The Discipline of Serving

“Two of the deadliest of our sins – sloth and pride- loath serving. They paint glazes on our eyes and put chains on our hands and feet so that we don’t serve as we know we should or even as we want. If we don’t discipline ourselves to serve for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom and for the purpose of godliness, we’ll ‘serve’ only occasionally or when it’s convenient or self-serving. The result will be a quantity and quality of service we’ll regret when the Day of Accountability for our service comes.” - Donald Whitney

I don’t want to regret either quality or quantity, and I don’t want you to either.

Christians ARE servants of the Lord, Jesus Christ. It’s part of our identity as his followers.

1 John 2:6 “whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”

That’s our example for a life of service to the Father, to other believers, and to the world.

Now, i think it’s important to note that not all service should be a discipline all the time.

Much of our serving should be spontaneous, and out of our love for Christ, and our response to the Gospel in our hearts.

Let’s look at what Peter tells us in Scripture...

1 Peter 4:7-11 “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:  whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

It’s hard to not tie this discipline in with the discipline of stewardship, because they relate so closely. Even the parable that Isaac shared last week, the parable of the talents makes the case that we are each given something to steward.

One of the lessons of that parable is that the one who buried the talent and did nothing was called a wicked servant. Why? Because he took what was given, and did not steward it, but buried it and did nothing with it.

Peter instructs something similar here... As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace

Three things that are clear when it comes to serving in the body of Christ

Each of you has recieved at least one gift

A person’s gifts are for the purpose of serving the body

When you serve the body with the gift or gifts God has given, you are being a good steward of God’s grace.

I think it’s safe to say that many in the Church at large today just do not know how they are gifted. One reason for that is quite possibly because they’re not serving to body.

If Peter says that the context in which gifts from the Holy Spirit are intended to thrive is in the service of “one another”, then how can we expect to discover them otherwise?

Now, when you think of gifts to serve the body with, what comes to mind first?

The “big ones”.

Teachers, musicians, deacons,

Maybe you think of kid’s ministry leaders, door greeters, the church Janitor.

Some gifts are natural gifts, which both believers and non believers can have. These are no less from the Lord, (all good things come from God) but they are not spiritual in nature, as in they are not an outworking of the Spirit of God who indwells a believer. But the Bible sets aside spiritual gifts as those gifts given to us when we receive the Holy Spirit at salvation. That’s why they are spiritual.

Briefly, what are we referring to?

Romans 12 exhortation giving leadership mercy prophecy service teaching

1 Corinthians 12 administration apostleship discernment faith healings helps knowledge miracles prophecy teaching tongues tongues interpretation wisdom

Not all of these gifts are used in the same way, and if fact, some of them

So when you think about the spiritual discipline of serving, these are the gifts that God has given to the church for that purpose. So just a couple things to say about this briefly...

Spiritual gifts are for the good of the body, not for hording or hiding.

If you don’t have a clue as to what your spiritual gifting is, God will show you in the context of serving.

Whether you have a gift that is more public or quiet in it’s outworking, every member of the body is needed for the church’s health.

So what is it that motivates serving?

The glory of God through Jesus Christ

look at 1 Peter 4:11

2. Gratitude and Forgiveness: Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, Luke 12:48

Luke 7:47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

3. Another motivator for serving, which I think is a big one, is obedience to Christ. A desire to do as Jesus said, and did.

John 13:12-17 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? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 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. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Obedience to Jesus, the one who laid his life down for his enemies, is the greatest motivation for serving. We serve him when we serve others. We serve him when we sacrifice for others. We serve him in those ministries that are forward and obvious, and we serve him when in those ministries that get little to no recognition at all. The motivation is not the recognition we receive, but the gift of the gospel of Jesus who humbled himself to serve us when we needed him most. It is this that should cause us all to say, Lord, I’ll do anything for you, if it blesses you, and imparts grace to the church.