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Amen, so I'm gonna preach a sermon this morning right out of verse, just the first couple verses there in Romans chapter 12 where he says in Romans chapter 12 verse one, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. That's where I get the title this morning, is your reasonable service. So what's great about this chapter two, if you notice, is he kinda gives you a list of things there at the end too that seem pretty reasonable, right? He goes on and says in verse 10, be affectionately kinded, excuse me, being kindly affectionate one to another with brotherly love and honor preferring one before another, not slothful in business. He goes on and just gives us all of these really practical, just down to earth things that you kinda just assume we would all do, but they're the type of things that often we have to be reminded of to not avenge ourselves, not recompense evil, to be of the same mind, to bless them which persecute us, and that's probably one that we have to maybe try to remind ourselves of more often, to be rejoicing, distributing the necessity of the saints. So these are all responsibilities, and that's really what I'm preaching about this morning is just responsibilities. These are all responsibilities, but also they're very reasonable, aren't they? He says this is your reasonable service. What God asks of us is not above and beyond. It's not something that's going to stretch us beyond our limits. Obviously, it's gonna make us strive. We're gonna have to work at things. But what God asks things of us, when he gives us these responsibilities, they're not unattainable, and they're very reasonable. The service that God asks us to perform is a reasonable service. We oughta make sure that we are doing it. So he goes on and says in verse two, and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove it as that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. So he's saying, hey, the will of God is good, it's acceptable, and it's perfect. It's reasonable, it's a reasonable service that God has given unto us. Now, keep something in Romans chapter 12. We're gonna be back and forth a couple times this morning, but go to 1 Timothy chapter number five, 1 Timothy chapter number five, and we'll just look at some of the more reasonable things that God expects of us. You know, this is one thing I love about the Bible. It's one thing I love about the Lord, is that obviously it's a very profound thing to be a child of God. You know, behold what manner of love God hath given unto us that we should be called the sons of God. It's a very profound thing to be a child of God. It's a very profound thing to be, as it says in 2 Corinthians five, to have the ministry of reconciliation imparted unto us. I'm kind of paraphrasing there, but to be the ambassadors for Christ in the world. That's a very profound thing. You know, and sometimes when we think about that, we might get a little mystifying. We might not exactly understand what it means to be a servant of God, what it means to serve God in this world. Well, actually it's very reasonable. It's very down to earth things, despite the fact that we have this very profound standing in Christ, what God expects of us in this world is actually pretty reasonable. The Bible says in 1 John chapter number five, this is the love of God that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous. You know, God's commandments are not grievous to be born, they're not difficult, they're not, well, they are difficult, they can be hard, but they're not things that should grieve us. We shouldn't, you know, go through our Christian life, you know, kind of just begrudgingly. You know, just kind of forcing ourselves through it, and just treating it like it's some kind of just, you know, gauntlet that we have to run through where it's just torture to serve God. You know, God's service is a reasonable service. And I want to point out in 1 John chapter number five, he says this is the love of God that we keep his commandments, meaning God's commandments. The love of God is that we keep God's commandments, I want to emphasize his commandments, okay? Because sometimes I think people, they can dismiss things in the Christian life, they can just say, well, that's for somebody else and not for me, because they hear it coming out of my mouth. Because they think, well, that's just what they preach down there, that's just what the deacon says, that's just what the preacher, the pastor, whatever gets up and preaches that, you know, that's just his take on it or whatever, or that's just what he expects. No, the things that we preach, you know, are grounded and rooted in the word of God, you know, we're preaching the counsel of God. And again, this is why I'm careful to make sure that the things we preach and the standards that we set are biblical, because then, you know, if people want to buck that, if they want to go against that, you know, they're bucking God, not me. They're going against the reasonable service that God expects of us. So these are God's commandments, and his commandments are not grievous. These are God-given things. This reasonable service is something that God has bestowed upon us. It's not, you know, pastor-prescribed, okay? Because it's really easy to dismiss a man, it's really easy to just dismiss a pastor, it's really easy to just dismiss the one who's getting up and delivering the message. That's why it's important to have, to be reminded that these are God's commandments, these are his commandments. They're not grievous. So again, God's reasonable service, you know, is us basically just taking on the responsibilities that he's given us. You know, God has given us certain responsibilities in this life, and they're, you know, not that, they're not these profound things. They're actually very down-to-earth, very simple things that we have our, you know, an obligation to perform. And that's what it means to be responsible, right? You are obligated to perform a certain task. You know, if you're given responsibilities at work, you know, it's expected of you that you're going to complete that task. That's your responsibility, that's your reasonable service. You're gonna be held, and it also means that if you're responsible for something, if it doesn't get done, you're the one who's gonna be held accountable. You know, you're the one who's gonna be blamed for something not being done, okay? Again, that's, again, why it's so important to emphasize that these are God's commandments, and to not write these things off, to understand that, you know, the things that we preach and believe are from the word of God, they're His responsibilities that have been laid upon us, because if we just write those off, if we just dismiss that, we will be held accountable, meaning you, meaning those of us that would dismiss God's commandments, that we would be negligent in performing our reasonable service, you know, we will be held accountable for that, in this life and in the next. You know, God's not gonna bless us if we're just, you know, writing off His commandments, not fulfilling our