Bible Message/Preaching : Serving the Lord

What comes to our mind when we hear "serving the Lord"?
When we hear “serving the Lord”, most of the time what comes to our mind are missionaries, pastors , priest, nuns or other "full-time" christian workers. But the Scriptures tells us that every believer is called to full-time service of serving the Lord regardless of careers or jobs!
1 Pet 2:9-10 9But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy Eph 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Rom 7:6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
What can we infer from the above passages?
Mt 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
We'll be serving or using our life for something – the question is what or Who? The best we can give is to serve the Lord with our life.

What are some of the problem of serving today?
For many believers, they know far much more than what they are putting into practice! They need to concentrate in the doing part than in the Scripture Study part. Most of us look forward with a "serve-us" attitude than serve mentality. They look for what can this or that church/group meet their needs and bless them. We must focus on “whose needs can I meet? And for whom I can be a blessing?” - this shows maturity

Mk 8:34-37 34When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. 36"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37"Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

We already discussed the "doer" part in the growth session
The parable of the sower - Doer of the word (Mk 4:14-20) as well as the house built on a rock (Mt 7:24-27) or the one who looks in the mirror (Jas 1:21-25)

How do we serve?
We're shaped by God to serve SHAPE can be an acronym:
Spiritual gifts – we need to understand the gifts God gave us and use them – Rom 12:6-8 6Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Gal 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. How can specific gifts in serving and how can we find application in real life?
Heart – Do the things that we're passionate about for the Lord – find application for what we like in the body of Christ
Abilities – God given abilities are unique and we need to recognise them – talent for talking, music, athletics.... whatever you're good at you should be doing for the Lord – in the fellowship!
Personality – We need to understand our personality and how it can be applied to serving the Lord. If we work against our personality, we will create additional tension that we need to work with (needs extra energy/effort) before doing the actual work! Experience – All through our life, we have been going through many experiences, the Lord allow such to shape us.
Can be classified into - Family, Educational, Vocational (job related) and Spiritual. In all these we may experience Good and bad incidents - those that give happiness and those gives pain. And keep in mind that God uses our painful experiences the most! We've discussed this in the Growth session.
In short serving is to use our abilities and gifts in the area where we are passionate about in the way that best suits our personality and experiences for the greater glory of the Lord!

We need to evaluate our condition – about our abilities, gifts, passions and personality then we know what shape God has made us into. We need to accept our condition and enjoy it – because we can trust God that its the best for us!
If we consider Rom 8:28 along with Rom 9:20-21 20But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?" 21Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?

What is holding me back from accepting God's call to serve Him?
What do you love to do that could be used to serve the family of God?
Think of a painful experience that could be shared with someone going through similar situation so as to encourage them

(to be continued...)

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