The Hired Servant - 12/7/25 - Pastor Charlie Branch

Welcome to [music] Meadows Baptist

Church of Walnut Cove, North Carolina.

We're so glad you joined us today. If

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join Pastor Charlie Branch with a word

from God.

[music]

Amen.

I hope that's your desire tonight.

tell you, if we know what we need,

we need more of him.

>> And uh if we'd be more like him, we'd

have more of him.

>> Amen. And I sure appreciate that good

singing tonight. If you have a Bible, I

invite you to turn with me to the Gospel

of Luke. Gospel of Luke, chapter number

15. You found your place. if you would

stand on a reference to the reading of

God's word.

And uh dear is my mic in that pew.

Amen.

>> I'll do it like Joe.

All right, we'll do it like Joel

tonight. All right. Amen. Don't repeat

that anywhere. Amen.

Amen. You have to cut that one out of

the live stream. Amen. Luke chapter

number 15. I got a thought the Lord put

on my heart and done went and lost the

mic. Can't believe I done that. Luke

Luke 15 · chapter mention

chapter 15. I'm going to read just a few

verses tonight. And really, I'll be

honest with you, I've got somewhat of an

outline, but I really just have a

thought tonight. The Lord will help me

preach it uh for just a moment of time.

That'll work. Amen. Praise God. I don't

have to hold this thing.

Find your place. Verse number 11.

Verse number 11.

If you found your place, say amen.

>> Luke chapter number 15 verse number 11,

the Bible says, and he said, that's

Jesus speaking. He said, a certain man

had two sons. The younger of them said

to his father, "Father, give me the

portion of goods that fall to me." And

he divided unto them his living. Not

many days after the younger son uh the

younger son gathered all together and

took his journey into a far country and

there wasted his substance with Ridus

living. When he had spent all there

arose a mighty famine in that land and

he began to be in want and he went and

joined himself to a citizen of that

country and he sent him into his fields

to feed swine and he would fain have

filled his belly with a hus that the

swine did eat and no man gave unto him.

And when he came to himself, he said,

"How many hired servants of my fathers

have bread enough and despair, and I

perish with hunger? I will arise and go

to my father, and will say unto him,

Father, I have sinned against heaven and

before thee, and am no more worthy to be

called thy son. Make me, notice this, as

one of thy hired servants." Verse number

20, the Bible says, "And he arose and

came to his father." Now, Father, I come

to you tonight and I ask you humbly,

Lord, as we've gathered here in this

place, Lord, I've come expecting you to

move tonight. Lord, I know, Father, God,

that you have a will for this service.

You have a purpose that you want to

accomplish tonight. And God, this is the

scripture that you put on my heart. And

Lord, I pray that you would give me

liberty and vocabulary. I pray you'd

help me to recall remembrance that that

I've studied. And I pray, God, that you

would portray the thought tonight that

you have placed upon my heart. God, I

pray that you'll help us to receive with

meekness the engrafted word. And God, I

pray you'll help us, Lord, to open our

ears and our eyes. Lord, uh God, that

we'd be attentive to the word of God

tonight. I pray for the many needs that

are present. Lord, I pray for every

situation, God. You know, every need. I

pray you'd bless in every place and

every need. God, I pray tonight, Lord,

for that one that's here and lost. I

pray God tonight you'd deal with their

heart and Lord right now conviction

would set in on them. They'd come and

get saved tonight. Lord, I pray Father

you'd exalt your son, edify the church,

and get all glory to yourself because

you alone are worthy. Help us now as we

look at this text. We ask it all in

Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you for

standing. You may be seated tonight.

Luke chapter number 15. I counted it up

this afternoon. And I think I preached

out of this text, this particular text

concerning the prodal son. I think I've

preached on this will be the fifth time

I've preached on it since I've been here

at the church. And you say, "Preacher,

how many times you going to preach

this?" Well, I'm going to preach it till

the Lord quits giving me stuff out of

it. Amen.