duties, not doing what we're supposed to do, you know, God's going to not just, you know, ignore that in our lives, God's gonna take notice of that and work in our lives. So we have these responsibilities, we have these duties that we have to perform, we have these things that we're accountable for, and also, you know, you need to look at it this way, because sometimes people, when responsibility is put upon them, you know, they can get an attitude of just like, oh, why do I have to do that, right? And hopefully by the end of the sermon, I'll kind of dispel that attitude, that, you know, having a responsibility put upon you is actually a very good thing. You know, having responsibilities put upon you are, is really just an opportunity for you to perform. It's an opportunity for you to act independently, right? Isn't that what teenagers all want? They want to be treated like adults, they want to be, they want to, you know, have the status of an adult. You know what, you know what imparts that status is when you act responsibly, when you are the one who is, you know, performing the reasonable service that is expected of all adults. You know, that's how we would define adulthood. That's how we would say, hey, what makes a mature person when they have the ability to act responsibly and maturely and do the things that they're supposed to do? So really, you know, having responsibilities put out there, it's an opportunity. It's an opportunity to prove, yes, I am that adult. Yes, I am that grown up. Yes, I am that, you know, spiritually mature Christian. Yes, I have grown in the faith. Yes, I have taken on these things. That's what responsibility is. That's what a reasonable service is. It's not just duty. It's not just things that are put upon us, you know, and we have to just perform out of, you know, begrudgingly. It's an opportunity. That's how you have to see it. That's how you have to look at this reasonable service that's given unto us as an opportunity to act, to make decisions, and to live up to that. And isn't it kind of ironic today, you know, so many people are going through life today just with no sense of meaning, no sense of purpose. And a lot of times, those same people are the people that are just not taking on responsibilities. They're the ones that, you know, don't wanna follow through. They're the ones that don't wanna go out and get the job. They don't wanna raise the family. They don't, you know, whatever it is, they don't want to perform the things that are expected of us by God and society, and yet they're the ones that seem to kind of languish and flounder through life and kind of are depressed and just disappointed and unfulfilled are the people that have skirted responsibility, because responsibility is not just an opportunity to prove yourself, but it's also an opportunity for you to find some self-worth and to feel valued and to feel like you're contributing something, you know, beyond just, you know, acting irresponsibly, however that manifests in your life, okay? So responsibility, it's an opportunity. It's something that is a reasonable service that God expects of us, and it's something that we should all seek to take on in our lives, to take on more responsibilities, okay? Because your responsibility, it's a duty in life. We all have duties to perform in life. If you would, in 1 Timothy 5, look at verse 8, and these, again, very practical, down to earth. But if any provide not for his own, especially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel, right? Bible says that we should labor with our own hands. The Bible says that we should provide for our own, okay, and especially for they of our own house. And if any provide not for his own, especially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel. Obviously, that's a very just practical, down to earth service, reasonable service. Get a job and go to work. That's really what he's saying here. Provide for your own. You know, and if it's just you, well, then, you know, you don't have to worry about, you know, as long as you're providing for you, you got that base covered, right? But if it's you and a spouse, if it's you and children, obviously, the greater that responsibility is. We have to, again, provide for our own, especially those of his own house, and it denied the faith and is worse than an infidel. And again, it goes back to, you know, you could look at that and say, oh, you know, having kids, getting married, what a drag. I don't wanna do that, I don't wanna lose all my freedom. You know, freedom to do what? I don't know. You know, freedom to just what? Be irresponsible, basically. Obviously, it's a lot of hard work, it's a lot of difficulty to provide for a family, but also, again, it's an opportunity to derive some self-worth. You know, it's a great, you know, and men have a need to provide, to be those providers, to be respected, to be valued. Listen, the people that are gonna respect and value the most are the people that are relying upon you. Having a wife, having a family, providing for them, that, yes, it's a lot of responsibility that we're commanded to perform, but also, it's a great opportunity for us to develop that self-worth and develop a sense of belonging and get the respect that we as men need. That's what men need. Men need to be respected. That's just kind of built into our biology. You know, we wanna feel valued, we wanna feel dependent upon, we wanna be providers. That's just ingrained in us. Look at verse 14. I will, therefore, that the younger women marry bare children, guide the house, give none occasion for the adversary to speak reproachfully. You know, so that's a responsibility, that's a reasonable service, by the way, that is being placed upon young women to marry, to bear children, and to guide the house. You know, but that's, of course, completely counter to everything that young women are being instructed in today. They're being told, you know, go be a marine biologist, be a lawyer, be a mayor, be a senator, have a career, whatever. They're saying, put off having a home, put off having children, don't do it at all, just provide for yourself, don't rely on a man. It's completely countercultural, right? It's counter to the scripture. But this is the reasonable service that God prescribes. And again, you could take issue with me, you can get mad at me, you can get upset with me for preaching it, and write me off, but did I write the Bible? You know, no way. I couldn't write anything anywhere near as good as this. Right, it takes the Holy Ghost to write something this good. It takes inspiration, these are God's words, okay? God is the one that's saying, men, get to work, provide for your own. Young ladies, marry, bear children, guide the house. You know, that's God's will concerning you, young men and young women. That's what it means to be a responsible person. This is a reasonable service. Goes on again in verse 16, if any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged. I mean, relieve them that are widows indeed. So there again, there's this just very practical, reasonable service that's put upon us concerning widows that we