“Gladly Serve the Lord with all Your Heart”
Romans 12:11
Review
As a response to God’s mercies through Christ detailed in the first eleven chapters of Paul’s letter to the Romans, Paul calls for all believers to present their bodies to God’s service as well as their souls to God’s transformation. Paul urges all believers to resist the world’s attempt to cram them into its way of doing things and open their life to continual transformation as a result of renewed thinking. The rest of Paul’s letter then details some vital areas where we must think right if we are to constantly live right. Renewed thinking always precedes consistent transformed living. God gave us the Scriptures for our transformation not just for our information.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 2 Tim. 3:16-17
God’s true disciples not only hear but heed His word. Blessing and stability come from those who hear and heed.
I. Receive God’s gift of righteousness 1-5
II. Apply God’s gift of righteousness 6-8
III. Understand God’s gift of righteousness in relations to Israel 9-11
IV. Live God’s gift of righteousness 12-15
A. Get your thinking and living straight 12:1-2
1. Dedicate your bodies completely to God
2. Dedicate your soul to transformation by constant renewed thinking
So far, Paul’s letter has addressed several areas where our thinking needs renewed so our living can be transformed.
B. Think and live responsibility concerning the body 12:3-8
1. Realize the general design of the body 3-5
2. Exercise your specific gifting 6-8
3. Show genuine love for one another 12:10
a) Abhorring what is evil
b) Clinging to what is good
c) Loving one another with brotherly love of a family member
d) Outdoing one another in honor
C. Think and live diligent service for God 12:11
Here Paul zeros in on the central focus of life and love.
Its pattern - Its Power - Its Purpose
1. Regarding diligence – not lazy (The pattern)
2. Regarding the Holy Spirit – boiling, on fire (The power)
Paul encouraged a fervent, passionate service to the Lord energized by the Holy Spirit. Within every genuine Christian resides a nuclear energy source in the Holy Spirit. It is actually better than that because the indwelling Holy Spirit is a real person who feels and cares and is committed to come along side every believer just as Jesus walked beside and encouraged His disciples. Jesus promised “another” comforter or encourager like Him in the Holy Spirit. His presence brings whatever power necessary to carry out God’s specific directives for each person. He is your personal perpetual pastor to encourage and empower you in your spiritual walk. By an act of our will, we seek the continual fullness of the Spirit’s work in our life. In our seeking, in our searching, in our longing, we discover the things that block His life-giving river from flowing in and through us. In our seeking we also discover the things in our life that grieve Him. In our seeking we realize how we quench Him through disobedience and unbelief. The children of Israel did not enter into the fullness of God’s promised rest because of unbelief. We must first understand what he has promised to do and how we block His work in our life by our willful sin and unbelief. Then, by an act of faith we knock on heavens door with expectant heart and full assurance that God will do in and through us what we ourselves cannot do. Then, with a heart full of faith, we cry out to God and ask for His blessing and His fullness to actually manifest in and through our life. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened Ask and it shall be given. As individuals and as a church let us continue to seek, knock and ask for the fullness of God’s power to flow in and through us. Jim Elliot wrote…
Saturate me with the oil of the Spirit that I may be aflame. But flame is often short-lived. Canst thou bear this, my soul? Short life? In me there dwells the spirit of the Great Short-lived, whose zeal for God’s house consumed Him. Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God.
There are numerous passages which warn against mediocrity. Genuine love resists the tendency to get comfortable and find the path of least resistance but keep the fire for God burning. There are many things that could cause us to be on fire for God. Programs, reward, fear, threat, emotional appeal…
Only one will bring consistent eternal fruit – the passion and power that comes from full surrender to the Holy Spirit. The pattern of life and love is diligence persistent passion.
“Keep pressing forward”
The power of life and love is the energy of the Holy Spirit living in and through us.
“Let the fountains flow and the fire blaze”
The purpose of life and love is devoted service to the Lord.
“Serve the Lord gladly with all your heart”
The final phrase in this central verse, verse 11 is…
“in regard to the Lord (Master) slaving”
3. Regarding the Lord -- slaving (The purpose)
The focus of the action here is clear – the Lord, master, owner, ruler. Perhaps one of the biggest problems this generation of American Christians s is a fundamental failure to recognize who is really the boss. We refuse to be ruled by any one. We are independent. We are master of our own fate. We stand for freedom for all. We really don’t have a clear picture of why we are here. We have failed to understand that it is God who made us and not us ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. He is Lord!
We claim that He is Lord but, in reality, He has little to say about where we spend our time or money or invest our energy or how we live our life or how we think. We give him three hours on Sunday but the rest of the week is mine. What we hear and read in the word may take root but because the soil of our life is unprepared it affects very little.
So why are we here? What is our purpose?
Paul utilizes a present tense participle (“ing” word) to call every Christian to an on-going action. The noun form of this word was the most common word for a slave (doulos). The verb form means to be a slave to a master, to be subject to, to serve, to perform the duties of a slave, to serve, obey, and render service. One might have expected Paul to use “diakoneo” (deacon) indicating a voluntary ministry to others. Or “latreuo” a paid employee. Paul purposely uses “douleuo” to serve as a slave.
“in regard to the Lord -- slaving!”
