Chosing to Serve Today:Eliminating Excuses

Introduction

What a wonderful day the Lord has made. Amen? If you want to open your Bibles to Joshua chapter 24. In Joshua chapter 24, and as you’re turning there, I would like to think in a positive way about the church here at South Bumby. I think we do a lot of excellent things. If you look at the preachers we support, I believe that number is somewhere around ten different men in different areas. We have many elders who spend hours shepherding the flock here, planning for the flock here, devoting their lives to the work here. We have deacons that serve in all kinds of capacities that you may or may not be aware of, and each of those individual tasks are made up of hours upon hours of work, of which, again, you may or may not be aware of.

We have group leaders who spend time trying to organize efforts to get Christians together to visit, to encourage one another, to be as iron sharpening iron. We have a lot of strong members who teach in the teaching curriculum here that’s about to reset, as the new teaching calendars are in the lobby behind us. And that’s a lot of good things. We have a lot of Christians who are strong examples. We have strong examples of grandparents, parents, married couples, and even children who are showing the way of how to be the type of individual Christian, individual servant of God that he expects us to be. And that’s all wonderful. It is fantastic. It’s wonderful, amen, to be set up the way God has decreed us to be.

But there’s a danger. And that danger is sometimes that when there is so many strong families, there is the presence of so many strong Christians, that there is so much good going on that I don’t choose to serve today. I’ll see in a second behind me in my sermon. It’s called Choosing to serve today. Eliminating excuses. Because when there’s a lot of people who will do the work of God, who are doing good work, and you think about all that this church as a collective is able to accomplish to the will of God, then it is a bit intimidating. Perhaps it’s a bet it’s a bit comforting to sit back and know we’re a part of a body of Christ. Even in the midst of this crooked and twisted generation, there are those who will dedicate their lives to Christ.

But in Joshua chapter 24, in verse 14, Joshua culminates the lesson with this. Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your father served before beyond the river and in Egypt and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your father served in the region beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. This morning I want each and every one of us to renew our commitment to the end of verse 15 that says, But as for me and for my house, we will serve the Lord.

1. Quit Saying Someone Should Do It

And if I were to ask if everyone thinks that’s a noble goal, everyone would nod their heads. Yes, of course, that’s a good goal. Are you trying to do the yes, well, maybe not as good as I could, but yes, I am trying to serve the Lord today. But I think there’s three words that often get in the way of our service. There’s three excuses that come out in just three tiny little words that too often excuse us from doing the work of the Lord. Maybe you’ve said it, maybe you’ve heard it. Have you ever heard the phrase, someone should get to do that? Someone should get on that. You think about all the examples in the Bible where someone did something, and it’s quite impressive.

If you look at Luke chapter 10, what would have happened without the Good Samaritan? You know the story, there was the man who had been beaten and left for dead along the side of the road in Luke chapter 10, and then the priest and the Levite had walked by, and they did what? Well, they did nothing. Now, what state was the man in when the priest had passed by, and then Levite had passed by? What state was he left in? Well, left for dead. He was stuck. And then the Good Samaritan came along and he tended to his wounds. He helped him get better. He took him to the local inn and provided for his needs, at least in that case, financially. But what would have happened if the Good Samaritan had not been there in that story?

Stands the reason the same thing that would have happened as when the Levite and the priest passed him by. He would have been left for dead. I think it’s interesting because of course that example in Luke chapter 10. I hope you look there quickly with me. In Luke chapter 10, the example that Jesus gives is important because if you look at who passed by this man who is in a desperate time of need on the side of the road, should certainly have known better. And Luke chapter 10, beginning in verse really 30, when Jesus is talking about the man that was going from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. You see in verse 31, an interesting phrase that could be applied to us in many contexts, but in this story, now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

How many opportunities do we have to serve the Lord? It’s essentially limitless, is it not? What can we do to serve God? We can serve others, we can spend time worshiping God, we can pray to God, we can be reading our Bibles. Certainly there is about 200 people here this morning. There is a little bit of need here. Can we agree on that? If there’s something always to be done, that means that if I set out to make it my goal to help, I will find something to do. Now, the question that we’re going to come to about something is the next point. But right now I want to talk about that word someone. You see where it’s really easy when you have good leadership like the elders and the deacons that we have, and you have preachers and men like Brother Bob who have set a wonderful example in their personal and preaching life?