should be taking care of our parents in their old age, when they can no longer work for themselves, to take them in in their, you know, their sunset years, whatever you call it, and see them off comfortably in this life to provide for them, okay, to honor our parents. Verse 17, let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine. So it's a very reasonable thing that the elders, you know, the preachers, the pastors would be people that labor in the word and doctrine. So, you know, that's just kind of self applying there. But again, responsibility, you know, having a reasonable service, it's a duty in life. It's something that we're supposed to be doing. And I want to kind of just dispel this idea that having less responsibility, doing less, not performing these things is somehow going to lead to you being happy, because it's not. One, I don't know that, you know, pursuing happiness should be the end goal of your life. Okay, that's because happiness is a fleeting thing. Happiness comes and goes. You know, it always kind of boggled my mind when they put that in there, you know, the pursuit of happiness, like what does that even mean? Pursuit of an emotion, a pursuit of a feeling. Pursuit of contentment, I could get behind that. But, you know, this idea that if I, the less responsibility I have, the less I have to do in life, the happier I'll be, that's actually, it's actually the opposite. The more responsibility you take on, the more that you do, the more that you live up to your reasonable service, the more of a happier, contented, and satisfied person you will be, okay? You know, paradise is not this state of uselessness. Okay, if we go back to Genesis, right, because we think about Genesis, the garden before sin, when man is put in the garden and woman is created, and everything, and the Bible says that God looked upon all of it and what, and saw that it was good. Right, it was paradise. But, you know, what also, what were they doing there? Were they just kind of swinging in the breeze in a hammock and just kind of taking it easy and not doing anything? You know, from the, even in paradise, before sin had even entered the world, when everything was perfect, God had put man in the garden to dress it and to keep it, even in the very beginning. And that wasn't part of the curse, that came later. The curse came later when he said, hey, you know, now it's not gonna yield its fruit on thee. You know, thorns and thistles shall it bring forth unto thee. You know, and in the sweat of thy face, shalt thou labor, shalt thou eat bread, you know, until thou return unto the dust. Okay, he's saying, look, you're gonna, you're gonna work and it's not gonna be as nice as it was, but again, the curse, that's part of the curse. Working is not a curse. You know, going out and laboring, dressing and keeping the garden for Adam, that was paradise. You know, that just tells me that there's something in man that needs to work, that needs to go out there and work by the sweat of his brow. And you know, that's, and I'll be honest, you know, that's something I've kind of struggled with after becoming, you know, the deacon here. You know, now that my, because, you know, up until five years ago, that's how I earned my bread, you know, was with these hands, you know, going out there and working in the field, driving a service truck, working on all kinds of different, I had all kind of different, you know, manual labor jobs of the year. And then all of a sudden, you know, put in this position where it's all very above the shoulders it's all very cerebral, it's all very, you know, more of a thinking, you know, job. It's just something you have to put a lot more time just sitting in front of a computer screen or typing or writing. Obviously there's different physical duties. I, you know, that's why I don't have volunteers to clean the building, because I actually enjoy that. And as crazy as that sounds, I like coming down here and mopping and sweeping and dusting and everything else that, you know, taking the trash out. I like doing that stuff because that's what I'm used to, you know, because there's just, and I'm not trying to say one's better than the other. You know, if you have a white collar or a blue collar job, they're both honorable professions as long as you're working hard and doing what you need to do but, you know, it just goes, my point is this, is that, you know, it's just put in us as man, it's just put into us even from the beginning before the curse even that we want our man to do something. You know, that's why we have that need, that desire to want to work and to do things. You know, that oughta be there. And look, the most miserable men in the world are the men that aren't doing anything. You think, oh, if I could just sit around and, you know, take bong hits and play video games all day, that my life would be great. But you know what, those are some of the most miserable people in the world, aren't they? They're some of the weakest, most miserable people are the people that aren't doing what they're made to do, to go out and work hard and take on responsibilities. God has designed us as men and women, obviously, to work hard and to take on responsibility. You know, God took man and put him in the garden to dress it and to keep it, that's before the fall. So this, you know, this idea of paradise being just where we don't do anything is a false reality. Even in Revelation, you say, well, heaven, heaven's gonna be like that, eh, wrong again. Heaven is work, that's why that song, we'll work till Jesus comes, it's kind of a false doctrine. I get it, I'm not trying to pick on that song, I love that song, you know. We'll work till Jesus comes, and then the next verse should be, and then we'll work some more, because that's what heaven is. Obviously, it's probably not gonna be, the streets are paved with gold there, maybe it'll be cool to be in road work at that point, I don't know, maybe it'll take on a different, you know, you'll be more appreciative, I don't know. Maybe you'll wanna get into that kind of work when you're in heaven, I don't know. There probably won't be a need for that. You know, Christ is making the mansions for us, I don't know if there's gonna be any construction trades or anything like that. You know, but we're gonna work when we get there, right. And the Bible says that he has made us unto God, unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth. You know, reigning in the sense of managing, overseeing things, you know, that's something that's gonna happen. That's something that's gonna be given unto certain individuals to work. There'll be the worship of God in the temple, and in his throne, there's gonna be the worship of God in heaven, there's gonna be, I believe, responsibilities throughout all eternity that are given, are granted unto us. They're gonna be things that we're gonna be wanting to do, right, being a doorkeeper in the house of our God, or whatever it might be, okay. I don't wanna take a lot of time to go into all that, but let me just go ahead and tell you right now that heaven is not some socialist commune. We're all