Called To Serve

Called to Serve

August 29, 2020

As I was reading for this message, someone asked what the number 10 to the 2 trillion - 400 billionth power represents? I’m not sure that’s an actual number. But I did like the point they were trying to make, so I’ll go with it. Those are the odds of someone ever being exactly like you. If you were to write that number with each zero being 1 inch wide, you would need 37,000 miles of paper. The point?! You and I are unique. There is nobody anywhere who is like us, unless you’re an identical twin. Generally, nobody has our looks, personality, gifts, talents and perspective on life. NOBODY!

You are the only person on earth who can use your abilities. Maybe you never really thought about tha before. But think about it . . . nobody else in this world can use your gifts and abilities, only you can. No one else can play your role, because they don’t have your unique shape which God has given you.

As the book of Hebrews is coming to an end, the writer states -

20 Now may the God of peace 21 equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

God has equipped us to do exactly what He wants us to do.

As I look back to where we’ve been, so many weeks ago, it’s believing that we were created by God for a purpose. If you were to look back at all of the messages from this year, they are blending together. That’s the purpose of this long series. You cannot have one without the other.

As we’ve looked at our purpose in life. We’ve discovered –

? we’re created by God and for God.

? we’re created to love God, to praise, glorify and passionately adore Him in an action we call WORSHIP.

? we’re created to be in God’s family and to love one another, FELLOWSHIP.

? we’re created to become more like Christ, that’s DISCIPLESHIP. And that’s what we’ve been talking about for the past few weeks. Looking at our calling by God and what we do about it.

When we understand we’ve been created by God, and for God,

? we joyfully and willingly worship God,

? we desire to engage in fellowship, we desire to be with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Whether it’s at meals, worship, Bible studies, mission work, wherever, it’s something to look forward to because we love to be together.

? and as we worship and fellowship, we want to grow in Christ. We want to learn, read, pray, and ultimately grow more and more into the people God is calling us to be, which is discipleship.

So, as we grow in Christ - - and experience the joy of fellowship and worship, the fruit, or end result of our growth is to serve others.

God created you to serve Him, to do something with your life that only you can do, to accomplish more than you or anyone thought possible. And when we offer our lives to God, He can make our lives into much more than we think possible!

The crazy thing about this serving God thing - - is that as you serve one another, you are serving God.

It’s not like you look at God and say, “Hey God, what can I do for you today?” Because God doesn’t have needs! But, God’s people have lots of needs . . . so, as Jesus said in Matthew 25 in the parable of the sheep and goats -

40 Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it to me. - Matthew 25:40

Whoever we serve, it’s as if we are serving God. That’s what is so cool about this. This should encourage us to go into the world to serve others. Even in the simple things, it’s about how we can serve God through people.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:10 -

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

We are not simply made to sit in the stands and watch life pass by, we are made to get in the game and make a contribution to the team! And a good coach doesn’t just send his players into a game without giving them the tools they need to succeed, in the same way, God will not send us into the game without the tools we need. God has promised to equip us.

We need to trust and believe God is the Creator. The word workmanship literally comes from the Greek word meaning “that which is made.”