A Servant in Christ

Introduction: Last week we considered that since God has brought us from death unto life the logical conclusion of that is that God now owns everything we are and everything we produce. Out of the fact that we are owned by God flows the reality that we are servants of God.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul introduced himself in this way:

Romans 1:1 NKJV

Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God

This week we will consider ourselves in light of . We will see that: 1). we are all servants of God, 2). we all have a calling from God to serve others, and 3). we may be suited for a particular area of ministry.

We Are All Servants of God

The word that is translated as bondservant in could be literally translated as slave. Slavery, as it was practiced in the Roman culture, was not as harsh or demeaning as it was practiced in early United States history. Slaves in Roman times were permitted to purchase their own freedom, and many did. However, there were also many who knew that they could actually have a better life as a slave under the protection and provision of their master and owner. It is in that sense that we are in the position of a slave. We were once owned and dominated by sin and over our heads hung the doom of certain death, but then came Jesus and purchased us from the dominion of sin and death and became our Owner, Master, and Lord. In Christ we have the confidence that with God as our Owner we can live the best life possible free from the power of the fear of death.

It is easy to see how Paul served Christ. He was a missionary who specialized in planting churches and strengthening the believers. What about the rest of us? Can a plumber say, “I am a servant of Christ?” Can a computer programmer, or chef, or lawyer, or bookkeeper, or accountant? Let’s consider what Paul says in .

Colossians 3:22–24 NKJV

Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

The slaves Paul was addressing in Colossae were called to serve Christ through serving their masters. Any Christian who is faithfully and in good conscience fulfilling the responsibilities he is called to do is serving Christ and should view themselves as every bit a servant of God as a pastor or church staff member. What about teenagers who don’t have a vocation yet? Well, just as I am a slave (don’t take this out of context) of Brookside Baptist Church and I serve Christ by serving my master (Brookside Baptist Church) so you are a slave of your parents (don’t take this out of context). They pay for your food and clothes and provide a place for you to live. At this point in your life, under the provision and protection of your parents you have the opportunity to live the best life possible. By serving and honoring them you have the privilege to serve and honor Christ.

So, what does it look like to serve Christ in what he has called us to do?

Example - car salesman: “Before I became a Christian, I sold cars. After I became a Christian, I helped people buy cars?”

What about people whose work does not bring them into contact with people outside their own workplace? In seeking to do consistently high quality work a Christian serves God believing that God will bless their efforts by their being a light in a dark workplace.

What about teens whose calling is to serve and honor their parents? In seeking to serve their parents teens 1). have the opportunity to showcase the message of the gospel and its transforming power over the lives of teens in order to open up doors of opportunity to witness to unsaved families, and 2). have the opportunity to give their parents a gift that they can get no other way.

Paul defined his serving of Christ as serving other people. We must do the same. How do we serve Christ? By serving our employers, customers, clients, patients, co-workers, and even parents. Whoever we are called to serve or whatever profession God calls us into we should see ourselves as servants of Christ.

We All Have a Calling From God

The second way Paul describes himself is that he is called. Roman slaves always had a job to do in the master’s household. The jobs varied in significance from menial tasks to offices of significant responsibility. When Paul introduces himself as a servant of Jesus Christ he also has in mind his calling. He was called to be an apostle. He was purchased by the blood of Christ in order to be an apostle.

People who work in full-time ministry often refer to their job as a calling, and they should. But what about those who are not called to be employees of the church? Can a faithful, godly public school janitor say with confidence, “God has called me to this position of service?” Yes.

1). If the Christian, who is not an employee of the church, cannot claim that God has called him to his role it takes away the obvious dignity that God originally intended for Adam and for which we are eventually destined.

2). If the Christian, who is not an employee of the church, cannot claim that God has called him to his role it creates a huge group of second-class citizens in the kingdom of God. The Bible does teach us that not everyone will receive the same rewards, however, the rewards in heaven are not based on what role you had but rather on how you fulfilled the role you were given.

Revelation

Revelation 22:12 NKJV

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3:14–15 NKJV

If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

3). If the Christian, who is not an employee of the church, cannot claim that God has called him to his role it undercuts the idea of God’s loving providence. It says that calling someone to be a janitor is a lesser expression of God’s love towards that person.

David put it this way:

Psalm 139:16 NKJV

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.

Every Christian then has the privilege of saying, “I’ve been called by God to this vocation, and my role is to serve Jesus Christ by serving people.”

Second in respect to our calling is the call to serve in the local church.

1 Peter 4:10 NKJV

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Peter is saying that each believer has received a gift with which to serve the local church. This is a very well accepted idea in evangelical circles. However, it is not often practiced. As a result, there is a hugely disproportionate number of “consumer Christians.” That is a nice way of saying that a lot of Christians are bench warmers. They attend church and do nothing else. We do not have time tonight to look deeply at how to identify spiritual gifts and put them into practice, however, the principles that apply vocationally also apply in regards to our spiritual gifts in the church. So, in order to determine what your role in the church is it is wise to start serving and see what areas you excel at. Chances are the thing you are good at doing is what God is calling you to do in the local church.

We May Be Suited for Particular Roles

The third expression Paul used to introduce himself is that he is “separated to the gospel of God.” In this expression Paul is emphasizing the unique ministry that God had given to him as an apostle. Paul was given his understanding of the gospel by direct revelation from Christ.

Galatians

Galatians 1:11–16 NKJV

But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood,

In fact, most of what we believe today concerning salvation and being in Christ comes from the writings of the apostle Paul. Paul viewed his role as an apostle to be one of proclaiming, explaining, and defending the gospel, and that he was set apart for that purpose.

What does that mean for us today? As you serve the Lord in what he has called you to do today, you may find that God has set you apart for a specific role or task that only you can do or will do.

Example: Dan Brooks

Conclusion: In closing this series there is one more thing we must grapple with.

I Am Not Yet Perfect

In closing this series there is one more thing we must consider. That is the tension between who we are in Christ and what we see ourselves to be in our daily experiences.

Philippians 3:12 NKJV

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

We live between the coming of the Holy Spirit and the second coming of Jesus. Some theologians describe our era as the “already, but not yet” era.

In Christ we stand righteous before God, but in our daily lives we often battle with remaining sin.

In Christ we are adopted sons of God, but we often feel like orphans.

In Christ we are new creations but it does not always seem like the old has passed away.

Paul saw this tension as magnifying the grace of God.

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:9–10 NKJV

For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Ephesians 3:8 NKJV

To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

1 Timothy 1:15 NKJV

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

Paul brought attention to the contrast between who he was in himself and who he was in Christ in order to magnify the grace of God that was poured out on his life. If any of us are going to make progress in our journey towards Christlikeness then we must be willing to admit openly and honestly that we are not yet perfect, yet we still serve Christ because of his grace that has been poured out on our lives. We often look to ourselves to find a reason to feel good about ourselves and as C.S. Lewis put it, “this is a very good practice in missing the point entirely.” We often come to the place in our daily lives where we think to ourselves, “I am such a failure.” The reality of that statement could not be any truer. In himself Bryce Hamilton is a total failure. However, the greater reality is that, as one in Christ, I stand holy and blameless before God. We are failures, and that is why Jesus came. Because of Jesus our failure no longer needs to define who we are.

So, we finish our series realizing this. Never, in all of the Bible, is there an instance of one harsh word spoken against a sinner who is stripped of all self-righteousness and self-worth. Instead, sinners who are stripped of who they are can then be clothed because of what Christ has done.