just gonna live and be equal, and we're all just gonna have the same thing, and we're just gonna not do anything. That's not heaven, okay. The Bible says in Daniel that they that shall be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever. Okay, talking about the resurrection, that there's going to be those that are wise shall shine as the stars forever. Now if you just go out and look at the stars, you'll notice that some stars are brighter than others, right, meaning I believe the Bible teaches that some of us are going to outshine others based upon the works that we've done here. That's why if you would go over to Luke chapter 19, you have these parables where some people are given more responsibility than other people. In Luke chapter number 19, just begin reading there in verse number 11. And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear, he said therefore, certain noblemen went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and called to return. And he called his 10 servants and delivered them 10 pounds and said unto them, Occupy till I come. So you can see the obvious, you know, parallel with what Christ has done now. He has come and he's called his servants and now he's gone into his far country and will return and in the meantime tells us to occupy, to stay occupied, to stay busy, occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him and he sent a message after him saying we will not have this man to reign over us. And it came to pass when he was returned, having received the kingdom, he commanded these servants to be called unto him to whom he had given the money that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. So he's saying, look, I gave you this money, do something with it while I'm gone. He's laying a responsibility upon them, he's giving them a service to perform. Then came the first saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained 10 pounds. Now the guy that had the most did the most. You know, he didn't come to him and say, you know, you gave me 10 pounds and that just seemed a little excessive. You know, this didn't seem like a very reasonable thing. No, he said, hey, he's given me all this work to do, let me do more with it. Let me use the opportunity that I have to do more, to take on more responsibility. He said to himself, this is a reasonable service that has been given unto me. He says in verse 17, he ascended him well, thou good servant, and because thou has been faithful in very little, have thou authority over 10 cities. So again, there's this idea that we're gonna rule and reign with him, having authority over cities. And the second came saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds, and he likewise to him, he said likewise to him, be thou also over five cities. So he's rewarding them in proportion to the work that was given unto them. This one took 10 pounds and got 10, he gets the 10 cities. This one had five pounds, he got five, he gets five cities. So again, it just goes to show you that in heaven, not everyone's gonna be equal. It's not gonna be this communist, socialist paradise up there. People, and it's never gonna be, anytime there's socialism down here, it's not gonna be paradise either. And don't let these idiots at universities try to convince you otherwise. The 20th century has proved them wrong. Communism has failed repeatedly, and it's turned nations into literal hell on earth. So again, my point is this, is that even in heaven, we're still gonna continue to work. You say, well, maybe, and I don't know if I wanna go now. Well, you know what, that's a reasonable service. And here's the thing, if we were the type of people that actually took on responsibility, anybody that has knows this, that you derive that sense of satisfaction from it. You have a sense of self-worth. When we take on responsibilities and do things, we get a reward out of that. We should want to do these things. Another came, verse 20, and said, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept up in a napkin. He got one pound, he had one thing to do. That was it. Not 10, not five. He had the least to do, and did nothing with it. For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man, thou takest up that thou laidest not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. And he said to them, out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow. He says, you know what I'm like, but you still didn't, you didn't do it? You knew that I was gonna come and ask me, you didn't do it, that's not an excuse. You say, well, yeah, but you still got your pound back. It's not like I spent it, it's gone. God wants us to do something with what we've been given, whether it's 10, five, or one. God is expecting us to perform a reasonable service for him, to do something on his behalf, so that when he comes back, we have nothing to offer him, except what he's imparted unto us already. You know, it's like, you know, we get saved, and you say, well, you know, Christ comes back, we're still saved, and he's gonna be like, well, who else did you get saved? Well, nobody, but I'm still saved. Yeah, but what did you do to do that? You did nothing to get saved. You did nothing to keep, to stay safe. You know, you're just giving him back what he's already given to you. You know, God expects us to bring some sheaves with us. God wants us to go out and get other people saved. God wants us to preach the gospel, and God wants us to, you know, God wants in a return on his investment. You know, that's what you are, in a sense. You know, you are an investment. You know, God has given us this ministry of reconciliation. God has made us, you know, ambassadors for Christ. God wants us to do something with what he's given us, and not to just say, well, I'm still saved, and that's good enough. No. And he's saying, and he's like, look, you knew. You know, once we're, we've been warned, we know this is what the Bible teaches. What are we doing with it? It goes on, it says, verse 23, Wherefore then gave us not thou my money into the bank that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury. And he said unto them that stood by, take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath 10 pounds. So he's gonna give it to the guy that already was doing something. He's saying, well, I know that guy will do something with it. I'm gonna give it to him. For I say unto you that everyone which hath shall be given, and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away. It's a very strong warning that we know we ought to be doing things, you know, while we ought to be occupying until he comes, and not just, you know, passing through our lives, unconcerned with the things of Christ, unconcerned with the things of God, you know, not concerned with preaching the gospel, not concerned with attending church, not concerned with reading and knowing our Bibles. We ought to be taking on the reasonable service that God has given us. Spiritual and practical. You know, we looked at the beginning of the very practical things that God expects of us. I mean, God expects us to start and raise families. God expects us to get