Commissioned to Serve: Finding True Freedom (Lesson 2)

Commissioned to Serve: Finding True Freedom

Introduction

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.”

NRSV - Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. Even if you can gain your freedom, make use of your present condition now more than ever. For whoever was called in the Lord as a slave is a freed person belonging to the Lord, just as whoever was free when called is a slave of Christ.

2 Cor 3:17 “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

When I decide to insert love into my situation, there will be liberty!

It is in this chapter that Paul talks specifically about the condition in which one was called to Christ. Paul associates the conversion process with a call, where many of us define a calling as something in which ministers receive. The early church did not view a calling as such.

Paul identified that those who were called to God while Jews, would not try and remove their marks of being Jewish (circumcision). Further, he would say that slaves ought not to be troubled because they were made free in Christ and the free were made slaves to Christ. In other words, there is a freedom that comes over Christians.

Regardless of there economic situation, they receive freedom in Christ

What does this mean though?

Freedom to live a Christian life in love

Free From Slavery, While Commanded to Serve

Where are we bound?

Holiness

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:”

Conviction

A Biblical and Theological Dictionary - In a religious sense, it is the first degree of repentance, and implies an affecting sense of our guilt before God; and that we deserve and are exposed to his wrath.

Rom 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

We are to live our lives for Christ and not ourselves

Gal 5:13-14 “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

TRUE FREEDOM IS NOT FOUND, FOR A CHRISTIAN, IN FREEDOM OF CHOICE BUT FREEDOM TO SERVE.

Often we come to servanthood with the mindset that it is slavery

Servanthood in the Christian mindset, and spiritual demonstration, isn’t slavery, a checkbox, or a one time event. IT IS A MINDSET!

Rom 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Phil 2:1-8 “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Christ commanded that we serve one another.

Mark 10:42-45 “But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

God calls us to be renewed in spirit and in mind. When we are born again, we gain power to serve through both a Christian life style and the gifts of the Spirit.

God gives us power to serve through the Spirit.

The atmosphere should change when we go into a place. We are heralds of God’s truth and carriers of His Spirit.

1 Cor 12:7 “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” - God gives these gifts for every person to be profitable

1 Pet 4:10 “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

We also find this in 1 Pet, where Peter declares that we are to use our gifts to minister to one another. Manifold in this context simply means diversified.

Today’s world is calling for a diverse team everywhere you go. I agree in diversity because the concept enables us to make better decisions because we see a problem from various points of view. The better you can see an object, the better you can describe it. The better one can describe the object, the more effective they will be at adding on to it.

When it comes to God’s manifold grace, we are to minister to one another through the diversity of gifts within the church.

God does not give you a gift so you can watch your brother and sister suffer and ignore them…

1 Cor 12:31 “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.”

The power of the Holy Ghost is for all to profit from in the church. Many however are comfortable with letting the preachers preach, the teachers teach, and not lifting a spiritual hand in the church.

That same mindset goes into work within the church

If you see someone needs help or there’s a need in the church, servanthood means picking up the slack even if you don’t want to personally. It means if there is a need for a van driver, you drive the van and remain faithful to it, while waiting on God to send more help. It means being willing to lay down your desires, treasures, gifts, and sometimes even needs in order to serve the will of God and the man of God.

It means letting go of the “I’m going to have my way” mentality and gaining the “Yahweh, your way” mentality.

It means letting go of your “no” and allowing God to make it His “yes” - clarify that this does not mean becoming a yes man/woman…it means allowing the Spirit to guide you in submitting to a ministry for the church. Or, maybe even serving your Pastor in some way.

It means being to church early rather than 5 minutes late, so you can help with making the atmosphere right for our visitors.

It means giving a Bible Study even when not convenient for you or your family.

It means working at the church when you’d rather be doing something else. The reality is there are people working their anyways…why should you benefit on the sweat and blood of other’s labor. If you desire something from God, why don’t you worship him communally.

Servanthood means radically worshipping even when you don’t feel like it. Not just watching the usual crowd worship and then being a benefactor of the atmosphere.

Praying for someone else even though you have a burden weighing you down.

Conclusion

Servanthood requires that we step up to the plate without expecting anything in return or any accolades, just the comfort of knowing we are pleasing the Lord. Often, the Holy Ghost will nudge us in the direction of what we should be doing. The question we must ask ourselves tonight is are we listening to the Holy Ghost’s soft, quite, and peaceful nudge to serve?

Or are we too wrapped up with ourselves, our families, and our own emotions to serve one another?

Servanthood pulls us to an altar. It pulls us to die out to the flesh and to become free through Christ living within us. As John the Baptist said, “I must decrease so that he may increase.”

An Apostolic mindset of servanthood requires radical submission to the Holy Ghost and the man of God within one’s life. The man of God will be given prophetic vision over your life from time to time. If you fail to obey a prophetic word, you do yourself no favors. It is better to obey than to sacrifice.

In the words of Brother Godwin, “servants get mantles.” Servants get higher callings. Servants go from glory to glory without being concerned about their own glory!

Next Week we will begin discussing our first category of Servanthood, love, in a four part series of love, integrity, stewardship, and discernment.