Nothing can be compared to the thrill of serving God, of truly being used
by Him to make an eternal difference in the lives of people and advancing
His purposes in the world. (Bill Hybels)
THE PROBLEM WITH SERVING
vTYPE 1: Seekers
vTYPE 2: Soakers
vTYPE 3: Servers
. . faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead and
completely useless . . . (James 2:17)
vGod uses me in spite of my past
vGod uses me in spite of my problems
vGod uses me because of my potential
Life is worth nothing unless I can use it for doing the work assigned to
me by the Lord Jesus Christ . . . (Acts 20:24)
YOU ARE CALLED TO SERVE!
And now . . . what does the Lord ask of you . . . to serve Him with all
your heart and with all your soul . . . (Deuteronomy 10:12)
For we are God’s masterpiece, created anew in Christ Jesus to serve
Him and do His good works . . . (Ephesians 2:10)
SERVICE
Using whatever God has given me to honor Him and help others!
Just as each of us has one body with many different parts and these body
parts all have different functions, so it is with Christ and the church.
All of us who are different form one body and each part belongs to the
other. And God has given to each one of us different gifts . . . (Romans
12:4-6)
vFACT 1: Every believer is a minister
vFACT 2: Every minister has a gift
vFACT 3: Every gift is important
vFACT 4: All of us should serve
MOTIVATION
Why do I do what I do!
So our aim in life is to please Him in everything . . . whatever we do, it
is because Christ’s love now controls us . . . those who really do
receive His new life will no longer live to please themselves, but they
will live their lives to please Christ.
(2 Corinthians 5:14-15)
. . give your lives totally to God as a living and holy
sacrifice—the kind he will accept. When you think of all that He has
done for you, is this too much to ask?
(Romans 12:1)
vMOTIVE 1: I want to honor God so I serve Him
vMOTIVE 2: I am so grateful to God so I serve Him
And as Christ’s own soldier, don’t let yourself become tied up
in the affairs of everyday life, for then you cannot please the one who
enlisted you . . . Follow the Lord’s rules for doing His work, just
as the athlete either follows the rules or he is disqualified and wins no
prize. Hardworking farmers are the first ones to enjoy the fruit of their
labor . . . (2 Timothy 2:3-6)
. . I have done my very best in the race, I have run the full distance,
I have kept the faith . . . (2 Timothy 4:7)
Let everyone do his very best, for then he will have the personal
satisfaction of work well done and won’t need to compare himself
with someone else. (Galatians 6:4)
vMy service deserves excellence
vMy service demands diligence
vMy service requires perseverance
YOU ARE S.H.A.P.E.(D) TO SERVE
(With thanks to Rick Warren)
You (God) created every part of me. You put me together in my
mother’s womb.
(Psalm 139:13)
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think
about. Your workmanship is marvelous – and how well I know it.
(Psalm 139:14)
Your hands formed me and shaped me . . . (Job 10:8)
vI am unique
vI am valuable
vI was created for a purpose
vSpiritual Gifts
(WHAT HAS GOD EQUIPPED ME TO DO?)
vHeart (WHAT DO I LOVE TO DO?)
vAbilities
(WHAT AM I GOOD AT?)
vPersonality (WHAT AM I
TEMPERAMENTALLY WIRED UP TO DO?)
vExperiences
(WHAT EVENTS HAVE SHAPED MY LIFE?)
What God made me to be determines what He intends for me to do. I will
understand the purpose I was created for when I understand the kind of
person I am. This is the secret of knowing God’s will for my life.
(Rick Warren)
A PERSONAL APPLICATION
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. (Mark 10:45)
vIf not now, then when
vIf not here, then where
vIf not you, then who
petronius@hushmail.com
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. (Mark 10:45)
Feed the hungry and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out
from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as the
day. The Lord will guide you continually, watering your life when you are
dry and keeping you healthy too. You will be like a well-watered garden,
like an ever-flowing spring.
(Isaiah 58:10-11)
