TD Jakes - Out of Service (04/06/2017)
The preacher warns that modern Christianity has slipped into narcissism, obsessed with personal benefits while neglecting service, and stresses that God's blessings and power flow through those who actively serve His purpose, just as the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost to empower the church to continue Christ's work.
The Rise of Narcissism and Decline of Service
We have gradually become a narcissistic society where everything is about you. "I'm not happy. I don't like it. I'm uncomfortable. I don't feel good. I don't want to." And whenever "I" gets on the throne like that, all service dies. Watch how people come and eat dinner and never think about washing a dish. They get up and walk away like you have maids, whether you do or not.
It used to be the whole family would pitch in and somebody would wash, and somebody would dry, and somebody would put away things, and they would all work together, but we do not train people to serve. We are out of service. Now the only way you can get people to serve is to write a check. All service—in church, at home, everywhere else—you cannot get people to serve, because, you know why? You have to pay them. They want to know what is in it for me.
So we get married with, "What is in it for me?" Used to be, you get sick in the neighborhood, all the people from the neighborhood would come over, and they would be cooking, and they would be cleaning, and they would be serving, and I am not even just talking about church folk; even sinners would come serve you. Old, drunk Uncle Willy would come in and fix your chimney and lay some block, and all kinds of stuff. All service is gone. All service is gone. Have you noticed it? It is absolutely gone.
Self-Centered Christianity
In church, we have become so preoccupied with, "What is in it for me," that gradually, all the messages and all the songs must scratch the itch of the narcissistic hive that has broken out in the body. We have gotten so preoccupied with the benefits of being a Christian, that now every sermon is about the benefits, but the only problem is, nobody is doing the job. So how are you eligible for the benefits? I decided I would ask this morning. How are you eligible for the benefits when you do not do the job?
And it is gradually killing every institution, every institution. Every institution is suffering for the lack of service. Budgets are getting bigger and bigger because you cannot get people to volunteer to work in the hospital, do you? You have to pay everybody. So everything is costing more and more and more. Marriages do them as cheap as you can, because before you get them paid off, they are gone. Because anything that requires service to survive we have no idea how to do it. We are only attracted in areas that, "What is in it for me?"
At your service. You do not get into ministry to make money. You get into ministry humbly, saying, "God, I cannot believe that you would use a wretch like me, and if I can do anything to help anybody, at any time, I am so grateful." That is why you do not hear anybody saying, "I am called to go into prison." There is no offering in the prison.
I am waiting on my Tuesday so I can speak. Go in that jail cell. Go into that juvenile detention center. All kinds of people need you. Take your collar off, put your blue jeans on, and walk in there and tell them, "Thus saith the Lord." There are all kinds of people committing suicide for the lack of what you have. Dying, blowing their brains out, shooting up—they need you.
Go in the AIDS wards. Get those that just found out they are HIV positive and want to slit their wrists. They will accept you. They will accept you. They will be glad to have you come over and pray. But we have to be in service; that is how you get promoted. That is how. You do not get promoted by dropping business cards and wearing preacher suits. You get promoted because God says, "You have been faithful over a few things, and now I am going to make you ruler over many."
Christ's Body and the Church's Mission
Can I go a little deeper with this? The Lord said, "The reason we stand star gazing at what Christ did is to distract us from what we need to do." See, the plan was that the body of Christ would never leave the Earth. The physical body of Christ was crucified, buried in a tomb, rose up the third day morning, showed himself alive for 40 days with many infallible proofs, so that he could empower the mystical body of Christ, which is the church.
So that the Holy Spirit that moved on Christ could now move through us. And that is why the Bible said, "If the princes of this world would have known what they were doing, they would have never crucified the Lord." Because when Jesus was on Earth, you had one Son of God. But now the book says, beloved, now are you the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be.
At least, when Jesus was on the Earth, you could track him to one city, but now Christ in you can be in all kinds of cities at the same time. If we were not out of service, if we had not reduced the Christian walk to whether you go to church or not, demons will tremble if faith ever gets outside the church. Hell will deteriorate if preaching ever leaves the pulpit.
If the laying on of hands ever gets away from the front of the church and starts breaking out in Kroger, and Walmart, and Big Bear, and starts showing up in all of these places, if saints start praying with people in restaurants, you are talking about revival hitting a city. If we started doing what the early church did, had prayer meetings in your living room, can you imagine how much more peace you would have in your house? If God could use your house, maybe he would let you pay it off. But when it is just for you, why should God invest where there is no return?
Living for God's Purpose
The more I read the Word of God, the more I realize that the thing that God cares the most about, above everything else, is his purpose. His purpose. The reason you were not a stillborn is because you have been assigned a purpose. The reason the gun did not kill you, the reason the car wreck did not destroy you, the reason you survived amongst all the witches and all the haters and all the soothsayers that have tried to take you under, is because you have been assigned a purpose.
