3 Ways to Serve God

Hebrews 12:28-29 “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: vs 29 for our God is a consuming fire.”
 
1.   Acceptably
 
There is a way that God desires to be served, worshipped and loved. As God’s servants under the new covenant of grace, we should seek diligently what is acceptable unto the Lord, and not take His grace for granted.
 
Tozer once said “To great sections of the church, the art of worship has been lost entirely and in its place has come that strange and foreign thing called the ‘program’.” 
 
Some churches today are searching for what works to better serve God rather than searching the Word to see what God approves of for his service.
 
Ephesians 5:10 “Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.”
 
Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
 
2.   With Reverence
 
Hebrews 12:28-29 “… let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear…”
 
To serve God “with reverence” simply means to have the utmost respect towards God, to have a Holy respect. John the Baptist was a great example.
 
Luke 3:16 “John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:”
 
To unloose the sandal strap was the lowliest servant’s task. John the Baptist realized that he was not worthy to take off the shoes of Jesus let alone to have the privilege to wash His feet. Though John had a correct outlook he still served God by submitting to the will of the Father which also demonstrates reverence.
 
To serve God “with reverence” is to have a humble walk with God. Notice what Micah mentions:
 
Micah 6:8 “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
 
“True humility is thinking rightly of thyself, not meanly. When you have found out what you really are, you will be humble, for you are nothing to boast of. To be humble will make you safe. To be humble will make you happy. To be humble will make music in your heart when you go to bed. To be humble here will make you wake up in the likeness of your Master by and by.” (Spurgeon)
 
Before anyone has the desire to serve God almighty they must have a humble walk with Him. Walking with God is the foundation of what we are as Christians. Our walk with God will help us serve Him acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

3.   Godly fear
 
Hebrews 12:28-29 “… let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear…”
 
To have “godly fear” is to be super sensitive to the things of God and to His ways.
 
To have “godly fear” means we cannot be indifferent to what God requires of us. Noah was a perfect example, the Bible states in Hebrew 11:7 “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”
 
To have “godly fear” means to respond to God’s instructions.
 
Conclusion
 
There are two motivations that will help us serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear; notice the first:
Hebrews 12:28, “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved…”
 
       1.  What we have secured in Christ.

To be part of God’s eternal Kingdom – a promise that is fulfilled in Christ – is something to certainly look forward to. Christ is our blessed hope and our labour – in Christ and for Christ – is not in vain.

       2.  Who we see in Christ.
 
Hebrews 12:29 “For our God is a consuming fire.”
 
A man of God said “Grace gives us no license to forget God’s holiness. He is our Father, but He is also a consuming fire. In the Old Testament, God put distance between the sacred Ark of the Covenant and the rank and file of the people even when the camp was on the march. The distance has now been removed, but the burning holiness remains.”

It is absolutely amazing to know that Christ is our friend, but He is also our God and God ought to be obeyed.