I Am Saved To Serve

Text: Ephesians 2:8-10

Title: I am saved to serve

Introduction

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

We are saved to serve.

Here is a picture I had to help us see we are saved to serve

A trash bin and a recycling bin

Before salvation we are all in the trash bin

All have turned away they have together become worthless. There is no one who does good not even one.

All of our righteousness is like filthy rags.

All these verses are like stickers on the trash bin.

If I never get out of the trash bin there is no possible hope for me

The wages of sin is death.

But In salvation

God takes me out of the trash bin…and puts me in the recycling bin.

Everyone who is saved is being recycled to do good works for God.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

We are being recycled for God's service

He recycles me so I can do the good works he has prepared in advance for me to do.

Where there once was no hope - hope has come

This recycling for service to God can be radical

Leave your country

Change your name

Changing your occupation

Title: I am saved to serve.

I want to share 2 thoughts from Ephesians 2:8-10

1. Salvation is God's gift to me. Serving is my gift to God.

A. Salvation is God's gift to me

Read verses 8-9

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Explain. Salvation is a gift from God . It is not earned or deserved.

You and I can never pay the price for our salvation

Because The price for our salvation is perfection

Instead Salvation is freely given to everyone who believes that Jesus paid the price for their salvation

Our Salvation comes before our serving.

In other words Salvation is not conditional on you serving

The thief on the cross

It's only conditional on you receiving.

Salvation is not the reward for your serving.

Your serving is the reward for your salvation.

Before I was saved I wasn't qualified to serve God. Before I was saved I wasn't interested in serving God

But now that I am saved I am qualified to serve God.

What must I do to be saved.

We are saved through faith and that not of ourselves it is a gift of God.

Do you believe that

salvation is God's gift to you?

2. Serving is my Gift to God.

We are saved to serve.

V10 makes that clear

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Again we don't serve to earn our salvation

We serve so we can enjoy our salvation

Romans 12:1

Therefore I urge you brothers in view of God's mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship.

Peter's mother in law

Mark 1:30-31

Simon's mother in law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

She was healed so in return for her healing she served.

We love him because he first loved us

Your service is your gift to God

What you did for the least of these you did it for me.

Faith without works is dead.

The heart behind it.

What are the different Areas of service

Serving in the church

The church is the body of Christ

When you serve in the church you are manifesting the work of the spirit.

In the church you are Serving other believers

Serving in the community

Volunteer.

2. In Salvation I boast about God. In serving God boasts about me.

1 Cor 28:31

He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are-so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God- that is our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore as it is written: Let him who boasts boast in The Lord.