It’s easy to say, someone will do it. Surely Brother Bob will do that. I get to say that because he’s not here this morning. Surely the elders will take care of that. Surely the deacons will do that. We have such great examples of strong men and women in the faith. They’ll take care of it. In fact, they’re going to do it better than me. Someone else should do it. The problem with that is twofold. First of all, what happens if they don’t do it? What happens if their plate is full somewhere else? You see, if the good Samaritan had been walking by somewhere else at that time helping someone else, could you have faulted him? No, he would have been engaged in good work. But the second problem with that is it misplaces where the weight of responsibility lies.

My service to God weighs entirely and solely on me. How often do we preach about the doctrine of original sin? Or we talk about how the fact that we’re not born into sin. We’re not born stuck totally depraved. Well, if that’s the case. And I know I’m approaching the judgment. I know that I give an answer for myself before my God. And my God knows what his expectations are of me. But let’s take it a step further and make it a little bit more clear. What if Jesus had viewed dying on the cross as just the job of someone rather than him? See, Luke chapter 19 and verse 10, Jesus came to do what? To seek and save the lost. Certainly that was the goal of Christ and Jesus in perfect submission and obedience to the Father did exactly the will of God.

The will of God that was for all of his creation to have a chance to be forgiven of sins, to be with him for all of eternity. But if Jesus had viewed dying on the cross as just the job of someone rather than him, where would we be? In Galatians chapter 2, in verse 11, beginning, Paul talks about his opposition to Cephas, that is Peter, for his hypocrisy in being with the Gentiles and the Jews, and not wanting it to be known that he would be with the Gentiles when the Jews were there. What would have happened if Paul decided that was someone else’s job? You see where this is going, it’s very clear. When you say somebody’s going to do it, what you mean is first of all, not me.

And second of all, I’m okay if it doesn’t give done. Because ultimately, if we’re responsible for it, we will make sure that it’s accomplished. Maybe you know the well-known poem. It can be kind of hard to follow, but try to notice, I hope I capitalized all the letters correctly, and try to follow with me along as we go through this. There’s a little story about four people named everybody, somebody, anybody, and nobody.

Anybody could have done it, but nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was everybody’s job. Everybody thought that anybody could do it. But nobody realized that everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that everybody blamed somebody when nobody did what anybody could have done. In addition to being fun and messing with the mind, note that last line. It ended up that everybody blamed somebody. And who ended up getting it done for the case of this example? Nobody. In the case of real life, when problems go through the cracks, when everyone says somebody should do it, you see two problems, and they’re both in that last line. First of all, finger pointing starts. That’s not healthy for group goals. That’s not healthy for Christianity.

And most importantly, who did what was needed to be done? Nobody. The job fell through the cracks. We need to start I need to start. If I see a need, I need to fill the need. And if I can’t fill that need because I’m unable, I don’t just say somebody should do it. I go and find something that I can do. Every goal is not somebody’s job. There are some goals that are for me to do. There are some jobs for every single individual in this assembly this morning. We must serve the Lord. And if that’s true, and we acknowledge it, that means that we’re going to find our lane. We’re going to find what it is that God expects of me, what it is that this church wants me to do.

And that’s going to eliminate the word someone from my vocabulary because that needs to be replaced with I or me. I will do this. I will do that. Perhaps it may be that you do find some sort of problem that you aren’t well equipped to fix. There are a couple solutions to that. One is to learn how. Focus on how you can develop your service to God so that you can be prepared. But how about secondly, instead of just saying somebody should do it, alerting somebody who can. Not just saying, well, I know someone can do that, or I know this group of people, I know the elders of the deacons of the preachers can do that. I know the group leaders can do this. I know this strong Christian who sits in front of me and has for the last 10 years can do that.

