The Keys to Success

♪♪ ANNOUNCER 1 In Touch, the teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley. Next on In Touch, the keys to success. ♪♪ DR. CHARLES STANLEY Have you ever just felt downright discouraged about living the Christian life and thinking, Lord, what in the world is going on? The harder I try, somehow the worse I feel. And so once in a while you've asked yourself the question, well, why should I try any longer? Because no matter what I seem to do, I keep seeming to fail at living the Christian life. Well, I think all of us have felt that way at times in our life, and so what we have to ask is why. Well, I think there are probably lots of different reasons that we failed the Christian life, but there's one I'm certain of. And that is that when you and I trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior, more than likely no one sat us down and said, There are some very basic principles that are absolutely essential to enjoying your relationship to God through Jesus Christ. If you keep these, then things are gonna go right. If you violate them, they're not going right. And so you just have to understand what these principles are. Well, what I would like to do is to take one area of the Christian life and talk about these basic principles that are so absolutely essential. Now, we've been in this series on servanthood,

and I want to continue that series today. And the title of this particular message is, Servanthood, The Keys to Success. There are some very, very basic essential principles that will be violated, and if they are, then our servanthood, our service to our Lord and the other people is not gonna be what it ought to be. And if we keep those principles in mind, then not only are we gonna be a help to other people, glorify the Lord God with our life, but we too are going to sense a great feeling of contentment and joy and a sense of satisfaction that God is able to use us. So, I want you to turn, if you will, to 1 Thessalonians in the fifth chapter. Now, I want us to read one verse in this chapter, and then there are lots of verses I want us to look at. But 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 24 deals with this first basic principle that I want us to look at in this whole area of servanthood. You recall that Jesus said, I am among you as one who serves. As the Father hath sent me, so send I you. And that is, Paul also said in Galatians chapter 5, verse 13, that we are in love to serve one another. So, Jesus Christ sees all of his children as servants, and they're no big shot servants and little shot servants. We're all servants of God. The only difference in us is that some people have different roles than others. But all of us are on the same level in the eyes of God.

In the fifth chapter of 1 Thessalonians, look at this 24th verse, if you will. He says, faithful is he who calls you, and he also will bring it to pass. Now, what in the world does he mean by that? Here, listen, here is the first basic principle, the first bottom line foundational key to our success as a servant. And I want to say right up front, when I talk about being a servant, I'm not talking about just serving the Lord in the church building. I'm talking about being a servant of God for the simple reason that since all believers are servants, we're to be servants in our vocation, we're to be servants in our schooling, we're to be servants in the church, among our friends, among people who are strangers. A servant of God does not choose for himself or herself where they will serve or to whom they will serve. I want to give you five basic principles, five keys here. Every single one of them is important. Here is the bottom line foundational one of all of them found in this particular verse, and here's what it is. And that is ministry or service is not something we do for God, but something God does through us. So I want you to jot that down. True ministry, true service is not something we do for God, but rather something God does through us.

That is the basic foundational truth. It is probably the reason, misunderstanding here is the reason that so many people fail or refuse to serve the Lord because they don't get this one down. And that is the true ministry, true service is what God does through us, not what we do for God. Now, I want us to look at two or three scriptures. Look at this one here in the 24th verse. He says, faithful is he who calls you and he also will bring it to pass. Now, what does that mean? It means that whatever God calls you to do, whatever area of service you have, whatever area of service in your vocation, whatever area of service there may be in your church, whatever, whatever God calls us to do, here's what he promises. Faithful is He who calls you, He also will bring it to pass. That simply means that God, watch this, God assumes full responsibility for enabling us, helping us to carry out the work that He's called us to do, whatever it may be. So He doesn't leave us to ourselves to do whatever He calls us to do. Faithful is He who calls you, who will do it through us. Now we'll go back, if you will, to Philippians chapter 2, the second chapter and the 13th verse. Again, he states it a little different way than he would normally state it here. He says here, for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Now here's the key. When you and I trusted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, at that moment, the Holy Spirit came in us to indwell us and to abide within us. He came for two specific primary reasons, there are others, but number one, to enable us to become the persons God wants us to be.

