Going to Serve

We are going to find a way to serve God. One of the spiritual gifts is the ability to serve God. We must serve God and our fellow man without any pretense. Jesus set the example for us to follow. We must get our lives aligned with God so we can serve him better.

A mother of two disciples named James and John wanted her two sons to be the best disciples. It was not enough for their mother to have two sons serving god as disciples. She wanted her two sons to have the highest position of honor.

Let’s read Matthew 20:20-21 “²⁰ Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. ²¹"What is it you want?" Jesus asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."

The mother of James and John wanted them to have the position of honor when they went to heaven. We can’t get to the front of the line by demanding that we are the best. We can’t get to the front of the line by intimidating the others who are serving God. God will judge how we served him and the place of honor in heaven that we deserve.

Jesus Christ did not come to this world to rule an earthly kingdom. Why do we try to rule an earthly kingdom in our church or in our family? Jesus is explaining that if we want to be first in line for honor, then we must be the best servant that we can be. In fact, Jesus Christ served in the ultimate way by giving his life for our lives today and our eternal lives tomorrow. If we want to be first we must be last in line. If we want to be great, we must serve everyone that we meet with a humble heart. People wanted to follow Jesus not because he ordered them to follow him, but because Jesus served them first. Jesus loved them first. Jesus poured out his life as a servant.

The story in Matthew continues in verse 29 by using an example of the way that Jesus Christ served others. Matthew 20:29-34 tells us: ²⁹As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. ³⁰Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" ³¹The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" ³²Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. ³³"Lord," they answered, "we want our sight." ³⁴Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.”

A large crowd followed Jesus in this story, but nowhere does it tell us that Jesus yelled and screamed for the people to follow him. Jesus did not tell the crowd how to walk or what to do. The crowd was drawn to Jesus because he loved them and he served them. In this example, the blind men called out to Jesus to help them see again. Jesus had compassion and touched them.

Jesus was the ultimate leader because he was the perfect servant. Jesus did not ask the blind men to follow him or serve him. Jesus went to the blind men. Jesus showed compassion and love. Jesus touched their heart when he healed their blindness. Afterwards, the two ex-blind men would have followed Jesus anywhere because he loved the two men first. They will follow and serve God because Jesus served and loved them first.

Satan will tempt us just like he did Jesus. Satan will tell us that we are no good. Satan will tell us that we must be first in the line for honors. Satan tried it even with Jesus in the desert in Matthew 4:7-10. “⁷Jesus answered Satan, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" ⁸Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." ¹⁰Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"

Jesus rebuked Satan. Jesus also remembered that we should only worship and serve God. We serve God better when we put the needs of others in front of our own. We can show compassion only when we care about the needs of others. Satan offered Jesus the ability to rule all of the earthly kingdoms. Satan tells us that we must rule to be first. It is a lie.

Jesus was able to make a difference during his lifetime because he did not try to be first or the best or the dictator. Jesus served in every way possible. Jesus used all of his gifts to serve, to teach, and to heal in the stories today. Why do we have the need to be in control to feel that we are the best? Jesus humbly served those in need without getting a plaque or having total control. We do not need to have total control. In fact, we must let go and let God be in charge.

1 Peter 4:10 (NIV ) explains that “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.” That is powerful. We can administer God’s grace by using our gift to serve others. Grace is getting what we don’t deserve. Grace is getting the love of Jesus yesterday, today, and forever. Isn’t it wonderful that we can show God to others by serving them.

Ephesians 5:1-2, 4,8-10 says “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. … Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.

We need to imitate God as we serve. How do we learn how to serve God? We must pray to God to let our words, our hands, and our feet become God’s words, God’s hands, and God’s feet. We must pray for God to fill us with the Holy Spirit. We must pray to let God use us according to his will.

The next thing is to get into alignment so we can serve God. We are made up of three parts: our spirit, our soul, and our body. The soul is made up of our mind and our emotions. The spirit is the part of us that connects directly to the Holy Spirit. Usually, our body is in charge of our life and we’ve lost track of our spirit. If our body dominates our mind and spirit we are in big trouble.

