Integrity in Service – April 11, 2021

Link to sermon on Facebook (coming soon)

Preached by Pastor Kunle Oladebo

1 Samuel 12:1-5 12 Now Samuel said to all Israel: “Indeed I have [a]heeded your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you. 2 And now here is the king, walking before you; and I am old and grayheaded, and look, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my childhood to this day. 3 Here I am. Witness against me before the Lord and before His anointed: Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eyes? I will restore it to you.”

4 And they said, “You have not cheated us or oppressed us, nor have you taken anything from any man’s hand.”

5 Then he said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.”

And they answered, “He is witness.”(NKJV)

1. Highlights
   • The life of Samuel was dedicated to service
   • Jesus also came to serve
     • Many called him Lord.  He did not exercise lordship but exercised humility and service
   • The Apostles were taught to serve
     • Matthew 20:25- 26 25 “But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.”(NKJV)
     • Served with humility and at the peril of their own lives
   • You are saved to serve
     • To serve humanity like Samuel, David, John, Peter, Paul
     • Titus 2:7 “7 And in all things show yourself to be an example of good works, with purity in doctrine [having the strictest regard for integrity and truth], dignified,” (AMP)
     • “You don’t need a position to serve; what you need is a platform to serve.”  – PKO
     • Sharing the good news, living by example, doing charity work, etc. in you church, community, home, etc.
   • Integrity in service means serving to meet the expectation of the Master
     • Employers set expectations for the employees to follow, if not they are fired.  If you meet expectation, you can receive appreciation.
     • Deuteronomy 10:12-13 “12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your [a]good?” (NKJV)
     • Partial obedience is disobedience
2. To Serve in Integrity, you must
   • Serve Willingly
     • Willfully carry out your role to meet the expectation of the Master
     • Surrender all to Him and live for Him only
     • Galatians 2:20 “ I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.“ (NKJV)
     • To do things as God expects them to be done
     • John 4:34 “Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.” (NKJV)
   • Serve Dutifully
     • To conscientiously and obediently fulfilling your duty rather than desire
     • Sense of duty not labor
     • Take it more than a job with passion
     • Zechariah (Luke 1:8-11) – Never allowed his need to suppress his sense of duty
     • John 5:17 “But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”” (NKJV)
     • Whatever you take as work will lack creativity.  Make things better than the last time you did it.