Sunday Sermon

The Service Industry Dave Shaner May 1, 2005

Introduction:  God put you on this planet for more than to just pay your bills and enjoy retirement. We have been saved to serve!

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. - Ephesians 2:10

When God gave you a new life in Jesus, he had an intention for that new life, that we spend it helping others.

I. Your chief identity as a disciple of Christ is _______________.

A. We are all called to full time Christian service.

B. Jesus has tried to teach us a counter-cultural mentality.

C. Mark 10:42-45

Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

II. Three great realities about your role in the Kingdom of God.

A. Your service is __________________________.

1. What does the word "member" mean?

2. I Corinthians 12:12-18

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. and if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.

3. God notices the people behind the scenes.

4. I Corinthians 12:27

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

B. Your service is ___________________________.

1. I Corinthians 12:4,11

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. ... All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

2. I Peter 4:10-11

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

C. Your service is ___________________________.

1. Luke 17:7-10

"Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Would he not rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’"

2. Jesus judges servants by one criteria -- faithfulness.

3. My reward is to hear God say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

III. For all eternity, we will be ________________________.

Conclusion: Luke 12:37

It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can."  - John Wesley

	Home Page		Prayer Requests
	About Us		Services and Classes
	Church Bulletin		Sunday Sermon
	Missions and Outreach		Youth Group

Comments and suggestions:
webmaster@dgchurch.org