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?

Honouring

Who do we honour?

• How do we honour?
• We have opportunities all the way through life to honour people.
• 1 Timothy 5 v 16-25
• The issues in Ephesus were - people taking leaders for granted and we have unrealistic expectations of what they can do.
• Do we take our church leaders for granted?
• We can take our leaders for granted and some people even blame them for everything.
• We need to take responsibility for building the Kingdom and supporting our leaders in it.
• We have many opportunities to encourage and honour our leaders and yet we sometimes don't.
• Galatians 6 v 6 - "Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor."
• This verse speaks of how when a leader has taught us in something we should share the fruits when start to do it so they can rejoice with us.
• What do we expect our leaders to do?
• There are several different ways this works.
• We expect them to be like the others or their predecessor (the church in Ephesus expected this of Timothy after Paul left).
• We expect that they will conform to the traditions that are already set in place (the Pharisees expected Jesus to do this).
• We expect them to do EVERYTHING!
• People sometimes see leaders as people that don't sin but they do.
• Leaders will be judged more severely than others.
• Matthew 18 v 15-17 - "¹⁵ “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. ¹⁶ But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ ¹⁷ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector."
• We all sin, we may throw off the sinful nature and be renewed in mind and Spirit but we still have the battle to fight as our body sins. But God can set us free He can help us to get free from that sin.
• Even if a leader sins publically or on another level they still deserve honouring for all they have invested in that past and sown into the future.
• People can accuse leaders of sinning just because they are meeting the unrealistic expectations.
• Paul encourages Timothy to keep himself pure and by not compromising and allowing sin to creep in or others who sin may spread.
• Will take the opportunity to honour your leaders?

Caring Kingdom Culture

Who do we care for in our communities?

• How do we care for our communities and families?
• Jesus teaches us about loving our neighbour (Matthew 22 v 39)
• This is a call to love our communities.
• 1 Timothy 5 v 1-16
• Paul speaks about caring for the widows within the church community and outside.
• He wants us to care for them because of what they have given into the life of the church and their children’s lives. It is predominantly the responsibility of the children but all the church is called into action.
• Paul is encouraging people to act on the faith they speak about by loving their relatives.
• "It starts in the home."
• Ephesians 6 v 1-3 - "¹ Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² “Honour your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— ³ “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”"
• It starts with us honouring our parents and respecting them. 
• We have to main opportunities of when we can honour our parents - Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. But we have many other opportunities throughout the year.
• Honouring is part of loving the community by honouring our family and leaders others will honour them and the community will become for Kingdom minded rather than focusing on ourselves we focus on others.
• This all part of a Caring Kingdom Culture.
• Jesus wasn't just a nice guy he truly cared for the community by the way he loved people.
• Jesus heals people and does many other miracles (Matthew 4 v 23-25)
• Jesus responds to faith (Matthew 8 v 5-13)
• Jesus spoke the truth of what people were getting into with Him (Matthew 8 v 18-22)
• Jesus speaks words of wisdom (Matthew 5 v 1-12)
• Jesus sends people to love others (Matthew 10 v 1-42)
• Jesus grew people’s faith (Matthew 14 v 22-36)
• Jesus challenged people (Matthew 16 21-28) (Matthew 21 v 23-27)
• Jesus loved everyone (Matthew 22 v 37-40)
• Jesus died for His community and the world and rose again (Matthew 27 v 45 - 28 v 10)
• Jesus truly cared for His community by going the extra mile.
• The principle that is in this part of the letter to Timothy is the care for the community - church, town and family.
• We have many opportunities to care for those around us...
• When they are in need.
• A random act of kindness.
• Commitment to serve regularly.
• We need to take responsibility for our families and our community.
• Do you care for the community in a way which builds the Kingdom?

Being An Example

Who are you an example to?

• What is the example we are showing and giving?
• God takes how we live our lives seriously and wants us to live lives that represent Him.
• 1 Timothy 4 v 11-16
• Previously we saw what influences Timothy and us should have around us and today we will look into our influence and our example to others.
• Do you ever feel looked down on?
• Paul tells Timothy to not be discouraged by his age or looked down on because of it. He wants him to be bold and teach and lead the church well, if he doesn't believe he is capable of doing it he will struggle because he doesn't believe in himself.
• Timothy was mid 30's may be younger, so may be the same age as some of the youngest Pastors in this country.
• Whatever age we are we can allow ourselves to make what we think is our weakness into a barrier which stops us from doing what God has called us to.
• Paul says a similar thing to Titus, Titus 2 v 15 - "These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you."
• God doesn't want us to be slowed down by people’s opinions. God wants to run the race whether we have people cheering us on or not.
• We will be an example to others in the way run the race without hindrance of people’s opinion.
• Do we ever neglect the gifts we are given?
• Timothy was reminded to not neglect his gifts that God had given to him.
• Paul wanted him to use them wisely.
• God wants us to use our gifts well.
• Matthew 25 v 14-30
• This parable shows us that we need to use what God has given us well. Then God will give us more.
• v23 - ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
• This Jesus' response to those who use well what we have been given. 
• We should set example to others in the way we use our gifts.
• How much do we give to God?
• Paul talks about Timothy giving his all for the work of the Kingdom, because Timothy giving his all has a knock on effect - people come into the Kingdom.
• We need to give our all and live lives which worship God. We need to be a genuine example to others and sometimes showing warts and all, because otherwise people think what we have is unattainable but it isn't because we are sinners saved by grace, not Christians saved by grace.
• Romans 12 v 1 - "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship."
• Paul here in the letter to the Romans urges them to live as living sacrifices to God. God wants our all because he gave us His all.
• When we give our all we can truly have freedom.
• What example are you living?