QUALITIES OF SERVANTS
Alabama Men's Retreat--2008
James D. Wallace, Instructor
Introduction
* The Word "Servant" (sometimes translated serve, service, labor, worker, minister, steward, deacon) is used more than 1000 times in the Bible. Servants / Servanthood is a very big deal to God and should be to us as well.
* Some Examples
* Greatest Example of a Servant / Servanthood is Jesus Christ our Lord and Master.
Philippians 2:7
Luke 22:17
Matthew 20:28
*SERVANTS SERVE! Service alone doesn't make you a servant of God; but if you are a servant--you will serve.
I. Servants Serve HIM
* Jesus is the Lord and Master--It's all about HIM! It's not "ME FIRST" or even "WE FIRST"--It's got to be "HE FIRST". He will be Lord of All or He will not be Lord at all!
De. 10:12
Psa. 2:11
Eph. 6:7
I Cor. 10:31
Col. 3:17
Col. 3:23
Matt. 6:24
Higb 12:26
II. Servants serve with HUMILITY
Acts 20:19
Mark 10:35, 37, 42-44
*Middle letter of SIN and PRIDE is I
1 Peter 5:5-6
* Cross=symbol of salvation
* Towel / Apron=symbol of service
* General George Washington
* Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's (MBA=Mop and Bucket Attitude)
III. Servants Serve with FAITHFULNESS
1 Cor. 4:2
* New CEO
* Pastor--Army of the Lord
* Coach Saban
* Festus
1 Cor. 3:4-10
* Illustration
One who plants--nothing 0 One who waters--Nothing 0 0+0=0
God is the increase 1
It is according to where the increase 1 is placed in relation to the 0's (Fellow workers)
If you put the 1 (the increase--Christ) behind the 0's (the ones who plants and waters)
the number diminishes---00000000000000000000000000000001
If you put the 1 (the increase--Christ) before the 0's (Fellow workers)
the number increases--1000000000000000000000000000
* We are Laborers (servants) WITH GOD--He gives the increase--therefore HE receives the glory!
* Older Minister in Africa
* Grantland Rice, a famous sportswriter said "When Jesus comes to judge us, He will not be so concerned about whether we won or lost, but how we played the game. The world will measure by your success but God will measure your faithfulness"
* Roman Aqueduct
* Dead Sea
* Different between a Servant and a volunteer
* Robert Lewis in his book, "The Church of Irresistible Influence" said "Move from being served to serving, from finding community in the church to impacting the community as the Church, from retreating to influencing, from isolation to engagement".
IV. Servants Serve EACH OTHER
Gal. 5:13
Matthew 22:35-40
* Vertical Relationship (God and Humans--Christianity)
* Horizontal Relationship ( Humans and Humans--Servant hood)
* Tertullian said "He who lives only to benefit himself confers on the world a benefit when he dies".
* Hands Illustration (Serving and Giving--Hurting and Helping)
* Remember no matter how small or insignificant a task is--it matters to God and it matters to others.
When we Serve God--we will serve each other and when we serve each other--we are serving God.
* Edward Everett Hale said "I am only one but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do".
* Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
Lord make me an instrument of thy peace
Where there is hatred,
Let me sow love.
Where there is resentment,
Let me bring forgiveness.
Where there is discord,
Let me bring harmony.
Where there is error,
Let me bring truth.
Where there is doubt,
Let me bring faith.
Where there is despair,
Let me bring hope.
Where there is darkness,
Let me bring joy.
Guide me that I may not
So much seek to be consoled
As to console,
To be understood
As to understnd,
To be loved as to love.
For it is giving
That we receive,
In forgetting ourselves
That we find ourselves,
In forgiving that we are forgiven.
And it is in dying
That we are born to eternal life.
SERVANTS SERVE HIM (JESUS, OUR LORD AND MASTER);
SERVING HIM WITH HUMILITY;
SERVING HIM WITH FAITHFULNESS;
SERVING HIM BY SERVING EACH OTHER!!
