God has given each of us gifts and grace and we are to use them, both to serve the Body as well as to reach the world. Ministry is simply you using the gifts and grace given to you to fulfill the function assigned to you. Our attitude with which we use the gifts and grace given to us matters. In this important message we discuss five right attitudes to maintain as we serve in the context of the local church.
May this sermon minister to you and enrich your walk of faith in Jesus Christ. We welcome you to make use of the free sermons, Christian books, and daily devotionals available on this website.
May this sermon minister to you and enrich your walk of faith in Jesus Christ. We welcome you to make use of the free sermons, Christian books, and daily devotionals available on this website.
Romans 12:4-8
4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,
5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
6 Having 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;
7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;
8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
God's plan is for all believers to be involved in ministry – in the church and in the world.
The reason He has appointed apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers and evangelists in the church is to equip all of God’s people (saints) to do the work of the ministry:
Ephesians 4:11,12
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
So, really if you have been part of a church that has been equipping you – the normal outcome is that you should start using the gift and grace given to you to fulfill the function God has assigned for you.
This is ministry. Every believer is a minister. (You don’t have to get a Bible college degree to be a “minister”. You just need to be equipped :-).
Today, we’ll discuss “How To Serve At Church” – right and wrong attitudes. Attitudes we must maintain, and attitudes we must avoid when using our gifts and grace to serve people.
1, Give off the overflow
Matthew 6:6
But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Matthew 10:27
"Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.
John 15:5
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
See ministry as an overflow in public of what is going on in private.
If our personal private walk with God is barren and dry – then giving to people becomes a chore, a task to be fulfilled, rather than a joy and delight.
If our personal private walk with God is not where is should be – then what we do in public is more of a show we put on, a performance, rather than an overflow of God through us.
Unfortunately, in many cases people judge performance rather than discerning God’s presence.
People judge a preacher more by the one hour he spends behind the pulpit than by the life he lives off it. And this is wrong. So preachers become satisfied if they put on a good performance – and don’t really care about what goes on in private, as long as people stay impressed with their performance.
Hold yourself accountable in this area.
It is NOT that we are trusting in our works – of personal prayer, devotion, study, etc. – to obtain gifts and grace. Rather the reason we discipline ourselves in personal prayer, devotion, study is to that we can properly release and exercise the gifts and grace God has given us – to accomplish what God desires to accomplish with these gifts and grace.
Though Paul was a great apostle of the faith, he watched over himself, to ensure that while he had preached to others, he also personally continued strong in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 9:27
But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
2, Serve with humility
Matthew 20:20-28
20 Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from
Him.
21 And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom."
22 But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They said to Him, "We are able."
23 So He said to them, "You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My
Father."
24 And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers.
25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.
26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.
27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
Maintain the heart of a servant – regardless of what your gifts and grace are.
I like the statement Bill Johnson makes: “Lead with the heart of a servant, and serve with the heart of a king”.
1 Peter 5:5,6
5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "GOD RESISTS THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE."
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, To move to higher realms in God, you need greater grace. Greater grace is only obtained through greater humility.
If you want to go higher before God, step lower to serve men.
Don’t promote yourself, don’t compete with others. Let promotion and exaltation come from God, rather that you getting it for yourself.
Your gift and grace does not make you superior to others with differing or less prominent gifts and grace.
Your identity is not in your gift. Be confident of who you are outside of your gift and grace.
3, Serve with excellence
1 Peter 4:10,11
10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Use your gifts and grace as a “good steward” – someone who handles things well and with excellence.
Do things with the empowering that God gives and do it in such a way that God will be glorified.
Sometime people take a very slack approach to doing the work of the Lord – because they say “after all its for God” or “I am just a volunteer”. So they give just the bare minimum to get by.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence therefore is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle.
Don’t give God anything that does not cost you something.
David
1 Chronicles 21:24
Then King David said to Ornan, "No, but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing."
Don’t serve God only when it is convenient. Serve Him at all times, in season and out of season, when things are easy and when things are tough.
The apostle Paul surely did not serve the Lord only when things were easy:
2 Corinthians 11:23-33
23 Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.
24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—
28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?
30 If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.
31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.
32 In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me;
33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.
4, Be thankful for the opportunity
Ephesians 5:20
giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
The opportunity given to you to exercise your gifts and grace is a privilege extended not a right that is deserved. Treat it with care.
Be thankful for the opportunity that was given to you – not everyone gets these opportunities.
5, Do it as unto the Lord
Colossians 3:22-24
22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers,
but in sincerity of heart, fearing God.
23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
The context here is ofcourse a workplace situation – but we can apply the underlying principle to us serving at church.
Use your gifts and grace to serve people – but do it as you were doing it for the Lord. Do not expect appreciation and applause from man. Constantly remind yourself that whether you are appreciated by people or not – if you do it right, you will receive your reward from the Lord.
Live for the applause of heaven rather than the accolades of man.
4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,
5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
6 Having 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;
7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;
8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
- Each one of us is a member in the Body.
