Serving The Lord

“SERVING THE LORD”

Romans 12.11

By the time he had written his letter to the Romans, Paul had all but completed his Church planting ministry in the eastern Mediterranean. God had used him to stabilize and expand the Church at Antioch and to plant Churches in Achaia, Macedonia, Asia, and Galatia. As he looked westward to the farthest reaches of the Roman Empire as his next field of operations, Paul realized from practical missionary experience that he would need a base of operations much closer to his new field than the Church at Antioch, and a much shorter lifeline of much-needed funds and workers than could be supplied by eastern Mediterranean Churches such as were in Philippi and Ephesus. As he looked westward with great confidence in what God was going to use him to do, but with a mature understanding of the high cost of such ministry in human terms, Paul knew that there was only one place available to him from which to venture forth to Spain ... Rome.

Rome, with her teeming millions. Rome, with her influence and clout as the military, as the economic, and as the political center of western civilization. Rome, with her dozens of Churches scattered around the city comprised of both Gentile and Jewish believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Rome, whose Churches had been planted without any help or labor from this greatest of Church planters. But for Rome to be realized as a great hub of missionary activity stretching westward to the ends of the earth, two problems had to be overcome. Problem #1 was enlisting the aid of those Roman Churches, persuading them to get behind his ministry. Problem #2 was insuring that those Churches, once they were behind him and supplying both finances and workers, had a correct view of his ministry. After all, he didn’t want to get to Spain only to find that the supply of much-needed funds dried up or, worse, to find that workers that had come to help him in the work were unfit for service.

To solve both problems at once, Paul wrote this letter to the Romans. And in Romans, he accomplished the great task of declaring to the Romans his inspired and inerrant beliefs about the great truths related to man’s sin, man’s salvation, man’s sanctification, the nation of Israel, and man’s service to God after coming to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. It’s in this latter category of Paul’s instruction to the Romans, addressing the issue of man’s service to God after coming to salvation, that we are studying in Romans chapters 12-16. For it is here that Paul lays out, in great detail, what behavior he expected from right belief, what duty he expected to be fulfilled as a result of right doctrine.

Paul understood that when God’s children will do right as a result of believing right, the work of the ministry will be taken care of. And it’s in Romans 12.11, where we find ourselves today, that Paul referred to doing right now that the first 11 chapters, devoted to believing right, had been read. My text touches on Paul’s whole desire for the Christians in Rome. The particular phrase that is the focus of our attention is “serving the Lord.” Using a word that is derived from the Greek word meaning “to serve as a slave or to serve being a slave,” a wooden and literal translation of this phrase refers to “the one who serves as a slave the Lord.”[1]

That’s part of Paul’s description to the Roman Christians of the Christian life. Those are the kinds of believers he wanted to back him up as prayer warriors. Those are the kinds of believers he wanted to back him up financially. And those are the kinds of believers he wanted in Rome to back him up as coworkers and helpers.

I am experienced in God’s service. Therefore, I can assure you that Paul didn’t want the kind of service to God that is seen in so many Churches today. He did not want unfaithfulness as a rule, not the exception, halfhearted effort as the rule, not the exception, and every man and every woman doing that which is right in their own eyes, without regard for the overall best interests of the ministry.

No, my friends. Paul declared, and those people in that city with more than one half million slaves walking the streets at any given moment had reached an understanding. What was needed were not Christians only, but ones who serve. And what is needed in our Church today are not more Christians, but more who fit the description of “the one who serves.”

I want to make known to you three proper characteristics of those who serve God in Christian ministry. Three features are evident in the lives of the kind of men and women that Paul wanted in positions of responsibility and that I want in positions of responsibility in this Church:

First, THERE IS THE FEATURE OF A PROPER MOTIVE FOR SERVICE

There are many common motives for serving Christ, but not so many proper motives. There are many reasons people have for wanting to teach a Sunday School class, for wanting to sing in the choir, for wanting to preach the Word of God, or for wanting to work in a Christian school. But there are far fewer proper motives, Biblical motives, for service. Allow me to point out three proper motives to you:

First, there is the motive of love. There are two passages I’d like to comment on quickly: First, there is Second Corinthians 5.14-18:

14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.