James D. Wallace, Instructor
Introduction
* The Word "Servant" (sometimes translated serve, service, labor, worker, minister, steward, deacon) is used more than 1000 times in the Bible. Servants / Servanthood is a very big deal to God and should be to us as well.
* Some Examples
* Greatest Example of a Servant / Servanthood is Jesus Christ our Lord and Master.
Philippians 2:7
Luke 22:17
Matthew 20:28
*SERVANTS SERVE! Service alone doesn't make you a servant of God; but if you are a servant--you will serve.
I. Servants Serve HIM
* Jesus is the Lord and Master--It's all about HIM! It's not "ME FIRST" or even "WE FIRST"--It's got to be "HE FIRST". He will be Lord of All or He will not be Lord at all!
De. 10:12
Psa. 2:11
Eph. 6:7
I Cor. 10:31
Col. 3:17
Col. 3:23
Matt. 6:24
Higb 12:26
II. Servants serve with HUMILITY
Acts 20:19
Mark 10:35, 37, 42-44
*Middle letter of SIN and PRIDE is I
1 Peter 5:5-6
* Cross=symbol of salvation
* Towel / Apron=symbol of service
* General George Washington
* Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's (MBA=Mop and Bucket Attitude)
III. Servants Serve with FAITHFULNESS
1 Cor. 4:2
* New CEO
* Pastor--Army of the Lord
* Coach Saban
* Festus
1 Cor. 3:4-10
* Illustration
One who plants--nothing 0 One who waters--Nothing 0 0+0=0
God is the increase 1
It is according to where the increase 1 is placed in relation to the 0's (Fellow workers)
If you put the 1 (the increase--Christ) behind the 0's (the ones who plants and waters)
the number diminishes---00000000000000000000000000000001
If you put the 1 (the increase--Christ) before the 0's (Fellow workers)
the number increases--1000000000000000000000000000
* We are Laborers (servants) WITH GOD--He gives the increase--therefore HE receives the glory!
* Older Minister in Africa
* Grantland Rice, a famous sportswriter said "When Jesus comes to judge us, He will not be so concerned about whether we won or lost, but how we played the game. The world will measure by your success but God will measure your faithfulness"
* Roman Aqueduct
* Dead Sea
* Different between a Servant and a volunteer
* Robert Lewis in his book, "The Church of Irresistible Influence" said "Move from being served to serving, from finding community in the church to impacting the community as the Church, from retreating to influencing, from isolation to engagement".
IV. Servants Serve EACH OTHER
Gal. 5:13
Matthew 22:35-40
* Vertical Relationship (God and Humans--Christianity)
* Horizontal Relationship ( Humans and Humans--Servant hood)
* Tertullian said "He who lives only to benefit himself confers on the world a benefit when he dies".
* Hands Illustration (Serving and Giving--Hurting and Helping)
* Remember no matter how small or insignificant a task is--it matters to God and it matters to others.
When we Serve God--we will serve each other and when we serve each other--we are serving God.
* Edward Everett Hale said "I am only one but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do".
* Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
Lord make me an instrument of thy peace
Where there is hatred,
Let me sow love.
Where there is resentment,
Let me bring forgiveness.
Where there is discord,
Let me bring harmony.
Where there is error,
Let me bring truth.
Where there is doubt,
Let me bring faith.
Where there is despair,
Let me bring hope.
Where there is darkness,
Let me bring joy.
Guide me that I may not
So much seek to be consoled
As to console,
To be understood
As to understnd,
To be loved as to love.
For it is giving
That we receive,
In forgetting ourselves
That we find ourselves,
In forgiving that we are forgiven.
And it is in dying
That we are born to eternal life.
SERVANTS SERVE HIM (JESUS, OUR LORD AND MASTER);
SERVING HIM WITH HUMILITY;
SERVING HIM WITH FAITHFULNESS;
SERVING HIM BY SERVING EACH OTHER!!
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