jobs and provide for our own. That is our reasonable service. We just read it in 1 Timothy 5. God also, you know, so that's a very practical, just down-to-earth thing, isn't it? You know, that's the fabric of society. The home, the family, you break that down, and nations crumble and fall apart, okay? Even the world understands that. That, you know, it's the family unit that holds societies together. Why do you think the devil's so hell-bent on destroying it? Because he knows if he could take down the family, he could take down and enslave entire nations. He can destroy nations, okay? So that's a very practical thing, but, you know, don't also forget, you know, don't forget that we also have been given the response, you know, certain spiritual responsibilities to preach the gospel, to do something with that which has been given unto us. You know, do something with your salvation. You know, do something to, so that you have something to show God upon his return, and not just a life of just meaninglessness and just idleness and vanity, okay? Now, I wanna point out something about duty, okay? If you would, go to Luke chapter 17, just a few pages back. Luke chapter number 17 is that when we do things, we shouldn't do things out of just a desire to be thanked for it. You know, duty and taking on responsibility, those are things that we just do because we're supposed to. And today, we're living in a society where everybody wants a participation trophy. Everybody wants to be thanked for doing every little thing that they do. You know, we oughta do things because it's our responsibility. I'm not saying we should never thank people for the things that they do. Obviously, you know, we wanna express appreciation and gratitude when people do nice things or are doing their duties. I mean, we get paid for going to work, okay? But, you know, we should still do things out of a sense of duty and not just because we want to be thanked or seen of men. Look at Luke chapter 17, verse seven. "'But which of you, having a servant plowing "'or feeding cattle, will say unto him, "'By and bye, when he has come from the field, "'go and sit down to meet.'" He's saying, look, if you have a servant who's working for you, and then he comes in from the field at the end of the day, wouldn't you say to him, now go make my dinner? He's saying, that's what you would do with a servant. You would make them serve you. That's what they're there to do. "'And will he not rather say unto him, "'Make him ready wherewith I may sup.'" So he's saying, when he has come, I'm kind of getting backwards there. He's saying, when he will say unto him, when he has come from the field, go sit, and he's not saying, when the servant comes in, hey, go relax now, okay? He's saying, will he not rather say unto him, make ready wherewith I may sup. Okay, I was just getting ahead of myself. And gird thyself and serve me. He's saying, when you have a servant, at the end of the day, you don't tell him, go take it easy, let me serve you. You tell him, hey, now I'm glad you're done working in the field, now go make my dinner. So then I can sit down and eat. Why? Because he's my servant. That's what he's supposed to do. And today, people would look at, there's a society, there's this philosophy out there that just would say that's the most evil thing in the world. That people would actually be expected to perform the duties that are expected of them. That they would actually have to perform and do the work that they've been hired to do. You know, they wanna get paid some exorbitant fee for flipping burgers, or putting a thing of french fries in a fryer. They wanna make as much as some guy who's working 70 hours a week, working his finger to the bone, working a hard job that takes a lot of thought and skill and ability. They want those people to be on the same level. But what do we see here? Hey, look, you're my servant, serve. Do what you're supposed to do. He says, and will not rather say and make ready wherewith I may sup and gird thyself and serve me till I have eaten and drunken and afterward thou shalt eat and drink. So it's not like he's being mean, he's saying you're gonna starve to death. He's saying you can eat after I've eaten, after you do what I've expected of you. Now notice verse nine, doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded of him? Does he thank that servant because he did what he was supposed to do? No, he says I trow not. You know, I don't think so. So likewise ye, when you shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say we are unprofitable servants, we have done that which is our duty to do. So that's the analogy there. You know, the guy that's just, you know, is being worked all day and then being, when he comes home is supposed to work some more, he's putting in this long day, he shouldn't sit there and expect to be thanked for doing that which was his duty to do. Because that's what was expected of him. He's the servant. And he's saying so likewise ye, so we're in this boat as the servant. We should do those things and then when we do them, we should say to ourselves we're unprofitable servants. We have done that which was our duty to do. Why, because there's certain things in life that are expected of us by God that are just reasonable. It's this idea of getting to zero with God. You know, when we've done everything that's our duty to do, we do all the things that are commanded us, we're just not in the negative anymore. It's not a net gain, we're broken even with God. You know, why would we expect to be thanked for that? Oh, God gave, you know, the servant gave, you know, we just read the master gave the servant one dollar or one talent or whatever gave him just one and he comes back and says, well, here's your one back. Well, yeah, that's your duty, of course. I'm glad you didn't, you know, just not only not gain anything but you also didn't lose my money. Great, but you know, that was just your duty. You know, we don't wanna just be people who just break even in the Christian life. Look, here's what I'm saying, is that when you're doing what you're supposed to do, you've just broken even with God. And when we fail to do our duty, we are now in the negative. Because sometimes people get this idea that serving God, it's like optional. Soul winning, optional. Bible reading, going to church, you know, First Timothy chapter five, all these practical, reasonable things, optional. No, those are actually the things that are commanded of us. Those are our responsibilities. Though that's the reasonable service that God has given unto us. And when we don't perform that, we are in the negative. You know, and if the only reason you're ever gonna do anything that God commands of you is to be thanked, you know, you're not gonna do it. Because God's not gonna thank you for that. You know, when people come to soul winning, I say, hey, thanks for coming out. Because I mean it, I'm glad people come out for soul winning. But that's me. But here's the thing, if you're coming out to soul winning to hear me say thank you, you know, verily you have your reward. And it's not a very good one. You