Serving

Review:

We have been in our series through the Spiritual Disciplines

1 Timothy 4:7–8 “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

Spiritual Disciplines we have talked about: Bible Intake, Prayer, Worship, Evangelism.

Today we are going to talk about serving, but not just because we have the work day coming up.

R. Kent Hughes, “Ministering hearts are disciplined to labor, for they regularly move beyond their comfort zones, they put themselves in vulnerable spots, they make commitments which cost, they get tired for Christ’s sake, they pay the price, they encounter rough seas. But their sails billow fill of God’s Spirit.”

Many who served in church know that it can be super tiring, but also super rewarding.

There is so much to be doing in the local church…Without serving the church cannot function

Questions:

Why do you think churches have a hard time getting people to serve?

What are some issues when it comes to people serving in the church?

How do you get people to serve more faithfully? (One of our core value is to serve selflessly)

Lets look at some things when it comes to serving…

I. Serving is Costly

Philippians 2:5–8 “5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Jesus displayed servant leadership

Jesus being a servant it cost him his life for us…He humbled himself for us

Serving is costly…even in the church

Serving, especially in the church requires time, effort, and energy

Serving will cost us something

Question: What do you think that something is?

The old adage in the church went that 10% do 90% of the work in the church

Quote: “Interestingly, many modern church consultants argue that if a church can shift that ratio even slightly—say, to 20% or 30%—the health and reach of the community transform almost overnight.”

Could it be that people were never fully taught or even told what it means to follow Christ requires you to serve?

ILL: before UPS there was The Pony Express is something that many of us know about. Not because were were there but because it is always talked about.

The Pony express was a private express company that carried mail by an organized relay of horseback riders across a series of 184 stations.

It only lasted from April 3, 1860 - November 18, 1861

The reason it stopped was because of the telegraph line

A rider of the pony express was a hard job, but they never ran short of people wanting the job

There was a add in the San Francisco newspaper in March 1860…. “Wanted - Young, Skinny, wiry fellows not over 18. Must be expert riders willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred.”

There are some things that we need to be honest with people when it comes to serving Jesus…Serving is costly, its difficult, time consuming…But serving the Lord is so worth it.

Question: Have you ever served and it started out as drudgery but when it was done you got this huge blessing because you did?

When Christ calls us…It also means that we are in service to him.

We are ridding ourselves of rights and following Jesus

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”

Donald Whitney, “Such a call to serve Christ summons up images of legendary martyrs, fearless in the face of persecution, or of a triumphant death after a life time of planting the flag of the gospel among unreached peoples. Instead, it seems that far more commonly Christ’s call is to a death by degrees, washing feet in obscurity.”

Serving can seem mundane, unextrordinary

Sometimes when people serve it can go unnoticed or even uncomplimented

People can do much harm when their pride and selfishness take root and they want to be seen more by others than Christ.

We all wrestles with this sometimes.

Some people may only serve when it is convenient for them….But regardless …“Those who serve find it to be one of the most sure and practical means of growth and grace.”

Application:

Serving is costly

II. Serving is Expected

God calls no one to idleness…none of us a called to sit on the sideline

There is an expectation for believers to serve Christ in their lives

Hebrews 9:14 “how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

Psalm 100:2 “Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!”

Whitney, “God’s Word has no place for spiritual unemployment or spiritual retirement or any other description of a professing Christian not serving God.”

Donald Whitney points out some motivations for serving:

Motivated by obedience

Deuteronomy 13:4 “You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.”

We should serve the Lord because we want to obey what he has called us to do

We are called to serve and we must obey

2. Motivated by Gratitude

1 Samuel 12:24 “Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.”

God has been so gracious to us…We should be able to say we cant help but serve him

3. Motivated by Gladness

Psalm 100:2 “Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!”

Are you glad when you serve?

Are you prayed up when you serve?

We must think of it as drudgery

4. Motivated by forgiveness, not guilt

Isaiah 6:6–8 “Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

Did Isaiah feel guilty? No because God took his guilt away

Believers do not serve to be forgiven but serve because they are forgiven

We are not earning our salvation but working out our salvation

5. Motivated by Humility

John 13:12–16 “12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.”

We must serve in humility not to get something in return

We must humble ourself because foot washing is a dirty job

6. Motivated by love

Galatians 5:13 “13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

Love is what binds everything together…We love by serving

We serve because we love God and the local church

III. Serving is using our grace gifts

1 Peter 4:10 “10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:”

J.I. Packer, “The most significant gifts in the church’s life in every era are ordinary natural abilities sanctified.”

We have been given spiritual gifts

We must understand that God sees us in our service to others…

Hebrews 6:10 “10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.”

Application

Serving God is work

It requires much of us…But it is rewarding

Bottom Line: We must discipline ourselves to serve, especially in the local church