Renew Your Service

Introduction

As we continue to look at the gift of services I want to look at an aspect of service that many of us find ourselves in. that is we have left service behind. We were hurt, we burned out, we got into sin, we ...

Today we are starting in the 2nd book of Timothy

And Paul is writing to Timothy his son in the ministry and he is begging for help at this point. We often don’t think of Paul the great missionary needing help but he does. Here he is asking Timothy to come to him

2 Timothy 4:9-11

2 Timothy 4:9–11 LEB

9 Make haste to come to me quickly. 10 For Demas deserted me, because he loved the present age, and went to Thessalonica. Crescens went to Galatia; Titus went to Dalmatia. 11 Luke alone is with me. Take along Mark and bring him with you, because he is useful to me for ministry.

Pray

Do your best to come quickly, Paul is saying. I am all alone. Only Luke is with me. Now Luke is a physician and a missionary and probably there as Paul’s scribe. Even with Paul he feels deserted. Demas his trusted associate has deserted him.

In the letter to Philemon. A letter Paul wrote in prison.

When Paul was in prison, he shared the gospel with a runaway slave named Onesimus. Sometime after Onesimus had become a Christian and a friend, Paul sent him back to his master, Philemon, asking that Philemon welcome him back as a brother in Christ. This letter illustrates how the good news about Jesus breaks down barriers, transforms relationships, and unites all believers into the family of God.

John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016).

That’s Easy For You to Say: Your Quick Guide to Pronouncing Bible Names Onesimus

Onesimus oh NESS ih muhs

At the very end when he is making his greetings he calls Demas as a fellow working in the works of the Lord

Philemon 1:23-25

Philemon 23–25 LEB

23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24 and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. 25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

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ä-rē'-stär-khos

Demas was one of Paul’s companions a person that he trusted and relied on. And yet he left.

Why?

Because he loved this world

He left because he loved this world. What does that mean?

Did he actively pursue the World? Such as looking for fortune or Falling for things like greed or sex or a nice house at the expense of God’s plan?

Did he just get to the point where he was burnt out? Couldn’t continue to pay the price of hardship and suffering that Paul was paying? Burnout happens!

Actually as ministers we are told that the average time a person will spend in the ministry is 2.5 years or so, because of the demands of ministry.

No matter how it happened the reality is that Demas took his eyes off of God and pursued the world whatever that means. Which is something that we must learn as we are disciplining ourselves to serves. everyone in this room that has accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour is called to the ministry in some way or fashion. For some it is a vocation like me. For some it is just part of life. Where you are making disciples, Using you gifts for the Glory of God, Spreading the Kingdom, Raising up others, Encouraging you Brothers and Sisters. In some way we are all called to the ministry. We are called to Serve.

How Do We Not Fall Away?

The question becomes not if we are called but how do we not fall away from the calling? It is hard. Not a person who is actually living their life for God, have a time in which they didn’t say, “I don’t want to do it anymore.” Elijah in his cave, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Peter, Paul, Demas, Jesus “Let this cup pass”. It is hard.

How do you not just become another that has fallen away? One that gets chocked up by the thorns of the world

Matthew 13:22 LEB

22 And what was sown into the thorn plants—this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of this world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word and it becomes unproductive.

The easy way out is to say, “Don’t pursue the things of the World”. But that doesn’t really work does it. Let’s put a positive spin on this. because our brains often want to do the opposite of the negative. Don’t think of Elephants.

What is the Opposite? Instead of not pursuing the things of the world, we need to actively pursue God. As always we then have to ask what does that mean, To actively pursue God? We could list things to do, but instead of following a check list, which means you can pursue your goals, not necessary pursuing God. What we want is to long for God as the deer pants for water. Most of the time we don’t feel this way though we feel like Elijah, or Paul I am alone. We feel like Demas I just want to go and do something else.

Actively Pursue God

What does it mean to actively Pursue God?

Recognition

Recognition of God is the first step. Who is God. The Psalms tell us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom. Fear comes from knowing who God is. He is the Father, The Creator, The Master, The Judge.

Recognition of God always leads to recognition of who we are. We are sinners. Isaiah says:

Isaiah 6:5 LEB

5 And I said, “Woe to me! For I am destroyed! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I am living among a people of unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the king, Yahweh of hosts!”

He recognised who he was. But not just sinners. We are holy ones, because we have been bought with the Blood of Jesus Christ. Who came and lived the perfect life to be our ultimate blood sacrifice. We are sinners but we are also forgiven. As the coal was put to Isaiah’s mouth to purify him, so Jesus was put to the cross. A cross that we must pick up and carry daily.

If you have not accepted Jesus as your Saviour. Recognizing you can’t do it on your own. You need to be forgiven. We accept Jesus as your Lord. Which means we follow his lead. Pause right now and pray.

Worship

With the recognition of God comes the recognition of who we are aren what God did for us and what we are in in God and that leads to worship. What a wonderful thing to be saved. What a wonderful thing to have won the war. Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty who Is and Was and Is to be. Amen

And with that worship comes service. “here I am Lord send me”

Demas lost his focus on God. Lost sight of who God was and that lead him to fall in love the this present world. This is something we as people have to fight with everyday. We have to actively pursue God which begins with getting the right picture of God.

Next Steps

Who Is God?

Who Will Be god to me?

Will it be me ?

Will it be comfort

Will it me YHWH/JESUS?

Who is God and that will lead to who are you.

Which leads to worship.

Which puts you back into service.

It is that which re-anoints  you and makes you realize that you can do this through God. That Gives you the ability to live in power that God has given you. If you don’t feel like doing this or don’t feel like you have any power in God, maybe you don’t have an accurate image of who God is>

Will you recognize God today?]

Pray