>> And I really just have a thought out of

these verses. I don't ever like to do

this, but this is what God put on my

heart, and I figure he knows better than

me. Amen.

>> And so, I want to give you some things,

some truths here by way of introduction

tonight. concerning this and then I'll

give you the message tonight. I notice

in this text, of course, we're familiar

with the story, we're familiar with the

father. Really, when you consider this

text, it could be the parable of the

father and his wavered son. But I'll say

this, when you consider this text, these

two sons are mentioned. And so, there's

the father and then there's his family

in verse number 11. And verse number 12

is mentioned there. There is a living

that is given. There's a portion that is

divided in verse number 12. This younger

son comes to his father and requests the

portion of goods, the inheritance that

would fall to him after his father's

death. And I've said this before, but

one writer said it this way. He said

that this younger son was basically

saying that he wished his father was

dead because he desired the inheritance

that his father would leave behind to

him. He cared not for the father but he

only cared for the finances that would

be left in his place. And so we notice

in this text as this father is a loving

father. The Bible says he divided unto

them his living. And I pointed out

before that there's his fairness in this

text where the Bible says he didn't just

divide unto him his living but he

divided unto them. And so there's his

older son and his younger son here in

this text. And as tradition would be,

the elder son would get twothirds of the

portion of the father and the younger

son would receive that third. And so he

divided unto them his living. And I

notice in verse number 13, the Bible

says, "Not many days after the younger

son gathered all together and took his

journey into a far country." And the

Bible says, "And there he wasted his

substance with riotous living." And so

we consider out of this portion that was

divided, there was a party that was very

destructive. This party tonight was it

was in a in a far place. It was with

foreign people, but it was with a people

that were purely perverted in their

motive. And you say, "What do you mean

by that?" Well, the Bible says that it's

riotous living. It's wasteful living.

It's wicked living. And the Bible

literally says that the elder son when

he speaks of this younger son's

departure in verse number 30, he said

that he's devoured thy living with

harlots. And so he has sold himself, he

has sold his inheritance to live a

perverted, wicked lifestyle. And I want

to say this, the party life don't last

too long. Amen. If you want to go out in

this world and get involved in

everything that's going on outside the

doors of the church, I'll be real honest

with you. You going to come up a day

late and a dollar short and empty every

single time. Amen. And so I consider

this party that was destructive. Now we

notice not only the portion that was

divided and this party that was

destructive. Notice what happened

sometime after this in verse number 14.

The Bible says, "And when he had spent

all, there arose a mighty famine in that

land and he began to be in want. And so

thou are here now the problems that were

desperate." You see, the Bible says, and

isn't it interesting how the timing

works out? This young man has just spent

everything that he has been given. And

almost at the same time, a famine shows

up. When the finances run out, then the

famine comes in the land. And there's no

labor for him to be able to gain back

for himself. And let me say this to you

this morning. When you run out of what

you've got in this lifetime, you'll find

yourself in a place of destitution.

You'll find yourself in a place of

emptiness. You'll find yourself in a

place where there is no fruitfulness.

There is nothing you can gain for

yourself. Amen.

>> And I know y'all are looking at me like

saying, "Preacher, we've heard this

before, but if you'll get stay with me,

I'm going somewhere." Okay? We ought to

be able to just be attentive to it.

