05-21-17 – To Serve… Just doing my Duty! If Surrendered to Christ (He owns me. And not just parts of me… HE OWNS IT ALL!) If a living Sacrifice for Him (I’m killing/crucifying the natural man by denying self and living for Christ) Surrender and Sacrifice can only lead to one thing?! We SERVE Him! Paul told the Ephesians about “LIFE in Christ” in Ephesians 2:10 NIV – For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. To sum up the “Rules for Holy Living” Paul told the Colossians. Colossians 3:17 NLT – And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. One of the last things Samuel told the nation of Israel in his farewell address (Saul was confirmed as King). 1 Samuel 12:24 ESV – Only fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. When we’re Surrendered to Christ and living a life of Sacrifice for Christ… WE SERVE. We aren’t Servants or Volunteers… WE ARE SLAVES OF CHRIST! What do Slaves do? What’s their only duty? To serve and obey the Master! Paul, Timothy, James, Peter, Jude… all introduce themselves as “SLAVES” of Christ Jesus… not Servants, not Bond Servants, not Volunteers but Slaves. Ephesians 6:5-7 NLT – Paul was writing about those who were Slaves… 5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. 6 Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. 7 Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. I Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT – Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. Colossians 3:23-24 NLT – Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.24 Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. Servants and Volunteers don’t have a Master – Slaves do! * Servants/Volunteers choose when, how, and where they serve. Slaves don’t. * Servants/Volunteers can quit, give up, give in. Slaves can’t. * Servants/Volunteers can decide if they don’t want to serve… volunteer anymore. Slaves can’t. * Servants/Volunteers have certain expectations and requirements. Slaves have only one… obey the Master. Jesus shared a story with the Religious leaders about Faith and Duty in Luke 17:7-10 MSG – “Suppose one of you has a servant who comes in from plowing the field or tending the sheep. Would you take his coat, set the table, and say, ‘Sit down and eat’? Wouldn’t you be more likely to say, ‘Prepare dinner; change your clothes and wait table for me until I’ve finished my coffee; then go to the kitchen and have your supper’? Does the servant get special thanks for doing what’s expected of him? It’s the same with you. When you’ve done everything expected of you, be matter-of-fact and say, ‘The work is done. What we were told to do, we did.’” Serving and Obedience isn’t a sacrifice… it’s our Duty IF we belong to Christ! It’s our duty and our responsibility because of God’s Mercy and Grace! Because of His sacrifice on the cross for us! Because of the TRANSFORMATION that takes place in our Heart, Mind, Soul Body… Therefore, we should have a passionate DESIRE to SERVE Him! But I don’t want to be a SLAVE!! We’re all SLAVES! We’re either a slave to Christ and righteousness… or to the devil and sin.
No transcript available.
POWERED BY BLUBRRY
