Key Aspects of God-honoring Service

John 13 contains the account of Jesus washing His disciples' feet at the Last Supper. This past Sunday (June 28) I preached from this passage. We talked about six key aspects of God-honoring service. Toward the close of the message, I encouraged everyone to focus on one aspect each day for six days. Following are the key aspects we discussed from John 13:1-17 and some questions for personal evaluation.

Day 1 -- The motivation for service is love. (vs. 1) Ask: Is love really the motivation for my service (as opposed to guilt, selfish gain, sense of duty, pride, etc.)?

Day 2 -- Our model for service is Jesus. (vs. 3-5) Ask: Do I serve as Jesus did -- selflessly; humbly? Is any type of service beneath me?

Day 3 -- A prerequisite for service is humility. (vs. 5) Ask: Do I possess genuine, Christ-like humility? Do I truly put others ahead of myself?

Day 4 -- The scope of service includes every person. (vs. 2a, 11a) Ask: Is there anyone I refuse to serve for any reason? If so, what do I need to do to correct that?

Day 5 -- Jesus' command to serve is clear. (vs. 14-15) Ask: Do I understand and accept that service is not optional if I am to be obedient to Christ?

Day 6 -- The reward for service is blessing. (vs. 17) Ask: Does serving really make me happy? (It should.) Am I rejoicing in the blessings of service?

We are often tempted to make excuses for our lack of service. We need to remember that in reality we are offering our excuses to the Lord. When we imagine standing before Him and offering our excuses, we quickly realize how lame all those excuses are.

Where will you serve through the Lord's church this coming year? Jesus said, "If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them." (John 13:17 ESV).

Strategic Service

Speaking of Himself, Jesus said: "...the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45 ESV). Think about it. If the King of glory, the Creator of the universe, came to this earth in the flesh in order to serve, what does that say to those of us who are His followers? It certainly tells us that we should be in the business of serving as well, doesn't it? And serving not only randomly and/or as opportunities arise, but also serving intentionally on an ongoing basis.

This coming Sunday (June 28) marks the beginning of an emphasis on Strategic Service in Petal FBC. Over the next several weeks, EVERY person who calls Petal FBC their church home will be encouraged to commit to serve on a Strategic Service Team for the next year (August '09 - July '10). What are Strategic Service Teams? Pretty much just what the name says -- they are teams of people who serve in specific ways to help us accomplish our strategy for making disciples of Jesus Christ.

Click here to find a copy of a Strategic Service Selection Form. We're asking you to prayerfully commit to serve on one of these teams from August of this year through July of next year. Specifically, we want EVERYONE (9th grade age and older who is physically able) to serve on a Sunday morning service team. Then, as you feel led, you may want to serve on other teams as well. If you're already serving and want to continue in your service area, we ask that you fill out a selection form to let us know of your desire to continue to serve in that area.

Our goal as Jesus' disciples is to be like Him; and so because Jesus focused on serving others, so should we. Where will you serve during the coming year?