Serving: A Reasonable Act Of Sacrifice

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.