Pastoral Letters

Serve Your Lord Faithfully

January 7, 2018 Author:Rev (Dr) Andrew Tan
Jesus told a parable about a master giving to three servants five bags, two bags, and one bag of gold respectively. Each of these servants did something with the gold: the first and the second did some business and made 100% profit where they gained another five and two bags of gold respectively. The third, however, “dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money” (Matt 25:18), that is, he made zero profit. When the master returned, he praised the two servants: “Well done, good and faithful servant” (25:21, 23) and rewarded them: “Come and share your master’s happiness” (25:21, 23). The third was rebuked: “You wicked, lazy servant.” He was also punished: “And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (25:30).

As we dedicate ourselves to serve God today, we are promising before God that we will serve Him, and discharge our duties faithfully in the year 2018. Why must we be faithful? We serve the Lord because we are grateful to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for saving our souls. He died for us, and it is only reasonable that we live our lives for Him by serving Him. If somebody gives his kidney to you, you would do anything to repay kindness. Jesus gave us His life. How can we not love and serve Him when our Lord loves us so much?

The parable in Matt 25:14-30 provides another reason why we must serve Him. The faithful will be rewarded and the unfaithful will be punished. Dear child of God, whatever you have, your money, talents, resources, and your life are given by God. They belong to God. You are only stewards, that is, people who take care of God’s belongings. You are not the owner. Nothing belongs to you. And God expects you to use them to serve Him., to extend and strengthen His kingdom, and not your kingdom. If you use them simply to serve your own interests, you are stealing God’s belongings.

No, I am not saying that you cannot enjoy the good things in this life. The Bible encourages us to do so: “A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God” (Eccl 2:24). God is kind and fair: a worker should enjoy the fruits of his toil. But to fail to serve God is like a worker who not only draws a salary from the boss. Instead of working hard during office hours, he sleeps and plays computer games during office hours. It is a matter of time when the boss discovers the lazy employee and fires him.

Dear Christian, serving the Lord does not mean only doing something for Him on Sundays. True service requires you to give Him your heart and life: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you mind” (Matt 22:37). God expects nothing less. Jesus is either the Lord of all or none at all. Serving Him involves giving Him your all. True service requires you to make sacrifices for Him: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matt 16:24).

True service cannot stop at lip service. You will do something concrete. Come forward to serve Him in the church ministries. Give Him your best, and not the leftovers. But I urge you to do what the Lord desires most: save lost souls into His kingdom. You can also serve God by attending Tuesday church prayer meeting. Serve God by caring for needy people in this church. Dear Christian, if you are truly God’s child, you will serve your Saviour. May you love your Lord truly and wholeheartedly.