How to Serve

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How to Serve
Romans

• Romans 1211

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Review

• Our new life is shown by . . .
• Becoming living sacrifices
• Not being conformed to the world
• Transforming our minds
• Finding our function in the body of Christ
• Honestly loving one another
• Hating evil
• Being glued to what is good
• Loving is one way of describing how we live
• Now we look at how we serve
• We begin with the manner of service
• Rom 1211

3
Not lagging in diligence

• Old KJV says not slothful in business
• Makes it sound like Paul suddenly changes topics,
  is he now talking about employment?
• Greek word spoude means speed, haste
• Can be used to denote earnestness or diligence
  in accomplishing something
• Used in Rom 128 for leaders to be diligent
• So it means, to not be lazy with any task
• Eccl 910 Col 323
• Secular or spiritual most of us know what to do
  on the job, but what spiritual areas need our
  diligence?

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Not lagging in diligence

• Spiritual areas where diligence is needed
• In our efforts to enter heaven Heb 411, 69-12
• To be free from sin 2 Pet 311-14
• To make certain your calling 2 Pet 15-11
• To be approved to God 2 Tim 215-16
• To keep our hearts pure Prov 423
• To repent of sins 2 Cor 710-11
• To preserve unity Eph 41-3
• Speed/diligence describes the manner in which we
  serve, but what about our attitude?

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Fervent in spirit

• Fervent (Grk zeo) means boiling hot
• Describes the character or mindset with which we
  approach our service
• We approach it with speed (diligence)
• Now we add excitement and motivation
• You can serve diligently without being motivated
• Rev 22-5 The church at Ephesus
• We are commanded to be fervent in spirit
• Get excited about saving souls, helping brethren,
  getting to heaven, avoiding sin, etc.

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Serving the Lord

• We saw the manner of our service diligently
• We saw the attitude of our service fervently
• Now we add the object of our service God
• Whatever function we have found to do
• We do it speedily / diligently
• We do it fervently
• We do it for God
• Secular work as well as spiritual

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How NOT to Serve

• Dont be overly concerned with our own pursuits
• We have needs, and we must be diligent in making
  sure those needs are met
• But Gods kingdom must come first Mt 624-33
• Remember, hobbies are hobbies, not needs

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How NOT to Serve

• Dont be slothful in the Lords work
• Most work 40 hours/week for physical needs
• Many complain about 4 hours of worship and Bible
  study
• Most willing to get up early to work or play
• Many complain about getting up (even later) on
  Sunday to worship and study
• Most willing to spend hours each night to study
  for an education
• Many unwilling to spend any time to study Gods
  word

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How does God feel about poor service?

• Luke 1415-24
• Putting personal pursuits ahead of the kingdom
  will leave many outside the kingdom
• Matt 2524-30
• Failure to make use of what God has given us will
  leave us outside the kingdom
• Rev 315-16
• Being lukewarm in service to God to make us
  undesirable to God

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Conclusion

• When it comes to our new life in Christ . . .
• We must be honestly loving of one another
• We must be a living sacrifice
• We must find our function in the body
• We must carry out our function with speed
• We must carry out our function with fervor
• We must carry out our function for God
• Is that the kind of life you have?
• Is that the kind of life you want?

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