SHAPED FOR SERVING GOD
Introduction
Eph. c2 v10 – ‘It is God himself who has made us what
we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and
long ages ago he planned that we should spend these
lives in helping others’ (LB)
Col. c3 v24-24 – ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all
your heart, as working for the Lord, not for
men, 24since you know that you will receive an
inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord
Christ you are serving’ (NIV)
Introduction
Jer. c1 v5 - “Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I
chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a
special work” (NCV)
Accepting your assignment
 You were saved to serve God
2 Tim. c1 v9 – ‘It is he who saved us and chose us for
his holy work not because we deserved it but
because that was his plan’ (LB)
Rom. c12 v1 – “I plead with you to give your bodies
to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the
kind he will accept” (NLT)
1 John c3 v14 – ‘If we love other Christians, it
proves that we have been delivered from hell and
given eternal life’ (LB)
Accepting your assignment
 You are called to serve God
Rom. c7 v4 – ‘Now you belong to Him … in order that
we might be useful in the service of God’ (TEV)
‘Jesus now has a new pair of eyes to see with, new
eyes to listen with, new hands to help with, and a
new heart to love others with’
Accepting your assignment
 You are commanded to serve
Matt. c20 v28 – “Your attitude must be like my own,
for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to
serve …” (LB)
Gifts and Abilities
Eph. c2 v10 – ‘For we are God’s workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God
prepared in advance for us to do’ (NIV)
 Unwrapping your spiritual gifts
Eph. c4 v7 – ‘Christ has given each of us special
abilities - whatever he wants us to have out of his
rich storehouse of gifts’ (LB)
Gifts and Abilities
 Listening to your heart
 Applying your abilities
Romans c12 v6a – ‘God has given each of us the
ability to do certain things well’ (NLT)
1 Cor. c10 v31 – ‘…whatever you do, do it all for the
glory of God’ (NIV)
1 Cor. c12 v6 – ‘There are different abilities to
perform service, but the same God gives ability to
all for their particular service’ (TEV)
A servant heart
Mark c10 v43 – ‘Whoever wants to be great must
become a servant’ (MSG)
 Real servants make themselves available to serve
 Real servants pay attention to needs
Gal. c6 v10 – ‘Whenever we have the opportunity,
we should do good to everyone, especially to our
Christian brothers and sisters’ (NLT)
Prov. c3 v27-28 – ‘Do not withhold good from those
who deserve it when it’s in your power to help
them. 28If you can help your neighbour now, don’t say,
“Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.” (NLT)
A servant heart
 Real servants do their best with what they have
Ecc. c11 v4 - ‘If you wait for perfect conditions, you
will never get anything done’ (NLT)
 Real servants are faithful to their ministry
A servant heart
 Real servants think more of others than themselves
Phil. c2 v4 – ‘…Forget yourselves long enough to
lend a helping hand’ (MSG)
‘made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a
servant’ Eph. c2 v7 (NIV)
 Real servants think about their work, not what
others are doing
Gal. c5 v26 – ‘we will not compare ourselves with
each other as if one of us were better and another
worse. We have far more interesting things to do
with our lives. Each of us is an original’ (MSG)
A servant heart
 Real servants think of serving as an opportunity
not an obligation
‘Serve the LORD with gladness’ Ps. c100 v2 (KJV)
Conclusion
‘chose the weak things of the world to shame the
strong’ – 1 Cor. c1 v27 (NCV)
‘…I am going to boast only about how weak I am and
how great God is to use such weakness for his glory’ –
2 Cor. c12 v5 (LB)
Phil c4 v13 – ‘For I can do everything with the help
of Christ who gives me the strength I need’ (NLT)