know, I say it because I truly appreciate when people come out, I really do. You know, but here's the thing. That's not why you're doing it, I hope. You know, but when we do our duty for God, you know, don't expect God to do that. Reach down from heaven, oh, thanks for doing that which is your duty to do, you know. What we should say rather is, you know, I'm unprofitable. I haven't profited you anything. All I've done is given back that which is given to me. I've gone out and preached the gospel and I got somebody saved. All I've done was that which somebody has done for me. I'm just returning the favor. I'm just breaking even with the Lord, okay? So you can see how if you wanna get into that positive, if you wanna be that guy who, you know, gets more reward, you actually have to go above and beyond, okay? So again, the sermon this morning is about responsibility, about performing our duty, about doing what we're supposed to do, performing a reasonable service. And I wanna close with this thought that, you know, responsibility, you know, obviously when I preach like this, you might just start to think, oh man, this is just such a drudgery. You know, it's just like this burden that's being placed upon you. And you know what, and truly it is. You know, all the things we've discussed this morning, all the different responsibilities, and look, we could make a whole other list of things that are expected of us as just adults, as children of God, as Christians. I mean, there's just all these things, right? I mean, the Bible's full of things that are expected of us. Our attitudes, our behaviors, our conduct, the things that we do, the things that we don't do, these are all our reasonable service, okay? So that can feel like a burden. You know, that's why when people, I've heard over the years, who quit church and get out of church, they often make remarks like, oh, it just feels like a weight has been lifted. You know why that is? Because a weight has been lifted. Because serving God and doing the work of God is difficult. That's, you know, that's why there's a lot of Christians that don't do it. Because they find out it's hard. You know, but just because we don't do the work doesn't mean that it doesn't need to be done. It's like there's this giant boulder that we've gotta roll. You know, we need everybody to help roll it. And if you decide not to do your part, it's like, that doesn't make it any easier on anybody else that's trying to do that. You know, we're trying to go out and preach the gospel to every creature. When you fail to do your part in doing that, that doesn't make it easier for the rest of us that are trying to do that. You know, it makes it harder. Think about that. So again, it is a burden, but I want you to think about this. Responsibility is a powerful force. When God's people, you know, buck up under the burden that's been laid upon them, they are a force to be reckoned with, right? When people take on the responsibilities, when they do what they're supposed to do, they, you know, they get things done, okay? And not only is it a powerful force, you know, when we go out and preach the gospel, and we raise families, we start families, you know, that's obviously has a huge impact but on others, you know, outwardly, but also it's a big impact upon ourselves personally. If you would go back to Romans chapter number 12. Romans chapter number 12, he says in verse one, I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your living bodies, you present your bodies a living sacrifice. Present your bodies a living sacrifice. You say, what is the Christian life? It's a life of sacrifice. It's a life of going without things. It's a life of, you know, putting down the flesh. It's a life of, you know, maybe even foregoing things that aren't necessarily sinful for the service of God. That's the Christian life. It's a living sacrifice. Holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Because remember, you were dead in sins. You've been bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your members, which are his. Verse number two, and be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed. Look, when you present your body, that living sacrifice, when you take on the responsibilities and you perform the reasonable service that God has given to us, it transforms us. Nobody says, be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. You know, when we take on that sacrifice, when we are not like the world and we stop conforming to them and conforming to Christ, we start to walk in the works which he had foreordained for us, that we should walk in them. We walk in that newness of life. It's transformative in our lives. By the renewing of your mind, you may prove it as a good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Responsibility is a powerful force, why? Because it transforms the doer of it. The one who takes on that responsibility is transformed by the renewing of their mind. You know, and I love this, because it's like giving them a new outlook. You know, the seeing things through a new lens. You know, they have a new purpose. They have a reason. Look, people need purpose in life. People need reasons to live. People need their lives to count for something. It has to matter. And you will find no greater meaning than living for God, than presenting your body, that living sacrifice unto God. Go to Philippians chapter number three. Philippians chapter number three. You know, the apostle Paul's a great example of this. I'll begin reading in verse one. You know, he was somebody who took on a lot of responsibility and was incredibly transformed by it. I mean, that's why he could write Romans 12. He says in verse one of Philippians three, Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord, to write the same things to you to me, and indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision, for we are the circumcision which worshiped God in the Spirit, and rejoiced in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, that I might also have confidence in the flesh, if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he may trust in the flesh, I more. So he kind of goes on and he's trying to say, hey, these people think that there's something because of their concision, because of their pedigree. He's saying, well, tit for tat, I can go toe to toe with them. Verse five, circumcise the eighth day of the sock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin and Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the law of Pharisee. Concerning zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which is in law, blameless. So he's saying, look, I had it down. I was living the Pharisaical life. You know, he's the Hebrew of the Hebrews. He's touching the law of Pharisee. He's touching righteousness in the law, blameless, right? But notice verse seven, but what things were gained to me, those I counted lost for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Seeing all of those things that I had, I count them done. What did he do? He sacrificed them. He sacrificed them, and he was transformed by doing that. When he gave