Serving the Lord by Serving Others: 4 Examples and a Warning

These are some nuggets I took away from a sermon delivered by Pat Campbell (Missionary to Peru) at Calvary Baptist Church in Manning, Iowa on February 24th, 2013.

Biblical Definition of Service:

• Romans 6:17-18 - service flows out of a heart of obedience
• Ephesians 2:10 - service is what we were created to do
• Titus 2:14 - those who serve do so with a peculiar zealousness; it is passionate in nature

4 Examples from Colossians 4:7-17

1. Aristarchus (4:10) he had joint ownership a a fellow prisoner, co-worker
2. Tychicus (4:7) was a confidant, he was trustworthy, a brother in the Lord, he delivered letters of Paul to the churches
3. Epaphras (4:12) he was called "one of you", "laboring for you", a teacher and prayer warrior
4. Archippus (4:17) was reminded that the ministry he performed was not from Paul, and not his own, but rather was a ministry from the Lord. It was God he was serving as he served Paul.

1 Warning

• Something happened to Demas he started out as a "fellow worker" (Philemon 23-24)  but ended up deserting Paul (2 Timothy 4:9-11). Why? He fell in love with the things of the world.

Take-aways

• The service God calls us to is what we were made to do and is the most fulfilling thing we can be a part of in this world
• This service comes from the Lord and is used to equip, encourage, and assist others
• We can expect to see a zealousness come out in the way we serve. People will notice the passion in the way we serve.
• This service can be done by anyone and everyone.
• But ... the enemy will use the things of this world to distract us and cause us to abandon the very ones God calls us to serve.
• So how do I stay focused on service and not become distracted by the world:
• Remember the reward that awaits those who remain faithful (2 Timothy 4:8)
• Don't forget that what we treasure will determine where our heart focuses (Matthew 6:21)
• Therefore, we need to set our minds on things above (Colossians 3:2)