Matthew 60 1/2
Chapter 14 (Sort of): Service
Philippians 2:7–8 (NIV)
7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
What Serving is not
Serving will not get you into heaven!
Romans 3:10 (NIV)
10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;
· Nothing we do will make us worthy of God's love
· Nothing we do will correct the mistakes we made
· Nothing we do can repair the damage WE have done to our relationship with God!
Ephesians 2:8–9 (NIV)
8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
9not by works, so that no one can boast.
· It's by God grace and His grace alone that saves us
· When we see ourselves in light of what God had done to reconcile us to Him
· You will truly understand humility, grace, and mercy
Titus 3:5 (NIV)
5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
· We can’t get into heaven by anything we do
Serving for the wrong reasons!
Romans 16:18 (NIV)
18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
· I hear folks whine all the time about their needs and their wants
· I see people wanting the limelight and the stage
· Not the behind the scenes work
· I see preachers lining their pockets
· And people pumping up their egos “Serving”
We serve, not for our own good and well-being, we serve because He served FIRST!
Why we serve!
He served first
Mark 10:43–45 (NIV)
43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
· First and foremost because He served first!
· We set the path and the example for us all to follow
· To truly be a Christ-follower at some point we must serve!
We are all given gifts
Romans 12:6–8 (NIV)
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;
7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;
8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
· God gave every one of us a unique gift and He expects us to use it
· For others good and His glory
· We serve out of an abiding love for the Father and the Son
· We serve to SHOW everyone we meet the love of God
We are all part of something bigger
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
· If we are Children of God, we are a part of something bigger than ourselves!
· Bigger that our family and our work
· Bigger that our hobby and our bank account
· And every one of us needs to embrace that!
· We can do powerful things if we all just get on board!!!
Serving is good for your soul
Studies have shown that volunteering is so good for the mind and body that it can ease symptoms of stress and depression. Tapping into our gifts and passions builds self-confidence, energy, and strength. Serving others can also be the best distraction from our own worries.
What do we get out of serving? What does it do for me?
We learn
· To discover and develop our spiritual gifts.
o 1 Corinthians 12 compares the church to a human body. Just like our bodies are made of many parts serving specific functions, the church is made up of people with different skills and abilities. Alone these pieces aren’t very useful, but together we create something beautiful.
· To be more like Jesus
Matthew 25:40 (NIV)
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
o We learn Grace
o And humility
o We learn to be patient
o We learn to love others first!
o We get to be more like our Savior
When we serve, our faith grows
· Serving increases our faith
Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
o As we move out of our comfort zones, God increases our faith by revealing new potential — in ourselves and in His Church.
o When we see what He can do when His power is at work within us, we begin looking for the doors He’s opening rather than pushing our way through the ones He’s closed
· Serving allows us to experience the joy and peace that comes from obedience.
1 Peter 4:10–11 (NIV)
10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
o Serving is a form of worship, a way to express gratitude for what Jesus has done for us, and to share the love and grace we've been given.
o
And at the end of the day, we serve Because It’s all about him!
· Philippians 2:3–4 (NIV)
· 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
· 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
· 1 Peter 4:11 (NIV)
· 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
A glimpse into the next feedlot
A better question.
It’s a question that introduces inescapable clarity to just about every moral, ethical, and relational decision we will bump up against. This question takes us to the heart of Jesus’ new covenant command—the standard by which we are to evaluate our behavior, conversations, and attitudes. Here it is:
What does love require of me?
This clarifying but terrifying question should stand guard over our consciences. It should serve as guide, signpost, and compass as we navigate the complexities of our cultural contexts. It should inform how we date, parent, boss, manage, and coach. It should form a perimeter around what I say and do in my role as husband, pastor, and neighbor.
This question gives voice to the new covenant on issues where our New Testament is silent. It fills the gaps with disquieting precision. It succeeds where concordances fail. It quashes the insipid justification, But the Bible doesn’t say there’s anything wrong with ______. It closes loopholes. It exposes our hypocrisy. It stands as judge and jury. It’s so simple. But it’s so inescapably demanding.
There are many things the New Testament doesn’t specifically or directly address. That shouldn’t surprise or concern us. Why? Jesus’ overarching ethic of love intersects with every imaginable scenario. New covenant people don’t begin or end with the question: What does the Bible say about . . .? That’s so old covenant. New covenant people begin with a better question: What does God’s love for me require of me? Remember, for the first two hundred-plus years, the church had no The Bible. Sacred documents? Yes. Officially sanctioned Christian Scripture? Not yet. In the beginning, new covenant folks took their cues from Jesus’ new command. The command they had “from the beginning.” Everything flowed from and reflected that one overarching idea. When teaching this content, I often ask the audience to commit the following to memory:[1]
WHEN UNSURE OF WHAT TO SAY OR DO,
ASK WHAT LOVE REQUIRES OF YOU.[2]
We make all sorts of rational explanations for not serving:
· I don’t have time.
· I don’t know what I would do.
· I don’t have any special skills to contribute.
· They don’t need me.
But the reality is the Lord doesn't call the equipped; He equips the called. God used men and women with similar doubts to change the course of history.
· Moses didn’t think he was a leader or speaker, but God worked through Moses to bring Israel out of slavery.
· David was the youngest (and therefore most insignificant) of all his brothers, but God worked through David to defeat a giant and eventually made him a king.
· Paul used to kill Christians before he met Jesus, but he went on to become one of the most highly-regarded and prolific writers/church planters in history.
God doesn’t just want to work through you, He wants to work in you!
So what Does love require of you??
[1] Stanley, A. (2018). Irresistible: reclaiming the new that jesus unleashed for the world. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[2] Stanley, A. (2018). Irresistible: reclaiming the new that jesus unleashed for the world. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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