Last week, as we began our study of Romans we saw that Paul introduced himself as a bond servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ. And if you will recall we talked about this idea of servanthood, and how foreign it is in modern Christianity. The concept of servitude is something abhorrent to our modern culture. But having the attitude or heart of a servant is fundamental to the principles of our faith, even though it be alien to our nature. In this age when individual rights are championed, in our culture of self gratification, and self promotion on social media and so forth runs rampant, the idea of becoming a servant is something that we recoil against.
However, to those people who lived ages ago under a feudal system, or lived in a monarchy, the idea of fidelity and servitude to the king was an accepted way of life. In a sense all who lived in the king’s realm were vassals of the king. He owned everything, and was over everything, and the people served the king. And it is in that context that Paul and the other apostles write of themselves as bond servants of Christ. Their allegiance was to dedicate their life to serve Him. I’m sure you remember how the Old Testament law described the role of a bond servant. He was one who had been set free by his master, but because of his love for his master had refused that freedom and pledged himself to remain a servant to the master for the rest of his life. And so it is a perfect picture of our relationship to Christ. Because of our love for God we pledge our lives to be bond servants of the Lord.
And Paul wore this title like a badge of honor. He lists this attribute even before that of being an apostle. His primary goal was to be a voluntary slave of Jesus Christ. But not many of us would consider being a bond servant as something we would like to put on our resume, or on our “about” page. For Paul, however, this servitude was something to boast about. Because being a bondservant of Jesus Christ is a greater position than being the CEO of a fortune 500 company.
In 1 Cor. 4:16 Paul said to the church at Corinth, “Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me.” Now he could say that because he also was imitating Jesus Christ. He says later in chapter 11:1, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” Jesus, our supreme example was a servant. In Phil. 2:5-8 Paul says, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, [and] being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” So we are to have the same attitude in us that Christ had, which is to humble Himself and take the form of a bondservant. Even if that means that we are obedient unto death.
Now in the passage we are looking at today, Paul in his introduction to this letter reveals some attitudes and behaviors in himself that should help us to flesh out what it means to be a bond servant. By example he teaches us 10 principles of true spiritual service. Paul accomplished great things for the Lord during the time of his ministry. And we all might wish that we had the same power that he had, but what is important for us to see is that God’s prerequisite for power is humility. God’s power is available when we are truly serving the kingdom of God. Not when the motivation is to serve ourselves. We are going to be talking about the power of the gospel next week, and I am looking forward to teaching that passage. But the attitude of humility and the heart of a servant is essential to handling that power.
The key then to this passage is found in vs 9, “For God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son.” It’s interesting that the word service there is from the Greek word latreo, which can be translated as either service or worship. And that’s because true service is worship. The idea of worship has been dumbed down in the church today to the point that people think it’s just singing some songs, or being sung to. But worship is characterized by service and sacrifice. I want you to look at Romans 12 for a moment so you can see how Paul ties those three principles together. Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” So true worship is service to God. Presenting our lives as a living sacrifice to God. Sacrificing our priorities, our will, for the sake of God’ priorities. Paul is urging us to have a spirit of service, and that is his example which we see in this passage before us today.
So the first characteristic of spiritual service that Paul embodies is that of a thankful spirit. In vs8, Paul says, “First I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world.” Paul was thankful for the faith and the testimony of that faith of the Romans. There was no sense of rivalry there, no sense of competitiveness. He was genuinely thankful for their faithfulness and their testimony. He was thankful because he saw them as co-laborers, not as competition. He was thankful because he saw them as helping to build the kingdom of God which was also his purpose.
And that should be our goal as well. If we are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, then we should be serving that kingdom. And we should be thankful when others are also working for that end. Not having a spirit of competitiveness or divisiveness because we want to be seen as the leaders, or because we want to be known as the only ones who are really doing the work the right way. Remember Paul said in Philippians regarding some who were preaching the gospel out of selfish ambition, seeking to cause Paul distress? He responded, “What then? [so what] Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice.” That’s a servant’s heart. He is serving Christ, serving the kingdom, not seeking self glory.
That’s not to say that everyone who claims to be serving the Lord really is. Some are actually false teachers and tares sown among the wheat. And we need to be discerning in those matters. But when it’s clear that they are of the faith and serving the Lord, then we should be thankful for them, supporting and encouraging them in their faith.
Secondly, spiritual service is a concerned spirit. You can be thankful and yet still be concerned. Vs9, “unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers.” Being a servant means you care enough to pray fervently for others. It’s being concerned about their well being, about the goal of the ministry, concerned about the life of the church. Being a servant means being wiling to go to war in prayer on behalf of someone else. How many times have we received a prayer request from someone and we say we will pray, but we don’t really? Or we give a cursory prayer just to ease our conscience but then forget about it for the rest of the day?
