Service – To Serve. Service, to serve, servant, stewardship.

 

Service – To Serve. Service, to serve, servant, stewardship.

 

In Deuteronomy 10:12 – we are called to love and serve our Lord with all our heart and with all our soul.

This morning I would like to explore what is means to be in the service of others, to serve.

 

Let's begin by defining….

 

Serve – to be a servant. To prepare and offer. To supply service to, wait on. To be of assistance to, benefit. To meet the requirements, to satisfy. To act in a specific capacity.

 

Service – the occupation of a servant. Work or duties performed for others. Assistance, benefit.

 

Servant – one that serves another.

 

Who are we called to serve – our Lord. How can we serve our Lord? For we are called to serve him with….

 

All – the total entity or extent of. Every, any whatsoever, nothing but, only, each and every one, anything one has, wholly, entirely, exclusively. In any and every way, to any extent, everything taken into account leaves nothing out.

 

Our heart – considered the emotional center as in mood or disposition – compassion, concern, affection, love, and resolute courage. The most central and essential part, basis. With great sincerity or devotion – very willing.

 

And with all of our soul – the animating spiritual principle in a human being, believed to survive death. Central or active part. Embodiment, personification, a person’s spiritual, emotional and moral nature. Intensity of emotion and expression.

 

Embodiment – to give bodily form to, to personify.

 

Personification – to represent or think as having human qualities or form.

 

Back to the question of how do we serve him?

 

We serve the Lord by serving all his children.

 

What is God's purpose or work?

 

To bring about the immortality of all man, not just some of them.

 

The greatest commandment God gave us was to love him.  The second greatest was to love our neighbor as yourself. How do we love our neighbor as our self?

 

Yourself – that one identical to you.

 

Identical – being the same, exactly equal and alike.

 

There are some old sayings, treat others as you would like to be treated.

 

Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.

 

In the scriptures we are called to love our neighbor as our self.

 

What does that tell you?

 

You must first love yourself.

 

Love our self you say?

 

I don’t know if I love myself. I don’t know if I am pretty enough. I don’t know if I am popular enough. I don’t like how I look e.g. my nose, my weight, my eyebrows and my eyelashes. I have too much hair, not enough hair; I have hair where I don’t want hair. My legs are too fat or too skinny, by bottom is too big or too little. I don’t weigh enough or I weigh too much. I am weak, out of shape, flabby, I need to work out more and tone up. I sweat too much; I don’t smell the way I would like. My hair is not brushed properly, I am not wearing makeup; I don’t like the makeup I am wearing. My feet are too big or too small. I don’t like my toes, my fingers and my belly button.

 

I think you get the point; we are so self-absorbed and so critical, and judgmental, especially about our self and our appearance.

Critical – tending to judge adversely. Marked by careful and exact judgment and evaluation.

 

If we are this critical and judgmental on our self, just think of how critical and judgmental we will be of other people.

 

Matthew 7:1-6 – we are called to not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Judging Others

7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ² For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

⁶ “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

We are called to love others as we love our self as well; we are called to not judge others.

 

What does that say about our self?

 

We are called not to judge our self.

 

You see if the Lord commanded us to love others as yourself, and we learn that the definition of yourself means being identical to you, being the same, exactly equal or alike, then it suffices to say we are told not to judge our self.

 

In plain English –

 

Stop being so self-critical and stop judging yourself; you are not living to please men but to please our Lord and savior.

 

But you say but I don’t look good without makeup, I don’t look good 60 pounds overweight, I don’t look good with my hair uncombed, I don’t look … you fill in the blanks, how don’t you look good?

 

Where in the scriptures do we find passages relating to our appearance or our adornment of our appearance?

 

Our Lord and savior loves us all just the way we are.

 

His work is to bring about the immortality of all men, not just the ones that look good, are physically and mentally fit, who are the most eloquent or popular.

 

No, he wants us all to return home, each and every one of is. Should we not care about our personal appearance?

 

The answer to that is yes, if you can change it and it does not hinder your love for the Lord, yourself or your neighbor.

 

Should you care about your physical and mental fitness?

 

Yes you should.

 

You should present the best image of yourself to the world, not for men but to please the Lord.

 

We are called not to boast, be prideful, conceited, self -seeking praise, honor and glory.

 

We are called to love and serve.

 

 Should you not wear makeup, comb your hair, bathe, dress nicely?

 

If it pleases the Lord, the answer is yes.

 

If it pleases men and your intent is to please man then I would question your motives.

 

Intent – purpose, aim. The state of mind with which an act is committed. Meaning, significance. Fixed on a purpose.

 

Motive – something as a reason or desire, acting as a spur of action. I would ask you the following question.

 

What is the motivation behind your desire to dress a certain way, make yourself up a certain way, groom your bodies a certain way, is it done with the intent of pleasing the Lord or with the intent of pleasing either mankind or yourself?

 

Is your intent to bring about pleasure or a good feeling within yourself?

 

Is this pleasure or good feeling a part of your desire to love and serve the Lord or is it a desire to take pride in yourself, bring attention to yourself or to have others express pleasant opinions about us?

 

Is it really about bringing people closer to our Lord or is it all about bringing people closer to us?

 

Well you say if I bring people closer to me I can help bring them closer to the Lord.

 

That is wonderful, is that what you do and is that what you intended to do?

 

I am not here to judge, neither are you here to judge yourself or others.

 

The bottom line is this.

 

In everything you do to make yourself look the very best you can by whatever means available to you do it with your focus being to please our Lord not man.

 

As you make yourself up for the day, as you work out and keep yourself physically and mentally fit ask yourself the following questions.

 

How does doing what I am doing right this very moment serve the Lord and please him?

 

Am I doing want I am doing right now to serve me and my needs, wants and desires or am I doing what I am doing right this very second to love and serve the Lord with all my heart and with all my soul?

 

When we are in the service of the Lord we are called to prepare and offer service to others.

 

Nowhere in the definition of service, servant or serve can you find anything that suggests serving yourself, seeking self-gratification.

 

Service is not about you, it is about them.

 

We are called to serve with all, that is a key word – all, not a portion, not a fraction but all – exclusively, with each and every fiber of our being, totality, only, nothing but, in every way, shape or form, leaving nothing out.

 

Our heart – with great sincerity, very willing, the most ventral and essential part of.

 

And with all our soul – central or active part, embodiment, personification, a person’s spiritual, emotional and moral nature.

 

When we prepare ourselves for our day do we do it with an eye single to his glory?

 

Do we serve others by serving our self? Only you know.

 

Love – we are called to love others as we love our self.

 

What if we don't love our self? What if we don’t feel good about our self? What if we didn’t like how we presented our self to the world?

 

Did our Lord say “what if” as in love others only if you love yourself?

 

No.

 

He commanded us to love others as we love our self.

 

What does it mean to love our self?

 

Love for oneself is unconditional, nonjudgmental, accepting, non-critical and rejoicing.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

Romans 12:9-21

Love in Action

⁹ Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³ Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Love for others is unconditional – not subject to limitations or reservations, it has no boundaries, no limit, it is not confined or restricted in any way.

 

It has no qualification or exception. Love has no boundaries, all are worthy of love and love is freely given to all through the grace of our savior Jesus Christ.

 

Love is nonjudgmental, remember we are called to not judge our brother likewise we are called to not judge ourselves but rather accept our self each and every moment of each and every day.

 

Accept – to receive willingly, to answer affirmatively.

 

Satan and the world don’t want you accepting yourself for who you are.