--PRE-SERVICE PRAYER--

Focus: F.L.O.W.

Foundation Scripture: Psalm 81:10-14 TPT

Prayer Points:
1. F = Faith to hear & obey.
2. L = Love for God & Man
3. O = Overflow with Spiritual fruit
4. W = Win the World by HIS Word & Spirit

--MESSAGE--

Love is the Light! Service is the Model!

Introduction:
July is Serve Month. Linked UP Church has several Serve Projects and Serve Opportunities listed on its websites. So, why is serving others of vital importance? Let me offer 3 introductory reasons!

1. Service unto others is the main pillar of true Christianity. Jesus Christ was devoted to serving others. He steadfastly encourages us, His followers to do the same.

2. Imitating Jesus by helping other people, serves God and generates innumerable blessings. Many acts of kindness, many acts of generosity, many acts of service are highlighted in the Bible for our understanding, motivation, and growth! Our Master is all the inspiration we need! He is perfect in all His ways!

3. He is our primary example! He set the standard! The serving of our fellow man must always be at our forefront because service is always at His! His Alpha is love, His Omega is service! His beginning is light, His end is generosity! His first is humility, His last is kindness!

Point 1: Understand that your calling is not what you do, but instead what you do for others! Honor your calling!

A. Love is the light! Service is the model!

· Service is defined as the action of helping or doing work for someone.

· You are anointed to serve!

1. Serving keeps your heart in balance!

· Your calling is to serve others.

· We have it backwards, we don’t serve out of the goodness of our hearts, we serve because of the need in our hearts.

2. An out of balance heart blinds eyes and exposes you to the darkness!

· You are prone to walk in darkness when you are not walking in the light of love. Keep your heart in balance…. serve. His model is not of the world.

· Love will cause you not to stumble and miss opportunities to serve.

· Love will cause you to serve those who hate you. Love is constant in doing things for the benefit of another.

Point 2: Every Decision you make has a Service Component attached to it. Choose wisely!

A. Service is always at the forefront for Jesus, our Teacher. It is His main Character trait, and it should be yours! You are wired to serve.

1. To love Jesus….is to serve Jesus! To serve Jesus is to serve others!

· Jesus moves on hearts to cause men to give. What is the Teacher teaching us? What is He setting in motion?

1. Stand ready to Give.
2. Anticipate Serving Others.
3. Be sensitive.
4. Give away your excess.
5. There’s no return, no harvest unless you plant.
6. Address all classes of people.
7. Don’t take advantage of those you serve.

2. Don’t get thrown off course!

· Don’t lead with kindness, give with generosity, or commit to service, stained with self-interest and worldly influence. Believers are crowns of God’s creatures because we follow the Word of Truth!

· Let the Gardener landscape, mold, cultivate you, lead and guide you into all truth. You hear but you don’t hear. You understand but you don’t understand. God calls the person who hears…with no corresponding action (won’t lift a finger to serve) a distracted scatter brain.

· We are warned not to be deceived! God compares the religious (the self-deceived) to true religion:

1. The Kind (true religion)
2. They pass muster.
3. Serving is the Standard.

· The person who serves will experience delight and find affirmation. Serving has its benefits!

3. Serve the Love-Less!

Jesus teaches to serve the homeless and the loveless. We see the loveless as those who are void of love…. those that society has given up on.

Point 3: Your Acts of Service can transform even the hearts of those who hate and those who are hated!

A. Through Serving you possess the power to transform and save the hypocritical, the dishonest, the despised, those with negative reputations, and those blinded by greed.

· Zacchaeus was not only a tax collector, but he was also the Chief Tax Collector!

B. Jesus made an “I Must” statement. It triggers the beginning of transformation.

C. When you pray to the Lord, often you don’t know how the answer will manifest itself. Trust the author and finisher.

In Conclusion:

Stay in the light, follow His model to serve and your heart will stay in balance. Love is the light! Serving is the model! In the Kingdom, Leaders serve. Serve Jesus and He will reveal His counsel, set you on the right path so that you can serve others. He came to serve all, so that all would serve each other. In serving each other, you serve Him! He said Am I not here with you as one who serves!