There are many reasons why those who profess Jesus Christ as Lord do not serve Him as such, the world always places upon us some pressing need, “the time is long and there is time to kill today, He knows I love Him, I do not feel a special calling.” Shall I continue, can you think of other reasons, do you have excuses of your own?
It is true, this old saying, when the cat is away, the mice will play, but of course when the boss is present and visible, then the workers are compliant. “Blessed is that servant, whom his LORD when he cometh shall find so doing.” (Matt. 24:46) There seems to be some misconception within a large part of the Christian community that serving the Lord is a part-time endeavor, that our main responsibilities lie elsewhere, one must stop and wonder, just what were all these others doing in faith and obedience while Moses led, while Joshua and Caleb pressed forward, while John and Paul ministered and called for obedience, what were those that were not called out of the sheepfold performing in love and obedience to the One they could not visibly see. The real question is, what are you doing until the Master returns, until you are called to stand before Him and give your account. (Romans 14:12)
Is it a certain depth of love that calls a man to forsake all for his Lord, is it a dutiful sense of obedience that drives him headlong into the battle, is it the unwavering knowledge that he is a servant of the Most High God, and servants are to serve well and with honor, never misrepresenting Him who has sent them. “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” (Luke 17:10) Think on that verse, correlate it to your current employment field, doing everything that you have been paid to do and doing it well will still count you as unprofitable to the company, not too many individuals would consider accepting employment with a company that spoke these words to them, but it is exactly what the Lord said, do everything you have been commanded to do, and you will still be seen as unprofitable to the kingdom of God. Why? Because you put forth no extra effort to the task at hand, you did not strive to accomplish more than what you were given to do, you did not seek out additional ways to bring glory to the kingdom of your home, you pondered nothing that attempted to further lift up the name of Almighty God.
Those who do nothing more than what has been commanded of them to do are called average Christians, sadly few fit into even this category today, but even sadder is the few that have reached beyond, who have determined that the crucified life is the only life that is truly pleasing to the Lord God. So why not more, why all these individuals who profess Him as Lord, but only within the confines of the church building, why so few who are not ashamed to profess Him as Lord to all they meet, who spend the entirety of their days and evenings contemplating not just His written, Holy Word, but the person of Jesus Christ Himself, why so few that are truly profitable.
One of the reasons is that most who call Him Lord have turned inward, they have been deceived into believing that the most important path for the Christian is the one that, for lack of a more refined terminology, seeks the inner man and his place with God, no external works need abound if we only seek inwardly. I dare not say if these are truly born-again believers, for it is by our works that we are known, (James 2:18) and church attendance on a regular basis, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,” (Heb. 10:25) seems to be one of the least opportune items that shows the world, the lost, your faith, unless of course you ask them to join you. But then one would need to express to them why they should join you in worshipping His Holy name for an hour or so each week, and then you would need to tell them of their expected end if they die in their sins. Such a hassle, best just to show up, sing the songs, talk about the weather, and then get back to doing all things as unto the Lord.
If those who do all they have been commanded to do are called unprofitable, how much less those who have taken advantage of the greatest gift ever given by Almighty God to the world of man by doing the absolute least with what they have received. It is a shame to serve in such a way, and those who do so should fall to their knees and beg for forgiveness for not being what they were meant to be.
There are those that seek out ways to serve above and beyond what they have been called to do, what all have been called to do, they seek diligently with much prayer His face in these matters, and then they step out in faith. Therein lies the entirety of this letter to you my friends, that step of faith, that action that shows to all who will but look that you will serve Christ, no matter the consequences. A life that shows to all that it is not you that lives any longer, but Christ in you.
Expect frustration, expect rebukes, denial, hatred, platitudes, expect everything that a soldier in enemy territory should expect, and expect rewards. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Heb. 11:6) All those that call upon the name of the Lord will be saved, (Romans 10:13) but not all will be found to be profitable, few there are who are willing to lay down their lives for Him, few are obedient in all things, few desire anything more than Christ, and fewer still are satisfied with anything less than Him.
