Creflo Dollar - How To Be Motivated By God
If you have your Bibles, go to the book of Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 10. We're going to focus on something today that I believe it's time for us to look at. We're gonna look at devotion and love for Christ versus service and work for Christ. In other words, which one is priority? Is service and works and labor, is it important to God? Absolutely, I'll show you that. But we also know that devotion and love for Christ is important. And the reason why we have to bring balance to this area is because I don't want you thinking that, you know, under the grace we should avoid good works. No, you're held accountable and you're gonna see some things in the scripture concerning good works.
But at the same time, if we become just so consumed with good works and we don't have devotion and love for God, I mean, what is that gonna do for the good works? So there's a balance here that I wanna achieve today and that you can walk outta here really understanding this because I guarantee you, it'll come up in this journey of grace, and you'll begin to see. We've been talking about having relationship with God, and that's what Christianity is. Christianity is not religion, it was never intended to be religion, it's a relationship with God. And so this is gonna really help you out in your relationship with God, your daily relationship with God.
You've heard me say, you know, we've learned how to do church but we still need to learn how to do life, and it's an everyday walk with God so that God can fulfill and do everything he promised in your life. And again, I'll say it, it's gonna be all right, but we've got to have that relationship with him on a day-to-day basis. So, the expression that you, that we've all heard, "Service for others," you hear that everywhere. You hear people trying to achieve, "Service for others," and they say you're a good human if you have service for others. This is very popular these days not only in church but also in, you know, dealing with foundations and clubs and other organizations that phrase, "Service for other".
Now, emphasis on service as the primary which is the purpose of both moral and Christian conduct is often accepted without question at all. But while service may be the highest ideal in purely moral and humanitarian conduct, that is not true of the Christian life. What's not true of the Christian life? Service being the highest ideal. Service is not the highest ideal when it comes to Christian life. It may be the highest ideal morally and it may be the highest ideal where humanitarian service and conduct is concerned, but that is not true where Christian life is concerned, and yet service, or good works, or labor, it is a very large part of God's purpose for those who are saved by grace.
So what's the balance here? Well, Paul, whose life, of course, was a constant labor and service of love, he counseled and he admonished his fellow believers in the Word of God throughout a lot of things. So let's look at what the scripture has to say. In Ephesians chapter 2, Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 10 he says this, he says, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works". Watch this. He calls us, "His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in those good works".
So here in this scripture, any believer whose life is not filled with good works fails to measure up to God's purpose for his life. That's what it says right there. He says, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, and we were created for good works. God has ordained for us to be created and to walk in these good works". So you can't walk away today to say, "Well, good works are not important". Look at what he said to his fellow believers, 1 Corinthians 15:58 and I wanna spend the first part of this just showing you what the Word says. 1 Corinthians 15:58. He says, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in," what? "In the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your labor," your labor, your work, your service, he says, "It is not in vain in the Lord".
So it's not in vain in the Lord. And then look at Romans chapter 12 and verse 1, Romans chapter 12 and verse 1. I like, before I go, you know, teach something that show you exactly what he says in the Word, Romans 12 and 1 says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies," what? "A living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God". He said, "That is your reasonable service". Wow! So, the importance of works is further shown by the fact that God holds everyone, he will hold everyone responsible for what he does while he's in this physical body. Now, please don't let this strike fear or hopelessness in your mind, but this is something that we have to look at, we gotta deal with.
Romans chapter 14 and 12, Romans chapter 14 and 12. And you'll see why we gotta bring balance to this. Verse 12 says, "So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God". Every one of us will give an account of himself to God. And this next scripture says concerning living in your body. 2 Corinthians 5, 2 Corinthians 5 verses 9 and 10. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 9 and 10. These works are so important that he holds everyone responsible for what he does. Verse 9 and 10, he says, "Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him". Next verse. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad".