And secondly, to enable us to do the work God has called us to do, that is to be the kind of servants that He would have us to be. So this verse says, for it is God who is at work in you, both to will, that is He's the one who calls us, He's the one who gives us the will and the desire, and to work for His good pleasure. So it is our Lord working within us. And so when you trusted Him as your personal Savior, He didn't say, go do this work of that. He said, I will be in you and with you and upon you. It is not work that you do, it is the work that the Father is going to do through you, and that work is going to take place as a result of your being willing to yield to the presence and the power and the direction of the Holy Spirit in your life. It is not what we do for God, it is the work that God does through us. Now, here's the second principle, extremely important, basic principle, absolutely a key to enjoying our service for the Lord, to being successful and fruitful in our service for the Lord, whatever it might be. And what is that? Simply this. That is, no matter who is the object of our service, it is the Lord we serve. No matter who is the object of our service, it is the Lord whom we serve. Now, this is a very important passage here in Colossians 3 and Ephesians 6. I want you to turn to both of these. Ephesians 6 first, if you will, and then if you'll turn to Colossians 3 and hold that, and then let's look at both of these passages. Because Paul says the same thing here in a little different way. Now, when Paul is talking and writing about slaves, in those days, of course, there were many people who were slaves and they had masters. Some of those masters were Christians. And Paul admonishes those masters to treat their slaves as they would brothers and sisters in the Lord.

So, when he talks about slaves here in our day and time, here's what you and I could do. We could put employer for master and employee for slave because you are serving someone else. Now, listen to what he says in this sixth chapter of Ephesians, first of all. He says, if you'll notice in verse 5, he says, now, slaves or employees, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh. That is, when he says masters according to the flesh, that simply means in this life you have a boss, all right? He says, do so with fear and trembling. That doesn't mean scared to death, but in the sense of obedience and reverence in the sincerity of your heart. Now, he says, you are to do this. What are the next three words? What are the next three words in that passage? As to Christ, he says, you serve wherever you are as if you're serving the Lord Himself. Verse 6, not by way of our service as men pleases, that is, you don't do this just to get the approval of men. But he says, as slaves of Christ, that is, we are serving the Lord Jesus, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill, render service as to the Lord and not to men. Now, what he's simply saying is this, and I think that's, it's very evident, that no matter who we are serving, it may be someone that you, your boss, you say, well, let me tell you something right now, brother, you've not, you don't know my boss. Don't put him in that category. Doesn't make a difference who he is. If you work for him, then you're responsible to him and you are subject to his or her authority. And so how are we to serve? He says, whatever we are doing, we are to look at those we serve as the Lord. That doesn't mean that we place Jesus in their position, but whoever we are serving is not the issue.

The issue is that whatever I may be doing for you, I must see that I'm doing this for the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. You may be the one who receives the benefit of my service. You may be the one who receives the benefit of my love. But I am to see. And look at you as knowing that in serving you I'm serving the Lord Jesus Christ now look at this next passage Colossians chapter 3 look at this. Here's what he says in verse 22 Colossians chapter 3 verse 22 He says again slaves in all things not some things but in all things Obey those who are your masters on earth now while ago. He said masters in the flesh same thing Not with external service as those who merely please men, but he says this is what you have served with sincerity of heart Fearing the Lord Whatever you do do your work heartily put your whole being into it as for the Lord rather than for men He says now Whether you're working on an assembly line and you're turning bolts you do it as you're doing it unto Jesus Whether you're a schoolteacher or whether you're a mechanic or whether you're a doctor a lawyer doesn't make this what you're doing in life Whatever we are doing. He says we are to do that as unto the Lord now Look, he says heartedly as for the Lord rather than for men knowing that from the Lord You will receive reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom we serve now Remember how he says this he's talking about slaves He's thought he's including those slaves who would meet the guest at the door and Wash their dirty feet before they went into the dining room for the evening meal He says whatever you do you you wash those dirty feet as if you are washing the feet of the Lord Whatever you do we serve other people as unto the Lord now if you'll think about it This is a good way to deal with some things in that life that we don't like to do And I can remember when I used to work in a big food store and my job was clean up That's what I did. I cleaned up. I swept floors and and Mopped stuff back then to meet place and it was pretty bad and I was in seminos times and I need a little extra money and so I Had to decide now now am I gonna complain because I complained about the first two or three four or five days and I thought This is not gonna work. I got to get my attitude, right? So I just decided I was sweeping for Jesus

