Service

What is our attitude to service?

• How can we serve more?
• Service is the opportunity to build the Kingdom.
• Service is the opportunity to help God's people.
• Service is the opportunity to use our gifts for God.
• Service is the opportunity to live as Jesus did the servant saviour.
• What do you think service is?
• 1 Timothy 6 v 1-2
• Paul is writing to Timothy about slaves and slavery and although slavery doesn't exist in this country anymore we can still serve others.
• Ephesians 6 v 5-9 - "⁵ Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. ⁶ Obey them not only to win their favour when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. ⁷ Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, ⁸ because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. ⁹ And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favouritism with him."
• Timothy was leading the church in Ephesus and this was part of the letter to the church there. Servants were inspired to serve God and others were inspired to serve. Leaders and employers were encouraged not to treat the servants badly. As a leader I have a people serving who I lead and I treat with respect and praise for what they are sacrificing.
• If we are to serve well then we need to see who to serve - our leaders, our peers and the least.
• We all have leaders who we have the opportunity to serve at work, at church and elsewhere. But do we make the most of the opportunity to serve God by serving our leaders and obey God by serving our leaders?
• If we serve our leaders and follow them well, they will invest into us more; we aren't just serving them we are serving God because we recognise the appointment that God has given them to be a leader.
• As I serve my Pastor he invests more and more into me – by encouraging me, giving me opportunity, by challenging me.
• But we shouldn’t serve to receive something back; we should serve because Jesus served his leader, Father God and the world by going to the cross and taking our sin upon himself. We should serve to please God and build His Kingdom.
• How can you serve your leaders better/more?
• It is a great opportunity to serve your friends and peers because you respect them and love spending time with them.
• It is so exciting to serve with your friends because you can all do the mission God has called to, together as friends.
• How can you serve your friends better/more? What opportunities have you got to serve with them?
• Jesus talked about serving ‘the least of these’, (Matthew 25 v 31-46) this is anyone who is in need.
• Who do you know that is in need and you could help?
• Jesus calls us to love our neighbour and a great way to love those around us is by serving them.  
• Philippians 2 v 5-11 - "⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: ⁶ Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; ⁷ rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! ⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
• If we want to serve God well then we need to take on the attitude of Christ the ultimate servant, He lead through serving.
• Serving is a great opportunity to practice and exercise our faith.
• Where is serving on your agenda?