What Brand Are You?

 

Galatians 6:17  "From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus."   What Brand Are You?   Here on the Bill Rice Ranch, we have over fifty head of horses.  Back in the early days of the Ranch, we would brand each horse so it was obvious who owned the horse.  Isn't it fascinating how consumed we are with brands?  Brands of clothes, brands of cars, and probably scores of other brands of things-brands mean more to us than we would care to admit!   What brand are you looking for this morning?  What mark makes a person an accredited servant of God?  Paul said, "For I bear in my body the marks [literally, "the brand"] of the Lord Jesus."  We can often deal with people in the same way that we deal with brands.  We make judgments based upon the brands we identify with, like Ford cars, a name brand shirt, or sports equipment; likewise, we often identify servants of God with our brands instead of His.   In any given church (or week at camp), a variety of colleges and backgrounds are represented.  If you are not careful, you will look for the mark you would stamp on a person, not the mark that comes from serving Christ.  There is more that could be said about right versus wrong, worldly versus godly; but the point is, we can put stock in the "brand" we like or identify with instead of the mark God has "stamped" on someone.   Paul's marks were both physical marks (scars) from shipwrecks, beatings, and imprisonment, as well as spiritual marks of his ministry.  The mark that brands a servant of God is the act of serving God!  A servant of God will not glory in himself and will be crucified to the world (verse 14).  Regardless of what other brand (your college, your church, your ministry) you wear, the most important brand is the brand that God stamps!  That will mean serving in humility and being dead to the world.   The mark we should be looking for in a servant of Christ is the attribute of serving Christ!  Serving Christ means serving people and serving under the authorities He has placed in your life.  Is your "brand" one that is glorying in Christ, crucified to the world, and a picture of the "new creature" you are?  What "brand" most marks you?  Don't look for the brand of your school, your interests, or your ministry; look for the one brand that matters most-a servant of Christ serves Christ! Prayer Requests: - Services tonight in Paducah, KY and Bloomington, IL   Browse our fall events schedule on our website: billriceranch.org

Bill Rice Ranch | 627 Bill Rice Ranch Road | Murfreesboro | TN | 37128