2. Quit Saying Something Needs to Be Done

How about going up to them and saying, there’s a need? Can you help me get it filled? You see, there’s a big difference in saying there’s a need, I’m going to help it get fixed. And there’s a need. Someone should attend to it. I think another word to quit saying, not only should we quit saying someone, because that’s just taking ourselves off the hook, but we should quit saying something needs to be done. You can see how that would follow quite easily. We need to have some self-reflection on this. If you look at 2 Corinthians chapter 13, know what Paul calls for the Corinthians to do. In the last chapter of the book of 2 Corinthians, he comes to the strong point in 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 5.

I hope you’ll see it with me. As we’re striving to serve God today, as we’re trying to decide, today I will serve the Lord, me and my house. In 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 5, we see a good example. Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you, unless indeed you fail to meet the test? I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test, but we pray to God that you may not do wrong. Not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, that we may seem to have failed. Or we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.

You see that in verse 5? What is that? Examine yourselves. What are we to test? Whether we’re in the faith. If there is something to be done, it’s not the goal, it’s not the goal, it’s not the job, it’s not the role of someone to do it, it’s the role of me to do it in many cases. But in the case of saying something, we need to examine ourselves and decide what is it that I can do? Now I’ve spoken about that point several times already when it talks to someone having what lane am I for? What lane should my service to God be in? Well, now, especially when it comes to the idea of quit saying the word something, there’s a solution to this. Ask.

If you don’t know what’s to be done, but something needs to be done about that, ask somebody who does. Rather than saying someone else can do this, say, there’s a person who can give me my answer. Someone knows what I can do, and you know who that group of people is. It is the elders, it’s the deacons, it’s anybody. You ask enough people, is there anything I can do for you? Or rather, more specifically, what is it that I can do for you today? You’re going to get an answer. The question is, will you decide to be the someone who fits that goal? I think when you think about the idea of saying something needs to be done, it’s illustrated easily with car problems. If you’ve ever had a flat tire, how well does that car run?

Well, not really well at all, especially the more flat it becomes. What would you do if someone rolled up next to you and they’re kind of coming along at about five miles an hour and they say, you know, someday I’ve got to do something about that flat tire. What’s going to happen if they don’t fix it? It’s going to get worse? They’re not going to be able to use the car, could cause other problems. What do you think it’s like with our service to God? When we say something needs to be done, whether in general, or we say, more specifically, something needs to be done about that. Something needs to be done about this sister, this brother. Someone needs to talk to them about that something.

Do you see how this multiplies so quickly? And the brakes get halted on the work of God? We’ve got to be the change. This morning, we have to decide from now on, the rest of my days, I will serve the Lord. I will be the someone, I will fix the something. But that takes choosing to be not only the person involved, but to be willing to find the something. You see, just like a car would come to a screeching halt if it had some sort of fatal problem, so does the work of the Lord if all of us Christians sit back and say, someone should do something. We need to see secondly that Paul was not interested in anything short of complete, utter submission to God.

If you look in Philippians chapter 3, note the contrast. In someone who says, someone should do this, something ought to be done, in Paul’s perspective. In Philippians chapter 3, note what he says, beginning in verse 7. But whatever gain I had, I count it as lost for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as lost because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith, that I may know him in the power of his resurrection and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

How does that fit with the person who says, you know what? My job, my role in serving Christ and in serving the South Bunby Church of Christ is to come here at 11 o’clock on Sunday morning, and that’s it. Is that what is that Paul’s attitude? In verse 11, what is what is his goal? What is the end game of Paul’s message? That by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Serving Christ is not some sort of basic small checklist. Choosing to be the someone, choosing to be the something that can fit that can be fixed. That takes effort, that takes time, that takes dedication, that takes a life dedicated to something greater than I. And that’s where the problem comes in, isn’t it?

