BE WILLING TO DRAW THE SHORT STRAW

Matthew 16:25 – “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

John 10:10 – “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

• What kind of things are you in to?
• When people ask things of you, do you feel like you are losing something
  • Money
  • Freedom
  • Time

We must develop a desire to serve.

• 1 Peter 4:10 – “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”
  • You’ve received the gift of the Holy Ghost of God, so minister!
• Acts 20:35 – “I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
  • Jesus himself SHOWED what to do, meaning HE did it himself, the same things HE preached about!

We must stop looking for a return on our investment.

• You will never receive sufficiently or long lasting from the world.
• The goods are corrupt and subject to decay.
  • Matthew 6:19 – “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:”
• Instead, the bible teaches to store our treasures in Heaven and how to do it.
  • Matthew 6:20-21 – “²⁰But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: ²¹For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
  • James 1:12 – “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”
  • Hebrews 6:10 – “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”
• I dare say, never expect to be paid back unless its of the unsavory kind. Because the expectation in man removes from the promise of God.
  • Psalm 118:8 – “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”
  • 2 Corinthians 9:7 – “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

We must be willing to sacrifice it all!

• Hebrews 13:15-16 – “¹⁵By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. ¹⁶But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
• John 15:13 – “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”