Amen. As many times as we hear it, I see

the portion that was divided, the party

that was destructive, these problems

that were desperate. This young man

really he is fighting for his life so to

speak because of the decision that he

has made. The Bible says he began to be

in want and that's what we find

ourselves in so many times in this life

with the destruction and the

dissatisfaction that we come to. We find

ourselves in want and I notice not only

the problems that were desperate but

note the pungence of his defilement. In

verse number 15, the Bible says that he

went and joined himself to a citizen of

that country and he sent him into his

fields to feed swine. And so he's come

here, this Jew, no doubt he is defiling

himself in these fields of swine,

feeding the pigs. Something no doubt his

father would have never allowed him to

do. He'd have never allowed him to go to

a friend's house and feed pigs. What I'm

saying is he's defiled himself in the

far country and the pungent smell that

is upon him from feeding the swine and

walking in the harm slop is stinking up

his life. And it's evident on every turn

that he is headed for destruction and

death. And so you notice here and I'm

going to get to the message this

evening. We consider the pungence of his

defilement. But note in verse number 16,

the place of his demise. You say,

"Preacher, what do you mean?" Well,

notice the text. And the Bible says he

would faint if filled his belly with a

hus that the swine did eat. No man gave

unto him. What you discover in this text

is a young man at the end of his rope.

He's done all that he can to try to

satisfy himself. He's lived it up. He's

laughed it up and probably loved it up

in the sense of the world. Amen. But the

truth is, what has he done? He's come up

empty. You say, "Preacher, how is it?"

It's how is it a place of his demise?

Well, notice what the Bible says. He's

so hungry that he would have filled his

belly with these husk. His hunger has

overtaken him to a point that he's not

eating what the pigs would eat, but he's

eating what the pigs left behind.

>> Right?

>> The waste.

>> And you say, "Preacher, what are you

saying?" Well, notice what happens. He's

eating there in the text. He would have

filled he would fain his want. His

desire become so increased that he

wanted to fill his belly with the hush

that the swine did eat. Notice this. The

Bible says, "And no man gave unto him.

There was nobody to aid him. There was

nobody to help him." But oh, this is

where the story gets better. Amen.

>> You say, "Preacher, where you going with

this?" Well, I told you I got one

thought. We might be done 10 minutes

early tonight, but that'll be all right.

Amen. Somebody say amen right there. If

you say amen on anything I say tonight,

that ought to get an amen.

>> I notice all these truths, but I think

this is the the thing that really caught

my attention. And this is what God

burned in my heart this afternoon. I

considered the place of his demise. This

young man's at the very end of himself.

And notice what your Bible says in verse

17. The Bible says in verse 17, "And

when he came to himself,"

>> notice what your Bible says. He said,

"How many hired servants of my fathers

>> have bread enough and despair and I

perish with hunger?" Tonight, with the

help of the Lord, I want to preach on

those hired servants for just a minute.

>> Amen.

>> The hired servants. You say, "Preacher,

what's so special about these hired

servants?" Well, I want to give you

something tonight. Just help you stew on

this a little bit. I'm telling you, I

about shouted all over my office this

afternoon when I read this. You notice

in this text, you see in verse number

17, that first little statement, the

Bible says, "And when he came to

himself," you see, there's three things

that are found in that little statement.

I'd say number one, there's realization.

You say, "What's the realization?" Well,

he's realized where he's at.

>> Amen. He's in the swine field. He's in

the hog slop. Amen. He's starving to

death. Literally at the verge of dying

in the midst of the wilderness in a far

away land where there is not a friend,

there is not a family, and the father is

nowhere around. Amen. In this text, he

has come to the end of himself. He has

realized where he is. But I'll say this,

it wasn't only a realization of where he

is, but I'll say this in verse 17. It

was a remembrance of where he used to

be.

>> Amen.

>> Amen. It was a remembrance of where he

was. And you say, "Preacher, what do you

mean?" Well, he begins to think back to

the father's house. Amen. And think

about how good it was over at the

father's house, and there's a

realization of where he is, and there's

a remembrance of where he was. But I

noticed this thoroughly in that little

statement when he came to himself. There

is repentance because now he's not

concerned about where he is or where he

was, but now he's concerned about where

he's going.

>> Amen. That's what repentance is.

Repentance is a change of heart, which

leads to a change of mind, which leads

to a change of action. And you know

what? That's a change in direction.

Amen. And so in this place, he comes to

himself. And the Bible says in verse 17,

the first thing that he remembers is the

hired servants.

