Genesis 2:15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.
The fellowship of the saint which is the church can be said in these days to one of the places where the Lord has given us to cultivate and nurture, therefore we cannot be found wanting nor negligent in the duty God has given us by nor participation in the growth or vision of the Church. We are to grow the Church till the coming back of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord is the rewarder of does who are obedient to the work which invariably includes our service, worship, behaviour within and outside of the body of Christ.
***God Cannot be mocked and He see the work of our hands even in the darkest of our closet which is our heart***
Service is a hallmark of our faith. The founder of our faith Jesus Christ (Hebrews 12:2) said of his own life that he came not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45). His life was a daily reminder that he surrendered the glories and the riches of heaven to come here and serve mankind. He did not seek his own will but that of his Father who sent him (John 5:30). His apostles, from Peter to Paul, were servants. The example of Jesus, his apostles and early disciples was one of service.
***Service is a Part of our Worship and Duty***
Serving others is the very essence of ministry. All believers are called to ministry (Matthew 28:18-20) and therefore, we are all called to be servants for the glory of God. Living is giving; all else is selfishness.
Philippians 2: 1-4 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfil my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
Our working within the Church helps those among us to see by example the importance of serving in the fellowship and also encourage them to be a partaker in kingdom building, the essence of the Church is to build up the saint for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Acts 20:35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
Servanthood life is a lifetime of giving
Servanthood is an attitude exemplified by Christ “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant”
Philippians 2:5-7 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
Matthew 20:28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
***Service is Key to Kingdom Reward***
When we are prepare to do the lowly jobs of serving others and giving our time and self for others only looking unto the author and finisher of our faith as the ultimate rewarder then we will be lifted up and exalted.
Jesus lowly stature in His coming confused so many Jews that they missed the mark as they were expecting a messiah in the David’s linage that will come with all the pageantry of a befitting King whose kingship will have a strong army to help defeat the Romans occupiers of their territories at the time and that they did not see the glory of the Father, nor understood that the kingdom of God was being established in their midst.
The servanthood attitude of Christ Jesus did not fit their perception of the messiah but clarity for His messianic title and kingdom was seen by the prophet Daniel in 7:13-14 (Son of Man used 90 times in the Bible)
His pre-eminence, dignity and authority was stressed in the following Luke 6:5; John 6: 62.
To further demonstrate the example of servanthood to his disciple, Jesus stood so low as to wash and anoint their feet as in John 13: 1-17, this was also address those seeking position before service among the disciple, it illustrated the perfect heart of our Lord Jesus to towards serving us His subject, He demonstrated that in the kingdom of God, it is the reversal of role that gives us honour before God.
Today
Where is your Servant heart, what is your attitude in the body of Christ, are you seeking notice before you serve, Pause and take an inward look at your motive to serve within the body of Christ now.
Attitude of a Servant King
• Compassion
• Care and a burden for others need
• Denial of self for the glorification of God
• Humility
• Meekness
Serving is not meant for show-off or for people to start singing our praises but we are to do it in reverent to our God as was point out in Matthew 23:3, 5 when Jesus was addressing the crowds and teaching them about the hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees and how they do their deeds in order to be noticed and admired. Jesus condemned this act.
1 Peter 5:2-3 Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock
People are supposed to notice our good works because our good character permeates them, not because of our attempt to have them see how "good" and "great" we are. The former is humility. The latter is prideful and wrong.
The Apostles followed in the Character of Jesus by considering themselves as servants because they were taught by him that he who wants to be the greatest must first serve others.
2 Corinthians 4:5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.
Philippians 2:8-11 And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
General Bruce C. Clarke, USA, Ret- “Rank is given you to enable you to better serve those above and below you. It is not given for you to practice your idiosyncrasies”
1 Peter 2: 16 ESV Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
Hindrances to Service
• Self-exaltation- And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (Matthew 23:12)
• Position Seeking -Those who desire to be great in God’s kingdom must be the servant of all (Matthew 20:26).
• Praise seeker - greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ (Matthew 23:7)
• Prestige consciousness -They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, (Matthew 23:6)
• Power grabber- They lord over them (Mark 10: 42-45)
• Pride- God resist the proud (James 4:6)
Principle: No matter how bad things are going for us, we have no excuse for not serving others.
May the Lord today grant you a serving heart in the might name Of Yeshua Hamashiach.
Apostle Yomi and Bola Olowo
Serving under the grace, guidance, love and peace of God
New Victorious Living Ministry
Donations/offerings: paypal.me/Newvictoriousliving
(Please note where it is not specified all biblical quotation are from
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