Leask Sermon

It is great to be here again with you all this morning. Katie and I have been excited about coming to Leask this weekend for the last number of weeks, and it’s great to be back.

I know I introduced us last time, but as a refresher, my name is Joshua VanZandbeek. This is my wife, Katie, and we are currently finishing studying for our Bth in PCC at Vanguard College in Edmonton. We have one son, Jonathan, who came with us last time, but this time is back in Edmonton this weekend with his grandparents. (Sorry Dave!!). Katie and I both have a heart and calling for ministry and particularly small towns and rural areas. We’re excited to see where God is leading and are praying that God would send us to the right church, at the right time.

That’s a little about us, thank you for having us today, like I said we are truly grateful to be able to spend this weekend with you.

Today we are going to be continuing from last time on this theme of serving God. Last time, we looked at the idea of living sacrifices, and we looked at how Christians, as a response to God’s mercy and grace, give their lives to Him in worship. We examined what it looks like to be living sacrifices. Today, I’d like to turn our attention to the driving force behind the “why” of our service to God.

Many of you would know the name Dietrich Bonhoffer. Eric Metaxas wrote a book on Bonhoffer’s life and called him a pastor, martyr, prophet, and spy. He was also a theologian, and a man deeply devoted to his faith.

On April 9, 1945, Bonhoffer was hung by the Nazis, accused as a traitor to the Hitler and a criminal. not even 24 hours before his execution, Bonhoffer could be found in the one-room school house that was his cell, along with several other prisoners, leading a church service. It was Easter Sunday. The atrocities, horrors, and sickening things he witnessed in the years and months leading up the that day were staggering, and not repeatable. Yet Bonhoffer still leads his fellow prisoners in worship to God. Less than 24 hours later, Bonhoffer quietly and submissively, was hung on a Nazi gallows for his “crimes.”

Let me ask you a question: why do you serve God?

I bring up this story about Bonhoffer because his service to God led him even to death. Doesn’t seem like it did him a lot of good, does it? How could He go through so much, and loose even his freedom, and in the end his life, and still be found hours before his death leading others in a worship service?

Katie and I have been taking a class on Job lately, and it has been very much on my mind. We are going to be looking at the book of Job today, and we’ll read a few different passages from Job as we go. The reason that I believe God laid this book and the following passages on my heart for today is to help us be ready to advance His kingdom, with hearts that are postured toward seeking God and His will for His church.

The main point of this sermon today is that:

We serve God because He is worthy of our worship. We do not serve for our own benefit here.

We are greeted in the first chapter of this book with an introduction to the richest man in Uz, Job. The Bible lists him as having 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, and 300 yoke of oxen. Added to this, Job has a big family. seven sons and three daughters. Job is loaded.

Job is also known as blameless and upright, fearing God and turning from evil.

We can’t go through the entire book of Job today, but we are going to look at two different aspects of what it means to serve God because He is worthy, based on what we encounter in Job. Starting at our first passage, Job 1:9-12 and 2:3-6, we see that:

We Serve God Even When We Suffer

As we come into the next scene in chapter one, we see the children of God come and present themselves before God. This phrase “children of God” could be understood as “divine beings who carry out the will and purposes of Yahweh, the God of Israel” as one commentary put it. Among them is the accuser. Our Bibles often translate this Hebrew word as “Satan,” but in the Hebrew this is a title. More accurately, this character would be called “the Satan.” This character does not actually appear here as the rebellious angel we know as Satan, but just a creature, whose job it is to go through the world testing people’s true faith in God (Wilson, 2012, 22).

We could probably spend many, many hours on the identity of this subject, which we cannot do today. But it’s important to understand this for what comes next. This is our passage of focus, so if you will turn to Job 1:9-12 we’ll read it together.

Job 1:9–12 ESV

Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

The accuser, looks at God and goes “God, Job might serve you right now, but that’s because his life is pretty cushy. How do you think he’ll take it if you remove all that nice stuff he’s got?” Essentially, the accuser says that Job only fear God because it benefits Job.

So, God allows the accuser to take away everything Job has. We see at the end the chapter that in one day, everything Job has: sheep, oxen, camels, sons, daughters… is gone overnight. Job is distraught. Losing his livelihood is one thing, but his children? His heart is breaking.

