1 1 It Pays To Serve The Lord

1 1 It Pays To Serve The Lord! Malachi 3: 13 -18 Don Mc. Clain W. 65 th St church of Christ / October 21, 2007

2 2 It Pays To Serve The Lord! Some Think It ‘Pays Better’ NOT To Serve God - (13 -15) Those Who Serve God Malachi 3: 13 -18 Don Mc. Clain 1) Have One another – (16) 2) Are Heard By God – (16) 3) Are Remembered By God – (16) 4) Are Precious In God’s sight. W. – 65 th(17 a) St church of Christ / October 21, 2007

3 3 It Pays To Serve The Lord! Some Think It ‘Pays Better’ NOT To Serve God Malachi 3: 13 -18 (NKJV) 13 "Your words have been harsh against Me, " Says the Lord, "Yet you say, 'What have we spoken against You? ' 14 You have said, 'It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, And that we have walked as mourners Before the Lord of hosts? 15 So now we call the proud blessed, For those who do wickedness are raised up; They even tempt God and go free. ' " Don Mc. Clain W. 65 th St church of Christ / October 21, 2007

4 4 It Pays To Serve The Lord! Some Think It ‘Pays Better’ NOT To Serve God (Verse 14) 1) Psalms 73: 12 (NKJV) Behold, these are 'It is the ungodly, Who useless to are always at ease; serve God; They increase in riches. What profit is it 2) The rich fool – Luke 12: 13 -21 that we have kept 3) The rich man & Lazarus – Luke His 16: 19 -25 ordinance, Don Mc. Clain W. 65 th St church of Christ / October 21, 2007

5 5 It Pays To Serve The Lord! Those Who Serve God Have One another – (16) 1) We Are Family – (Verse 16) Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, Don Mc. Clain (Mat 19: 29) 2) Worshipping Together Provides Encouragement & Edification – (Mat 18: 20; Heb 10: 24, 25) 3) Serving God Together Produces Strong Relationships – (Acts 4: 31 -33; Rom. 12: 10, 11; Ep 6: 21 -23) W. 65 th St church of Christ / October 21, 2007

6 6 It Pays To Serve The Lord! Those Who Serve God Are Heard By Him– (16) (Verse 16). . . And the Lord listened and heard them; Don Mc. Clain 1) “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. ” – (Psalms 34: 15) 2) “If anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. ” - (John 9: 31) 3) What about those who do not serve the Lord? (Is. 59: 1, 2, John 9: 31) W. 65 th St church of Christ / October 21, 2007

7 7 It Pays To Serve The Lord! Those Who Serve God Are Remembered - (16) 1) “God is not unjust to (Verse 16) forget your work and “So a book of labor of love” – (Heb remembrance 6: 10; was written 2) God will never leave or forsake those who serve before Him – (Heb 13: 5) For those who fear the 3) Even the smallest of deeds are remembered – Lord And (Mark 9: 41; Rev 22: 12) who meditate 4) Those who serve God on His know this – (Col 3: 24) name. ” Don Mc. Clain W. 65 th St church of Christ / October 21, 2007

8 8 It Pays To Serve The Lord! Those Who Serve God Are Precious To Him (17 a) 1) We have been purchased (Verse 17 a) with the blood of Christ – “"They shall be Mine, " 2) says the Lord of hosts, "On the day that I make them 3) My jewels. ” Don Mc. Clain (Acts 20: 28) Those who serve the Lord are indeed special to Him, since we are being conformed into the image of Jesus – (1 Pet 2: 9; Rom 8: 29) Those who are God’s purchased possession are guaranteed an inheritance – (Eph 1: 14) W. 65 th St church of Christ / October 21, 2007

9 9 It Pays To Serve The Lord! Those Who Serve God Are Saved - (17 b, 18) (Verse 17 b, 18) 1) Saved now in that we have been forgiven of And I will spare our past sins – (Mark them As a man 16: 16; Acts 2: 38; 1 Pet spares his own 3: 21; 1 John 1: 9) son who serves him. " 18 Then you 2) Saved eternally when we receive the shall again inheritance promised discern Between if we continue to serve the righteous and the Lord and are the wicked, faithful to Him – (Col Between one who 3: 24; John 14: 1 -4; Rev serves God And 2: 10; Ja 1: 12; 1 Pet 5: 4) one who does not Don Mc. Clain serve Him. W. 65 th St church of Christ / October 21, 2007

10 10 It Pays To Serve The Lord! Some Think It ‘Pays Better’ NOT To Serve God - (13 -15) Those Who Serve God Malachi 3: 13 -18 Don Mc. Clain 1) Have One another – (16) 2) Are Heard By God – (16) 3) Are Remembered By God – (16) 4) Are Precious In God’s sight. W. – 65 th(17 a) St church of Christ / October 21, 2007

11 11 It Pays To Serve The Lord! • The Lord Remembers Those Who Serve Him • The Lord Values Those Who Serve Him • The Lord Blesses Those Who Serve Him Malachi 3: 13 -18 • The Question Is – Don Mc. Clain W. 65 th St church of Christ / October 21, 2007

12 12 It Pays To Serve The Lord! Matthew 16: 24 -27 (NKJV) 24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Don Mc. Clain W. 65 th St church of Christ / October 21, 2007

13 Don Mc. Clain 13 W. 65 th St church of Christ / October 21, 2007