Selfless Service: Embracing God's Kingdom Together

think of just that one thing and if i really love people i'm not going to seek my own i'm not going to see what what benefit will i get out of this zero doesn't matter what benefit did jesus come get by coming to this world and buying on the cross they say lord give me that spirit where i serve because i love you and i get nothing out of it i'm not seeking my own such a person is a tremendous blessing in a church such a person you'd love to be around such a person because he's not seeing anything for himself [00:41:13]

where do we find pastors for example or leaders who are not interested in one single thing from you they don't want your honor they don't want your money they don't want you to come and be their servant they don't want a single thing from you they want to serve you isn't it wonderful if you had a church full of such people who are not seeking anything from the church for themselves they're only thinking of what they can do to bless others and help others [00:41:56]

seek the kingdom of god first put god first in your life choose a church because it's going to challenge you to love jesus christ supremely and not that you can get some benefit out of it and i'll tell you if you go exceptionally well with your family with your children i've proved that in my life in the last 45 years that we've built cfc churches i can honestly say before god that i did not seek my own or the good of my family or prophet or any such thing i said lord i want to glorify you [00:42:45]

you remember the story of jesus feeding the five thousand i don't know whether you noticed how they were so hungry because they've been with jesus the whole day and jesus recognized these guys are hungry and jesus chose his twelve disciples to feed them and i'm sure people offered us for a second helping in the third helping because the buns that jesus made were so good and as jesus as these disciples went around distributing the buns and the fish and all that do you know who are the hungriest people there the disciples themselves they hadn't eaten at all [00:43:38]

and they didn't have time to eat because these people are all asking for a second helping in the third helping and they go to this crowd can you imagine how long it took for 12 people to feed 5 000 people they go round and round and round and round when you read these don't rush through these passages in scripture but stop a moment and say how many people were serving 12 how many men were there 5 000 and probably women and children and they just go around serving serving serving something boy they were really exhausted [00:44:20]

i'll tell you what was going through their mind boy i'm so hungry i hope there's something left for me after all these guys have finished eating i hope there'll be something left that would have passed through any one of our mind and you know how the lord rewarded them you know why there were 12 baskets full at the end because there were 12 disciples the lord said you've served me faithfully here you don't just get a few buns and fish you've got a full basket to go home with that's how the lord rewards those who selflessly serve others [00:44:48]

let me tell you that i have proved it through more than 50 years of serving the lord my life i can honestly say before god i never sought my own when god's taken care of me amazingly and my family i've never lacked anything never asked anybody for anything he really gives you a basket full as you go around serving others so don't think of yourself my brother sister say lord i'm here to seek your kingdom first i want to glorify you on a that's the reason why you kept me here [00:45:32]

it doesn't bother me if other people don't care for me my heavenly father cares for me why should i bother if somebody else doesn't care for me somebody's not considerate towards me it doesn't bother me i've got a father in heaven who cares for me these cares for me exceptionally well i'll tell you that if you can't believe the bible at least believe my testimony i'm a living example of the fact that you see god's kingdom first all the other things will be thrown into you for you [00:46:12]

pursue that start with the foundation of repentance toward god and faith toward the lord jesus christ and say lord i want to run this race seeking to love you more and more every day not seeking my own in any way steering clear of the love of pleasure steering clear of the love of money steering clear of the love of self not seeking anything for myself i pray that you'll have a testimony my brother sister when people mingle with you that you're a person who does not seek anything for yourself [00:46:33]

those who feared the lord spoke to one another i hope our church will be like that i hope rlc will be like that a church full of people who fear god and speak to each other with the fear of heart and the lord pays attention it says here he listens to what they're speaking such people and he writes the book of remembrance now this is different from the book of life the book of life is those were born again the book of remembrance is another book i want to be in this book [00:48:24]

my name is already in the book of life but i want to be in this book of remembrance which is written where the names are written are those who reverence god and esteem his name everything in my life lord i want to be governed by a reverence for god and i want to esteem the name of jesus christ that it never was dishonored by anything i say or do in my life and see what the lord says so those people who are in this book of remembrance they'll be mine on the day when my prepare my own special possession [00:49:06]

and i believe the meaning here is i will bless them like i bless my own children like a son who has served me faithfully i'll bless them and in that day when the lord comes back to reward those who feared him and esteemed his name that day you will distinguish who was really righteous verse 18. and who was wicked and that day you really distinguish among all those people who sat in your church who really served god and who really served only himself [00:49:46]