(70)
By Abraham Eli
This study was first taught on November 29, 2020
Topic: Serving the Lord
(use the audio to study)
Background
Last week, as we saw what is required of us if we are to be friends of Jesus.
1. We must agree with Him—we must be righteous, holy, and take up His will as ours while relinquishing ours.
2. We must walk with Him by faith/trust Him no matter what.
3. We cannot be friends with Him and the world at the same time. We must first be divorced from the world and have no desire for it afterwards.
4. We must be rid of every vestige of pride, arrogance, and boastfulness; humility is a chief attribute of a friend of Jesus.
5. We must consider His word as sacrosanct and not trifle with it. Once He speaks, we must reverentially carry out His instructions.
6. Being friends with Jesus will cost us everything—we must be prepared to pay the price, even if it is death!
7. Friendship with Jesus is a for-ever affair. And you don’t have to be a hermit or reclusive while being a friend of Jesus.
We concluded by noting that the Lord is not about religion but a relationship and that those who honour Him, He in turn honours, and will dwell with them no matter where they live—if you fulfil the conditions of friendship, He will come and be with you!
Also, we must not be under the wrong notion that friendship with Jesus is a panacea for temptation. Satan uses temptation to bring about a separation between us and the Lord; hence, we must guard against Satan’s ploys or wiles and overcome temptation at every turn.
Scripture Text(s)
Acts 4:7-16
The realization that Peter and John were close associates or friends of Jesus amazed the Sanhedrin, but it did not stop their opposition. However, seeing the man who had been made to walk standing there beside Peter and John, stopped the Sanhedrin in their tracks—it was undeniable and irrefutable proof of the power of God and a notable miracle indeed (the lame man was known to all that were in Jerusalem)! By the grace of God, our witness should produce such undeniable and irrefutable proof and notable miracles (<strong>John 9:8-25; 1 Timothy 1:13-15; Mark 16:20</strong>).
But there is something in <strong>v.14</strong> that can easily be glossed over, and this will be the subject of our discussion today. The man that was healed was now able to walk on his own and could have gone anywhere, but instead, he went to the trial of Peter and John and stood beside them!
The man started out <strong>sitting at the gate</strong>, then <strong>standing on his feet</strong>, and walked and leapt—<strong>singing in the temple</strong> and giving thanks to God! And for many people, this is where it all ends. But now, we find him before the Sanhedrin—the feared Jewish Council—standing with Peter and John. Note that he said nothing—he just stood there and that silenced the Sanhedrin! What this man did was …
We must go from sitting at the gate and move beyond singing in the temple, to serving the Lord. Serving the Lord is present continuous, which means that we serve from the moment we are saved till we leave this earth to be with the Lord—we never retire, but we may rest to re-fire afterwards. Serving the Lord means serving His purpose, not ours!
Luke 1:70-75; Acts 4:14; Luke 10:38-42; 13:6-7; 2 Timothy 4:16, 10, 17; John 21:18-19; 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; Matthew 24:45-47; John 15:16; Romans 12:1; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 8:1-5; Malachi 1:6-14; Ephesians 5:27; Joshua 24:14-24; John 4:21-24; Romans 12:6-21; Acts 20:18-24; 23:11; 2 Corinthians 8:7.
Conclusion
When the man that was healed by Peter and John through faith in the name of Jesus went to their trial that morning, he was serving the Lord, even as he stood by Peter and John as evidence of the good deed they had done. This shamed and silenced the Sanhedrin! His service was effective!
Whenever God asks you to go or stay somewhere, your obedience is a service to the Lord. And whatever He asks you to do that you do, is your act of worship unto Him. So,
 let us serve faithfully—in spirit and truth;
 let us serve fruitfully—productively and effectively;
 let us serve giving ourselves wholly unto the Lord—without spot or blemish, as a whole burnt offering;
 let us serve with humility—honouring and preferring others;
 let us serve with fervency and urgency—not being slothful nor procrastinating;
 let us serve not repaying evil for evil, but pursuing peace with all men and leaving vengeance to God;
 let us serve bearing each others burdens and grief; and
 let us serve enduring temptation, but rejoicing in persecution, for so they persecuted the prophets of old.
Finally, let us quit whining and wanting to know the end from the beginning before we obey God—that is a disservice to the Lord and an act contrary to faith—indeed, it is faithlessness!
 David had no inkling that he was about to begin his life’s journey when he went to bring back word about his brothers who were fighting in Israel (<strong>1 Samuel 17:17ff</strong>).
 Joseph did not know what would befall him when he obeyed his father and went out to bring back report about the welfare of his brothers (<strong>Genesis 37; 39ff</strong>).
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