Serving God Willingly
An all-creatures Bible Message

Serving God Willingly
 
A Sermon Delivered to
The Compassion Internet Church
 
27 May 2018
 
Frank L. Hoffman, Pastor

Scripture References

Isaiah 6:1-8
John 3:1-10
Romans 8:12-17

Serving God willingly is what every true child of God should be doing naturally, but unfortunately most people who say they believe are really serving the devil and the corrupt ways of this world with all its violence and bloodshed that causes millions of humans and billions of other animals to suffer and die every year.
 
The easiest ways to discern whether or not people are serving God willingly is to observe what they are eating and wearing; if they are eating and wearing any animal by-products, we know that they are living in the ways of the world; if they look to others before making a decision, it is fairly obvious that their decision is not based upon the unction of the Holy Spirit.
 
We need to remember that in heaven there is no pain or mourning or death, so if here on earth we observe any human caused pain, suffering, or death being inflicted upon any other living being, whether human of other animal, it is not in the heavenly will of God, but from the corrupt and evil ways of this world.
 
In Isaiah 6:1-8, we have a look at what it really means to be serving God willingly…

1. In the year of King, Uzziah's death, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.

Isaiah dates these occurrences by stating a historical time such as Uzziah’s death which occurred 742 years before the current era, which most likely means that God wanted a spiritual change to occur in Israel, and He wanted Isaiah to be a part of it.

2. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
 
3. And one called out to another and said,
"Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts,
The whole earth is full of His glory."

We believe that Isaiah was shown this vision because of the importance of His message to Isaiah and Israel.

4. And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.

This could be quite startling, but God also works in much more subtle ways, and each and every one of us should recognize His presence in our lives just as Isaiah did some 2,760 years ago.

5. Then I said,
"Woe is me, for I am ruined!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I live among a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

I hope all of us would have similar feelings, for it shows the repentant spirit that Isaiah had.

6. Then one of the seraphim flew to me, with a burning coal in his hand which he had taken from the altar with tongs.
 
7. And he touched my mouth with it and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is forgiven."

And the Lord will do the same for us, if we are truly repentant, but this shouldn’t be a one way street; we need to respond to God’s desire for our lives.

8. Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
NASB

This is the kind of response we need to give when we are serving God willingly.
 
Sometimes people serve God because they believe that it is the thing to do, which is the theme of John 3:1-10, but they lack a true spiritual connection.

1. Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews;
 
2. this man came to Him by night, and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."

This is a very interesting account, because Nicodemus, who was a religious leader, seems to be afraid of being seen by people, so he comes to Jesus by night.
 
If we are true children of God who are serving God willingly, we would not be afraid of being seen by others, for we are to let our spiritual ministry shine forth in the world as it is in heaven; it should be a witness to the world of God’s heavenly will.
 
Listen to how Jesus responds to Nicodemus…

3. Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

In other words, unless we are spiritually born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, we cannot see spiritual things, or enter the heavenly kingdom following our physical death. 

4. Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?"

It is obvious from his answer that Nicodemus isn’t born again, and doesn’t understand.

5. Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Born of water is our natural birth, but born of the Spirit is our heavenly rebirth, which allows us to enter the kingdom of heaven following our physical death.

6. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

We can and should be spiritual beings even while in our physical bodies, that is, as long as we don’t block the Holy Spirit.
 
Think about something: if we are truly spiritual beings, won’t we want to live in the heavenly will of God, where there is no pain or mourning or death, and bring that peace to earth?
 
Of course we would, and a large part of this way of living is that we stop our warring madness against both humans and other animals and eat only the plant foods that God created for us to eat.
 
Living this way also helps free creation from its present corruption, which the Lord calls us to do as peacemaking children of God.
 
And this is serving God willingly.

7. "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'
 
8. "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

We may not be able to see our spiritual being as separated from our physical being, but we can sure see the results, just as we see the results of the wind.

9. Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"
 
10. Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not understand these things?
NASB

In a way, this is a dig against Nicodemus, but it is also a way of waking him up to become born again.
 
In Paul’s letter to the Romans, Romans 8:12-17, he is telling us that we should be serving God willingly…

12. So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh — 

This is the way that most of the people in the world are living.

13. for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

This is the way we should be living if we are serving God willingly.

14. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
 
15. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"
 
16. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
 
17. and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.
NASB

This doesn’t mean that we need to be physically crucified as Jesus was, but that we spiritually die to the corrupt and evil ways of this world with all its violence, bloodshed and death that are inflicted upon millions of humans and billions of animals every year.
 
As children of God, we should be serving God willingly, and doing everything in our power to help free creation from its present corruption.
 
Amen.

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