Today message is called Serving: A Reasonable Act of Sacrifice
Reasonable Service
(NKJV) Romans 12 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
God’s Perfect Will
(NKJV) Romans 12 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Beware of Culture
(MSG) Romans 12 2a Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out.
Beware of Culture
(MSG) Romans 12 2b Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Spiritual Point #1: If you are not serving you are spiritually immature.
Question: What is it so important to serve? Because Jesus did it.
The Greatest in the Kingdom
(NLT) Mark 9 33 After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?” 34 But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.
Last Place
(NLT) Mark 9 35 He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”
Jesus was speaking to His disciples about something that eludes many of us: Humility. Lets look at the life of Jesus and who His and how He responds to everyday life circumstances.
Think Like Jesus
(MSG) Philippians 2 5 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.
Equal Status
(MSG) Philippians 2 6 He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all.
The Status of a Slave
(MSG) Philippians 2 7 When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges.
Obedient Death
(MSG) Philippians 2 8 Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.
The Mind of Christ
(NKJV) Philippians 2 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
Ladies and Gentlemen let me ask you a question. How do you see yourself? The real you. Do you see yourself like Christ see himself as a bond servant, a slave, a disciple. Because how you see yourself will determine your level of service.
Spiritual Point 2: A slave has nor rights or privileges. A slave is not entitled to anything and receives whatever falls from the Master’s table.
READ
Richard Foster: "A natural and understandable hesitancy accompanies any serious discussion of service. We experience a fear that comes out something like this: "If I do that, people will take advantage of me; they will walk all over me."
"Right here we must see the difference between choosing to serve and choosing to be a servant. When we chose to serve, we are still in charge. We decide whom we will serve and when we will serve. And if we are in charge, we will worry a great deal about anyone stepping on us, that is, taking charge over us.
But when we choose to be a servant, we give up the right to be in charge. There is great freedom in this. If we voluntarily choose to be taken advantage of, then we cannot be manipulated. When we choose to be a servant, we surrender the right to decide when we will serve. We become available and vulnerable.
Everyone Has a Gift
(NLT) 1 Peter 4 10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.
Do Everything to Honor God
(NLT) 1 Peter 4 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
The gifts you have belong to the Jesus and to the Body of Christ. To not serve in ministry is the epitome of selfishness. Statistics say that 20% of the people do 80% of the work. Are you in the 20% or the 80%?
Someone said to me the other day pastor my gift isn’t recognized in my church. They won’t use me in my area of gifting and should I leave and find another church?
My reply: Do you know how to clean? Cleaning Ministry. Do you know how to say hello? Greeter Ministry. Do you know how to teach? Children’s ministry. Are you technical and know how to use a computer? Multi-media Ministry?
Do you know how to breathe? Then stop just sitting in the pew waiting for your dream job in the church and roll up your sleeve and GET BUSY!
God Will Bless You (AFTER Jesus washed the disciples feet)
(NLT) John 13 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.
Jesus the Creator becomes the creation and does something that no Sovereign, No King, No Ruler, No Monarch has ever done, He stoops down and washes His servant’s feet.
Spiritual Point #3: If Jesus was willing to wash His creation’s feet then what stops you from cleaning the church’s toilets?
Unknown
When you choose the paradigm of service, it turns everything you do from a job into a gift.
Serving becomes a gift back to God when we serve without reservation. I am still amazed at the personality conflicts in the Sanctuary. It should not be about you and your level of comfort, it should really be about your Level of Sacrifice to God and each other.
No successful relationship can be One-Sided and expected to survive. Each successful relationship requires both commitment and sacrifice.
Your service to God cannot based upon a particular gift you think you have but it must be based upon your level of sacrifice offered in service to the Kingdom of God.
Anyone can do anything if both the situation and circumstances are ideal. It’s easy to give when you have an abundance of time, talent, and treasure. Sacrifice only takes place and engages our spirit when there is a cross presented.
Mother Teresa: "I belong to Jesus. He must have the right to use me without consulting me."
Ladies and Gentlemen are you serving or are you a consumer of Christian Goods and Services? No one should have to ask you to serve in the church you should already be volunteering.
U.S. President John F. Kennedy delivered his only inaugural address at 12:51 (ET) Friday, January 20, 1961, immediately after taking the presidential oath of office administered by Chief Justice Earl Warren.
These are his closing words on that day in history and I believe the church desperately needs to hear those words: And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own.
SPEAK – LETS PRAY!
