2 Corinthians 5: 14-15, 1 John 4:19
In the Kingdom of God, we must understand what drives us. If the drive is not clear, our service may not be authentic or accurate.
We are ruled, compelled, constrained and controlled by the love of Christ. The driving force for our service to God in the kingdom is energised by the love of Christ.
We have come to a conclusion, judgement, a point where everyone must accept and believe else we’d function wrongly and our service may not be authentic…that if one died then he died for all and those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died.
Any moment a believer comes to this understanding that he died that we may live, then, we are not to live any longer for ourselves but for him who died for us and rose again.
On this premise we have an understanding that whatever we do must be driven, fueled and controlled by the fact that he died that we may live.
1 John 4:19
A believer’s love is a response to the love of Christ. Therefore, what motivates and drives us is the love of Christ because he first loved us by sending his son to die for us.
We can’t boast about our love for God but his love for us instead. We cannot talk about our love for God. God’s love for us is very fundamental. Our love for God can fluctuate, it can be determined by factors around us. However, there is one love that is constant, it does not change. Hence, we cannot doubt his love because it was demonstrated and manifested through Jesus.
It is very important that we come to a point where our boasting should not come from what we can offer God as love but rather it should be from the standpoint that while we were yet sinners and did not know what grace meant, Christ loved us and he died for us. The principal thing is the love of God. Our love is a response to his love, therefore, we live for him who died for us. His love is what compels and fuels our passion and commitment.
Whatever we do for God and is not centred around this, may not be an authentic service.
Fundamentally, our KINGDOM SERVICE is a RESPONSE TO THE LOVE, SACRIFICE AND SALVATION we enjoy through Christ.
If we have a sound understanding of what Jesus did for us, we can go any length for God. If we understand what Jesus did to get humanity saved, then we should be bold to say we will live for him. That is what is meant to motivate us. It is the fundamentals of anything we do around God’s service.
When we talk about the sacrifice of God, then we will be able to carry out the right service for God. The principal thing is the love of God.
Paul said we no longer live for ourselves. We live for Him who died and rose again. That is the understanding of what and how I serve in the Kingdom. Anything we do and whatever we do, we should come to that point that we are debtors of His love.
The only way is we no longer live for ourselves but for Him. Whatever is the basis of what we do for God is basically the response to the love of God.
This is because one day our love for God may go down. What should hold on to is that He has loved us first. This is why we must be bold about His love for us. Not knowing this has rendered so many offended in God because they were capitalising on God’s love. There are people that get offended in God. They felt that they were disappointed in God.
If we do not want to get offended in God, then we should settle it in our heart that He has loved us first. We cannot catch up on His love for us. Our sacrifice and service to God can never match what He has done. When we come to this point we cannot prove anything to God. There is no attempt to prove anything to God.
Paul said we are compelled. It is the love of God that compels us. It is the love that fuels our passion. This is why we should never get to a point that we are tired. If it is the love of the Father that motivates us we will never grow weary.
In serving in our local church and in whatever capacity, no matter how big or small it is, we should always do it with love and laughter.
With an understanding of the sacrifice and the ransom He has paid we remain a debtor of His grace. We are debtors for the sacrifice of His grace. We can no longer live for ourselves. That is our motivation. That’s what fuels our passion. We will constantly have our gaze on Him. We owe Him our lives. Let the Lord take our gold, silver and life. It is no longer ours. Our life is his. It is a fundamental understanding. It is now our responsibility to teach and show who has not known the love of the Father.
We must no longer live to ourselves. We must come to that place that our service is in the Kingdom of God. We must come to that place where we can boldly say this is my conclusion of the matter. So we know that we can’t live a self absorbed life, a self centred life, rather we should live our lives for the one that loves us. Whatever service that is outside this is not an authentic service. He that calls is faithful. God should be our motivation and not gold in our service to God. That’s the reason why nobody should offend you in your service to God. You should come to a place where you understand the recklessness of the love of God. If we are truthful to ourselves we can tell that our love for God is conditional, based on the doings of God. That kind of love can be shaken.
In John 4 the Bible speaks about Jesus getting tired at a point a mind overwhelmed. If Jesus can be tired, then you can get tired as well. You can get exhausted.
In John 4:29-30 Jesus said that his nourishment is derived from doing the work of the father. So, regardless of the fact that he was tired he got energy to speak with the woman by the well.
He had an understanding that his life doesn’t belong to Him; tiredness jumped out of the window; He rose up to the task.
Such is the fuelling system of a believer; “coming to the point of realising the love of God”.
His love compels us; His love is our motivation.
So you can say KINGDOM SERVICE IS THE PROOF OF OUR DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT and there cannot be genuine and accurate dedication to the things of the kingdom if the first one (understanding) is missing. You need to have a clear understanding of the fuelling system.
If you’re thinking that when you give something then God will bless you of course He will but you will soon get frustrated; you will get tired one day.
The fuelling system was Jesus understanding that this life doesn’t belong to Him.
If you don’t have a good fuel system for your journey and life comes for you; you’ll get weary of the journey.
Jesus’s driving force was to do the will of God hence what we do to deal with life is to understand his fuelling system and our fuelling system is that we’ve come to know that something drives us, motivates us and that He died for us.
Consequently, Kingdom service is a proof of commitment and dedication.
From the book of John 3: 17 we are made to understand that whatever Jesus did in the process of going to the cross, is a virtue of Him understanding the assignment before Him, so He poured His life into it.
So when you see a man that is dedicated and committed, it is a proof of his understanding that our KINGDOM SERVICE IS OUR RESPONSE TO JESUS’ LOVE THEN IT IS SHOWN IN DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT.
Jesus showed that template of dedication and commitment.
You need to grow past somebody needing to motivate you for anything. You need to get to a point where nobody can cajole you again. In your Christian journey, get to a point where nobody can cajole you, get to a point where you already have a verdict you are holding. You should have a revelation and understanding.
I’m a life laid on the altar. I am an offering in the basket already. I no longer live for myself; I live for him.
When you are laid before the Lord as a sacrifice, what else is difficult to lay down for God?
That was what Paul was saying “We no longer live for ourselves, we live for him. I can’t debate about life anymore. I am an offering to God.
Let’s stop being cajoled. It is voluntary to follow Jesus. There is a dimension of “voluntariness” in discipleship.
Can you come to a point where your service to the kingdom is not about because you love God but because he loved us? We are captured by his love. When nobody can cajole or force you, it will be difficult for you to get tired/worn out in serving the Lord. It will be difficult to get to a point where you are frustrated and offended by God.
Whenever you see yourself in kingdom service, you should count it as a privilege. Nobody can cause God or his purpose to be stranded. For God to be stranded, he will change vessels, he will raise men, he will get an alternative instead.