One Another - Service

OPEN: Luke 12:49f

SERMON

OPEN: God’s Will - Romans 12:2

be transformed, that’s God’s will, and His will is that we serve. SERVE

Questions to answer today:

Why do I serve?

How do people decide what’s important, when they decide to serve or not to?

Why do people NOT serve? Is it determined by one’s faith?

Jesus says IF you have faith, you can say to this mountain.... IF

Faith is indeed tied to our works - but works do not SAVE

Works SHOW one’s faith.

Luke 6:44 NASB95

“For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush.

James 2:17 NASB95

Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

Faith without works that arise from that faith is a “dead” faith

Faith is always intended to be put to work. Got saved? AWESOME! Now, what are you doing with it?

The “work” we discuss today? Service

“One another” - Unity, Love, Humility - now Service, Serving

Who are we to serve? How do we do that? Why?

1) The Command - Serve

Phil. 2:3 keeps coming up, too.

Galatians 5:13 NASB95

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

John 13:14 NASB95

“If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

1 Peter 4:10 NASB95

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Hebrews 10:24 NASB95

and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,

Galatians 6:10 NASB95

So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

ESPECIALLY TO WHOM??? Those of the household of faith

What good is our faith, if we don’t put it to work to serve others, especially each other, one another?

Jesus makes it clear, through His teaching and the teaching of the apostles - SERVE

Bible words like “servant, slave, master” have fallen out of favor today - not sure why

It can be difficult to know:

Why to serve

How to serve

Whom to serve

It would be nice to have a good example to show us - JESUS

2) The Example - Jesus

Matthew 20:28 NASB95

just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Good parables to read and study

Luke 12: 35-38

Luke 17 - unprofitable servant

Luke 19:11-15 - (READ - and discuss the emphasis on the return, not so much the meaning of this parable)

Matthew 25:14-30 - Parable of the talents

How are we to be occupied until He returns?

Do you really, i mean REALLY, believe He IS returning? How you serve may be an indication of what you really believe.

POINTS:

Not all are expected to do the very same things, or even the same types of service

But ALL, yes ALL, are expected to be faithful stewards, doing their best, and that is shown in your service

NOT just: attending church, reading Bible, prayer, etc. - those are indeed crucial, too.

A) God entrusts believers with a portion of His resources, and expects them to be good stewards

B) Believers will indeed be rewarded, eternally, based upon service (separate from salvation) - but this is not the primary motive to serve, it’s just great to know that serving now will definitely be worth it - not a competition, but a command expected to be followed

C) Failure to use the gifts given by Him, result in separation from Him; the first gift, MAIN gift, given, is Jesus Himself! And when someone accepts that gift, the surrendered life follows. NOT talking about what we think of as “talents” here (music, singing, finances, intelligence, etc.) to be used for Him. That is true as well.

Someone who understands what Jesus has done for him/her - SERVES. They just do.

In Luke 19:11, and like disciples in Matthew 24:3 - we get VERY preoccupied with WHEN Jesus is coming. “Look at the signs, look what’s happening in the news.” Yeah, they did that 2000 years ago, too.

BIG IDEA: Jesus IS returning. So what are you doing in the meantime?

First, have you entrusted your life to Him? That’s first

Now, what are you doing for Him?

See, serving Him, and Jesus teaching on serving, makes no sense if He was coming immediately. (Sure, He can come at any time, but we must live and serve as though we are here for a while yet)

3) The How, What, Why, etc.

It IS important to ask why, WHY serve?

To get paid, to receive some reward?

Forced to do it, or guilted into it?

To show your importance, to gain someone’s favor?

Basically, we serve, because Jesus served. He served, not for payment, not for reward, not for any other reason besides His love for YOU.

If that is not enough incentive, then check your heart, how thankful are you, really?

HOW and WHAT? We serve Jesus by serving others - mindset of Jesus, Phil. 2

Just as we love Jesus by loving others…we serve Jesus by serving others

Psalm 51 - against you, God have I sinned. Just as every sin is actually against God, every act of service, in His name, is service to Him

If we serve each other, guess what, Jesus is served! Double bonus! If I serve you, you benefit, and Jesus is pleased

Problem - more desire to be served than desire to serve

AWANA - a crucial ministry here - 6 or 7 people actively serving

VBS coming up - will people eagerly ask to serve?

Children’s church and nursery - really can’t schedule it now, not enough to do the serving

All of these directly help people (kids and their parents) - and please Jesus

What about Adult ministries?

What ministries should we re-start or develop here? Are you willing to serve to get them going?

Service is actually getting involved, spending time doing, for Jesus’ glory

OUR CHURCH MISSION - what are we doing here? (it’s a cycle)

Today, my purpose is to encourage more people to serve in the local church, this local church

CYCLE:

More serving

More ministry

More outreach and stronger believers in the church (and fellowship, too)

More coming to know Jesus

More disciples

More growth

More serving

Or, we can sit and wait for Him. Problem, He told us NOT to do that. He told us to be busy about serving

CHALLENGE (let God assess where you are, how you are doing)

Look at your schedule, are you doing too much, such that it’s hard to serve the Lord?

Do you place others first? Do you struggle with this?

How about your heart? Is your heart struggling with wanting to serve? As for help changing it.

LISTEN TO GOD - cannot over-emphasize this

AND FOLLOW JESUS

Service is not, NOT, from guilt. Jesus simply laid out the truth, Rom 8:1, no condemnation

He didn’t guilt people into following, He LOVED, and people responded. Have you?

He laid it out - “Follow ME”

He was, and is, the example of the command He gave us

And we don’t serve for pay now - we actually serve others for THEIR benefit (and Jesus is pleased)

Our reward comes later, eternally. Jesus says so.