The first thing that he remembers are

these hired servants. I'll say this when

I consider this thought. He remembered

number one, the number of them. Notice

what the Bible said in verse 17. And

when he came to himself, he said, notice

the next two words, how many? You say,

preacher, what do you mean by that?

Well, there was more than one at the

father's house.

>> Amen. And he starts going through his

mind of all those servants. And you say,

how could he do that, preacher? Well,

I'll say this right here. He remembered

not only the number of them, but I'll

say this. He remembered the names of

them.

>> Amen.

>> You say, "Preacher, that's not in the

text." Well, if you consider this truth

tonight, I think it is. Look what he

says. How many hired servants? These

boys right here, these two sons have

grown up with these servants.

>> They know who they are. They've been in

and out of the family all of their life.

And these young boys grew up with their

children. And no doubt the father

entrusted these servants with their

children and led them and helped them in

the field. You notice in the text later

on the Bible says in verse number verse

number 25, look what your Bible says

now. His elder son was in the field. And

so this younger son, they in a doubt in

my mind, he spent his life out there in

the field. The elder son spent his life

out there in the field. Who did he spend

his life with? It was out there in the

field with those hired servants. And

this young boy when he was out there in

the mess in the muck and the mire when

he come to himself, you know who the

first people he remembered was? The

hired servants.

>> He remembered the number of them. How

many there was? He remembered the names

of them. But I'll say this, and this is

what I like the best, and I'm going to

get into the message and we'll be done

tonight. He remembered the number. He

remembered their names because the son

lived with them. But I'll say this, he

remembered their need.

You say, "What do you mean their need,

preacher?" Well, notice it again in the

text. Verse number 17. How many what?

Hired.

You know why? They were

>> the father had need of them.

>> You're right.

>> And so you know what he did? He hired

them.

>> Right.

>> And brought into his home to labor in

his field.

>> And in this text, I consider this truth.

And you say, "Preacher, what does this

mean?" Well, I was thinking about them

two young ladies that got saved this

morning and thinking about how God's

been blessing our church and how good

God's been to us. AND I WAS THINKING

ABOUT THIS TEXT AND I REALIZED YOU know

who we are. We're just like those hired

servants.

>> Right?

>> You see this boy in this text when he

got to the end of himself when his sin

had destroyed his life and his shame had

taken him to the lowest of lows and the

places WHERE HE NEVER THOUGHT HE WOULD

BEEN. You know the first people that

came into his mind, it was them servants

back there at the father's house.

>> You know what the people when they go

out in this world and they get to the

very end of themselves?

>> Yes.

>> You know what? They come up empty. You

know who the first people that they

remember when they get to the end of who

they are?

>> Some people down there at the house of

God.

>> You say, "Preacher, what's special about

them people?" Well, I'll show you what's

special about them. Notice in this text,

the Bible says that he remembered these

hired servants. What did he remember

about them? I'll say this tonight. It

wasn't their character that this young

boy remembered. He didn't remember how

hardworking they was. He didn't remember

their conduct, how they behaved

themselves. He didn't even remember

their children or anything else about

them. He didn't remember the environment

in which they lived. He didn't remember

anything else about them other than this

one thing. And it was something that

they had.

You say, "Preacher, what did they have?"

Look at the text. How many hired

servants of my fathers have bread

enough?

>> Amen.

>> And to spare.

>> You see, he remembered these servants

not because of who they were, but he

remembered these servants because of

what they had.

>> Amen.

>> Some of y'all get hooked up with that in

just a minute. Amen.

>> You understand something down through

the ages, and I'm thinking about many in

my life right now. You realize that

there's people you can think back in

your life to your young days if you were

raised in church and you can think about

the ministry that they had in your life

and all that they did good for you. But

you know what you remember most about

them? Those people in church.

>> Come on.

>> It was the Jesus.

>> Amen.

>> That was dripping off their life.

>> Yes.