So he's holding us responsible for what we have done in this body, whether good or bad, he says that we're gonna appear before God and we're gonna give an account according to what we've done in this body. And hey, that's true. But I don't know, when I first read that, I just felt like, "Well, dang man, I thought I was free from that. I thought that when", no, no, no, no, no, good works are very important where God is concerned. So God's recognition of good works is more evidenced in scripture of the great importance of good works.
All right, let's go through about five more scriptures here and look at this. John chapter 12 and 26. John chapter 12 and verse 26. He says, "If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be; if any man serve me, him will my Father honor". Honoring the service that you carry out while you're in your physical body. It's important to God. Look at Hebrews chapter 6 and 10. Hebrews chapter 6 and 10. He says, "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love". That's a key right there, that's a key to where we're going. "Your labor of love, which you have showed towards his name, in that you have ministered to the saints and you do minister".
And God says, "I'm not going to forget your work and your labor of love". 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and 8. 1 Corinthians 3 and 8. Somebody say, "We must gonna build a big house today. All these scriptures". Yeah, you gotta have a big foundation to build a big house. 1 Corinthians 3 and 8. He says, "Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one; and every man shall receive his own reward," watch this, "According to his own labor". So it's sounding pretty clear that you're gonna give an account to the works that you do for God while you're in this physical body, you're gonna have to accept some responsibility 'cause it's gonna be done. Every man's gonna come before God and give an account of what he did in the body.
Ephesians 6 and 8. Ephesians 6 and 8. He says, "Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free". That's very interesting there too, "Whether he be bond or free". And then finally, Revelations 22 and 12. Revelations 22 and 12, he says, "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be". So there's absolutely no way that we can deny the importance of your service and your work and your labor for Christ. And if you look at all of these, God's purposes in saving man in order that he may perform good works, that every man is held accountable to God for what he does, and that God will not fail to recognize every good thing that is done, all of this shows the importance of service for God. All of this shows the importance of the work that we do for God. Everybody saw that, you read that with me, you get that, and if you do, say, "Amen".
Now, however. Here's the big "However". And I'm gonna just say it plain, and then we'll get into scripture. Devotion to Christ is more important than service, labor, or work. Not to say you let one go in order to do the other one, but devotion to Christ is more and it's most important. As important are good works in the believer's life, there is that which God's sight. That thing that's in God's sight, your devotion and your love that is more important. So what we have here is we have a lot of people who will do the works, but there's no devotion to God. A lot of people that labor, but Jesus is not in the picture.
A lot of organizations, man, they will be, you know, congratulated for their good works, but there's no Jesus there. And how often are we gonna do the good action and have no devotion and no love for God? And so he considers this is the most important, this is the priority, why Christ desires and recognizes service, he far more desires and value love and devotion to himself. So I don't wanna get to heaven with my long list of all the things I did and I had no love and no devotion for him. I had no relationship with him.
I was doing good things hoping that it would provoke God to do some good things for me. But I come to recognize that God's not good because I'm good. God's not good to me because I do good things, God's good because God's good, but neither do I want, you know, me and you, and I don't know what it is, you know, how you look at it but when this is all over with, I mean, it's done. I did all I could do the way I could do it, I went 100 miles an hour, and it's done.
I don't wanna get to heaven and say, well, wait a minute, what's up? I did this, this, this, this, he said, "You put me out the picture a long time ago. You didn't wanna have no relationship with me. You stopped talking to me, you stopped learning about me, you stop fellowshipping with me. You wouldn't even say thank you for the stuff I did for you. You were so concerned about doing good works because of the congratulations you would get from the world, but you'd even, you got to a point in your life where you didn't even think it was important to ask me to bless you no more. Because your good works were greater than love and devotions for me".
