Will God Surprise in Missions: Service is the Heart of Worship-Jim Womble

Will Good Surprise in Missions: The Heart of a True Servant

Read: Romans 1:8 – 16 The inspired portion of this sermon.

The Fall Festival was awesome yesterday. We had a great time. We learned that we should not be pirates but that we should turn to God in repentance and to believe that Jesus is enough to save us from our sin.

I also learned where pirates get their hook when they lose one of their hands. Does anyone know where pirates get another hand? At the secondhand store.

Introduction:

M.P.T.: Paul served the church out of a pure heart with thankfulness, concern, and willingly.

M.P.S.: We can serve the church out of a pure heart with thankfulness, concern, and willingly.

Title: The Heart of a True Servant

Body

Serve in my Spirit (9)

The key to this passage is :9, “…whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son….”

1. Paul service is spiritual service.

a. We talked about Paul’s unique qualifications in verses 1 – 7

b. He was raised as a 2-culture person, Judaism and Greek

c. In Judaism, as a Pharisee, he learned the outward service to God.

d. The Law was quid pro quo, if the people did this then God would do that

e. In the Greek culture he stood his own with the philosophers of the day for example, the sermon at Mars Hill in Athens.

f. But in Christianity, that is true Christian service is a service of the heart.

g. Serving God from the heart is the only way to truly serve God.

h. That is what the sacrificial system was symbolic of serving God with a whole heart and a pure heart.

i. The sacrifice was to be without spot of blemish symbolizing a heart without spot or blemish.

j. It was representative of living or serving a life before God without spot or blemish.

k. Paul served God out of a pure heart.

l. Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; Who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. (Psalm 24:3 – 5)

m. Paul tells Timothy to serve in Ephesus out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and not to give in to fables which promote speculations rather than stewardship from God that is by faith. (I Timothy 1:4 – 5)

How do we serve God today? People serve for many reasons. John MacArthur helps to understand that people serve for many reasons other than out of a pure heart. For example, one might serve the position, or for peer pressure, or they are forced too, or for money, the list can go on and on.

All of these are external ways to serve just as many of the religious leaders of the day had reduced service to God to mere external service. It was all about how it looked.

Why do you serve?

2. Paul uses the Greek word “latreuo” translated “serve” which is always used in religious service. some times, it is translated worship.

3. Jesus said to Satan when he offer to give something to Jesus if would just worship him. Jesus said, “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy Go, and him only shalt thou serve. (Matthew 4:10)

a. Serve = Worship[1] You see the connection there between serve and worship.

b. It is interesting how we link these two together by saying worship service like saying worship-worship or service-service

c. Paul serves in his spirit, or worships in his spirit. What he means is that his service is from the heart, or his worship is from the heart.

The Marks of Spiritual Service

Thankful Service (8)

1. Paul was thankful.

a. He thanked God for the church at Rome.

b. The church there was one He did not found and did not know those people

c. He was thankful for them out of a pure heart of service to God

My God through Jesus Christ

d. He was thankful not to the Romans for what they had done

e. He thankful to God through Jesus Christ for the work they were doing to build the church.

f. He was thankful for the work God was doing in Rome on their behalf

Famous Faith

g. Churches in history are famous for many things

i. Some for the preacher, some for their building, their glass, their pipe organ, some for their artwork.

ii. Some are famous for the programs they offer

h. But this church was famous for their faith.

i. They were known as the church that believed God

Concerned service (9)

1. He was thankful for had been done but concerned for what needed to be done.

2. Paul prays for them even though he does not know them, nor has he been to their city.

a. Sometimes we have a hard time fervently praying for people we know

3. We usually do not pray fervently unless something has happened to us

4. Without ceasing and always praying

5. God is his witness for prayer

a. The Holy Spirit confirms a connection between believers

Willing service (10)

If by any means to come

a. We have the privilege to look back at the “by any means” that God used to get him to Rome.

b. We know now that God used much suffering to get him there

c. The Jews plotted ways to ambush him, making up stories about him for the reason he was a prisoner, ship wrecks, snake bites it was a tough road for Paul to get to Rome even starting the journey going in the opposite direction.

d. But is all of it, he never lost sight of his purpose, he never lost his joy he even concluded that he would live to shepherd the church, preach the gospel of repentance to God and faith in Jesus Christ while he lived.

If by any means to come unto you

e. John MacArthur points out

f. That Paul prays himself to be part of the solution.

g. The next time we you pray for missions, pray that God would send you.

By the will of God

h. Notice that he conditions his coming to them by any means on the will of God

i. Paul is a thankful servant

j. He is a concerned servant

k. He is willing to go if it is God will to do so.

Conclusion

Paul demonstrated that service to God out of a pure heart produces service with thankfulness for what has done, concern for needs to done, and willingness to be part of the solution if it is the Lords will.

How much more should we learn to service from a pure heart not for what we can gain but for the glory of God. And to do so with thankfulness, concern, and willing to do for God’s will.

This stuff is hard. It was hard for me to hear this. I had to check my heart.

[1] (MacAuthor 1981) Romans 1:8-16a code 45-05