A Servant of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:1)

Servant - one who is voluntarily subject to another.

Every slave is a servant, but not ever servant is a slave.

When we get saved, God doesn’t force us to do things for him, though we should want to.

Notice that Paul’s calling wasn’t before his Christ. PAUL’S CHRIST CAME BEFORE HIS CALLING.

Don’t let your title, office, or position get to your head. If you serve Christ with everything in you, Christ will help you with your calling.

When Paul got saved, the first thing he asked Christ was, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”

Every born-again believe should be a servant of Jesus Christ.

A Servant Performs Duties

Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

Ephesians 2:8–10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

- Workmanship - the art of working. (There is an art to serving Christ, and it’s by DOING!)

- Workmanship is first mentioned in Exodus 31:1–5 “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.”

- There is a direct correlation between serving God and being filled with Spirit of God.

If you want to be filled with the Spirit of God, do something for God!

James 2:14–21 “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?”

- Our works isn’t a sign of our faith to Christ. Our works show OTHERS that we have been saved by the grace of God. When WE perform duties for CHRIST, we show OTHERS that we are NOT OUR OWN.

- 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Hebrews 6:9–12 “But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

- God sees our work and doesn’t forget our labor (1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” )

- Our works are to be showed toward HIS name.

- We can do this by ministering (serving) the saints.

- BE NOT SLOTHFUL

- WE DON’T NEED LAZY CHRISTIANS, WE NEED LABORING CHRISTIANS.

- WE DON’T NEED STAGNANT CHRISTIANS, WE NEED SPIRIT-FILLED CHRISTIANS.

- WE DON’T MOTIONLESS CHRISTIANS, WE NEED MOTIVATED CHRISTIANS.

- WE DON’T NEED SLOTHFUL CHRISTIANS, WE NEED SERVING CHRISTIANS!

A Servant Prioritizes His Devotion

Exodus 21:1–6 “Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them. If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself. And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.”

- The servant could be let go and do whatever he wanted, but because of the master and the provisions given to the servant, the servant, because of his love for the master, chose to serve his master all the days of his life.

- Prioritizing Christ brings provision (Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” )

- Prioritizing Christ brings pleasure ( 1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” )

- Prioritizing Christ brings praise (Colossians 3:17 “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” )

- Prioritizing Christ brings passion (Titus 2:11–14 “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”)

A Servant Properly Diminishes Himself

John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

To be a servant, one must decrease himself and increase his master.

Philippians 2:5–8 “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.” Romans 8:6–8 “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”

- our minds and bodies need to be under subjection and submissive to the master. When our heart and mind gets right (the inside) the flesh will get right (the outside).

In order for us to properly serve the Savior, we must quit serving self.

Could we be named among the God called servants like Moses, Abraham, Job, David, Isaiah, and Christ?

Once we get our devotion to the Savior and diminishing of self took care of, we can perform our duties properly for the Savior and give Him honor and glory.