So in this day, when service has become the keynote of Christianity, y'all know what I'm talking about. The keynote of Christianity, meditation on Christ, devotion to him, and a desire for him purely because of who he is have almost become a lost practice. In other words, "Preacher, why are you opening that church up? Where's Jesus? Where's Jesus in your opening church? Where's Jesus in your Christianity? Where's Jesus in joining that department? Where's Jesus in singing in the choir? Where's Jesus in ushering on the usher board? Where is Jesus? Where is the devotion for him"?
That should be the motivation that moves you to do what you do. But if there's any other motivation that's getting you to do good works and it's not him, and that's what's going on right now. We have learned how to do church without Jesus. We've learned how to sing praise songs without Jesus. It's amazing, singing about Jesus with no devotion about Jesus. We have learned how to come to church, even church attendance, and you look, what is the motive? What moves you? Why are you here? Why did you show up? Why do you keep coming?
Somebody say, "Well, you know, I'm trying to get married and they tell me the best looking women go to church. You know, I heard they have some fine women over there at World Changers so I'm a world changer". You learned the whole song. "I'm a world changer". You're getting all into it. And what the world does, the world really brags on all of the people who have no relationship with God, but oh, look at them, look at the good works they did. Oh, they're so precious, look at what they're doing. Oh, they're feeding the poor. Oh, they're clothing the naked.
And somebody says, "Well, what's wrong with that"? Ain't no Jesus in that. Do it, but do it with him because with him, you can do it a lot better than what you think you're doing it. You know, I remember the time when we were the only one, well, in our community that was having, like, Thanksgiving giveaways. Now it's become the thing. Everybody's got Thanksgiving giving. Celebrities have it, everybody have it. Because I want a pat on my back and I wanna be applauded for what I do without Jesus. And that's all over the place.
Jesus gave you the talent you got, and you get an award, and you want an applause for what you did without Jesus. But I got to tell you a little secret this morning. You think you did it without Jesus, but honey, you can't do nothing without the goodness of the Lord being there somewhere. You might not recognize him, you might not announce him, but honey, he is good to you because he's trying to get you to change your mind. He is good to you because his goodness is trying to get you to repent, his goodness is trying to get you to turn around. You thought you did it by yourself, but every good thing that's ever, I feel Baptist coming up on me right now.
Every good thing that's ever happened to you in your life, that was God stirring in the nest, hallelujah. Hey, he knew you didn't have right motives, he knew you was a hell-raiser, he knew you were no good for nothing, drunk, all that stuff you know, he knew, he knew about all of that but he decided to step up in your life and show you some goodness anyhow.
He wants you to know that "I am God, I'm gonna bless you whether you are bond or free. I'm gonna bless you whether you are in grace or the law and sooner or later when you deep down in yourself, I'm gonna whisper to you and say, 'I'm still here,'" and you gonna know, you're gonna know, "I don't deserve this, I haven't recognized God, I took all the credit for myself, I did everything because I wanted somebody to pat me on my back, I was so insecure and inferior that I needed to do something to make me feel better about my old no good for nothing self".
And God said, "Honey, that's all right, I'll keep showing up in your life because one day before it's over with, you gonna fall down on your bending knees and you're gonna lift your hands up and you're gonna recognize that there's a God". Glory to God. Apologies for screaming, but I'm excited. I don't wanna do no good works without him. He's my motivation. That's why I keep showing up in this pulpit, him. A lot of people I know been working over 40 something years, they retired. They ask me when I'm gonna retire. I ain't got no retire in me.
What else I'm gonna do? "Well, you can go fishing, you can go to the beach". Can't you do that in two, three weeks, and then you gonna be bored. Uh-uh, baby, it's for him I live and for him I die. The question this morning is, what about you? What things are you doing that somehow ungodliness moved in your life and you don't even see it important to even ask God to bless it. Man, I'm asking God to bless everything. Bless my road, bless family, bless me, bless my shoes, bless my car, bless my going in, bless my going out, bless my sleep, bless me when I get up in the morning, bless my relationship, bless my children, bless, just bless, oh, bless me, Lord, bless me.