It’s when I have to give up something. Because you know it’s easy about saying someone should do it, it means I don’t have to. You know it’s easy about saying something needs to be done, it means I don’t need to tend to it, or it’s not my problem. But that’s not the way God’s church is meant to be. That’s not the way Christians are. Every problem is our problem. Every responsibility given by God to me and my stage of life is mine. Yes, there are some peculiar responsibilities. A mother is uniquely responsible for her children, and a father likewise. Elders have a peculiar responsibility to the church in serving and shepherding the flock. But there is a whole lot for everyone else to be doing besides these small narrow avenues that we might point to and say, Well, that’s not for me, and that’s not for me.

What is for you? In Romans chapter 12, you see an answer to some of that question. And that the answer to how do we become this type of servant that doesn’t just say something needs to be done, but rather here is what’s to be done, is found perhaps in Romans chapter 12. In Romans chapter 12, of course we know verse 1 and 2, I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. But note verse 4 and on down. In verse 4 beginning, Paul says, For as in one body, we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function. So we, though many are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

Don’t you see how that little fact is the game changer? We are individually members of one another. Verse 6. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them. If prophecy in proportion to our faith, if service in our serving, the one who teaches and is teaching, the one who exhorts in his exhortation, the one who contributes in generosity, the one who leads with zeal, the one who does acts of mercy with cheerfulness. Let love be genuine, abhor what is evil, cling to what is good, love one another and outdo with a brotherly affection, outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope. Be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer, contribute to the needs of the saints, and seek to show hospitality.

Do you think there’s something in those verses that I can do? Do you think there’s something in those verses that you can do? I think verse 8 really shows us how powerful actions are. The one who exhorts in his exhortation, the one who contributes, generosity, the one who leads was the other one who does acts of mercy with cheerfulness. How does the end of verse 5 compare with this section? The end of verse 5, we’re individually members of one another, and look again at verse 13. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Why? Why should I care? Why does it matter? Well, first of all, of course, because God said so. But more importantly, because that’s our role. That’s our function.

3. Stop Saying Someday

That’s how God plan God’s plan works. You see, just like the car with the flat tire. If we say something needs to be done and we do nothing about it, the whole system breaks down. The car may be completely working and in wonderful brand new condition, but the one flat tire will limit its productivity to a screeching halt. Am I that weak link? Am I the flat tire in the plans of God? If we were all working together, imagine how powerful and how impactful this church could be as lights into this community. Think about one third word. Not only should we quit saying someone and quit saying something, but most importantly, brothers and sisters, can we realize we need to stop saying someday? In Luke chapter 9, this point is made very clear by Jesus.

In Luke chapter 9, look there with me. In Luke chapter 9, beginning in verse 57. Jesus encounters three different examples here. In Luke chapter 9, beginning in verse 57, as they were going along the road, someone said to him, I will follow you wherever you go. And Jesus said to him, Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. To another he said, Follow me. But he said, Lord, let me first go and bury my father. And Jesus said to him, leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God. Yet another said, I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say, well, farewell to those at home.

Jesus said to him, No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. What was the problem? Because if you look at the man’s claim in verse 61, it was very strong. This is what Jesus wants. Doesn’t he want us to come to him and say, Lord, I will follow you. Isn’t that not what Jesus wants? Is that not what God requires us to submit to him, us to follow him? So what’s the problem? Well, while it wasn’t as vague and then releasing of responsibility and obligation as the word someday is, the point was the time to follow Christ was not at that moment. It was not at that time. The priority was not given to our Savior.

The priority was given to something else. You see, in verse 61, I will follow you, Lord, is the strong beginning to a sentence of someone claiming to seek God. But the ending is so tragic. But let me first say farewell to those at my home. Jesus didn’t have time for those who would not follow him. Jesus does not have time. There is not room in the kingdom for those who will not act, for those who will not serve, for those who will not submit. We weren’t called, we weren’t purchased with the price to be pew potatoes. We’re called with a price. We were bought with the price of the blood of Christ so that we might serve God. Why are we to serve as lights in the kingdom?