>> It was the bread. You say, "Preacher,

what's special about that bread?" We'll

notice it in the text. The Bible says

how many hired servants, notice this, of

my fathers. These servants belong to the

father because the father hired them

BECAUSE THEY NEEDED HELP. THEY COULDN'T

PROVIDE for themselves on their own. AND

SO THE FATHER HIRED THEM AND THE FATHER

HELPED THEM AND THE FATHER GAVE THEM A

HOME. OH, SOMEBODY HEAR THE PREACHER.

>> He gave them a home, brought them into

his home. Look what he says. They

[snorts] have bread enough. You see this

bread?

It wasn't the service bread.

>> Yes.

>> But it was the father's bread.

>> It was the sovereign's bread.

>> Yes.

>> And you see, when this young boy

considered the bread that his father

had, HE DIDN'T SAY it was his father's

bread.

>> Right?

>> Oh, friend, listen to me.

>> IT WASN'T HIS FATHER'S bread that he was

thinking about, but he was thinking

about the fact that them servants had

bread.

>> Amen.

>> You know what you and I have? That's

right.

>> Amen.

>> It's the father's bread.

>> Amen.

>> But you know what? When this world

remembers us,

>> they remember us for sharing with them.

>> Amen.

>> The word of God.

>> Because God has given us bread.

>> He's given us a burden.

>> He's given us a blessing to share. Amen.

The word of God. The bread of God. The

bread of life with every soul that'll

listen. With every soul that will hear,

he has given us this bread to share. And

it's not our bread, but it's his bread.

>> Amen.

>> And I'll say this, he's in control. He's

hired us. He's brought us into his home

and into his heart. And I noticed this

in the text. And if you're not going to

help me preach tonight, I'm going to be

real honest with you. I'm about to come

loose up here. Amen. He He brought them

into his home and into his heart. He has

given them of his bread. It's the

sovereign bread. But I'll say this, it

was a sufficient bread.

>> Look what he says in verse 17. And how

many hired servants of my fathers have

bread what enough?

>> You know this morning them two young

girls that got saved.

>> They [snorts] got saved off the same

bread

>> that I got saved off of. I'm saying

there's enough bread to go around. For

every sinner, for every servant, for

every problem and every situation, there

is enough bread to go around TO EVERY

HOME AND EVERY HEART. HEY, THE PRODICAL

SON REMEMBERED THAT THERE WAS BREAD DOWN

AT THE FATHER'S HOUSE. AMEN.

>> He remembered that there was sufficient

bread. Let me tell you tonight, child of

God, you may be here tonight and you

don't I don't KNOW WHAT YOU'RE FACING. I

don't know what you're going through,

but let me tell you, FRIEND, THERE'S

STILL THERE'S enough bread. Amen.

There's enough bread to get you down the

road another DAY AND ANOTHER MILE. I'm

saying you say, "Preacher, this is to

the lost." Well, let me say it to you

again. IF YOU'RE HERE LOST, HEY, THERE'S

ENOUGH BREAD TO SAVE YOU. THERE'S ENOUGH

BREAD TO SERVE YOU AND FILL YOU. AMEN.

I'M SAYING THERE'S ENOUGH LEFT OVER FOR

YOU TO HAVE. AMEN.

>> AMEN.

>> It was the sovereign's bread. It was

sufficient bread. There's bread enough.

But I'll say this, there's spare bread.

>> Oh my. He said, "How many servants of my

fathers have bread enough and to spare?"

>> You know what this says?

Come on.

>> Come on.

>> There was room for the son to come home

again.

>> Right.

[snorts]

>> Cuz the father had enough bread.

>> Amen.

>> Come on.

>> Matter of fact, he had so much bread

that the storehouse, not of the father,

>> but of the servants,

>> you're right,

>> was running over.

>> The servants had enough bread that they

could have supplied the need of the son.

And the son said to himself, "Well, if

the servants have got enough, I know

without a shadow of a doubt that the

father's got enough. HE OWNS A CATTLE OF

A THOUSAND HILLS AND HE'S GOT ENOUGH.

