“Servant Or Volunteer?”

Acts 6:1–7

  1. Introduction
    1. The truest act of worship is service. (Rom. 12:1)
  2. Leadership Is About Serving
    John 13:3–5

    3Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

    1. Leadership is not about us.
    2. We have been commissioned by Jesus to serve.
      John 20:21

      Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

  3. We Are Laborers For God
    Luke 10:1–3

    Jesus Sends Out the Seventytwo

    1After this the Lord appointed seventy-two[a] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.

    Footnotes:
    a Some manuscripts seventy; also in verse 17

    1. Labor implies work.
      1. Our culture reduces life to entertainment and consumption.
      2. Our culture says life is all about us.
    2. Jesus did not die for us to be consumers but so we could be producers.
      1. We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
  4. Qualifications Of A Server
    Acts 6:1–7

    The Choosing of the Seven

    1In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

    5This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

    7So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

    1. Possessed by the Holy Spirit – v. 3
    2. Wise – v. 3
    3. See service as a responsibility
    4. Result?
      1. People hear about Jesus – v. 7a
      2. Many are saved – v. 7b
  5. Conclusion
    1. We choose to serve or be served.
    2. We can be a volunteer or a servant.
    3. A volunteer:
      1. chooses to do acts of service at his convenience.
      2. controls his calendar.
      3. places higher priority on business than family.
    4. A servant:
      Luke 9:23

      Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

      1. has a lifestyle of service.
      2. serves at the directive of the Holy Spirit.
      3. knows service is the ultimate expression of life not being about me.
      4. service is the purest demonstration of God's love.
  6. Commitment is needed!