We come to this over and over again, but it’s so important. Matthew 5.16, so others may see your good works and glorify God who is in heaven. If we’re not serving, we’re not who Jesus wanted to buy. If we’re not serving, we’re not doing the work of the Christ. If we put off doing what God has says, we are not putting the Lord who deserves to be our first and only first or only. If this is what Jesus expects of us, if this is what God wants, we should strip this from our vocabulary. The work of the church is not someone’s job, it’s all of ours individually. There is plenty of something to be done, but they are specific and they can be found by me and each and every one who are here this morning.

But most importantly, this work does not begin someday. This work does not begin when I have my job in order, or when I have my ducks in a row, or when my family life is stable, or when my home is secure. This starts today. Service to God begins now. You see that that first example of the two in verse 59? To another he said, Follow me. But he said, Lord, let me first go and bury my father. No excuse is given that will satisfy the Lord in not serving him and not putting him as the first and the only. There’s no problem with kinning the family. That’s the work of God. There is no problem with caring for others, including those who are just your close friends.

Conclusion

But we need to be individually members of one another, recognizing that we all have gifts, and we have gifts to share today. And if we aren’t that someone who can do that something, then we need to make sure we learn to be, and that we start today and not someday. The time to serve the Lord is today. If you look back in Joshua chapter 24, it’s easy to quote the end of verse 15. It’s easy to consider that as a monumental time in the time of Israel’s history. But as we know, the text goes on. And Joshua chapter 24, look back there with me. We’ll read again verse 15, but then on down. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve.

Whether the gods of your father serves in the region beyond the river or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Then the people answered, Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.

Note what Joshua says in verse 19. But Joshua said to the people, You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God, he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you after having done you good. And the people said to Joshua, No, but we will serve the Lord. Then Joshua said to the people, You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord to serve him, and they said, We are witnesses. Certainly the text continues and is worth reading, but at this time, consider what the Israelites did. They said, We will do it. Far be it from us to serve other gods, far be it from us to turn on the Lord our God.

We know who He is. We’re not going to turn from Him. But the Israelites did turn from Him. They didn’t serve their God faithfully and true. The nation of Israel in the divided kingdom was taken into Assyrian captivity, and from a worldview perspective, not long after did Judah follow into captivity to Babylon, because they forsake the God in all kinds of ways, but perhaps most importantly and most poignantly in their service of idle gods. It’s one thing to say, for as for me and for my house, we will serve the Lord. But as Joshua points out, our God is a holy God. Our God is a jealous God. Our God expects us to mean what we say and expects us to be the one to serve him.

Us to fix the problem, and us to fix the problem today. Are you and your house ready to serve the Lord? It all begins in your house and in my house with me. It begins with I. We need to examine ourselves. Consider, am I in the faith? If I’m not being the one to serve, I need to stop putting the onus on someone else and take the responsibility on myself. Please, ask the elders. Ask the deacons. I promise you there will be a way for you to serve. I promise you there is something you can do. But don’t trust me. Trust the word of Christ. Jesus expects that we serve him with all of our being. And serving him goes far beyond just being here at the church building.

Love God. Let’s each and every one of us be able to leave here this morning saying, as for me and for my house, we will serve the Lord. If you haven’t yet been able to make that statement, you can do it today. And know that that God who was a witness against Israel, even though they were witnesses before him, that they would serve him. We know he held them accountable when they transgressed his law. And like the Israelites did with the law of Moses, we find ourselves, each and every one of accountable age at a time when we have transgressed the will of God and we are alien sinners, separated from our eternal God. Don’t come to him someday. Come to him today. Make things right.

Whether you are a Christian who lost your way, chose to allow the responsibilities to be on someone else, or you’ve never been a Christian, choose to serve the Lord today. Make things right. Don’t leave without being a Christian. If we can help you in any way, come forward as we stand and sing the invitation song.