- All the members do not have the same function - but all members do have some function in the body.
- God has given each of us gifts and grace – and we are to use them, both to serve the Body as well as to reach the world.
- Ministry is simply you using the gifts and grace given to you to fulfill the function assigned to you.
- Our attitude with which we use the gift and grace given to us matters:
He who gives...must do so with generosity or with sincerity. The opposite attitude of giving grudgingly or giving with wrong motives, would be the wrong attitude with which to exercise the grace and gift of giving.
He who leads....must do so with diligence, earnestness, zeal. The opposite attitudes, example being irresponsible, doing it out of compulsion, etc. would be the wrong attitudes with which to exercise the grace and gift of leading.
He who shows mercy....must do so with cheerfulness
God's plan is for all believers to be involved in ministry – in the church and in the world.
The reason He has appointed apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers and evangelists in the church is to equip all of God’s people (saints) to do the work of the ministry:
Ephesians 4:11,12
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
So, really if you have been part of a church that has been equipping you – the normal outcome is that you should start using the gift and grace given to you to fulfill the function God has assigned for you.
This is ministry. Every believer is a minister. (You don’t have to get a Bible college degree to be a “minister”. You just need to be equipped :-).
Today, we’ll discuss “How To Serve At Church” – right and wrong attitudes. Attitudes we must maintain, and attitudes we must avoid when using our gifts and grace to serve people.
1, Give off the overflow
Matthew 6:6
But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Matthew 10:27
"Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.
John 15:5
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
See ministry as an overflow in public of what is going on in private.
If our personal private walk with God is barren and dry – then giving to people becomes a chore, a task to be fulfilled, rather than a joy and delight.
If our personal private walk with God is not where is should be – then what we do in public is more of a show we put on, a performance, rather than an overflow of God through us.
Unfortunately, in many cases people judge performance rather than discerning God’s presence.
People judge a preacher more by the one hour he spends behind the pulpit than by the life he lives off it. And this is wrong. So preachers become satisfied if they put on a good performance – and don’t really care about what goes on in private, as long as people stay impressed with their performance.
Hold yourself accountable in this area.
It is NOT that we are trusting in our works – of personal prayer, devotion, study, etc. – to obtain gifts and grace. Rather the reason we discipline ourselves in personal prayer, devotion, study is to that we can properly release and exercise the gifts and grace God has given us – to accomplish what God desires to accomplish with these gifts and grace.
Though Paul was a great apostle of the faith, he watched over himself, to ensure that while he had preached to others, he also personally continued strong in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 9:27
But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
2, Serve with humility
Matthew 20:20-28
20 Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from
Him.
21 And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom."
22 But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They said to Him, "We are able."
23 So He said to them, "You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My
Father."
24 And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers.
25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.
26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.
27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
Maintain the heart of a servant – regardless of what your gifts and grace are.
I like the statement Bill Johnson makes: “Lead with the heart of a servant, and serve with the heart of a king”.
1 Peter 5:5,6
5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "GOD RESISTS THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE."
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, To move to higher realms in God, you need greater grace. Greater grace is only obtained through greater humility.
If you want to go higher before God, step lower to serve men.
Don’t promote yourself, don’t compete with others. Let promotion and exaltation come from God, rather that you getting it for yourself.
Your gift and grace does not make you superior to others with differing or less prominent gifts and grace.
Your identity is not in your gift. Be confident of who you are outside of your gift and grace.
3, Serve with excellence
1 Peter 4:10,11
10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Use your gifts and grace as a “good steward” – someone who handles things well and with excellence.
Do things with the empowering that God gives and do it in such a way that God will be glorified.
Sometime people take a very slack approach to doing the work of the Lord – because they say “after all its for God” or “I am just a volunteer”. So they give just the bare minimum to get by.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence therefore is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle.
Don’t give God anything that does not cost you something.
David
1 Chronicles 21:24
Then King David said to Ornan, "No, but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing."
Don’t serve God only when it is convenient. Serve Him at all times, in season and out of season, when things are easy and when things are tough.
The apostle Paul surely did not serve the Lord only when things were easy:
2 Corinthians 11:23-33
23 Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.
24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—
28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?
30 If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.
31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.
32 In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me;
33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.
4, Be thankful for the opportunity
Ephesians 5:20
giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
The opportunity given to you to exercise your gifts and grace is a privilege extended not a right that is deserved. Treat it with care.
Be thankful for the opportunity that was given to you – not everyone gets these opportunities.
5, Do it as unto the Lord
Colossians 3:22-24
22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers,
but in sincerity of heart, fearing God.
23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
The context here is ofcourse a workplace situation – but we can apply the underlying principle to us serving at church.
Use your gifts and grace to serve people – but do it as you were doing it for the Lord. Do not expect appreciation and applause from man. Constantly remind yourself that whether you are appreciated by people or not – if you do it right, you will receive your reward from the Lord.
Live for the applause of heaven rather than the accolades of man.
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