James said the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much. Paul said pray without ceasing. Pray at all times in the spirit. True spiritual service will be manifested by a concerned spirit which results in fervent prayer.
Thirdly, a spirit of service is characterized by a willing spirit. Look at vs10, “making request in my prayers if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.” This is such an important principle. Paul is praying for them and he is saying to God I am willing to be the answer. I’m asking God to let me be part of the answer. That’s a willing spirit. Far too often we may pray for an answer to someone’s problem or difficulty, but we are praying for God to send someone else to help them. But when you seriously pray for a problem, many times God shows us that we are the answer to that problem.
James speaks to that in chapter 2:15, “if a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?” You know, I almost avoid the expression “God bless you” because it is abused so much in the church. Maybe God wants you to be the blessing. Maybe you are supposed to be the instrument of HIs grace.
Let me ask you a question. Are you praying for the salvation of lost loved ones, or of lost co workers or lost neighbors? I hope you are. But are you willing to be the instrument of delivering that message of salvation to those people? I think that the reason so many of us duck that responsibility is because we don’t want to embarrass ourselves or inconvenience ourselves. I hope more of us would have a willing spirit like Isaiah who said, “Here am I. Send me.” To be wiling to serve the Lord, to carry His message to the world.
And in that regard we see next that Paul exhibits a submissive spirit. Spiritual service demands a submissive spirit. The end of vs10 he says, “if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you.” In other words, everything he does has to be according to God’s will. He doesn’t rush to a decision and then try to make things work according to his plan. But there’s an utter submission to God’s will.
One of the greatest hindrances to the gospel is our impatience with the Lord’s timing. We want things when we want things. And so we get ahead of God and end up making a mess of things. A submissive spirit is not marked by personal ambition but by submitting to God’s will.
Last week Rachel’s boyfriend Stu entered into a 5k race at the beach and it was a race where you were encouraged to run along with your dog. So Stu brought Jackson, our 1 year old Siberian Husky. He isn’t very socialized, and so he ended up being a real challenge to control with all these other dogs running around. But I’m happy to say that Jackson came in first among all the dogs in the race. We were very proud of him, and they gave him a great big Huskey stuffed toy dog as his prize which he really enjoys carrying around the house.
But during the race I noticed that they had some boy scouts stationed along the race course handing out water to the runners. And I couldn’t help but see that correlation to my ministry. I’m just a glorified water boy. My job is to pass out living water, and encourage those that are running the race to not give up, to keep up the pace, to finish the race. I’m not here to build a church building, but to equip the body. To serve the runners. Far too many churches are built which are not much more than monuments to man’s ambition. But a true servant should be to serve God and submit to His will and His timing.
Fifth, true spiritual service is marked by a loving spirit. In vs 11 Paul says, “for I long to see you that I might impart some spiritual gift to the end that you may be established. That longing that others would receive a blessing that Paul speaks of there is a characteristic of Christian love. God’s definition of love is serving others. Selfless service, not selfish service. Having a desire to see others strengthened. To see others filled. Love is not some sentimental feeling for others, but love is longing to see others benefited, to see other’s needs filled, even before your own.
The characteristic of an immature person is that they are “me” oriented. They are all about themselves and they never think about others. Well, the same can be said about immature Christians. All they are focused on is their own needs and desires. But maturity means that we love others and want to see their needs fulfilled.
Paul said in 2 Cor. 12, “I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?” When he says “I’ll spend,” that means I will use my resources. When he says “I’ll be expended,” that means I will use myself up. Even though it may not be reciprocated, I will love you. That’s a loving spirit. You can’t be a true spiritual servant unless you have a loving spirit. And a loving spirit is more interested in others than themselves.
Number 6, true spiritual service is characterized by a spirit of cooperation. In vs12, Paul says “that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.” The whole principle of the church body that Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians is that all the parts of the body are mutually dependent upon one another. You supply what I lack, and I supply what you lack, that all the parts work together and the church is not lacking in anything. That we are all encouraged. And that happens when we see our service as cooperation with others for the mutual comfort and encouragement.
I must say that I have observed a lot of people fall away from the church due to a lack of encouragement. And a lot of times it seems that some of you are totally unaware that you are responsible for that aspect of the church. Maybe you see yourself as sufficiently filled, and you get tired, or you get busy, and you think it won’t hurt you to miss church now and then. But there is someone out there who is watching you for encouragement. And when they see that sister Sarah isn’t coming regularly, then they start to wonder if it’s really necessary for them to be there. They look to you as an example. They look up to you. And if you find it important to be at church it makes them see it as important. You don’t even have to say anything to such a person. But they notice when you’re not participating, and it serves to discourage them and eventually they may stop coming altogether. I have witnessed this so many times and most of the time the “mature” Christian seems obvious to it. They are too self concerned to notice that others steadfastness is dependent upon them.
