SERVE THE LORD WITH GLADNESS

Only the living can praise God. If a man is alive and sees no reason why he should praise God that person is a walking corpse already. May we not reduce our life to naira and kobo. If these are the reasons why a man will not thank God, then he has missed it.

Thus says the LORD on this day to us: “SERVE THE LORD WITH GLADNESS”

It is a privilege to be a Christian. One of the things Paul preached was that we should always thank the LORD. All the letters of Paul were introduced with THANKSGIVING. Man in his natural state is ungrateful. We always complain about what we don’t have but are blinded to what we have.

*MAN IN HIS NATURAL STATE IS VERY ARROGANT AND BLINDED TO THE REALITIES OF THE GOODNESS OF GOD

We pay for what we do not know. The more we know the less we pay for what we know. To be a Christian is an honour: to know God is the greatest privilege we can ever have.

THE GREATEST THING GOD DID FOR HUMANITY WAS TO RESCUE US FROM CONDEMNATION AND TO GIVE US PEACE

We ought to be grateful for the peace God has given us and if we will not be GRATEFUL, we will not see whatever we think we do not have. God says to us to serve Him with gladness because we are in a privileged position.

SATAN ENVIES US

IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO BE A CHRISTIAN

Actually, Satan is very envious of us. He’s regretting what he did but just that he cannot reverse it. Satan is envious that you are a Christian, and that he lost grip over your soul, therefore, “SERVE THE LORD WITH GLADNESS”. If we didn’t have such an opportunity, then we can be excused, but we cannot have such an opportunity then throw it away. To be a Christian is not a burden but a privilege. Nothing can be more honourable than being rescued from eternal condemnation.

DON’T REDUCE THE VALUE OF YOUR LIFE TO THINGS. THE VALUE OF YOUR LIFE IS WORTH THE BLOOD OF JESUS

If we won’t serve God, we will serve Satan. Anything we do not handle carefully we will lose carelessly. It is folly to be in honour and not to know. When we serve the LORD with gladness we will never need any motivation to do what we ought to do for God.

Psalm 49:12,20, Psalm 100:2, Acts 2:41-42, Psalm 107:21-22

Serve the Lord with Gladness; serve Him as one who has an understanding that it is a privilege to serve God. The fruit that those who received the LORD served God with gladness was that they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in breaking of bread, and in prayers. None of them was forced or coaxed but served God gladly.

TO BE GRATEFUL IS A CHOICE

What we do with whatever God has given to us shows to us whether we are grateful to God or not. We must thank God with a sacrifice. It is not a sacrifice if it does not place a demand on us. The first thing God looks at first when it comes to thanksgiving is the HEART. The heart must be grateful. Thanksgiving must be offered joyfully in dance and in singing. Our dance, our singing, our substance is all part of the sacrifice (Hebrews 13:15, 1Peter 2:5,9)

OUR OBEDIENCE IS PART OF SACRIFICING TO GOD

Let's be deliberate about thanking the LORD. Make it an eternal commitment!