Though often used to describe the believer’s love for the lost, this is Paul’s testimony of how the Lord Jesus Christ’s love for the lost worked powerfully in his own life to reconcile men and women to God. Then, there is Second John 6:

“And this is love, that we walk after his commandments.”

What did our Lord Jesus Christ command His Own to do?

“Go ye therefore and preach the gospel to every creature.”

So you can understand, love is a powerful and proper motive to serve the Lord. Both His love working through the believer’s life to win the lost, as well as our love for Him, prompting us to do those things that are pleasing to Him, as He has told us in Scripture.

Second, there is the motive of rewards, Second Corinthians 5.10:

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”

Some people try to act pious and pretend that they cannot be enticed by the promise of rewards to doing this or that. This is a naive denial of human nature. Paul rightly used the promise of rewards to explain more fully his own militant and aggressive service to the Lord. Understand, however, that not all labor for the Lord will be rewarded. Not all effort will be commended. Paul indicated in Second Timothy 2.5 that a man is not crowned, is not rewarded if you will, except he strives lawfully. I’ll have more to say about this later. Also, take note of the fact that not all rewards for serving God are in the hereafter. There are some extremely tangible and visible rewards for serving the Lord that can be realized and can be seen during this lifetime. Is it not rewarding to see your kids grow up and serve God? Is it not rewarding to see your spouse grow in grace and knowledge, serving God effectively and fervently? And isn’t it glorious to see God use you in the life of a little boy or girl, or a man or woman, with observable results? Yes. Those are rewards that you don’t have to wait ‘til you get to heaven to experience. Amen?

There’s a final motive for service that I’d like you to consider. One that’s often overlooked, but which is surprisingly prominent in Scripture as a motive for serving the Lord. It’s fear.[2] In Deuteronomy 6.13 Moses told the people,

“Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve Him.”

Psalm 2.11 begins with these words:

“Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.”

And lest you think fear is an Old Testament concept not found in the New Testament, listen as I read Hebrews 12.28:

“let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”

May I suggest that those of you who do not fear God have no proper conception of God? May I suggest that your service to God is falsely motivated, is improperly inspired, is incorrectly informed if your service to God is not at least partly motivated by godly fear and reverence? These are the common and acceptable motives for serving God. Without these kinds of motives, Paul didn’t want their participation in his ministry. And if you are not properly motivated by love, by rewards, and by fear, please consider resigning your ministries here at Calvary Road, for you’ll never produce satisfying results in your life or your ministry if you are not properly motivated to serve the one true and living God, for with God is terrible majesty.[3]

Second, THERE IS THE FEATURE OF A PROPER METHOD OF SERVICE

I think we agree that the right thing must be done the right way. And I think we agree that it’s highly unlikely that the right thing can be accomplished, despite appearances, unless and until things are done the right way.

I suppose what I’m saying is that the process is critical to the product. You just don’t get whipped cream, do you, unless and until you whip the cream? And you don’t get chocolate milk merely by adding chocolate to the milk. The process of stirring is an important means to the end.

Do you realize the same principle is true in serving the Lord? There are some good and honorable men in this world who know Christ and do their best to serve Him, but whose service is simply not Scriptural. Why is this? This is because, somewhere along the line, they adopted the mistaken notion, or were taught the mistaken notion, that the Lord Jesus Christ tells you what to accomplish, but provides no direction for the means to accomplish His will. Folks that is not true.

Good and sincere believers mistakenly think that Jesus Christ’s Great Commission of making disciples can be accomplished through “Women’s Bible Fellowship” or “Campus Crusade For Christ” or “The Gideons” or some other type of extra-scriptural means or mechanism. But that is not true. God, in His infinite wisdom, did not leave us without direction in accomplishing so vital a task as evangelizing and baptizing and training Christians.

