Someone who serves puts the apron on round the waist; someone who sits down to be served puts the serviette under the chin. How do you come to church? Waiting to be served or prepared to serve? Do you rate the meeting, the sermon, the worshp according to your standards and discuss it critically with others on the way home? Do you walk into church with these words, 'where are we going to sit today?' or are you asking the Lord, 'whom do you want me to serve today?' Is the church a place of entertainment for you or a house of prayer? Is the reason why you go to a certain church because they have the best band or the most visiting speakers? Has God placed you in a body or are you merely a church goer? Are you in submission or do you manipulate others?
Listen to this sermonThe Servant
Andre Pelser
6/27/2006 3:47 AM

Paul often referred to himself as servant first before mentioning the fact that he was an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. He often mentioned that he was the least of all the apostles and described his unworthiness to be called an apostle because he persecuted the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. But the Grace of God was sufficient for him. He understood the intent of the Lord’s high call on his life and lived according to that understanding. As a result he influenced lives of men and women during his life time and for centuries to come, with his writings.
Many times, we feel unworthy to even be called the servant of the Lord. But when we realize that He chose us and we did not choose Him, it changes the picture! He is in charge and He will perfect that which concerns us. He will perfect us and present us faultless in the end to the Father of our Spirits.
In order to be confident in the service of the Lord we need to have a made up mind about our selection as His servants.

A collective noun for those chosen ones is ‘ekklesia’ that means ‘called out ones’. He called us out of the world of darkness into his glorious light that we might show people how to praise and worship the only true and living God. He enlightened the eyes of our understanding that we may know our calling, the riches of God invested in the saints and the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead that works mightily through us, the ones who believe on Him.

None of us deserves to be called or to be chosen, but because we have responded in faith to the call of God on our lives, we gather together as a body of believers and today He wants to give us assurance of our call, His presence and our ultimate success in whatever He has called us to do. We can be assured of the divine anointing that will enable us to accomplish our task in life and also be confident that we will have godly descendants! God is a God of generations!

Perhaps you are the first person in your family to surrender to the call of God on your life. Perhaps you are the first one that understands what it means to be chosen for the work of the ministry. Today you can gain divine assurance that God is placing His seal of approval on your call and on your life and that He will back you up all the way!

No matter what the enemy or other people have said about you; no matter what you feel about yourself; no matter how many times you have failed before, no matter how many times you have fallen down: today the Spirit of the Lord is here to pick you up and say to you that all is not lost: the victory is in sight! It is always darkest before the dawn: be ready! The Lord your God is about to reveal Himself to you in a new way. He is with you and promises never to leave nor forsake you! Be bold and strong, for the Lord your God is with you! The enemy is defeated by the fact that after he has dealt you his best shot, you still believe in Jesus Christ! It is by your faith in the Son of the Living God that you overcome this present evil world and all that is in it! Today I have come with a good message to announce your victory, your triumph in the Name of the Lord!
Here, in Isaiah we find several definite assurances that the Lord has made up His mind about His chosen servants.

Assurance of the divine call
Isaiah 41:8-16
8 But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. 9 Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. 12 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. 13 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. 14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. 15 Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. 16 Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.

Assurance of ultimate success
Isaiah 42:1-7
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. 4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
5 Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: 6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; 7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

Assurance of divine presence
Isaiah 43:1-7
But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. 4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. 5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; 6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; 7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

Assu