I'll sweep into him and So I got with it one day the boss told one of my friends He said don't get in Stanley's way sweep you right out of the store Well, don't get in my way that's right in other words If I got to get this job done, then don't don't get in the way. Let's get it done now I don't expect everybody to feel the same way, but I'll tell you this. I don't believe God tolerates laziness I don't believe he puts up with laziness and people who are always looking for an excuse not to serve him and And to do a poor job there is listen if I don't know any better listen if I do the best I can and my job isn't what it ought to be it isn't poor in the eyes of God if That's the best I can do and somebody needs to help me and train me and encourage me along But if I'm just sloppy at it and want to do as little as I can and get Bible as little as I can I'm here to tell you what people don't realize is that listen you may be a Christian you may be a believer out there and You are doing a sloppy job and you don't care what your boss thinks and you complain about him no matter what I'm here to Tell you you will have to answer to God for poor service as a Christian. I don't care what you're doing That's that there's a third principle and that is this Very basic key to success in our service to the Lord And that is that we serve out of our spiritual gift not out of our natural talent We serve out of our spiritual gift not out of our natural talent now, let's distinguish between natural talents and spiritual gifts For example a person who is unsaved as well as a person who's saved is born natural talents and you watch in the athletic field There's awesome talents that people have who can jump so far run so fast a pass so far I mean all the things that happen in the athletic arena It's amazing how talented people are and so these are human natural talents that God has given these people and They have worked at them and sharpened their skills. And so they excel and they are rewarded as a result. Nothing wrong with that Now those same people who are talented in other areas I can serve for example, you look at Hollywood and you look on the stages all across American nights and nightclubs There are people who are very talented in their singing But now they are not operating out of a spiritual gift

There wouldn't be in those joints singing to begin with but they have human talent There are people in churches who have human talent They operate out of human talent and that is this this this natural talent that God has given they get it at birth now They operate on the basis of not depending upon the Lord necessarily But rather they in their relationship to other people physically and so forth They exercise these talents now, but a spiritual gift is a gift that is given when you and I are saved This does not mean that human that that that natural talents not important is very important important, because God wants us to operate out of our spiritual gift and to use those natural talents. Now, let's distinguish here. The believer receives those spiritual gifts at their salvation experience, I believe. And these motivational gifts, whatever he's given us, are to be the motivation behind what we do. Now, I want you to turn to Romans chapter 12 for a moment. Look in Romans chapter 12, beginning in verse 5 of Romans chapter 12. He says, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ. Talking about the church. And individually, members one of another. We relate to each other. And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, that is, God doesn't give us all the same gifts, so in his grace and goodness and love and kindness to you, he gives you this gift or gifts. In someone else, he gives others. He says, now, according to the grace given to us, let each, listen, since we have these gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly. That is, whatever the gift is, we exercise it that way.

Now, here are seven motivational gifts. Look at this. He says, there is, notice, if you will, here, if prophecy according to the proportion of his faith, if service in serving or he who teaches in his teaching, he exhorts in his exhortation, he who gives with liberality, he who leads with diligence, and he who shows mercy with cheerfulness. Now, if you take these seven gifts and say, okay, these are seven motivational gifts. Let me explain briefly what I mean by that. If you take these seven gifts and you understand their meaning and how they operate, here's what you'll discover, that there is one primary motivational gift that motivates you above all the rest. Mine happens to be exhortation. So, what do I live for week after week? I work and study and pray all week long because I am so highly motivated to do what? To exhort you to believe the Word of God, to place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and to follow him and obey him so you get blessed and you will be a valuable servant of God. That's what I'm all about. I'm not all about anything else. I'm all about exhorting and encouraging you. I'm an encourager by heart. But if I were a prophet, I'd get up here, you know what my emphasis would be? The Bible says, without Jesus Christ, you're hell bound. If you've never put your trust in Jesus Christ, you're going to hell and I'm telling you, if you don't want to burn and pop in

hell, you better trust Jesus as your Savior. Well, it's not that that's not true, it's just that that's not my gift. I sure am glad it's not. I'd have a hard time telling somebody that every time. But a person who has the gift of prophecy and of evangelist, there is a place for them. God called them for that. And there are times we need to be challenged. And so, he has placed in the church all of these gifts and he's placed them there because when you put all of this together, when we all work together, there's not anything God cannot do through a fellowship of people when the people who are part of that fellowship are doing what? They are working out of and motivated by their spiritual gift to do what God has called them to do. Now, I want you to turn to 1 Peter chapter 4. I gave you this passage before and I'll give it to you probably several times later because it's such an important gift. This is what Peter says about the whole idea. And you see, as we've said before, service is not an option. Serving the Lord is not an option. Somebody says, well, I'm going to decide what I'm going to and not what you need to ask the Lord what he thinks about it. And I can tell you it's not an option. It is the command of our Lord. Listen to what he says in this passage. 1 Peter chapter 4. He says in verse 10, as each one has, not going to, has received