In the Old Testament concept of worship and service were synonymous. Paul provides us with direction for our persistence (in regard to diligence - don’t be lazy) and passion (in regard to the Spirit - boiling). We are to persistently and passionately live as slaves of our Lord and Master. This part of the verse directs all the enthusiasm (boiling) and persistence (diligence) into service for the Lord. Many persistently and passionately pursue their own agendas. We are to present our bodies and souls as slaves of Jesus Christ. Paul proudly viewed himself as a bondslave of Christ. He began many of his letters, “Paul a bondservant of Jesus Christ.” Peter, as well as Jude and John, identified themselves first as bondslaves of Christ. A bondslave was one who had an opportunity for freedom but voluntarily offered themselves as a lifetime servant of their master. They would go to the temple and receive the mark of a bondslave. What mark do you carry that would identify you as a bondslave of Christ. Paul said,
From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus. Galatians 6:17
In Paul’s day, slavery was a well understood situation in life. The picture of slavery was also well known through Old Testament history. The slave did not have any personal rights. The slave was the property of the master. The slave existed solely to serve the will and needs of the master. Anything produced by the slave became the property of the master. Any children born to the slave belonged to the master.
"Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ’Come immediately and sit down to eat’? "But will he not say to him, ’Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink’? "He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? "So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ’We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’ " Luke 17:7-10
Jesus presented that illustration to the disciples who asked about increased faith. It seems the Lord is saying that in order to increase our faith we must renew our thinking regarding who is really the boss of our life. By listening to some of the preaching and praying done by Christians today one might get confused as to who is the Master and who is the slave.
The most important characteristics concerning the slave were the fact that slavery was not part time. Being a slave described not what you did but who you were. The slave was completely dependent on the master for his own life and the life of his family.
Paul urges us to renew our thinking concerning our purpose in life. “In regard to the Lord, slaving”
Whatever we do, do all to the glory of God.
Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Cor. 10:31
Why do we do the things we do? Why do we by the clothes we wear? Why do we live in the houses we live? Why do we eat the food we eat? Why do we go the places we go? If the answer to these questions is not, I live for the benefit of God and His kingdom or to please my Lord and Master, then we need to take some time to rethink what we are doing and why? Jesus lived to serve the Father well and completely.
Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. John 4:34
At the end of his life he could honestly declare he had accomplished all God asked to do. Paul shared his purpose in life with the Corinthians
Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 2 Cor. 5:9
Paul urged the Ephesian believers to continually discover what pleases God.
Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Ephes. 5:7-10
Paul asked Timothy to share right thinking in regard to service with all his disciples.
Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. 2 Tim. 2:3-4
Peter told his readers to enjoy their freedom in Christ rightly and serve fully.
Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. 1 Peter 2:16
Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Col. 3:17
Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:11
How do we serve and please the Lord?
We serve God by taking care of God’s “stuff.”
Samuel “ministered” to the Lord by serving in the tabernacle as a boy.
Then Elkanah went to his home at Ramah. But the boy ministered to the LORD before Eli the priest. 1 Sam 2:11
Samuel’s ministry to the Lord produced spiritual grow in the Lord.
Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD, as a boy wearing a linen ephod. 1 Samuel 2:18
The LORD visited Hannah; and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the LORD. 1 Samuel 2:21
Samuel’s ministry to the Lord prepared Him for deeper revelation and sense of His presence.
Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD before Eli. And word from the LORD was rare in those days, visions were infrequent. 1 Samuel 3:1
Thus Samuel grew and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fail. All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD. And the LORD appeared again at Shiloh, because the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the LORD. 1 Samuel 3:19-21
We serve Jesus by ministering to people.
"Then the King will say to those on His right, ’Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ’For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ "Then the righteous will answer Him, ’Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ’And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ’When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ "The King will answer and say to them, ’Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ Matthew 25:34-40
Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Heb 13:15-16
What attitude pleases God?
* Serve the Lord with gladness and thanksgiving! Psalm 100
* At salvation we became willing and enthusiastic slaves to righteousness.
* Heart Service
Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. Ephes. 6:5-6
Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah; and he did what was good, right and true before the LORD his God. Every work which he began in the service of the house of God in law and in commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and prospered. 2 Chron. 31:20-21
* Sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord, heartily
Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality. Col. 3:22-25
* In righteousness, peace and joy in the Spirit
Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. Romans 14:16-19
What attitude displeases God?
* Argumentative, rebellious, dishonest
Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect. Titus 2:9-10
* Self-serving attitude
Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. Rom 16:17-20
* Resentful
"Your words have been arrogant against Me," says the LORD. "Yet you say, ’What have we spoken against You?’ "You have said, ’It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the LORD of hosts? Malachi 3:13-14
Why should we serve Him?
Serve Him because He died for us.
For the love of Christ controls (grips) us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. 2 Cor. 5:14-15
CONCLUSION
Joshua’s challenge to Israel - God’s challenge to Chico
"Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. "If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:14-15
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
Decide today. I urge you to adjust your thinking as to why you are here. Choose today who you will serve. Then serve him with diligence and fire.
Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness!
Love and serve the Lord with all your heart and soul and strength and mind!
* Keep moving forward toward spiritual maturity.
* Let the fountains flow and the fire blaze.
* Gladly serve the Lord with all your heart
When you get up each morning make a choice. Check in for duty. Become the best slave ever so that when he comes you will not have to shrink away in shame but rejoice with exultation in anticipation of those long awaited words, well done good and faithful servant.
Blessing
May God inspire and enable us to keep pressing forward in your pursuit of Him by looking to Jesus the author and perfector of our faith.
May God grant us the grace to break down the barriers that block the flow of His Spirit into our own life and the lives of others.
May we visit the fountain of living water often that our life may have an abundance of water to boil into steam that energizes the members of our life as effective weapons of righteousness and songs of inspiration and faithful service to the Lord and Master.
May God bless us abundantly
May God enlarge our ministry effectively.
May God energize us fully.
May God protect us mercifully from pain and causing pain.
Since Jesus will one day return in power and glory and give us the final victory…
…be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Cor. 15:58
