Member to a Minister 16 September 2013

To be a Minister Be a Servant

Servant becomes Great Mark 10:43 Mat 7:16

How real Servants Act We serve God by serving others World greatness is measured by Power / Possessions / Prestige / Position They think if they can demand service from others they have arrived We are living in a self serving ‘me-first’ mentality world Acting like a servant is not a popular concept these days

How real Servants Act Jesus measured greatness in terms of service God determines your greatness by how many people you serve not how many people serve you The disciples argued who deserved the most prominent position 2000 years later ministries still fight for prominence Very little books are written on Servant-hood ? How many are written on Leadership? Everyone wants to lead, no one wants to be a servant

How real Servants Act To be like Jesus is to be a servant Knowing your shape is important for serving God, having the heart of a servant is even more important God shaped you for service, not for self centeredness Without a servant heart you will tempted to mis-use your shape for personal gain You will also be tempted to use it as an excuse to exempt yourself from meeting some needs

How real Servants Act Your shape reveals your ministry Your servant heart will reveal your maturity No special talent or gift is needed to stay after a service and pick up trash or stack the chairs Anyone can be a servant All it requires is Character It is possible to serve in church for a life time without ever being a servant You must have a servant’s heart

Real servants make themselves available to serve They want to jump into service when they are called Much like a soldier, a servant must always be standing by for duty 2 Tim 2:4 If you only serve when it is convenient for you, you are not a real servant Real servants do what's needed even when its inconvenient

Real servants make themselves available to serve Are you available to God any time ? Can he mess up your plans without you becoming resentful? As a servant you will not get to choose when and where you will serve Being a servant means giving up the right to control your schedule and allowing God to interrupt it whenever he needs it Your agenda should be whatever God wants to bring to your life for a day

See interruptions as divine appointments for ministry

Numbers 14:24 My Servant Caleb Thinks different Follow me completely

Your work will be rewarded 2 Chro 15:7 1 Cor 15:58 Eph 6:8

Member to a Minister 16 September 2013

To be a Minister Be a Servant (Cont..)

2 Timothy 2:2 2 Timothy 1:12

E - Enough F - Finish

Real servants pay attention to needs Servants are always on the look out for ways to help others When they see a need, they seize the moment to meet it, just as the Bible commands us Gal 6:10 When God puts someone in need right in front of you he is giving you the opportunity to grow in servant-hood. Needs of your church family are to be given preference – Did you Notice that ? We lack sensitivity and Spontaneity, great opportunities to serve never last long

Real servants pay attention to needs Never tell your neighbor to wait till tomorrow if you can help them now Prov 3:28 Look for the small task that no one else wants to do Do these little things as if they were great things because God is watching

Do all the good you can By all the means you can In all the ways you can In all the places you can At all the times you can to all the people you can As long as you ever can Greatness

Real servants do their best with what they have Servants don’t make excuses or wait for better Servants never say “one of these days” Ecc 11:4 – Never will be done if you wait God expects you to do what you can with what you have wherever you are Less than perfect service is always better than the best intention They fear – they are not good enough They have believed the lie Don’t make excellence an Idol

Real servants do every task with equal dedication Col 3:23 Do it with all your heart The size of the task is irrelevant Does it need to be done ? Gal 6:3 You are not too important It is in these small services we grow like Christ Washing feet, helping children, fixing breakfast, serving lepers was Jesus ministry – menial Nothing was beneath him, because he came to serve, he expects us to follow his example

Real servants are faithful to their ministry Servants finish their tasks Fulfill their responsibilities Keep their promises Complete their commitments They don’t leave a job half done And they don’t quit when they get discouraged They are trust worthy, and dependable Faithfulness has always been a rare quality Most people don’t know the meaning of commitment

Real servants are faithful to their ministry They make commitments casually, then they break them for the slightest reason without any hesitation or regret Church cry : Volunteers did not prepare, didn’t show up, or didn’t even call to say they were not coming Can you be counted on by others Are there promises you need to keep, vows you need to fulfill Commitments you need to honor, This is a TEST

Real servants are faithful to their ministry David, Daniel Timothy and Paul were all called faithful servants Even better God has promised to reward your faithfulness in eternity Mat 25:23 Faithful servants never retire They serve faithfully as long as they live You can retire from your career but you will never retire from serving God

Real servants maintain a low profile Servant don’t promote or call attention to themselves They put on the apron of humility 1 Pet 5:5 Never do eye service Eph 6:6 Serving in order to impress people This was a sin of the Pharisees They turned helping others, giving and even prayer into a performance for others Jesus hated this attitude Mat 6:1 Self promotion and Servant-hood does not mix

Real servants maintain a low profile Real servants don’t serve for the Approval or Applause They live for an Audience of ONE Gal 1:10 They quietly serve in the shadows

Joseph is a Great Example He did not draw attention to himself Quietly served Potiphar, then his Jailer, then Pharoah’s Baker, and Wine tester and God blessed that attitude Then Pharoah promoted him to prominence, Joseph still maintained a servant heart even with his brothers who had betrayed him Many leaders start as Servants and end up as celebrities They become addicted to attention, unaware that always being in the spot light blinds you.

God put you where you are for a purpose

Real servants maintain a low profile He knows every hair of yours and knows your address Your ministry matters to the kingdom of God

It is the hidden parts of your body that are indispensable 1 Cor 12:22-24

The most significant service is often the service that is unseen

Even the smallest service is noticed by God and will be rewarded Mat 10:42 1 Cor 15:58