a special gift that is one suited to your personality, to your makeup, to your whole being, a special gift employed, put it to work in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. And so how do I serve God? By serving someone else. He says that each one of us has received a gift and he says it is our responsibility to put it to work serving one another. So what you have to ask is, well, Lord, am I gifted? Somebody says, well, you know, God didn't gift me. Yes, he did. Well, I don't know what it is. It's your responsibility to find out. How do I find out? If you're willing for us to help you find out, we'll help you find out what your gift is. Does that mean if you have the gift of service that you can't teach? No, it doesn't mean that at all. And oftentimes a person with a gift of teaching has a very, very strong servant attitude, willing to help people to learn, willing to do whatever's necessary. So it doesn't mean that you only have one. Now, there are many other gifts that the Bible speaks of in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, many other gifts, but I do believe there are those seven motivational gifts that are the undercurrent of everything we do. What motivates us? And so it'd be interesting for you to find out. what yours is, and I think we can help you if you let us do it.

Now, what is the fourth key? The fourth key to our servanthood, that is, if we're gonna be a success at it, is this, and that is, listen, to realize you cannot serve God and yourself at the same time. You cannot do it. You cannot serve God and yourself at the same time. Turn, if you will, to Luke chapter 16, and most of us know this passage by the rich man who went to hell, but a lot of other wonderful verses in this passage. Look, if you will, in the 16th chapter, and look at the 13th verse, Luke chapter 16, verse 13, and notice what he says. He says, no servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You can't serve God and mammon. Now, what he means here primarily, and when he says mammon, is money. Now, that's the context in which he's talking about, but the truth is, you can't serve God and yourself at the same time. If you're just serving God just for money, you can't do that. In other words, if you are a servant to money and wealth, then you can't be a servant to God at the same time. You can talk it, but it's not true. Notice what he said, no servant, not some, most, almost, no servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, look at the contrast, hate and love, he says, or despise the other, and hold to the other. Now, the truth is, we cannot. You and I cannot serve ourselves and serve God at the same time. Now, let's look at it this way.

We can deceive ourselves. Any one of us can be deceived by our service. And so, when I think about that, I think about, okay, how would I know when I am deceiving myself and how do I know when I'm serving the Lord? Very simple. I'll know that I'm serving myself when I am more interested in pleasing people than I am pleasing God. That's not the way we serve the Lord. We serve the Lord based on commitment, devotion to Jesus. It's a matter of devotion. Who is this God whom I serve? Now, the last principle. Here's the last principle, I mentioned this to you before, but I'll make it as a principle today because it is so very important, this is the fifth and the last one. And that is, the fifth principle is that we realize when real ministry takes place. When does real ministry take place? Well, here's when it takes place. When, let's say this is God and his resources. When divine resources meet human needs through a loving channel, then ministry is taking place. Now watch this. Let's say that here's God and he sees you in your need. So what does he do? God doesn't send it down from heaven. You may need a word of encouragement or you may need something physically. He doesn't send it to you straight from heaven.

What does he do? God who sees your need also sees an available person over here. So what does God do? Seeing your need, he moves this person who's available. And what does that person do? They obey God and they become the channel and God works through that person to get to you and meet your need. So here's the beautiful triangle by which God operates. God, seeing your need, seeing an available servant, moves the servant and that servant is God's channel through which the needs are met. That's the way he operates. Now the wonderful thing about that is this. He could do it without us. Listen, do you understand that God has gifted us? He's graced us by putting us in the triangle. That is, he could send it from here to there. But he says, no, because I love you, here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna send it from me through you to them so that you have an opportunity of serving and acting God-like. You have an opportunity of building reward in heaven. You have an opportunity of having a sense of satisfaction that you're useful for God. So I'm gonna include you in the triangle. Now there are three things that are very essential to that. First of all, in this triangle, first of all, as the available vessel over here, there are three things that must be true of us. Number one is awareness. I must be aware that God is speaking to me, aware that there

is a need here. Secondly, I must be available. Just being aware is not sufficient. Being available says, Lord, I do recognize this need. And Father, what would you have me to do? And God says, here's what I want you to do. Availability. And the third is reliance, relying upon God within me to be able to be that channel by which that need is met. The question is, are you available? For God to use you, to meet human needs, whatever it is around you. And I'm going to tell you with all of my heart, listen, with all of my heart, I do not understand how anybody could say no to God, I don't understand that. This is the God who said, I've written your name in the Lamb's Book of Life. I am going to bring you home to heaven. When your breath, when your heart beats the last time, then I'm going to put you in a grave. Immediately, you're going to be in my presence, and I'm going to bless you for eternity. We're going to live together for eternity, and you're going to serve me forever. How can I tell that kind of a loving God who sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to bleed at the cross for me, and tell Him, no, I couldn't. And I don't believe you can with an honest heart.