No. Not only must you have the right heart for service, but you must also have the right head for service. And as Paul suggested the proper method of service in Romans 12.3-8, he all but declares the proper method of service in First Corinthians 3.11-18:

11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

An analysis of this passage, in context, reveals several truths surprising to many modern-day Christians who have been falsely taught that God does not provide the means necessary to accomplish His goal, but leaves it up to our ingenuity.

There are three things taught here and strongly supported throughout the New Testament: First, the Christian life is portrayed as involving the building of a temple. Second, the quality of your service in building that temple is the basis for your judgment and the subsequent rewards you will receive at the Judgment Seat of Christ. And third, that temple is the Church congregation.

Do you realize the implications of this? Remember, “except a man strive lawfully he shall not be crowned.” One’s proper service to Jesus Christ is not rendered by freelance Christianity or para-church ministry, but to or through the local, visible, congregation. That is a doctrine which is presented here and elsewhere in the Scriptures, but it is also the doctrine that I am unaware of being taught or practiced but by Baptist churches. So, the one who serves the Lord is properly motivated by love, by rewards, and by fear, and is one who properly serves in and through the Church.

OF THOSE MEN AND WOMEN THAT ARE PROPERLY QUALIFIED FOR SERVICE TO THE LORD, THREE FEATURES ARE FOUND IN THEIR LIVES. FIRST, THE FEATURE OF PROPER MOTIVATION TO SERVE THE LORD. SECOND, THE FEATURE OF PROPER METHODOLOGY IN SERVING THE LORD. AND, FINALLY, THE FEATURE OF PROPER MEANS TO SERVING THE LORD.

Most Christians remember that the Gospel of John records the Lord Jesus saying that people who worship God must worship Him in spirit and truth.[4] But few people stop to think about their service to God. If worship cannot be ritualistic and going through the motions, then, obviously, service to Him must be spiritual, as well. Let me describe three of the ingredients that comprise proper service to the Lord:

First, when you serve God, your service must be enabled by God’s grace. Several comments about God’s grace, which has to do with divine favor: Second Corinthians 8.1 records Paul’s comments to the Corinthians about the “grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia.” And what was this grace from God? It was God enabling the destitute Macedonians to give, despite their poverty, to the starving Christians in Judea. That single verse reveals something about God’s grace that is often overlooked. We know that grace means that we have received from God something that we do not deserve. That’s how people are saved ... by grace. God gives us salvation that we do not deserve and cannot acquire. But grace involves more than simply receiving what we do not deserve. Grace from God also involves being enabled to give then that which we do not have. Isn’t that what Hebrews 4.16 is all about?

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

If you expect to render fit service to God, then you’d better be prepared to give to God, not just money, but service in general beyond your capacities. If your ministry to the Lord is not characterized by performance standards and excellence beyond your own capacities and abilities, it isn’t a grace ministry. How tragic it is, then, when so many Christians withdraw or resign or quit just as they reach the limits of their abilities. A person who does that has no shot at genuine and true service to the Lord unless and until he or she reaches of the point of giving to God that which seems beyond reach. For then, the supply must come from God. Amen?

Second, when you serve God your service must be accomplished by faith, Hebrews 11.6:

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

We know that God’s plan is for the just to live by faith. The just do live by faith. So then, it follows that Christian ministry and service to the Lord must also be faith ministry and faith service or it is not pleasing in His sight. But the question is, what is faith? Some people think faith is akin to climbing out on a limb as far as you can go, sawing the limb off behind you, and then believing by faith that the tree will fall while you do not. Still others teach and preach that faith, especially as it applies to giving, is to give what you don’t have, supposedly trusting God by faith to then bail you out of a tight financial jam. But Scripture shows that understanding of faith to be faulty.

Consider two portions found in Second Corinthians 8.11 and 12. Read the entire passage yourself to confirm the meaning I suggest and its context, but for now, notice these two items. At the end of verse 11, Paul writes that giving is to be “out of that which ye have.” Then there is the last half of verse 12, where he adds, “according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.” Thus, faith giving should never be understood to be giving what you do not presently have to give. And this is compatible with the ending of Ephesians 4.28, which reads, “that he may have to give to him that needeth.” Can I tell you what faith is? It isn’t complicated at all. Faith is taking God at His Word and then acting on it. It’s trusting Him to do what He said He would do and then behaving accordingly.