AND IF I COME BACK HOME, THERE'S GOING

TO BE ENOUGH TO SUPPLY MY NEED." AMEN.

>> You say, "Preacher, what are you saying?

I'm talking about when this this son

came to himself, he remembered the hired

servants.

Those people that the father had brought

into his home and his heart and hired

them to work in his field. Let me ask

you tonight, I'm going to give you this

thought and I'm done. Let me ask you

tonight, [snorts]

how many people's going to remember you

when they get to the far country?

>> Amen.

How many people's going to know that you

had an impact on them? And it wasn't

your life and your labor, but it was the

bread that was in your life.

>> Amen.

>> Here's the message tonight. Don't miss

this. This is the message. It wasn't

their labor in the field that this boy

remembered. But it was the Lord's

faithfulness to them that he remembered.

>> Amen.

>> He didn't remember. Hey, he did not

remember them plowing up ground. He

didn't remember nothing about what they

were doing. But when he got to the end

of himself and saw that he had a need,

he remembered that the father had been

faithful to the hired servants.

>> You know what I'm thankful for? There's

an old man of God up in the mountains.

>> Alageney County, pastored a little

church over there for over 30 years.

Been faithful all his life. Still

preaching.

>> He's only had just a handful his entire

ministry. But I'll tell you this, he's

been faithful. Amen.

>> Service in, service out, preaching year

after year after year after year. He'd

been faithful. His wife passed away a

few years ago and he's still preaching.

>> He's still serving God, doing the best

he can. And when I think about that man,

I remember to myself that I don't have

to quit

>> cuz there's enough bread.

>> Amen. There's enough bread. I'm saying

there's some of you here tonight that's

in the house of God tonight because you

remember that there was a servant. there

was a hired servant down at the house of

God that HAD ENOUGH BREAD ON THEIR LIFE

TO SHOW YOU THAT THEY THERE'S GOD WOULD

STILL SUPPLY YOUR NEED. AND THAT'S WHY

YOU'RE BACK IN THE HOUSE OF GOD TONIGHT.

I'M SAYING THAT'S WHAT MAKES THE

DIFFERENCE TONIGHT. IT'S NOT WHAT WE DO,

BUT IT'S WHAT HE DOES THROUGH US AND for

us. Amen.

>> It wasn't their labor in the field that

he remembered, but the Lord's

faithfulness to them.

He says, "How many hired servants of my

fathers have bread enough and despair

and I perish with hunger?" You know what

we are? We're just servants. You say,

"Preacher, we're we're sons." I know

that. Okay, just stay with me. All

right? You know what? Every man in

[snorts] the scripture, pretty much

every apostle that wrote in the New

Testament, you know what they started

off their letters with?

>> A servant.

>> Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ. James,

a servant. Jude, a servant. John a ser

almost every one of them if they don't

in the introduction somewhere through

their their epistle they write that they

are a servant Jesus was a servant he

took upon himself the form of a servant

you and I are called to be servants we

are called to be surrendered SUBMITTED

TO THE SERVICE OF GOD AND OUR

SERVANTTHOOD tonight is all that matters

>> right

>> before God

you say preacher

What's the point in this text? Well,

notice this verse number 18. You see the

presentation of his repentance. He says,

"I will arise and go to my father and

will say unto him, Father, I've sinned

against heaven and before thee."

In this verse, he tells us reveals to us

that he is truly turning around.

>> Amen.

>> He says, "I'm going home. I'm going to

my father."

Why? Because he remembered there's

bread,

>> right? Amen.

>> Praise God.

>> Down at the servants's house.

>> Right.

>> Verse number 19. Not only the

presentation of his repentance, but I

note second of all the proclamation of

his request.

You say, "What is it, preacher?" Well, I

thought this was interesting. Look what

he says. He can note his worthiness in

verse 19. He said, "I no more worthy to

be called thy son." You're

>> right.

>> Look what he says. Make me as one of thy

hired servants. Amen.