Then the Bible says this:

Job 1:22 ESV

In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

We move on and again we enter the courtroom scene, and again the accuser stand before God. Then we read the following:

Job 2:3–6 ESV

And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.”

Now the accuser says that if God were to allow even Job’s health to be taken from him, he would surely curse God. So Job is afflicted with terrible sores. He scrapes himself with a broken piece of clay pottery… he sits in the dust. Job has hit rock bottom.

Then again we read at the end of Job 2:10:

Job 2:10 ESV

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

So again, Job is presented as blameless before God. Why would Job continue to serve God, to honor God, after all he has been through?

Look at what Job says to his wife in 2:10 again:

Job 2:10 ESV

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Job looks up and says, we receive good from God, but we are not exempt from evil either! Here’s the thing friends, sometimes God takes away. We sing the song “you give and take away, you give and take away. You give take away. My heart will choose to say, blessed be the name of the Lord.” Why would our hearts choose to say that when God takes away? This is where we see that our service to God is not really about us at all, but rather for God’s glory. And we serve God because we are not looking for a reward here on earth, but the eternal reward of being with Christ forever. It doesn’t necessarily net us great things and a cushy life to serve Christ. Sometimes God chooses to remove people or things. Sometimes we experience sickness, loss, struggle. The church itself can experience the pain of loss, or the struggle of attack and problems. Yet it is to our comfort and benefit to keep our eyes focused on Christ, and his will for us. We don’t serve God for ourselves, but rather we serve God because He is worthy. And, as we saw last time, we serve God out of gratitude for his mercy and grace. So we see that even when God takes away, instead of gives, we are asked to continue walking with Christ, and serving Him.

However, that doesn’t mean that we understand. Yet even in our confusion, we find no cause to stop serving God.

This is our second point. That:

We Serve God Even When We Don’t Understand

Turning back to Job: At his lowest point, sitting in ashes, scraping himself with a piece of pottery, we see Job’s friend show up to comfort him and help him make sense of his tragedy. And… they are no help at all. My wisdom literature prof helped explain their perspective for me. He said that they work off this basic, mechanical understanding of life. It goes like this: do good stuff, get blessed. Do bad stuff, get judged. So by that reasoning, Job must have done something wrong, right? That’s the only thing that makes sense. Yet we know from earlier parts that Job did not charge God or sin against him.

How is it then that God allows this suffering to befall Job? What has Job done to deserve this suffering? Job himself wants to plead his case before God, as we see in chapter 23, and show that he has not done anything wrong! There is this state of crisis in the book, where we are left confused, wondering how Job could suffer so much.

As one commentary and my prof pointed out, Job is completely unaware of the Heavenly conversations that have been happening up to this point. He doesn’t know anything for what is happening. He only knows his reality. And that reality is a confusing thing.

I bring this up because we also go through times of confusion, where we don’t understand what God is doing. Just like we go through times of suffering, we equally, and often simultaneously, wind up asking the question why. Why would God let this happen? Or, why is God not doing something about this? Why is God seeming to not bless my obedience? The truth is, we cannot always understand what God is doing, or know what He is doing behind the scenes.

This is where we come to the next portion of text we must examine, at the end of the book of Job. Job has questioned God, and God has come down and given his reply wherein He asks Job, “are you the maker of the universe? Can you understand everything that is happening?” God shows Job enough of what Job does not know that Job responds in this way:

Job 42:1–6 ESV

Then Job answered the Lord and said: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

Job repents, recognizing that He doesn’t understand why God is allowing everything. He equally recognizes God’s sovereignty over the world and over suffering. In this world today, we have suffering, and we don’t always understand. When it seems like God is blessing us, we really are happy to just reap the blessings without explanation from the Creator. Yet when God seems to remove His blessing from us, we are very quick to ask God what He is doing. Yet we, like Job, are asked to place our trust in God and trust that He has not forgotten us, and that when we are confused, when we don’t understand, God does. God sees what we go through, walks with us, and gives us strength in times of need! We are not exempt from suffering in this life, but we know that God is with us, and He will ultimately bring us home to eternity, where we will no longer experience suffering and pain. Yet for now, we are asked to trust God, even when things are hard and do not make sense.

