SHAPED FOR SERVING GOD

Introduction Eph. c2 v10 – ‘It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others’ (LB) Col. c3 v24-24 – ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving’ (NIV)

Introduction Jer. c1 v5 - “Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work” (NCV)

Accepting your assignment 2 Tim. c1 v9 – ‘It is he who saved us and chose us for his holy work not because we deserved it but because that was his plan’ (LB)  You were saved to serve God Rom. c12 v1 – “I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind he will accept” (NLT) 1 John c3 v14 – ‘If we love other Christians, it proves that we have been delivered from hell and given eternal life’ (LB)

Accepting your assignment Rom. c7 v4 – ‘Now you belong to Him … in order that we might be useful in the service of God’ (TEV)  You are called to serve God ‘Jesus now has a new pair of eyes to see with, new eyes to listen with, new hands to help with, and a new heart to love others with’

Accepting your assignment Matt. c20 v28 – “Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve …” (LB)  You are commanded to serve

Gifts and Abilities Eph. c2 v10 – ‘For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do’ (NIV)  Unwrapping your spiritual gifts Eph. c4 v7 – ‘Christ has given each of us special abilities - whatever he wants us to have out of his rich storehouse of gifts’ (LB)

Gifts and Abilities  Applying your abilities  Listening to your heart Romans c12 v6a – ‘God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well’ (NLT) 1 Cor. c10 v31 – ‘…whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God’ (NIV) 1 Cor. c12 v6 – ‘There are different abilities to perform service, but the same God gives ability to all for their particular service’ (TEV)

A servant heart  Real servants pay attention to needs  Real servants make themselves available to serve Mark c10 v43 – ‘Whoever wants to be great must become a servant’ (MSG) Gal. c6 v10 – ‘Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters’ (NLT) Prov. c3 v27-28 – ‘Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them. 28 If you can help your neighbour now, don’t say, “Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.” (NLT)

A servant heart  Real servants are faithful to their ministry  Real servants do their best with what they have Ecc. c11 v4 - ‘If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done’ (NLT)

A servant heart  Real servants think more of others than themselves Phil. c2 v4 – ‘…Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand’ (MSG) ‘made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant’ Eph. c2 v7 (NIV)  Real servants think about their work, not what others are doing Gal. c5 v26 – ‘we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original’ (MSG)

A servant heart  Real servants think of serving as an opportunity not an obligation ‘Serve the LORD with gladness’ Ps. c100 v2 (KJV)

Conclusion ‘chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong’ – 1 Cor. c1 v27 (NCV) ‘…I am going to boast only about how weak I am and how great God is to use such weakness for his glory’ – 2 Cor. c12 v5 (LB) Phil c4 v13 – ‘For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need’ (NLT)