up all that life as a Pharisee, when he gave up that life persecuting the church and all those things that he attained unto, he gave that up in service for Christ. He was transformed by it, right? He goes on and says, I do count them lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ. Now here's the thing. Paul said that he suffered the loss of all things, that he counted them dung that he may win Christ. That's the same guy who said that presenting your body a living sacrifice is your reasonable service. So is God expecting us to sacrifice all things? I mean, if we had to, we should. But is that even asked of us today? Do we even have to go to the extreme that Paul has gone? Not even close, people. Not even close. Paul went to this extreme, but look also what he accomplished by doing so. I mean, he basically founded, carried on the New Testament church. He's the one that went out and started all those churches. He's the one that was used by the Holy Ghost to give us the vast majority of the New Testament. So his sacrifice was in proportion to the degree that he was used. Okay? He counted all things but loss, and he was used mightily by God. Which tells me this, that the more that we're willing to sacrifice ourselves, the more we're willing to put ourselves out there for the Lord, the more God will use us, the more we will be transformed by the renewing of our mind. He goes on and says in verse nine, "'And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, "'which is of the law, but that which is "'through the fight of Christ, "'the righteousness which is of God by faith, "'that I may know him and the power of his resurrection "'and the fellowship of his sufferings, "'and being made conformable unto his death, "'if by any means I might attain "'unto the resurrection of the dead.'" I love Paul's attitude. Whatever it takes to attain under the resurrection of the dead, if by any means. He goes on in verse 13, "'Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, "'but this one thing I do, "'forgetting those things which are behind "'and reaching forth unto the things which are before.'" Sounds like a sacrifice. Forgetting those things which are behind, letting go of those things, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the hot prize, the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Saying this is what motivated him, that high calling of God in Christ Jesus. That's why he was willing to sacrifice those things and to take on the many responsibilities that were laid upon him. But notice verse 15, "'Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, "'be thus minded.'" What he's saying, he's saying be like me. I have the same mentality that I have. "'Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, "'be thus minded.'" Be thus minded like Paul, ready to just sacrifice it all and just give it all to Christ and to perform your reasonable service. Now if you know anything about the life of Paul, you know this wasn't just talk. That Paul was whipped, stoned, shipwrecked, persecuted, pursued, I mean, left for dead, arrested, imprisoned. I mean the man suffered immensely through life. And here's the thing, we don't have to go through any of that. We sit now upon his shoulders. We are the benefactors of those sacrifices that he made. We sit here now in a comfortable New Testament church with the entire word of God in front of us. And it's like we can just choose when we serve God, it seems like now. Which soul winning time suits me best? When would I like to go out and serve God? What time of the day would I like to sit down and read the word of God? We have the luxury of just performing God whenever the mood suits us. But here's the thing, we better make sure that we're fulfilling that responsibility, that we're doing that. Paul obviously, as somebody who went to an extreme, it's a very reasonable service. You can kind of see why he said that in Romans chapter 12, which is your reasonable service. I mean it'd be kind of funny for us to go to Paul and explain to him why we don't do the things we're supposed to do, our excuses. I mean we'd be embarrassed to even utter them before him if we knew Paul. Oh yeah, I would do that, but I'm just busy. Whatever, I had a sliver. I stubbed my toe. It pales in comparison. Or better yet, to Christ. I wasn't willing to suffer for you because I didn't want to suffer any persecution by letting other people know I'm a Christian. I didn't want to witness that person, preach the gospel to them because I didn't want to be embarrassed. He's like, oh okay, well I understand. I mean I know I was hung out naked on a cross and crucified and put to shame in front of strangers. I'd hate for you to feel a little awkward by having to preach the gospel to a stranger or something. I mean it would just, it's a reasonable service. And if you don't think it is, if you think that serving God is unreasonable, if you think the things that God asks of us are unreasonable, consider what he's done for us. Consider him, who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied in your minds and faint. He hath not resisted unto blood, striving against sin. You know, responsibility is a very powerful force. And look, here's the thing about responsibilities. When you take them on, when you perform your reasonable service, that's when you'll begin to appreciate it. You know, if you're one who's not taken on that responsibility, if you're one who's not performing your reasonable service, you know, you could just look at that and just feel like, ugh, do I have to? You know, but those that have actually gotten under that burden and have borne it, they appreciate it. They're glad for it. Do you, I mean, do you think I wake up in the morning and go, man, if I'd just never gotten married and had all these kids, you know, if I'd just not taken this job as a deacon, you know, if I'd just not taken on these responsibilities in my life, I don't think that. I already know, I already know what life was like before that. It's miserable, okay? Oh, if I could just go back to being single and living in a shack on the edge of a swamp, like some ogre, true story. If I could just go back to living in some, you know, single bedroom apartment, just lonely. Yeah, that sounds great. No. You know, every time, yeah, there's a lot, is there a lot more responsibility now? Oh yeah, a lot more. People are counting on me. But you know what, when I do what I'm supposed to do, when I, you know, live up to the responsibilities that make it upon me, I feel pretty good. Feels pretty good paying the bills. Say you like paying bills. I don't say I like it. I mean, who likes paying bills? Nobody, right? Unless you're weird. But do you get a sense of satisfaction out of being responsible? Sure. There's a sense of satisfaction you get out of having healthy, happy children. And it's a whole lot better than beating some level in a video game somewhere. I got the highest score in Tetris. I don't know if anyone plays Tetris anymore. I beat Super Mario World, right? That was the game I had. Super Nintendo, Super Mario World, Mario Kart, the original, right? Oh, I got