Holy Habit 7 – Use Your Gifts

Central Truth – Serving is a way to bring honor to Jesus and deepen your friendship with Him. 

5  Marks of a Christ-Centered Servant

1. Mark 1: My service is first and foremost for Jesus and His glory, not for the applause of men.

Colossians 3:23

²³ Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, 

Colossians 3:24

²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

John 3:30

³⁰ He must increase, but I must decrease.

“If two angels were to receive at the same moment a commission from God, one to go down and rule earth’s grandest empire, the other to go and sweep the streets of its meanest village,

it would be a matter of entire indifference to each which service fell tohis lot, the post of rule or the post of scavenger; for the joy of the angels lies only in obedience to God’s will.” – John Newton

Don’t serve primarily to make a difference.  Serve primarily to be a disciple.

2. Mark 2: I’m just as content to serve in private with no recognition as I am to serve in public with recognition. I serve with no strings attached.

John 12:42-43

⁴² Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; 

John 12:43

43 for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.

3. Mark 3: When I serve, I put the needs and interests of others above my own.

Philippians 2:3

³ Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 

Philippians 2:4

⁴ do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 

Philippians 2:5

⁵ Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 

Philippians 2:6

⁶ who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 

Philippians 2:7

⁷ but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 

Philippians 2:8

⁸ Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

4. Mark 4: I serve when it’s hard, not just when I find it personally fulfilling. I serve with love/faithfulness.

1 Peter 4:10

¹⁰ As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 

1 Peter 4:11a

^11a Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies;

1 Peter 4:11b

11b so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen

1 Peter 2:21

²¹ For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,

Galatians 5:13

13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Galatians 5:14

14   For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

5. Mark 5 – Serving is a reflection of who I am, not just what I do. I view myself as a servant.
   -If you want to know if you have the heart of a servant, pay attention to how you respond when someone treats you like one.
   -Christ-centered serving is a reflection of who you are, not just what you do.
   -The model for serving is Jesus.
6. Adapt Activity – Jesus served. DOING. We are called to serve.  Serving is a matter of activity.
   -Washing disciple’s feet.
   -Dying on the cross.
   -Serving needs to become a HABIT/discipline, something you do on a consistent basis.  We’re talking here about the HABIT of serving.  This is different than helping someone fix a flat tire on the side of the road. 
7. Adopt Identity – Jesus was a servant. BEING. We are called to be servants.  Serving is a matter of identity.
   -Serving wasn’t just what Jesus did; it was who He was.

Mark 10:43

⁴³ But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; 

Mark 10:44

⁴⁴ and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave (doulos) of all. 

Mark 10:45

⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve (diakonesai), and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Application – Two Practical Suggestions

1. Explore now, discover later.

2. Don’t compare your gift with others.

Hebrews 6:10

¹⁰ For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.

Gal. 6:9

⁹ Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.