Introduction
· Serving the Lord Jesus is a choice and a lifestyle that has rewards beyond your comprehension.
· When we serve God, we change our attitude from pleasing ourselves to please others.
· God requires us to serve Him with everything we have, including our finances.
· When we serve Jesus, we are more concerned with giving rather than keeping things for ourselves.
· A servant is willing to be inconvenienced for the sake of serving God and building His Kingdom.
· Let us look to the Word of God this morning and see what it means to be a servant of God.
A. We are called to serve God with our whole being.
(NKJV) Deuteronomy 10 12 “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good?
1. As a Born Again Christian, we must submit and serve those in authority over us.
a. When you serve those in authority over you such as your employer, or pastor, you are serving God.
2. Serving God requires a change in our attitude. We must die to the flesh in order to be alive in the spirit.
3. We must serve God with reverence and godly fear.
(NKJV) Hebrews 12 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
4. Serving God is a joy, not a chore.
a. We should serve with the right motives.
i. God cares more about your attitude than your achievements.
B. Prosperity comes when you have a servant’s heart.
1. Prosperity comes to you when you are obedient and are serving God.
a. God will give you more if you will use it to serve Him.
2. Serve others and build the Kingdom of God.
(NKJV) Philippians 2 19 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. 20 For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. 21 For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. 22 But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel.
a. Don’t be so concerned about doing your own thing.
b. We must die to self before you can serve God.
i. He that loves his life will lose it; but he that loses his life will preserve it (John 12:25).
ii. When you serve Christ, you become all things to all men.
(NKJV) 1 Corinthians 9 19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.
C. In the Kingdom of God, greatness is found in one who is a servant of the Most High.
(NKJV) Matthew 20 26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.
1. Jesus came as a servant; not to be served.
2. A true servant will display the following characteristics:
a. Jesus makes himself available to God to serve. (Obedience)
b. Jesus did what was required even when it is inconvenient.
c. We must put God’s priorities above our own.
d. We must see interruptions as divine appointments to develop a servant’s heart.
e. A servant helps with the needs of others.
f. A servant views no task as beneath him.
g. God rewards those who are servants.
i. God will never forget your labor of love.
(NKJV) Hebrews 6 10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
D. A servant uses his/her gifts and talents to do the will of God.
1. Whatever God has given you, use it to serve others.
(AMP) 1 Peter 4 10 As each of you has received a gift (a particular spiritual talent, a gracious divine endowment), employ it for one another as [befits] good trustees of God’s many-sided grace [faithful stewards of the extremely diverse powers and gifts granted to Christians by unmerited favor].
Conclusion
· Our greatest joy can be found in being a servant of Jesus Christ.
· True prosperity can be found in servant hood. We find unspeakable joy and peace when we are doing Kingdom business.
· We are to serve God with our whole being. We are to be souled out for the call of Jesus.
· When we serve God, our attitude changes to be one of a giver, not a taker. You place Him first.
· You are willing to go out of your way when God leads you to do something.
· You die to the flesh to bring forth the spirit that resides in you.
· Jesus is the greatest Bible example of a servant.
· This morning, let us take a minute and examine our spirit man. Are we true servants, or do we need to turn over all things to Him this morning. A servant of God becomes the greatest in the Kingdom of God!
· Let us pray!
Salvation Call/ Altar Call