Slap somebody and say, "I got a purpose." All things work together for the good of them that love the Lord who are the called according to his purpose. What is your purpose? It does not say all things work together for the good of them who are out of service. All things work together for the good of them who are self-consumed. They are not going to work together for good because you are not accomplishing his purpose.
So that brings up, "I do not know what my purpose is." Which would work on anybody who did not know the scripture. Whatsoever your hands find to do. While you are trying to figure out what you are supposed to do, you see something that needs to be done, just grab it and jump in there and go to doing it. Do not let laziness dress up in confusion and give you an excuse to be out of service. When you walk in God's purpose, he will give you favor.
And look at how much spirit was on Moses. That what was on Moses could be disseminated amongst 70 men. Good God. And tell 70 men, "God said, 'I am not going to need any more spirit. I will take of the spirit that is on you.'" He said, "You are good at 70 men by yourself." He said, "I am going to spread it around before it kills you. I am going to spread the burden and the responsibility before it takes you out." And so God took of the spirit that was upon Moses and put it on 70 elders, not so that they can have their own spirit, not so that they can have their own agenda; they were to move in the spirit of Moses.
Pentecost and the Spirit's Empowerment
This is what Pentecost illustrates in the New Testament. The Spirit that was on Christ takes 120 people in the upper room, and said, "Wait. I am going to take what was on him and place it on you. It is going to be so much his spirit that when you go out, do not use your name. But whatsoever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Because the people will see you, but the demons will see Jesus, and when you say, 'In the name of Jesus,' it will be because you are moving in the spirit of Jesus; and when you move in his spirit and you use his name, demons back up."
He says, "You shall be endued with power from on high and you shall be witnesses unto me; the spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because." Why should he anoint your level of service? I am just asking a question. I am not accusing you. Indeed, I am just referring to a question I ask myself also. What is God getting out of your life? Out of your week? How much time does God get out of your phone conversations? How much of it is? Get your phone out, check your texts. How many messages of hope and life did you text?
And I know, it is not popular to say anything that makes you uncomfortable. "I got needs." But because preachers have lost their courage, the church has lost its power, and if there ever was a time that the world needed to see the demonstration of the power of God, it is right now. Right now. With teenagers carrying pistols, kids having babies, 14-year-olds HIV positive, 18-year-olds dying of full-blown AIDS.
If ever was a time for the church to stop whining about your circumstances and start working with people and praying with people and touching people, it is right now. Tell you where I got my tie from. Going someplace the other day and I had to use the restroom really bad, and it was way like, quick or plan to building, was Marquis de Sade, a sadist. I am in pain. You know that kind where you have to hurry? When I finally saw the sign that said, "Restroom," and it pointed me that way, and I went that way. Do you not know what it said?
Do you not know that the world is in a crisis, running, trying to find an answer, and the people who are supposed to be the answer have got a sign on the door that says...? And I thought, "Isn't it funny? Everything is there, all the equipment is there, but if it does not function, it is out of service." Hear me now. There was nothing wrong with my need. It was natural to have the need. What was wrong is a place that had all the signs up did not provide the service.
And disaster will always break out when a natural need cannot find a service. The people that are in your life are put in your life so that you could serve them. They are not in your life to serve you. And when the church will catch on fire, and revival will break out fully, and people will be slain by the Holy Spirit, prostrate on the floor, it will always be people who are in service.
When witches cast their spell and it boomerangs back and hits the witch, it will always be because she threw it at somebody who was in service. When diseases come to attack and they cannot break through and overtake you, it is because God said, "No, you cannot have her. I am using her. She is in service." If you make yourself available to God, God will make himself available to you. But none of it will happen if you are out of service.
We will work good people to death to cover for the fact that we are absent without leave. And those who were once filled with joy and performing miracles will be filled with frustration and bitterness because you were out of service. God said, "Find me 70 people that you know have got it going on, and I am going to take what was on the one and give it to the 70." And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, and they were in one place with one accord, God said, "I am going to come down and make this transfer."
Suddenly there came a sound from heaven like a mighty rushing wind, cloven tongues appeared like as of fire, and sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with what fell down on Jesus in the Jordan River. They were filled with the dove that escaped out of Noah's ark. They were filled with the spirit that hovered over the Earth. They were filled with the anointing that was so strong that it got down in the bones of Elijah, and Syrian soldiers fell on the bones and woke up from the dead. They were filled with the Holy Ghost that draped the face of Samuel.
I have to quit. Let me stop it. Oh, hallelujah. Just, I cannot do it like I want to. But tell your neighbor, "It is real." It is real, even if you do not want it, it is real. Even if you will not have it, it is real. Even if you will not sacrifice for it, it is real. Lord, I said, "Lord, you want me to tell them that?" He said, "Yeah. Tell them that I am displeased because you talk to me about your conditions and your circumstances and never bring up your level of service. I am angry that you are ordering off of my menu and complaining about what I am giving you while you give me nothing in return. And while you are ordering quail, the world is going to hell, because of the church, for the most part, is out of service."