Plain Talk Vol.19, No.8, Pg.5 - Cedar Park Church of Christ

Vol. 19, No. 8	October, 1982
*USE YOUR BIBLE*

"AS SERVANTS CHRIST..." (Eph. 6:6)

I. THE SERVANT OF CHRIST IS ACTIVE ("doing")

A. Idleness and inactivity condemned

1. In the one-talent man (Matt. 25) 2. In the five foolish virgins (Matt. 25) 3. "not hearers only" (Jas. 1:22) 4. "faith apart from works is dead" (Jas. 2:26)

B. "Doing" encouraged

1. "Always abounding" (1 Cor. 15:58) 2. Demonstration of faith (Jas. 2:18) 3. "created in Christ Jesus unto good works" (Eph. 2:10), etc.

II. THE SERVANT OF CHRIST IS ACTIVE IN DOING THE WILL OF GOD

A. Much religious activity is not doing God's will 1. Demonstrated in denominationalism 2. Demonstrated in unauthorized "doings" in churches of Christ (distinguish between things men call "good works" and things that are authorized in God's will) 3. NO religious activity honors God if not authorized by God! (Lev. 10:1)

B. Note N.T. emphasis on this God-directed doing

1. Heaven is for those doing the will of the Father (Matt. 7:21) 2. Wise men hear and DO the Lord's words (Matt. 7:24-27) 3. To abound in the "work of the Lord" (1 Cor. 15:58), never in vain 4. "Be ye doers of the word" (Jas. 1:22)

III. THE SERVANT OF CHRIST DOES THE WILL OF GOD FROM THE HEART

A. Even doing right things is wrong when done with wrong attitude

1. When done to be seen of men, for example (Matt. 6) 2. As in case of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) 3. As in worship with inattentiveness (Jn. 4:24) 4. "not grudgingly, or of necessity" (2 Cor. 9:7) 5. It is not enough just to have the truth and go through the motions of doing it; must do right "from the heart"

B. Significance of serving "from the heart"

1. "Heart" here is from PSUCHE and is often rendered, "life", "soul" 2. Suggests the whole soul of man and all the faculties of it; serving whole-heartedly and without reservations of any sort 3. Basis of all acceptable service: "...whatsoever ye do, work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men..." (Col. 3:23) 4. When such a heart does not characterize our serving the Lord, we serve in vain.

Dan S. Shipley

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