This second aspect of serving God because he is worthy has to do with continuing to serve God, even when we cannot see what he is doing. It is not for us to always understand what God does, and sometimes that is really hard to swallow. Why did God let Bonhoffer die like that? Why did he have to see all that terrible stuff? Well, perhaps it was for testimony, or so that he could be a light to his captors and fellow inmates. I don’t know. Yet what I know and what he knew as well is that God is faithful to walk beside us and stay with us, and God’s plan is best. So, even as Bonhoffer goes to the scaffold to die, he goes peacefully, because he is, in life and death, submitted to the will of God, and ready to get the ultimate prize: meeting Jesus face to face.

Conclusion: Why do you serve?

At this point, I may have left a lot of us wondering how this is applicable this Sunday. Yes, we have talked about serving God even when we suffer, and when God chooses to take away instead of give. We have also just finished looking at how we serve God even when we don’t understand His plan, because we know God knows everything, and knows best. Honestly though, these things are only parts of the greater point which we are discussing: That

We serve God because He is worthy of our worship. We do not serve for our own benefit here.

Here is why I felt led to bring this whole topic of serving God because He is worthy of our devotion up today: I truly believe God wants to work here in Leask. I truly believe that God wants to pour His Spirit out upon you as a church in order to glorify Him and reach your community. God has impressed upon me - I believe - that He wants to move and work. I believe He already is, and that He wants to do more. However, I equally feel that we all - no matter if we live in Leask, or Shellbrook, or Edmonton, need to be willing to follow this leading from God. We need to have our hearts postured toward God, and focusing on his will. From this should flow a desire to please God and draw closer to Him, and from this as well should come the heart and passion to reach out into the world.

Yet I also believe that we all - no matter where we are in which church - have reason for caution. The church can easily fall into the temptation of just counting the numbers. And I think we can also fall into the habit of thinking that if we just obey God, He will grow our churches like crazy. Only, this is not necessarily the reality. I wanted to talk about suffering because it happens in the church, and it happens to the church. A church full of people obeying God can still experience loss, setback, and problems. Likewise, a church can do all the right things, but the growth they expected to happen or what they though God would do doesn’t always pan out, because God had a different plan. That is confusing! Yet in these times we do not give up! Why? Because it was never about us in the first place! This is why we serve God - this is why the church continues on mission: not because of the benefit it brings to us but rather so that God may get the glory. God is worthy of all the glory and honour and praise, and his Spirit within us should move us to worship and adore Him for these reasons. It is not about how big the church gets, how rich it is, or the amount of new people it brings through the doors. Rather, the church and its people should firstly be set on God, looking to please Him and draw closer to Him. Through that and from that we find our drive to be more like Christ, and to reach out and reach the lost. Our purpose as Christians is not to be served, but rather to serve.

Who do we serve? Is it ourselves? Well, only if we want to turn our churches into old boy’s clubs. Is it the world? In a sense yes, but we don’t serve the world just because. We serve, because

We are God’s people, and He is worthy of our service, and

Because Christ Himself came to serve. If we are going to follow in Christ’s footsteps, we must follow Christ’s example of service.

Jesus said:

Mark 10:45 ESV

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Ultimately, Christ served the Father’s will, and was wholly dedicated to it.

So, here is my prayer for you, and for this church:

My prayer for Leask right now is that you would be a church of mature disciples poised to serve God with your whole lives for His glory, and for His sake.

No matter what happens it the next years here, whether God exponentially grows this church, or whether it is small growth. Whether there are plenty of finances, or not so many. Whether the first time you try to create a ministry it works, or it takes much trial and error. My prayer is that you would be found as people who served God out of your love and devotion for Him, because He is worthy of it. Not because you are trying to bribe God for a big church or a cushy life, but simply because God is worthy. And if I may encourage you with this: seeing Jesus’ face when it’s time for you to go home will make everything you went through here on earth worth it. I cannot express to you the joy there will be, but it will fulfill all the hardship and pain here, and wipe it away. So I encourage you to keep your spiritual eyes fixed on God, drawing closer to Christ, and through the empowerment of the Spirit reaching out into your communities for the sake of Christ, so that He might get the glory, and no one else. This is my prayer for you.