Integrity in Service (Part 2) – April 18, 2021

Link to Facebook Sermon

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. Serve Diligently
   • Diligence: determination and careful effort
   • To work hard in a careful, thoughtful and thorough way
   • To value highly and take delight in that service
   • Not distracted by things that happen in the place of service
   • They are ready to learn new things; put in effort in everything to make it right
   • Proverbs 12:24a “The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: “(KJV)
   • God rewards diligence
   • When you want to get reward for your service, serve diligently
   • Hebrews 11:6 “ But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (KJV)
     • Jeroboam was an industrious man, and Solomon recognized his diligence and promoted him
     • 1 Kings 11:28 “Jeroboam was an able young man, and when Solomon noticed how hard he worked, he put him in charge of all the forced labor in the territory of the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim.” (GNT)
     • Jeroboam got 10 kingdoms, Rehoboam got 2
     • 2 John 12:18 (NLT)
     • God does not call the indolent people.  He calls the diligent and equips them for higher service.
     • David was diligently working when the prophet came to call and anoint him
     • Elisha was in the field working when Elijah put his mantle on him; he was a farmer, not a son of a prophet
     • Peter had worked all night and when the time came, he took over from Jesus
     • How are you serving?
     • Joseph:  it’s not about dreaming alone.  You need some field and perseverance experience. Potiphar’s wife; Management experience; prison – contentment experience
     • Diligent person does things efficiently and takes care of little details
2. Serve Skillfully
   • Have something you are bringing to the table
   • Joseph had the skill of interpreting skills
   • David was a skillful harp player when he went before Saul
   • Nebuchadnezzar want people with skills in different areas
   • When you go somewhere with skills and refuse to improve your skills, people will come from behind you and go ahead of you.
   • If you sharpen you skill, you will become more efficient
   • Ecclesiastes 10:10 “If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.” (KJV)
   • Sharpen you skills, and creativity will emerge.
3. Serve Sacrificially 
   • Every sacrifice comes at a cost
   • Salvation is a sacrifice that cost God the life of His only Son
   • 1 Corinthians 9:16 “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” (KJV)
   • Hebrews 6:10 “For God is not unrighteous to forget or overlook your labor and the love which you have shown for His name’s sake in ministering to the needs of the saints (His own consecrated people), as you still do.”(AMPC)
   • God does not owe any man.  He does not forget your sacrifices
4. Serve Faithfully
   • Serve with a purpose of your calling (in you area)
   • When people see that your serve them faithfully, they will serve you loyally
   • 2 Samuel 23 – mighty men of David

May God give us the grace to serve.  Ask Him.