Deuteronomy 10 v 12
“And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the
LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy
God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”
WHAT IS SERVICE?
Service is work done or duties performed by some individual or group of persons, organizations
etc. for an individual, or a group of persons or an organization.
ATTRIBUTES OF SERVICE
Hebrews 12 v 28
“Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace,
whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:”
- Obedience
- Self – denial
- Watchfulness
- Zeal
- Opportunity
- Change
- Responsibility
- Purpose
- Trust
- Patience
- Diligence
- Loyalty
- Grace
- Steadfastness
- Co-operation
- Determination
- Submission
- Meekness
- Mercy
- Humility
- Character
- Passion
- Willingness
WHY IS SERVICE NECESSARY?
Luke 22 v 26
“But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger;
and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.”
Service is enjoined by God. Until you make God the center of your life, nothing will hold for
you. Service is the gateway to greatness. Serving God is profitable. It is your insurance against
every satanic yoke of bondage. Your commitment in the service of God determines the quality
of your destiny. Service to God without looking back, will place you on a high pedestal and
distinguishes you in your generation. Your freedom is tied to your readiness to serve God.
Service makes a living conduit pipe through which God can flow to reach the world. God is
looking for channels not containers. In the kingdom of God, only those who are out to serve the
interest of and the needs of their subjects as unto God will ever become leaders. If you are not
willing to serve, you will never become a leader in the kingdom. It is a choice you have to
make.
Hindrances to service - Pride
- Self – will
- Indifference
- Indiscipline
- Jealousy
- Rebellion
- Compromise
- Hard heartedness
- Sin
- Impatience
- Illusion
- Ignorance
- Hypocrisy
- Greed
- Double Mindedness
- Disobedience
- Arrogance
- Laziness
- Unbelief
- Affliction
- Evil Association
WHAT KIND OF SERVICE DOES GOD REQUIRE FROM US?
Matthew 20 v 28
“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give
his life a ransom for many.” - Undivided Service – (Matthew 4 v 10, Luke 16 v 13)
- Unquestionable service – (1 kings 19 v 20)
3 • Willing and Obedient service – (Mark 1 v 8, 1 Samuel 15 v 20) - Serving with joy – (Psalm 40 v 8)
- Christ-like service – (1 Samuel 15 v 22)
a. Selfless service
b. Sacrificial service
c. Serving with love which cuts across race, creed and colour.
WITH WHAT DO WE SERVE GOD?
1 Chronicles 28 v 9
“And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a
perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and
understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be
found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.” - With all of our heart, soul, might and being – (1 Samuel 12 v 20)
- With our treasures – (Proverbs 3 v 9 & 10)
- With your Talents – (Psalm 103 v 1)
BENEFITS OF SERVICE
Exodus 23 v 25 & 26
v.25 “And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy
water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.”
v.26 “There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of
thy days I will fulfil.” - Greatness
- Success
- Assurance
- Increase
- Profit
- Maturity
- Satisfaction
- Fulfillment
- Honour
- Abundance
- Prosperity
- Victory
- Programme
- Opportunity
- Excellence
- Joy
- Testimonies
- Reward
- Value
- Selflessness
- Focus
THE ESSENCE OF SERVICE
Of a truth, everyone on earth wants to enlarge in life and have good success. But there are
conditions and standards for it. As children of God, we are expected to have good success. But
no one can have it without service. This is because success does not jump at people at people
like wealth does. Wealth could be of benevolent in nature. The true purpose of service is to get
at an expectation.
Exodus 23 v 25
“And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy
water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.”
The scriptural essence of service is of 2 folds: Blessings and Healing. God expects that when
we truthfully serve Him, he would bless us and also heal us. But when we do not serve Him
accordingly, we would have the opposites i.e. Cursing instead of Blessings and Sickness instead
of Healing.
ENCOURAGEMENT
Ephesians 6 v 7
“With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:”
You cannot enjoy the benefits of being a covenant partner with God, if you do not know how to
serve. There is a way of escape in God and that is by surrendering all that you are and have unto
God. God’s way to greatness is through willing and obedient service. This guarantees your
liberty. Great destinies are discovered and recovered through service. You can serve God in any
capacity, even without being noticed or appreciated. You can work out a good and glorious
destiny for yourself even for your generation yet unborn; as you commit yourself to the service
of God, don’t allow your destiny to rot. You are a king and priest unto God. Rise up and shine,
for you are a house that is built on top of a hill.
CONCLUSION
Matthew 6 v 33
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things
shall be added unto you.”
If you refuse to serve God, you will not only serve your circumstances, but satan will begin to
Lord it over you. Nothing could stop Daniel or turn his focus off God. Even in captivity, he was
distinguished. He never gave in to the dainties, the fantasies from the king’s palace. If you allow
sat, he will negotiate your destiny and your freedom to destruction. He hates the truth for he
knows that service is the royal highway to a great destiny. If you are ready and willing to be
committed and be the best in God’s service anytime, anywhere, your lifting will know no
bound. You are in the kingdom to serve and not to usurp, there are needs to be met, fallow
grounds to be broken, dry grounds to be watered, destinies to be turned around, we are not a
wasted generation. God is counting on you and me; stop grumbling, stop murmuring, be who
God made you to be. You can do all things through CHRIST who strengthen you. Give up self,
give up any and everything that endangers pride and be wholly committed to God in service.
Don’t be trapped by Satan, don’t destroy your destiny, don’t allow the devil to mess up your
destiny for you. Be out to serve, not for what man can give to you for who can quantify your
potential? Your service will take you to the top. It is a choice you must take.
