We Were Saved To Serve

This past weekend Jonathan, Annsley, and I all went to Orlando to spend the weekend with some friends there. On Sunday morning Jessee Phillips spoke a message out of James 2:14-26 on “serving” and it was outstanding!

Faith Without Works is Dead:

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

The two points in his message were:

1. Serving is the proof that God saved us.
2. Serving is the reason God saved us.

Here are a few notes that I jotted down during his message:

*God saved me to lay down my life to serve.
*We should never view serving as an inconvenience.
*We need to be committed to serving the needs of others not our own needs.
*God saved me because He has things for me to do.
*Being a Christian mean being a servant.
*Christ was a suffering servant!

This is definitely something that I want to be working on. I find myself willing to serve but I often need to check the motives of my heart. I need to ask myself the questions, Am I laying down my life down to serve others? Does serving bring me joy? Am I committed to serving the needs of others or my own needs?

This morning I was reading in the Valley of Vision and I came across these words:

All I want in life is such circumstances
As may best enable me to serve thee in the world;
To this end I leave all my concerns in thy hand,
But let me not be discouraged,
Enable me to undertake some task for thee,
For this refreshed and animates my soul,
So that I could endure all hardships and labours,
And willingly suffer for thy name.
But, O what a death it is to strive and labour,
To be always in a hurry and yet do nothing!
Alas, time flies and I am of little use.
O that I could be a flame of fire in thy service,
Always burning out in one continual blaze.
Fit me for singular usefulness in this world.
Fit me to exult in distresses of every kind
If they but promote the advancement of thy kingdom.
Fit me to be totally resigned to the denial
Of pleasures I desire,
And to be content to spend my time with thee,
Fit me to pray with a sense of the joy
Of divine communion,
To find all times happy seasons to my soul,
To see my own nothingness,
And wonder that I am allowed to serve thee.
Fit me to enter the blessed world where no unclean thing is,
And to know thee with me always.

Deuteronomy 10:12- “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Father I pray that You would grant me the grace to serve others with my whole heart and soul. Just as You sent Your son to lay down His life to suffer in my place, may I be one to do the same for others. May I serve You and You alone with gladness!