Christ returns and the work with which he built on that foundation is tested and "revealed by fire" (v. 13), it will endure and "he will receive a reward" (v. 14).

However, when someone refuses to live according to God's design or to do as God leads, he is building on the foundation of Christ with "wood, hay, straw" (v. 12b). Then, when that man's work is "revealed by fire" (v. 13), it will be "burned" and "he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire" (v. 15).

For the believer salvation is secure. However, drawing a line in the sand and limiting God can still be quite costly, rewards can be lost. To have a willing heart for the most part, but putting limits on it, works against what God has for you, and He has great things in store for you. Trust me. So why not make sure you have a willing heart, without limits? Amen.

Learn to Have a Willing Heart

Jonah was used of God to accomplish a great task, once he listened and decided to respond in a positive manner. But he had an unwilling heart at first. He wasn't willing to do what God had asked. "Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 'Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me'" (Jonah 1:1-2). But Jonah would have none of it. The story continues, "But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD" (v. 3a).

He "found a ship going to Tarshish" (v. 3b) and set out on an ill-advised journey. But the Lord would not let go of him. He was seeking a willing heart and set about developing such a heart within him. "The LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up" (v. 4). The men of the ship, in an effort to discover the cause, "cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah" (v. 7). Eventually they were convinced to throw Jonah overboard, which they did, "and the sea ceased from its raging" (v. 15).

God wasn't finished. "Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights" (v. 17). What would it take? Surely by now Jonah was ready to repent of his unfaithfulness and be willing to do the work to which God had called him. I know I would be.

We pick up the story with Jonah in the belly of the "great fish" (v. 17). He had three full days to think and pray. And pray he did! He cried out to the Lord and said, "I have been cast out of Your sight; yet I will look again toward Your holy temple... I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is from the LORD" (2:4, 9). Now he had a willing heart, "So the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land" (v. 10).

"Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 'Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.' So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD" (3:1-3a). He preached as God told him to and the people repented of their sin, receiving God's mercy (v. 10).

Jonah wasn't happy and even "became angry" (4:1). After all, these people were sworn enemies of his people. He knew God would have pity on them (v. 2), but he would not. He would rather die (v. 3). God would deal with Jonah in the remaining verses of chapter four. He needed to learn to love his enemies and have compassion on them. But he had at least found a willing heart to do what God asked of him. A little compassion, and he would feel much better about everything.

In all fairness to Jonah, his unwillingness to do as God asked and go to Nineveh was an isolated case. He was willing to serve to an extent; in fact he was already serving in some capacity as a prophet. So his heart was willing, but with limits. He had no interest in taking the message of forgiveness to the sworn enemies of Israel. That is where he drew a line in the sand. And how did that work out for him? Not so good. He refused to cross that line, even knowing that God was in it, and He paid a great price.

Do you ever draw lines in the sand concerning what you will or will not do and where you will or will not go? Do you put limits on God? Is your heart a willing heart but only to an extent? Or are you truly willing to follow God wherever He leads? Are you willing to do whatever He asks of you? Those are important questions that need to be answered. If you try to limit God, He will persuade you, as he did with Jonah. Amen.

For Such a Time as This

In the Old Testament, let's take a look at the life of Esther: "The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti" (Esther 2:17). Though a Jew, Esther had risen to be the Queen of Persia.

When her cousin Mordecai "would not bow or pay homage" before Haman, the King's top official (3:2), Haman "sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus—the people of Mordecai" (v. 6b). So Mordecai, when he heard this, appealed to Esther to intercede with the king on behalf of her people (4:8b), but she was reluctant. She replied, "All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days" (v. 11).

Then Mordecai said: "Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king's palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (vv. 13-14).

Esther was not living up to her God-given purpose until she heard these words from Mordecai. She was challenged and she responded. She went before the king and there was a great deliverance of her people (5:1ff). So even though she hesitated at first, in the end, when God spoke, Esther listened and was used by God to deliver her people. She had a willing heart.

Now, we might want to cut Esther a little slack. We can certainly understand why she hesitated. In that culture, to approach the king without being summoned by him was an offense punishable by death (4:11). So perhaps Queen Esther hesitated for good reason. Yet she didn't hesitate for long. She merely wanted to be certain of God's leading. When she was certain that God was in it, she knew that it was the right thing to do and, regardless of the outcome for her (v. 16b), she knew that God would accomplish His purpose in saving His people. All along her heart was in the right place and she was willing to follow God's lead and do what He asked of her.

What we take away from this story is that God is seeking a willing heart. When you walk with the Lord Jesus and live by His Word, God will pour out His blessings on you and use you to accomplish His will. Like Esther, you just need a willing heart. Amen.

Walk Humbly with Your God

God does have things to say, if we will but listen. What He says comes primarily through His written Word. But He also speaks directly to our hearts and minds. He may give us direction in answer to our prayers. He may ask us to lift someone up in prayer by putting their name on our mind. But God does speak to us and what God says is important. We simply need to be still and listen and follow His lead. When we do, He will use us in incredible ways, and all for His glory.

There are so many passages we could look at. What the Lord says to us and what He wants us to know, fills every page of Scripture. He reveals His own character to show us what we should be like and to encourage us to love more. He commands us to love others and encourages us to reach out to them. He commands us to be holy as He is holy, as He encourages us in our walk with Him.

Micah 6:8 is just such a verse: “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” You do not have to look far to discover what God is saying to you. You must treat other people justly, or in other words, do right by others. Be kind and merciful in your dealings with people. And throughout your life remain humble as you walk with God.

As His people, God calls us and reveals His Word to us. In Scripture, He instructs us as to how we should treat others and He encourages us in our own walk with Him. Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Spend time in the Word every day and live your life by faith in Christ. Let Jesus take hold of your life and let Him live His life through you. Amen.