Serving and Destiny
#thejoyinservingseries
(This Weekly Prayer Summary was written by Irene Sentosa, from the CBC English Prayer Ministry Core Team, and edited by Brigitta Tedja)
Pastor Dion continued with the final message of “The Joy in Serving” series with a sermon entitled, “Serving and Destiny.” With our theme of harvest for this year, we need to understand that harvest of souls and harvest of resources are inseparable from serving God and His people. Harvest is always connected to serving. It is a busy yet exciting time because all the things that you have sown in the beginning, you can start to see some exponential growth; it is the time where you will actually reap all the things that you have put into your personal, spiritual, and corporately together as a church.
Servanthood is an integral part of the culture of heaven. In the Kingdom of God, everyone serves regardless of status. In John 3:12-17, Jesus, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, with all authority, took off his coat/robe, humbled Himself to serve His disciples. Everything Jesus did during His ministry time serves as a model for us and for all believers. We, as His followers, need to serve as He did.
Why do you need to serve?
Your purpose and destiny are always connected to serving.
We need to use whatever gift God has given us to serve others.
Who do you need to serve? It is God and His people.
Service is a trait that transcends the boundaries of status, as both slaves and sons should serve. Nevertheless, the nature of their service is fundamentally distinct — slaves serve to acquire, while sons serve out of a revelation of who they are and what they already possess. We should take a posture to serve not as slave, but as God’s sons and daughters so that we can serve beyond what is required.
Galatians 4:5-7 NLT: “God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, ‘Abba, Father.’ Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you, his heir.”
Ministry can be challenging. In 1 Kings 18 after Elijah confronted 450 prophets of Baal, he called fire from heaven, had all the prophets destroyed, he then got tired, became discouraged, and burned out. Then God sent angels to feed him twice and the meal gave Elijah strength to travel forty days and forty nights until he reached the mountain of God. It is the same with us, while we are serving in ministry or to others, do not miss your daily meal from the Bible, be fed with the words of God, and seek the Lord.
The Call of Elisha
1 Kings 19:15-21 NIV: “The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha, son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. So, Elijah went from there and found Elisha, son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. ‘Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,’ he said, ‘and then I will come with you.’ So, Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.”
There are principles that we must understand for us to be able to serve. When God said to Elijah to anoint Elisha to succeed him as a prophet, Elisha did not immediately become a prophet, but he set out to follow Elijah to become his servant. The same principle applies to us. Many of you have received prophetic words that He will use you powerfully, but first God will put us in the school of service as we need to learn how to serve and we will be put in the test of service.
There are several things that we need to break in order for us to get into the fullness of who and what God is calling you to be:
1. Unavailability
1 Kings 19:15-20 NIV: “So Elijah went from there and found Elisha, son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. ‘Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,’ he said, ‘and then I will come with you.’”
Elisha came from a wealthy family and was already busy working, but he was not unavailable for God. God wants Elisha to succeed Elijah as a prophet by serving Elijah first. The same as with us. God wants us to be available for the specific calling that He has prepared us for. In serving, availability is paramount.
Many missed their great purpose and destiny as they failed to make themselves available to Him.
2. Excuses
We need to break excuses and say “YES” to God’s calling in our lives.
3. Laziness
There are people that are not busy, yet they are unavailable because of laziness. God cannot use lazy people. We need to come out of laziness. Do not underestimate your portion to serve in the house of God and in the world that God has assigned you for.
Romans 12:10-11 NLT: “Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.”
4. Pride
Jesus, the son of God, the King of kings, and Lord of lord is willing to serve because He is secure in His identity. You are called by God to serve others, even those who are lesser than you. Serving is not for position. Sometimes it is easier to serve when you are acknowledged, but God will train us so that we will serve out of a heart for the Lord and not for pride, people’s acknowledgment, or to get praise from men.
2 Kings 3:11b NIV: “But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may inquire of the Lord?” An officer of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha, son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.”
Elisha was known as a man who poured water on the hands of Elijah. It seemed trivial what Elisha did, but later, as soon as Elijah went up to heaven, Elisha received a double portion of the anointing of Elijah’s anointing. Through obedience and a right heart to serve, God was able to use Elisha even greater than Elijah. Elijah performed 8 miracles and Elisha performed 16 miracles—double.
The same applies to us, sometimes what we do in the ministry seems trivial, but God is using it to check and mold our hearts to be in the right alignment with the Lord so that He can trust His anointing on us.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13a NLT: “Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work.”
Honor manifested in serving is a conduit for receiving impartations that cannot be attained through any other means. Invest in the people you serve and on the people that serve you.
1 Peter 4:10-11 NIV: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.”
John 13:14-17 AMP: “So if I, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet as well. For I gave you [this as] an example, so that you should do [in turn] as I did to you. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed [happy and favored by God] if you put them into practice [and faithfully do them]”
Prayer Points:
Pray for a servant heart to serve as Jesus served, not for a position or status, but because of obedience and a right heart to serve.
Pray that we know our identity as His sons and daughters and take a posture to serve not as slaves, but as sons and daughters so that we can serve beyond what is required.
Pray for God’s fresh anointing and refreshment upon those who have burned out, to be renewed, recharged, and have joy again in serving.
Pray for the laborers to rise up within the church and to rise up to their assignment.
Pray for the Body of Christ to hear and answer “YES” to His calling in our lives and use whatever gift God has given them to serve others.
Pray to break every hindrance of unavailability, excuses of busyness, laziness, and pride.
Pray to have a culture of honor in our church.
Pray that each person in His church body will be at the right place, right time, with the right assignment.
Pray that as we serve more, we become more blessed. – John 13:14-17
Pray for grace and an extension of capacity to do the work of ministry in the house of God and in the world that God has assigned you for.
Pray for all our pastors and leaders to be divinely protected and hidden from the enemy from all attacks, sicknesses, and harassments. – Psalms 91
Pray for the advancement and building progress of the Ministry Center; no delays, obstacles, or interruptions.