>> You know what we are tonight?

>> We're sons and daughters of the king.

>> But I'll tell you what,

we don't deserve it. That's

>> right.

>> We're just servants.

[snorts]

>> Amen.

I'm thankful

for the service.

>> Amen.

>> Men of God, women of God down through my

life.

Thankful for their heart.

[snorts] They wanted to help me. I'm

thankful for their help.

>> Amen.

>> I tell you what I'm thankful for. I'm

thankful for their holiness.

>> Amen.

>> They stayed separate from this world.

>> Yes.

as a dear lady I was thinking about when

I was studying this. I'm done tonight

and uh none of you would ever know who

she is. Matter of fact, my wife don't

even know who she is.

But when I was

about 10 years old, my daddy was

pastoring a little storefront church

building.

[snorts]

this woman and her husband been coming

to our church and we had just a handful

there probably I don't know on a good

Sunday we'd have 10 people

and uh he was coming there and his

precious wife's teaching me and my

brother Sunday school talk about

faithfulness just me and my little

brother in there she taught us every

Sunday

>> and uh

I remember several things one of the

verses I preached here the

Sunday go Colossians chapter 3 verse

Colossians 3 · chapter mention

number one set your affection on things

above where Christ siteth on the right

hand of God

and she taught me that verse

2 Timothy 3 16-1 17 the Bible says that

for all scripture is given by

inspiration of God

>> is profitable for doctrine for reprove

for correction for instruction and

righteousness that the man of God may be

perfect thly furnished under all good

works

That little woman taught me that verse

10 years old and I've never forgot it.

>> Amen. [snorts]

>> None of y'all ever know who she is, but

I remember.

>> That's right.

>> Let me ask you something. Is anybody

going to remember you?

>> Amen.

>> Good.

>> I don't know if there's anything that I

desire more [snorts] in this life and

just to fulfill

that purpose.

>> Amen. that I'm an hired servant.

>> Yes.

>> Bible says Jesus told his disciples, he

said, "When you've done everything that

I've told you," he said, "At the end of

the day," he said, "you say you're

unprofitable servants,

>> we've done that which was commanded us

to do." Let me ask you tonight, church,

are you willing?

>> Amen.

>> Are you willing? Every head bowed and

every eye closed tonight.

I don't know about you, but I just want

to be a hired servant.

See, that boy didn't remember them

because of what they did.

He remembered them because of what they

had.

He didn't remember them because of who

they were, but he remembered them

because of who they belong to.

Oh, let me ask you tonight.

Who's going to remember you?

Who's going to remember me?

Make me as one of thy hired servants.

>> [snorts]

>> Father, thank you so much.

nor for them servants

[snorts]

[snorts] for them ones that's just

faithful

and Lord it ain't ain't got nothing to

do with them, but [snorts]

it's just because they belong to you.

And God, they live by the provision that

you placed in them. God, help us to be

that way. [snorts]

God, let us never make a name for

oursel.

God, let us never

try to measure our ministry by another.

[snorts]

But God, let us just be faithful to

bloom where we've been planted.

[snorts]

Cuz Lord, I know, Lord, if nobody else

in this world ever sees and it goes by

unappreciated, Lord, I know you see and

you notice.

And I thank you for that tonight.

God, I pray you'd help us all [snorts]

be surrendered, submitted to the work of

God.

Lemons, would you dismiss us, brother?

Thank you.

>> Thank you for joining our service

[music] today. We'd love it if you'd

join us in person the next time you are

able at Meadows Baptist Church. Our

physical address is 2988 Stewart Road in

Walnut Cove, [music] North Carolina. Our

service times are Sunday school at 10:00

a.m., Sunday morning worship [music] at

11:00 a.m., Sunday evening worship at

6:00 p.m., and Wednesday evening Bible

study at 7:00 p.m. For [music] more

information, visit us at

meadowsbaptisturch.com.

Thanks again for tuning in.

[music]