1. Acts 27:22-25
22 And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.
23 For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve,
24 saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.'
25 "Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.

2. Can you claim – a servant of God?
Acts 27:22-25
22 And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.
23 For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve,
24 saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.'
25 "Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.
Paul’s Claim:
I Belong to God
I Serve God
Do You Make Such A Claim?
Can you claim – a servant of God?
Would you?

3. Would God Call You His Servant? Why Should He Call You His Servant?
Abraham – “My servant Abraham” (Gen. 26:24)
Moses – “My servant Moses” (Num. 12:7)
- “Moses, the servant of God” (Rev. 15:3)
David – “My servant David” (2 Sam. 7:5)
Daniel – “Daniel, servant of the living God” (Dan. 6:20)
Jesus – “glorified His Servant, Jesus” (Acts 3:13)
John – “to his servant John” (Rev. 1:1)
Epaphras – “Epaphras, our dear fellow servant” (Col. 1:7)
Paul – “Paul, a bondservant of God” (Titus 1:1)
Why Should He Call You His Servant?

4. You Can Choose To Be A Servant of God
Josh 24:15
And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

5. Servants of God

6. The Object of our Service
Servants of God

7. The Object of our Service
Serving God is easy
Until there is a conflict!
Rich Young Ruler
(Matt. 19:16-22)
“You shall not murder”
“You shall not commit adultery”
“You shall not steal”
“You shall not bear false witness”
“Honor your father and your mother”
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself”
“If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

8. The Object of our Service
Some Serve Others
Sense in which we are to serve others (Gal. 5:13) – Not the focus here
How do we serve others instead of God?
By listening to man instead of God’s word
By yielding to man’s wishes over God’s
By striving to please / impress man with hypocrisy
By compromising in order to “fit in” with crowd
By bowing to peer pressure
By sparing feelings – not telling truth of God

9. The Object of our Service
Some Serve Others
Sense in which we are to serve others (Gal. 5:13) – Not the focus here
How do we serve others instead of God?
Paul focused on serving the Lord – not man
1 Cor. 4:1-5 – Thus, cared little what man thought
Gal. 1:10 – If pleased man – not be a servant of Christ

10. The Object of our Service
Some Serve Others
Some Serve Family
How do we serve family instead of God?
By standing with family – when family is not with God
By defending / excusing family – that is not living right
By refusing to accept truth because of family situation
When family can count on you – but God cannot
When can make all the family gatherings – but can’t be around the Lord’s table

11. The Object of our Service
Some Serve Others
Some Serve Family
How do we serve family instead of God?
When we love & serve family MORE than God – not fit for the kingdom
Matt. 10:37 – “he that loves father and mother more than me is not worthy of me”
Context (vv ) – Serving God may have severe impact on family!
Luke 9:61-62 – one who turned back to family – not fit for the kingdom

12. The Object of our Service
Some Serve Others
Some Serve Family
Some Serve Self
Self service – perhaps our greatest problem
All sin comes from self service (1 John 2:15-17)
All disobedience from self seeking (1 Sam. 15:23)
Self seeking breed all kinds of evil (Jas. 3:14)

13. The Object of our Service
Some Serve Others
Some Serve Family
Some Serve Self
Self service – perhaps our greatest problem
How do we serve self instead of God?
By not denying self (Mark 8:34)
By doing what I want – regardless of God’s word
By thinking of what serves me best – vs – pleasing God
By skirting God’s law with “I feel” or “I think”

14. The Object of our Service
Some Serve Others
Some Serve Family
Some Serve Self
Self service – perhaps our greatest problem
How do we serve self instead of God?
Servants of God say “not I, but Christ” (Gal. 2:20)
Self serving doomed in judgment (Rom. 2:8)

15. The Object of our Service
Some Serve Others
Some Serve Family
Some Serve Self
Only One God & Master
Only serve the God of heaven (Dan. 3:15-18)
Him only shall we serve (Matt. 4:10)
Cannot serve God and mammon (Matt. 6:24)

16. The Object of our Service The Attitude of our Service
Servants of God

17. The Attitude of our Service
Phil 2:5-8
Point: Christ is an example
of the attitude essential to unity & service

18. The Attitude of our Service
Phil 2:5-8
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

19. The Attitude of our Service
Humility
Opposite of self service and self seeking
Though he was deity – yet made himself nothing (vv. 6-7)
He took the form or role of a servant (v. 7)
Scene of washing disciples feet – shows humility and service (John 13)
Your service begins with humility (its not about you)

20. The Attitude of our Service
Humility
Submission
Became obedient to death (v. 8)
Came to do the will of God (Heb. 10:7, 9)
Prayed “Thy will be done” (Luke 22:42)
If you want to be a servant of God – must willingly submit
Suppress your own will (Mark 8:34; Acts 24:25)
Yield to the will of God (Gal. 2:20)

21. The Attitude of our Service
Humility
Submission
Sacrifice
Cost him the glories of heaven (vv. 6-7)
Cost him the cruel death on cross (v. 8)
Being a servant of God may cost you:
Time, money, job, family – even life (Rev. 2:10)
Will not be easy
Will not always be comfortable
Cost may be terribly painful!

22. Servants of God The Object of our Service The Attitude of our Service
The Principles of our Service

23. The Principles of our Service
Listens to God (1 Sam. 3:9; Acts 10:33)
Does the will of God (John 4:34; 17:4; Matt. 8:9)
Gets on with the task (Jer. 7:25; 26:5)
Pleases God – regardless of others (John 8:29)
Puts God before family (Abraham)
Left the Ur of Chaldees (Gen. 12)
Willing to sacrifice his son (Gen. 22)
Don’t always know how it will turn out (Heb. 11:8, 17-19)

24. Servants of God The Object of our Service The Attitude of our Service
The Principles of our Service
The Reward of our Service

25. The Reward of our Service
Hear: “Well Done” – heaven
Matt. 25:21, 23 – good and faithful servant
Judgment scene in context: (v. 34) – “come inherit kingdom”
No Reason to Boast (Luke 17:7-10)
Not earned a thing
Nothing about which to pat self on back
Just did our jobs – after all – we are servants

26. Servants of God The Object of our Service The Attitude of our Service
The Principles of our Service
The Reward of our Service

27. John 17:4
“I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.”