I Am Created To Serve Series

I AM CREATED TO SERVE

In our new nature we need to understand that we are created to serve. We must learn to serve because our old nature has a self-centered desire to be served. The opposite of servant-hood is selfishness and its root is rebellion towards God.

This transformational process occurs in our lives during our quiet times as we meditate upon God’s truths and as we seek to allow Christ to live through us. It is vital, if you are to be transformed, that you not only hear these truths but personally know the One whose character displayed their attributes.

Rebellion is in the heart of our old nature and it is the opposite of being a servant. Joshua 24:19-24 (NIV) 19 Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you." 21 But the people said to Joshua, "No! We will serve the LORD." 22 Then Joshua said, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD." "Yes, we are witnesses," they replied. 23 "Now then," said Joshua, "throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel." 24 And the people said to Joshua, "We will serve the LORD our God and obey him."

We must understand this rebellious side of our old nature and ask Christ to enable us to crucify our selfishness and become His servants. In Thessalonians, Paul speaks about their faith saying, 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10 (NIV) 8 The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia--your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

The message of their lives rang out and the essence of their lives had changed. They no longer were serving themselves and going the ways of the world. They had become servants of the living and true God. The transformation in their lives became known everywhere. The Bible tells us they worked, endured, and turned away from the pleasures of the world. Has the transformation from being selfish to serving the living God become known about you?

We live in a very hedonistic society where our wants and desires drive us to do what we want. We are very concerned with our comforts and our entertainment. This generation has a humanistic philosophy that teaches us that we have “good” inside us and through education we can bring this good out. This type of education focuses upon what we want rather than upon what God wants. We ask questions like, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” The appropriate question should be, “What is God’s will for your life?” This should be your only focus. It should not be a self-reflection of what do I want or what do I like. When we become servants of God we surrender our wants to please our Master. We no longer are the lord of our lives, but we call on Jesus as our Lord.

The Bible tells us that in governing ourselves we are to have the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus who made himself nothing, taking on the nature of a servant. What does it mean that God made himself nothing? Jesus explained what it means in Mark 10:45 (NIV) 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."

Becoming a Servant of God is an honorable position and you will be listed among the great people of faith if you will surrender to Jesus as your Lord.

Servant Abraham - Gen. 26:24; Servant Moses - Num 12:7; Servant Joshua - Josh. 24:29; Servant David - 2 Sam 7:5; Servant Isaiah - Isaiah 20:3; Servant Paul – Rom 1:1; Servant James – James 1:1; Servant Peter – 2 Pet. 1:1; Servant Jude – Jude 1:1

Jesus calls everyone to this role of Servant. Mark 9:35 (NIV) 35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."

We must move away from the educational philosophy of our self-centered world where God's principle of being a servant has been lost. We must get back to having the right attitude in life. Philippians 2:5-7 (NIV) 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. One of the main purposes of the church should be on discipleship and teaching the people to have a servant’s attitude like Jesus.