If you are relying on God to do what He did not say in the Bible He will do, then you are presuming, not trusting. Presumption is not faith. Are you trusting God to save 50 people in Church today? Whether He does or doesn’t, you are 1still guilty of the sin of presumption. And why is this? Because God never said He would save 50 people in Church today. He may, but expectation that He will should not be termed faith. It should be termed what it is ... expectation. Faith, on the other hand, is trusting God to do what He said He would do. As well, remember that He “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,” Ephesians 3.20. Your service to Christ, then, Christian, must be a faith service. For it to be a faith service, you have first to understand what faith is, taking God at His Word and acting on it, and you also need to know His Word enough to know what He said He would do.

Finally, when you serve God, your service must be the service of one who is filled with the Holy Spirit of God. Much error is taught nowadays regarding the filling of the Holy Spirit, by those who talk much about being Spirit-filled, but who know nothing of the Spirit’s fullness. Let us rid Christianity of the hocus pocus and the mystical nonsense that is so popular today. The Holy Spirit is a Person, not some fluid that you pour into a vial. The concept of being filled with the Holy Spirit was an illustration that Paul used to describe being under the influence and control of the Holy Spirit. It is submitting your will to His will. How does the Holy Spirit control the lives of those who have a free will? We voluntarily submit to His will for our lives.

So, if you know enough of God’s Word to know what the Holy Spirit wants from you, and if you consciously choose to submit to Him and give to Him what He wants, to be for Him what He wants, you are filled with the Holy Spirit. And since it is the Holy Spirit’s precise ministry to glorify Christ, how in the world can anyone possibly think that he can serve the Lord without being in conscious and constant submission to the Holy Spirit? So, the means of your service are as follows: Your service must be by grace, giving to God what you do not have to give (except it be supplied by God). Your service must be by faith, trusting God to do what He said He would do and obeying Him accordingly. And your service must be by the Holy Spirit, Who alone can properly glorify Christ.

I remember waking up one morning and saying to my wife and daughter, “I get to serve God today. I get to serve God today.” And I stand before you one who serves the Lord.

Let me tell you by what authority I claim to be a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ: First, insofar as I can tell, I am properly motivated for service. I serve God because I love Him, and because He loves you. I also serve God because I’m going to get something out of it, both here and now and someday in heaven. And I serve the Lord because I have some idea of the fearfulness of my Lord. I love violent and terrible storms because I can go out in them and am reminded that they are but small things in comparison to my great and awesome God.

Second, I claim to be a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ because I employ the proper method of service. My service is in and through Calvary Road Baptist Church. I seek not, as a matter of fact, I scorn, any invitations to serve God through any other means. I wouldn’t give five seconds of consideration to an invitation to work for Campus Crusade For Christ, The Gideons International, The Institute For Basic Youth Conflicts, or the Institute For Creation Research instead of serving here. Why? Those would be just jobs. Not bad jobs. But not ministry. Scriptural ministry is through, and is only through the local New Testament Church.

Finally, I claim to be a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ because I am a Spirit-filled man. That is, I consciously, and strive to constantly, submit myself to the will of the Holy Spirit of God as it is revealed in Scripture and as I am persuaded by other means that do not conflict with Scripture. This is not sinless perfection, mind you. But it is the result of realizing, whether you are spiritually mature or a babe in Christ, that it is an awesome privilege and wonderful thrill to be able to serve the King of all glory. Why don’t all Christians serve Him?

Christian, won’t you become one who serves? It can begin by sitting down and talking to me.

__________

[1] Fritz Rienecker & Cleon Rogers, Linguistic Key To The Greek New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: Regency Reference Library, 1980), page 376.

[2] I highly recommend John Bunyan’s The Fear of God, (Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria, 1999) to learn of the various kinds of fear toward God and the proper type of fear to be cultivated by the Christian.

[3] Job 37.22

[4] John 4.24

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