to the Rainbow Road. Yeah, put that on a resume. You know, yeah, sure, it makes for great preaching now, but that's about all the value it's worth. You know, I don't look at my kids and go, man, I could be, I could play video games right now if it wasn't for you. You know, I could still be out there riding my bike around the park. You know, I could be doing all kinds of silly, childish things. And look, I'm not saying if you do those things, it's bad or whatever. But I'm just saying, you know, that's not what you're called to do. Don't put off your God-given responsibilities. Don't put off things so you can just act like a child for the rest of your life. Because what you're gonna find out is those things aren't gonna satisfy you. That's what Solomon found out, okay? If you would, go to Ecclesiastes chapter number 12. We'll end there, but he says in Romans chapter number 12, you know, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable word of God. Be not conformed to this world, be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable will of God. Look, you get under that burden, you take on the responsibilities it's given you as a child of God, as, you know, practical and spiritual, all the things we've talked about, you get, you start doing those things, you're gonna prove that the word of God, that your reasonable duty, you know, is good. You know, it's something you wanna do. You're gonna prove it. You're gonna find out what I'm saying is right. You know, responsibilities have to be born before they can be appreciated, okay? As they say, the proof is in the pudding, right? The proof is in the pudding. Meaning the value, the quality of something has to be judged on its experience with it. You know, you can look at the pudding and say, that looks good. You look at the butterscotch pudding, yeah, you don't really know if it's good until you put it in your mouth and taste it though, right? You might look at the Christian life, you might look at fulfilling your role as a man or a woman in Christ as a child of God and say, well, that looks good, but I'm not sure about it. Well, you'll never really know until you take a scoop and try it. But here's what I'll guarantee you about, just like butterscotch pudding, it's delicious. Amen. You know, the Christian life is fulfilling. The proof is in the pudding. I'm not sure if doing everything that, you know, 1 Timothy 5 and all these other things, you know, performing the will of God is really going to lead to what you're saying this morning, preacher. Well, the proof is in the pudding. And I can give you a guarantee that if you do it, you will be satisfied. Because here's the thing, the Bible tells us, you know, Solomon already figured this out. You know, that going out and just living for yourself and just, you know, living for the pleasures of this life are not going to satisfy. I mean, go read Ecclesiastes sometime. I mean, he's just giving himself to everything, to folly, to everything, to wisdom. He's just trying it all out. Because he's King Solomon, you know, he's got peace, he's got all these riches. He's trying it all out and he's saying, you know what, it's all vanity. It's all vanity. You know, and you listen to these people that have it all and they're miserable. So they got to keep constantly have more. That's why Paul tells us to be content with such things as you have. We're told, you know, having food and raiment, let us therewith be content. Okay? That's just what Solomon figured out. The Bible says in Proverbs 19, the fear of the Lord tendeth to life and he that hath it shall abide satisfied. You got the fear of the Lord, you're serving God, you're going to abide satisfied. Are you going to have everything that the world has? Are you going to do everything that they do? Nope. But you know what the difference will be? You know, you're going to be satisfied, they're not. It says he shall not be visited with evil. Meaning if you don't have the fear of the Lord, you will be visited with evil. Look at Ecclesiastes chapter number 12, verse 13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. I love this verse. I love how, you know, because sometimes we just get, you know, what does God want for my life? You know, what should I do with my life? Let's hear the conclusion of the whole matter. You know, Solomon's just going to wrap it up for us. He put it on a postage stamp. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. What am I here to do? Fear God and keep his commandments. That's it. For God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil. He's saying, you know what? God's going to judge it all. You're going to have an account. Every one of us shall stand before God. Every one of us is going to give an account before God. You know, you know, there's a point on the man wants to die and after this, the judgment. You know, that goes for the saved and the unsaved. It's two different judgments, but you know what? We're all going to be judged for the things that we've done in our body, whether it be good or bad, okay? And he's saying God shall bring every work into judgment and every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil. We're going to give an account. So what's this, what should I do with that information? Fear God and keep his commandments. Perform your reasonable service. You know, and if you don't, you're never going to know just how reasonable it is. You know, when you're not doing it, you're like, oh, I don't know if I could do that. But you know, if you would just do your reasonable service, if you would just take on the responsibilities that God has given us in all these different areas of our life, you'd find that you're going to abide satisfied. You're going to say, you know what? Life is good. God is good. But you're never going to know that if you're just sitting on the spiritual sidelines in life and just kind of watching it go by, okay? Watching life just go by, watching other people, you know, perform the work of God. You're going to scratch your head and say, why do they do that? You know, once you get in the work, once you get involved, you perform your reasonable service, that's when you say, hey, what the proof really is in the pudding. So, you know, that's my message this morning, you know, is God has given us responsibilities and praise God for them. God's not just this evil taskmaster up there in heaven just whipping us, you know, trying to get us to do what we're supposed to do. God has blessed us with responsibility. He put me in a garden and said, hey, keep it, dress and keep the garden. That was a blessing. To have a garden to dress, to have a garden to keep, you know, God has given us all our own lives that are kind of like that garden. And God has told, hey, here's how you dress and keep your garden. Here's how you are a wife and a mother. Here's how you are a father and a husband. Here's how you are a child. Here's what you do as a Christian. Here's what you do as a child of God. It's not unreasonable, rather the opposite. It's very reasonable, not only is it reasonable, it's a blessing to have responsibilities. Let's go ahead and pray.