Commissioned to Serve

Introduction: The Commission of 12 Ordinary Men

The church is the greatest institution ever designed. God ordained this incredible organization built on blood-bought people before the foundation of the world according to Eph 1:4.

God in all of his infinite wisdom new who would be the foundational Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers. With that being said, there must of been an extraordinary burden and responsibility placed on Peter, James, Paul, and the others. However, I would ask you this today, why do we think our Commission is any less extraordinary? The reality is God knew our names before we were born and knew that we’d be here at this very moment. It did not catch God by surprise when you chose to give your life to him. Nor is your relationship with God of lesser value than anyone else in this building.

THE REALITY IS WE ARE ALL BOUGHT PEOPLE!

You do not need an office to accomplish God’s will for your life. Often we allow the world’s “corporate latter” mindset to sneak into the church. To be more specifically, we allow said corporate mindset to sneak into our own psyche within the church. I’m guilty of this. I’m pretty sure many of you are as well. It’s okay, you don’t have to raise your hand though.

The problem with being positionally minded within the church is we become more focused on future problems than the now problems.

Matthew 6:34 KJV 1900

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Matt 6:34.

Defeating the Positional Mindset

Further, position-mindsets tend to lead us to self centered viewpoints rather than the servanthood viewpoint. In the church we are called to be SERVANT LEADERS.

Why Is Everyone a Leader? (Stress the example they set to children and to-be Christians)

Let me circle back to what I said earlier about not needing an office to accomplish God’s will for your life.

First off, God elects those who will serve in said offices. You can pray for it, but be prepared to be molded if that is truly what you want

Second, a position is temporary. Everyone is working to be replaced within their job, even the five-fold ministry.

A job will not give you fulfillment in the Church, only obedience to truth and biblical principles can provide fulfillment because this is what leads to accomplishing God’s will for one’s life

Further, go ahead and kill one more fallacy that often circles within the church or at least the back of our minds - only the ministry can operate in the gifts.

THAT IS ABSOLUTELY FALSE!

1 Corinthians 12:7 KJV 1900

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

-1 Cor 12:7.

Let me give you a clearer interpretation for those of you who speak normal english: The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to be profitable.

It doesn’t say profitable to the church only, but to those outside of the church as well.

The Calling of Servanthood

Let’s go back to Eph 4:1 which was mentioned earlier. There’s an expectation on those who would operate in the gifts, however -

Eph 1:4 “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:”

Now lets swap out the chapter and verse -

Eph 4:1 “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,”

Paul, while he often did, did not call himself Apostle. Instead, he said, “I, the prisoner of the Lord, request that you walk worthily of your calling to which you have been called.”

Paul did not call the saints of Ephesus. Paul did not call Timothy to pastor. God calls his people to serve and serve through a lifestyle of holiness being without blame before the living God.

We get so bent out of shape when our pastor corrects us, but that is what he’s called to do. Stop getting so bent out of shape! It’s silly...

Would you get mad if your driving instructor back in the day scorned you for doing something wrong? Probably not if it was to teach you how to properly operate the vehicle you were driving?

Why is it we get mad with pastors when they correct the way in which we are living our lives. We pray prayer like “God use me, I’m hungry for more of you.”

Then God places a pastor over us, gives him a word, and we completely ignore it. That in essence is setting ourselves up for an accident in our futures because we won’t listen to the instructor God’s placed over our lives.

Elsewhere Paul uses the Greek word, δουλος, which literally meant slave. A slave in the Israelites context had a time where they would choose to stay with their master or leave him.

If the master had good, the slave could stay with his master, but it required that he took a mark that forever signified the ownership of said slave.

If the slave left the master, he would then be free and allowed to determine his or her own future.

Our problem is we think true freedom comes from no dependency on people, being our own boss, not having to answer to anyone, but can I tell you a little something. This isn’t biblical. At the end of time, we will all answer to God. So choose you this day to serve now or be thrown out into the death for all eternity.

- Choose to be a slave of sin and death or a genuine servant of Christ.

Examples of elsewhere:

Rom 1:1 “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,”

1 Cor 7:21-22 “Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant.”

Your position in this world doesn’t matter if you are a slave to the Master.

Talk about how a slaved computer works (CPUs, Clocks) [the Graphics card is actually slaved to the CPU]

Conclusion: Leadership Through Servanthood

Mark 9:35 “And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.”

Based on this precept, the currency of the Kingdom is work. However, it is not just merely work but work done at the right place and time. Being a servant of all is exactly what Jesus did as our saviour. None of this will be able to truly fulfill what Jesus was talking about here in Mark chapter nine.

While we will not have time touch on these precepts to servanthood, I would like to touch on these things, as they will help us in understanding how to grow as true leaders within the Church:

Love

Humility

Empathy

Altruism

Healing

Service

Integrity

Authenticity

Ethics

Trust

Honor

Stewardship

Growth

Persuasion

Community

Empowerment

Discernment

Awareness

Internal Locus of Control

Conceptualization

Foresight

In the near future, we will try and cover all four of these points in how they enable us to be better servants within the Kingdom of God.

Let me close with this last statement, “The enemy to a servant’s heart is laziness and selfishness. If you are comfortable with your brother, sister, or even Pastor doing everything while you sit on your pew of do-nothing, there is a need for you to find an altar. And, that’s okay. Just make sure to do it!

Our heart should leap to do something for the Lord because He’s called us to serve not because a man or woman is pleading and begging us to do so every Sunday. Although, they often do this because the Lord’s call seemingly is not enough in our lives.”

Let us be reminded we are called to serve. You have a Commission, now fulfill its clarion call on your life!