We need to pray that our spirit is in charge of our soul. We need to pray that our soul is in charge of our body. Our spirit needs to dominate our soul so that we can hear God’s voice talking to us. The soul is led by our mind which can have a lot of doubt and fear. Our body has a lot urges that can just short circuit our spirit if the body is in charge. It would be good if you prayed everyday that our spirit is in charge of our soul and in turn our soul is in charge of our body. We were designed to be spirit first, soul second, and body third. We are able to hear God’s voice and will in our life if our spirit is able to connect directly to the Holy Spirit.

We have a right way and a wrong way to serve God. We are serving God the wrong way if:

· we have foolish talk and gossip.

· we spend our time comparing the way we serve God to the way that others serve God. Serving God is not a competition.

· We serve God with anger, hate and resentment.

· We look for a way to get ahead by serving God.

· We judge others for the way they serve God.

· We are causing confusion, discord, and anger with the team who are serving with us. We are all part of the body of Christ.

Serving God is a way to give back to God part of what he has given to us. We are serving God the right way if:

· We imitate God as we serve.

· We share the love of Jesus Christ as we serve.

· We use all of our spiritual gifts to serve God.

· We give people faith and hope as we serve.

· We encourage others to grow in their faith by serving them with our whole heart.

· We empty ourselves completely so that the power of the Holy Spirit can fill us and in turn use us.

· The people that we serve do not even see us, they see Jesus Christ.

· We teach people about Jesus Christ by living God’s Words in the Bible.

· We attract people to God because by serving them they develop a stronger relationship with God.

· We should look up to God for direction and not down on the people we are serving.

If someone sees us while we are serving God, then we are not doing it right. We should be invisible. If people hear us instead of God, then we are getting in the way of God. The power and love of Jesus Christ should be the only thing seen and heard. We are not the story. We are the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. We are supposed to go where God calls us to serve. We are supposed to encourage, lift up, and love those that need the love of Jesus Christ.

The people that Jesus Christ served tell about his love and compassion. They don’t talk about the person as much as they talk about what Jesus did to share that love with so many people.

Let’s pull out more from the scriptures found in Ephesians 6:6-8 (NIV). It says “⁶Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. ⁷Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, ⁸because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.”

This scripture asks us to do the will of God from our heart even when people are not watching us. We are not serving God to get the most accolades. We are serving God out of gratitude that God gave us his only son, Jesus Christ. We are urged to serve God with our whole heart. This scripture also assures us that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does. The Lord will reward without having us compare the way we serve to the others in our church. We serve as part of the same body of Jesus Christ. We serve as part of the same team. We serve better when we are united in one accord.

Satan attacks us within our church. Satan’s goal is to prevent us from serving God and being in one accord. Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy. He wants to steal your joy, kill your faith, and destroy your walk with God. I will preach on spiritual warfare on another sermon.

Right now, don’t listen to that doubt that is in your head. Don’t listen to the gossip that you are lazy, no good, and can’t serve God. It is not true. I will speak with faith that you are mighty men and women of God. You will serve people in a powerful and loving way. They will see the power of the Holy Spirit enabling you to do the impossible. You will get into alignment where your spirit dominates both your soul and your body. You will begin to hear to voice of God calling you to serve him.

The people that you serve will see God at work. We will be united in faith, hope, and love. God will reward you for being a loyal and faithful servant. As we serve God and go where he sends us, we will see signs, miracles, and wonders. We will experience the love of Jesus Christ that is higher, deeper, wider, and longer than we can ever imagine. Jesus came not be served, but to serve. He gave his life for our lives. We can be inspired by the way that Jesus Christ served to serve others.

I’ll let Jesus have the last word in John 12:25-27 from the Message. Jesus says “^24-25"Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you'll have it forever, real and eternal. ²⁶"If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you'll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment's notice. The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me.”