20-20 Vision for Serving
20-20 Vision • Sermon • Submitted
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Read Exo 23:25-30
In the previous messages, we have learned how to have a 20-20 vision for life in general, for our personal growth (spiritually and professionally), and for missions. Today, we’ll learn about having a 20-20 vision for serving.
By shedding His blood at the cross, Jesus was paying the ransom to buy us, from the market of sin slaves, to make us His servants or slaves. We no longer belong to our previous owner, we have now a new owner.
Jesus did not pay the price to have us as decorative items in His church. He bought us for service!
The common saying states, “El que no sirve, no sirve” (Those who do not serve are useless). Why? Because servants are expected to serve!
“El que no vive para servir, no sirve para vivir.” (He who does not live to serve is useless to live).
In order to have a 20-20 vision for serving, you must...
See clearly whom you serve.
See clearly whom you serve.
First of all, we must be clear on something: we’re all servants
We’re all servants.
We’re all servants.
“I am nobody’s servant!” some people might say. but the reality is that we all serve someone, one way or the other. If you have a job, you serve your boss; if you have a family, you serve your spouse or children, if you’re a teacher, you serve your students and your school.
There’s not one human that is fully independent!
One time in Deuteronomy and thirteen times in Joshua, Moses is described as “servant of the Lord”.
Jesus himself came as a servant to give us an example:
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Since we’re all servants, it is extremely important that we be clear who we are serving!
Joshua knew who he was serving to. He told the people:
“Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:14-15
I is important because knowing who you serve will avoid you disappointments.
It will avoid you disappointments.
It will avoid you disappointments.
If you know your master , you will know what to expect from him!
If you serve man, you will be disappointed! You will be tempted to quit serving. Why? Because man is ungrateful, betrayer, man is never happy, man will criticize you, use you, abandon you, and get rid of you when he no longer needs you. That’s what you can expect from man!
If you serve God, you know that He will be faithful, care of you, protect you, love you despite your weaknesses, and He will always be with you. “I will never leave you nor forsake you” was a promise originally given to Israel if they would serve the Lord (Deut 31:6).
If you serve Him, you will be blessed. Serving the Lord will only bring you blessings:
It will bring you blessings.
It will bring you blessings.
“If you do [serve only Me], I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness. There will be no miscarriages or infertility in your land, and I will give you long. full lives.” (NLT)
The greatest blessing you can receive when you are in the desert is food and water.
Having children is another great blessing. If you do not believe it, ask those who are sterile.
Such blessing is described by the psalmist:
Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate.
Psa 127:3-5
In order to have a 20-20 vision regarding serving, you must also:
See clearly what is expected from you.
See clearly what is expected from you.
Every master has expectations for his servants. If you serve the Lord, you must be aware about what He expects from you.
You must be consecrated.
You must be consecrated.
“For Aaron’s sons you shall make tunics; you shall also make sashes for them, and you shall make caps for them, for glory and for beauty. “You shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him; and you shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve Me as priests.
God’s priests must be consecrated. “qadash”: holy, sanctified, consecrated, dedicated, prepared.
Peter reminds us that we are priests for God:
God’s priests must be consecrated. “qadash”: holy, sanctified, consecrated, dedicated.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
1 Peter 2:9
1 Pe 1:29
1 Peter 1:29
God is holy, therefore; he expects consecrated, holy priests!
You must serve only Him.
You must serve only Him.
“You must serve only the Lord your God.” (NLT)
God doesn’t want to be placed at the same level of other objects of worship, be these images, money, or other people.
He is the only true God and the only worthy of being served. That’s what He stated in the first two commandments:
“You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,
0:3-5
and that’s what Jesus meant when He said,
and that’s what Jesus meant when He said,
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
If God is your master, the one you serve:
You must obey God at any cost.
You must obey God at any cost.
When the people of Israel sinned by worshipping (serving) the calf of gold, God commanded His priest to take a radical and painful step of obedience:
Moses told them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Each of you, take your swords and go back and forth from one end of the camp to the other. Kill everyone—even your brothers, friends, and neighbors.” The Levites obeyed Moses’ command, and about 3,000 people died that day. Then Moses told the Levites, “Today you have ordained yourselves for the service of the Lord, for you obeyed him even though it meant killing your own sons and brothers. Today you have earned a blessing.”
They proved to be worthy servants, they obeyed Him at any cost!
As servants of the Lord, we’re expected to go the extra mile:
You must go the extra mile.
You must go the extra mile.
Jesus taught that lesson to His disciples. He said to them:
“Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down to eat’? “But will he not say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink’? “He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? “So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’ ”
Luke 17:7-10
Are you clear on who you serve? Are you clear on what your Master (owner expects from you? That’s a 20-20 vision on serving!