Another characteristic that Paul displays of spiritual service is found in vs13, which is a fruitful spirit. He says, “I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.” Paul’s view of spiritual service was that it resulted in spiritual fruit. The purpose of ministry is that it brings fruit. The goal of sowing the seed, which is the word of God, is that it grows into maturity and bears fruit.
The parable Jesus gave in that regard is known as the parable of the soils. It’s a parable about sowing the seed which is the word of God. God gives the increase, but someone has to sow the seed. Someone has to till the ground, or water the plants, or pull weeds. But the goal is that it bears fruit. And that metaphor of fruitfulness is found repeatedly in the scripture in regards to the church maturing.
The Bible speaks of fruit of the Spirit, which are attitudes of godly behavior. And it speaks of souls being saved; the fields are white unto harvest. But whether in sanctification or salvation, the goal is that they grow in the Lord and bear the fruit of righteousness. Paul recognized that his goal was to minister to the Romans so that they might be more fruitful. The pastor’s goal, according to Ephesians 4:12 is “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” That is fruitfulness. And that is the goal of spiritual service.
Number eight, spiritual service is characterized by an obedient spirit. In verse 14, Paul continues to expand upon the reason for his service; “I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.” What Paul is basically saying is that the ministry for him is not an option, it’s not something that he thought he would try for a while and see how it goes. He didn’t look at a bunch of different career paths and say, “enie, menie, miney, moe.” But he considered his servanthood as an obligation, as a debt to the Lord.
It’s great to serve God when you feel like it. But it’s even more important to serve God when you don’t feel like it. I hate to admit it but the number of days I don’t feel like it outnumber the days when I do. But obedience is not conditioned on whether or not you feel like it. And the Lord honors those who are obedient. Jesus told a parable recorded in Matt. 21:28-31 "But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go work today in the vineyard.' "And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went. "The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, 'I [will,] sir'; but he did not go."Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.” Those tax collectors were ones that repented and obeyed the voice of God.
In Matt. 7:21 Jesus said, ”Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven [will enter.]” Paul says I owe the Gentiles my service of the gospel because I myself have been given the grace of God to be saved. To whom much is given, much is required. And so Paul considered his service as a debt first of all to God who had shone His grace upon him when he was in darkness. And so he expressed that debt by preaching the gospel to the Greeks and barbarians. Greeks and barbarians was a way of speaking to both the wise and the unwise. The sophisticated people, and the down and out people. Or to put it another way, those you like and those you don’t like. You make no distinction between people, you’re obedient to God to serve them all by the ministry of the gospel.
Number 9, a servant of God has an eager spirit. This dovetails into the last point about obedience. You don’t do it grudgingly. But there is an eagerness to be obedient. Vs.15, “So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.” There should be a sense of urgency about serving the kingdom. Are you eager to run the race? Are you eager to come to church? Do you look forward to studying the Bible to learn what God would say to you? Or are you dragging your feet? Maybe we need to pray the prayer of David in Psalm 51, where he says “Lord, renew a right spirit within me.” David said he used to love to go to the temple, he loved to read God’s word. But when he harbored sin in his life he avoided going up to the temple. He avoided the reading of God’s law. But when he confessed his sin and repented, then he prayed for God to renew a right spirit within him. And now he loved God’s law. He loved the things of God. Those things that you love, no one has to make you do. So to be eager to serve means that you need a right heart before God, that loves God and wants to please Him.
Finally, we see the 10th principle of spiritual service in the first part of vs 16. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel.” The last characteristic of spiritual service is boldness. Not being ashamed to serve the Lord. Not being ashamed of the gospel. You know the gospel is a double edged sword. It’s both good news and at the same time it’s offensive. It tells people that they are sinners. The gospel tells people that the punishment for sin is death and hell. That doesn’t make for polite dinner conversation. That’s not how you make friends and influence people. But it’s the truth and we must not be ashamed to proclaim it in all it’s fullness.
The gospel requires that we serve Christ as ministers of the gospel. Are you ashamed to let it be known that you are a servant of Christ? Do you feel more comfortable trying to be a secret disciple? Jesus said that he who is not ashamed to confess Me before men, I will not be ashamed to confess before My Father who is in heaven.
Being a servant is not a popular choice in this world. Being a servant means that you are not your own but you are bought with a price. It means that you are not in charge, but you serve at the pleasure of the Master who is in charge. But being a bond servant goes beyond that. It means that you have been set free from your former bondage to sin, and now out of a debt of love and gratitude to the Master who set you free, you serve Him willingly, for all your days committed to following Him and being obedient to Him. And what God promises is that this servitude to Him on this earth will be exchanged for a crown in glory, when we will rule and reign with Him. I pray that you will consider all that it means to serve Christ and that purpose will be the guiding factor in your life as you live for Him and serve Him.
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