[Biblemat] Hymn study "In the Service of My King"

[Wayne S Walker]

Wayne Walker here with another weekly hymn study.

"IN THE SERVICE OF MY KING"
"...For ye serve the Lord Christ" (Col. 3.24)

     INTRO.:  A song which encourages us to serve the Lord Christ is "In
the Service of My King" (#622 in Hymns for Worship Revised, and #10 in
Sacred Selections for the Church).  The text was written and the tune was
composed both by Tillit Sidney Teddlie (1885-1987).  Teddlie was a native
of Texas, gospel preacher, and a prolific songwriter among churches of
Christ for much of the twentieth century.  Some of his best-known hymns
include "Worthy Art Thou," "Heaven Holds All for Me," and "The Lord's
Supper."  Also, he compiled several hymnbooks.  "In the Service of My
King" is dated 1919 and was owned by the Quartet Music Company.  Among
hymnbooks published by members of the Lord's church during the twentieth
century for use in churches of Christ, the song appeared in the 1940
Complete Christian Hymnal edited by Marion Davis; the 1938 Spiritual
Melodies,  the 1943 Standard Gospel Songs, and the 1965 Great Christian
Hymnal No. 2 all edited by Teddlie; the 1959 Majestic Hymnal No. 2 and
the 1978 Hymns of Praise both edited by Reuel Lemmons; the 1963 Christian
Hymnal edited by J. Nelson Slater; and the 1963 Abiding Hymns edited by
Robert C. Welch.  Today it may be found in the 1971 Songs of the Church
edited by Alton H. Howard; the 1978/1983 Church Gospel Songs and Hymns
edited by V. E. Howard; and the 1992 Praise for the Lord edited by John
P. Wiegand; in addition to Hymns for Worship, Sacred Selections, and the
2007 Sacred Songs of the Church edited by William D. Jeffcoat.

     The song talks about several different aspects of our service to
Christ.

I. Stanza 1 tells where we serve the Lord.
"To the harvest fields I will gladly go, In the service of my King,
With a song of love to the faint and low, In the service of my King."
 A. We must go to the harvest fields: Jn. 4.35
 B. We must go to where we can show our love for others: 1 Jn. 3.16-18
 C. We must go to where the faint and low are who need our help: 1 Thess.
5.14

II. Stanza 2 explains how we serve the Lord
"Let me ever work with a willing hand, In the service of my King,
Guided by His word, heeding each command, In the service of my King."
 A. We must serve the Lord with a willing hand: Ecc. 9.10
 B. We must serve the Lord as guided by His word: 2 Tim. 3.16-17
 C. We must serve the Lord heeding each command: Jn. 14.15

III. Stanza 3 says why we serve the Lord
"Let me win some soul that his life may be In the service of my King;
Let me sing some song that will make him free, In the service of my
King."
 A. We must serve the Lord in order to win souls: Prov. 11.30
 B. We must serve the Lord in order to help others put their lives in the
service of Christ so that they can be hidden in God: Col. 3.3
 C. We must serve the Lord in order to try to make others free from sin:
Rom. 6.17-18

IV. Stanza 4 talks about what we may do to serve the Lord
"Just a kindly word or a song or prayer In the service of my King,
That the lost may turn and His glory share, In the service of my King."
 A. We might speak a word to others as we seek to preach the word: Acts
8.4
 B. We might sing a song to teach and admonish others: Col. 3.16
 C. We might pray that those who are lost will hear and be saved: Rom.
10.1

     CONCL.:  The chorus
"In the service of my King, In the service of my King!
It is glory here, joy beyond compare, In the service of my King."
I have many responsibilities in this life.  I must take care of my
family.  I must give a good days work to my employer for what he pays me.
 I must be a good citizen.  I must be a good neighbor in my community. 
And, of course, I must be a faithful member of the local church where I
attend and worship.  Yet, in all of these areas of my life, I must
remember that everything I do should be "In the Service of My King."

      Brotherly,
Wayne S. Walker
9024 Amona Dr.
Affton, MO  63123
home phone: (314) 638-4710
office phone: (314) 544-1612
e-mail: wswalker310 at juno.com
website: www.defenderoftruth.com

     Notes: Other hymn studies are available at the Defender of Truth
website.  Also, some of my previous hymn studies are now included in book
that I have written entitled Songs of Zion.  It can be ordered from the
publisher by calling 1-800-423-2484 or going to www.faith-facts.com.  And
if you would like to receive a similar daily hymn study by e-mail, you
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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hymnoftheday/ .

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