Elected To Serve

 Last Sunday’s sermon was preached by Pastor Harry on “Elected To Serve” (2 Timothy 2:1-10). The sermon and the whole service can be watched on our WIC YouTube Channel:

Dear Friends, when we look at all the strange developments

happening around us, and the sometimes bizarre ways in which

people behave, we might well ask ourselves: “what decides that

some people are saved, but others aren’t”? Because there are

many people around who do the most stupid things and say the

most foolish words, and they don’t even feel bad or ashamed

about it. The Bible has a simple explanation for this – but it’s one

that not many people accept. In fact, a lot of people hate it;

because they think they need to have a hand in their own

salvation.

The Bible tells us we’re all terrible sinners – we surely sin many

times a day, if we’re completely honest. And as we read our Bibles,

we learn that we’re helpless and can’t save ourselves. Only God

can save us. And because He’s a sovereign God, He does entirely as

He pleases. He takes people from many different backgrounds and

all walks of life: rich and poor, black and white, sick and healthy,

educated and uneducated, intelligent and a bit thick, young and

old, so-called “good” people and “bad” people – in a seemingly

arbitrary way, and saves them unconditionally, giving them the

gifts of repentance and faith. They’ll come to believe, in God’s

appointed time, and be saved.

This leads to our second question today: is there a difference

between a big sin and a little sin? Is there a difference between a

serial rapist or murderer, and a nice kind person? Again, some

people may be offended at the answer, because let me repeat that

the Bible says: “No, there is no difference – since both are lost in

their sins and heading for destruction, unless God steps in with His

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grace, and gives them repentance, and faith through Jesus Christ,

and forgiveness”. Without this, both the rapist and the nice kind

person will shout: “I’m innocent! I’ve done nothing wrong!” But

with God’s grace, they will both break down, and repent, and cry:

“Oh God! I’ve done such terrible things! I’m so ashamed! Lord,

have mercy on my soul, because I’m going to hell!” And God gives

them faith and forgiveness. But we can never force God’s hand.

We can only pray to our sovereign Lord: “Have mercy on this

person, Lord, and open his eyes – for he knows not what he does”.

And that’s a very good reason why we should never give up trying

to help a person to find Christ – because we simply don’t know

what their future will be. And when they are saved, they suddenly

realize that it’s never on the basis of their merits, or their will-

power, but entirely according to the grace of God. God chooses His

“elect”; and if you’re already walking with Jesus and displaying the

fruits of the Spirit, then you’ll realize how much He chose you, and

how much you have to be thankful for.

About 3 weeks ago I was requesting prayer for the man who

repairs my laptops and smartphones. He’d been suddenly taken to

hospital with an aorta which was leaking blood – that usually

results in death. The doctors told him afterwards that they’d had

little hope that he would survive. But he did survive – and a few

days ago I met him and his wife walking around. He said he was

feeling OK and so happy to be alive. He knew that I’d sent out

prayer requests to over 200 people receiving our newsletter, and it

was clear that a spiritual opening had taken place in him – so much

so that he wants to talk to me and Ania about it over coffee! God

in His sovereign grace seems to be awakening him in this particular

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way, at this particular time. It’s early days yet, but I do know that if

God is drawing him, then he’ll come to know Jesus.

Paul had the same attitude in his missionary and evangelism

efforts. He himself had been chosen, just like that, so he knew that

God chooses people – people do not choose themselves. Paul also

knew that God had chosen young Timothy to be his assistant; and

now he tells him to be strong in Christ, and to prepare others to

tell the world about Jesus. This means that God doesn’t just

choose His people – He chooses them to serve Him. We are elected

to serve.

Paul gives Timothy three examples of how people are to serve

God. Firstly, we’re to be like soldiers: always on duty; not

entangled in worldly affairs; and pleasing only our commanding

officer, Jesus Christ. Secondly, we’re to be like athletes: not just

the fastest runners, but also – interestingly enough – competing

according to the rules! And thirdly, we’re to be like hard-working

farmers: looking after the crops, and reaping the harvest. But Paul

warns Timothy to expect suffering: people will accuse you unjustly

and want to get rid of you. Your only consolation will be that

you’re faithfully proclaiming God’s word. If you do that, says Paul,

you’ll be fulfilling your calling to serve God, as a member of God’s

elect.

Have you heard of the phrase “Protestant work ethic”? It used to

be applied – and maybe still is – to people in mainly Protestant

countries: the UK, Scandinavia, most of the USA and Canada,

Australia, New Zealand, north and east Germany, Switzerland and

Holland. That’s because it was noticed that those countries were

developing much faster than Catholic and Orthodox countries.

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Even Catholic Poles still think of Protestant Germans as being

methodical, orderly, reliable etc. In such countries, so many people

believed that, because they were specially chosen by God, they

had to prove it in practice by their efforts and spiritual fruits – and

consequently the whole country moved rapidly forwards.

We know that God is waiting for His elect – His chosen ones who

know themselves to be saved – to participate in the work of

creating conditions for others to be saved. Romans 10:14-15 says:

“How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?

And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And

how can they preach unless they are sent?” That’s where you and I

come in. If I hadn’t previously spoken to my computer guy and his

wife about my faith, he wouldn’t be wanting to invite me for a

coffee now, after his close encounter with death.

Do you consider yourself saved? Then prove it! Don’t entangle

yourself in the world. Compete according to the rules. Don’t say

and do things that will call your morality into question. And share

your faith with others, in one form or another, and pray for them.

You could be surprised by the outcome of your efforts. May God

give us all grace to do this. Amen.