Often, when churches teach on “serving one another” an emphasis is placed on “how” we can serve. Most sermons I have heard over the years on Christian service have sounded like glorified-recruiting drives, encouraging volunteers to sign up before they leave. But with all of this talk about the “how” of Christian service we often neglect to provide the biblical “why”.
- Identity: You were created for it.
- From the beginning, God designed humans to serve. Genesis 2:15 illustrates that God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden to work and keep it, signifying that service is part of our inherent identity as God’s creation.
2. Purpose: You were redeemed for it.
- Our redemption through God’s deliverance is for the purpose of serving Him. Exodus 8:1 underscores that God saved the Israelites from Egypt so they could serve Him, indicating that our salvation is tied to a purpose beyond ourselves.
3. Recipient: Sufficient God through Insufficient People
- Although God does not need our service, He calls us to serve Him by serving others. Acts 17:24-25 emphasizes that God, who created everything, is not dependent on human service. Instead, our service to other needy-sinners like us becomes an act of worship to a all-sufficient God.
4. Motivation: The Gospel
- The ultimate motivation for Christian service is found in the Gospel. Philippians 2:3-8 describes how Jesus Christ literally served His people to death. This selfless act of service serves as our model and motivation.
No one can earn their salvation through service; it is through faith that Christ serves us into salvation. However, when you grasp what you have been saved from, understand the One who saved you, and recognize what you have been saved for, your heart will naturally desire to respond to this act of pure grace with generous service to God’s people, despite its imperfections.
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