You Serve God By Serving Other People

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Better Together

You Serve God By Serving Other People By Rick Warren — May 29, 2015 “Make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.” (Philippians 2:2 NLT, second edition) There’s only one way you can serve God: by serving other people. Whenever you use your talents, time, energy, and resources to help other people, that’s called ministry. But God doesn’t want you to minister alone! Philippians 2:2 says, “Make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose” (NLT, second edition). Why does God require this? Why can’t you just serve God on your own? Because we’re family. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 3:9, “We are co-workers in God’s service” (NIV). If you’re in God’s family, God wants you to get along with the other family members. In fact, God is more interested in the relationships you build during service together than he is in the service that you do. He wants you to learn to get along with the family of God. Because we need each other. We need each other to serve. Nobody has all the talents. Nobody has all the gifts. God did it that way intentionally so that you would need me and I would need you and we would need each other. “Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of [Christ’s] body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we?” (Romans 12:5 MSG) Because we get more done. Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, “Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively” (GNT). Teamwork multiplies effectiveness. God wants to use you in ways you’ve never expected. You may say, “What do I have to offer?” You have something, but you don’t have enough on your own. That’s why you need other people in your life. God wants to use you, but he also wants to use you in a team where you help each other out. God wired us so that we feel most alive when we’re part of a team that’s accomplishing something for God’s Kingdom. Teams cause us to get closer to each other, to get more done, and to have more fun. The fastest way to get have your small group grow closer to each other is by serving together. When you get together for an eternal purpose, it builds an unstoppable team that can accomplish great things for God. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over Why is it important for people outside the Body of Christ to see its members serving together with joy and unity? Have you ever felt isolated in ministry? How did serving or not serving on a team affect how you felt? What do you want God to accomplish through you? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWXWgbMDedY How can you do that thing better by working with other people?   Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. --Romans 12:11-12     Authentic Christians don’t lag behind when it comes to service for the Lord Jesus Christ. They lead the way, taking care of God’s business! I believe there ought to be a sense of urgency, a sense of intensity, and a passion for spiritual ministry. And certainly there is no room for laziness and there is no room for lukewarmness when it comes to serving the Lord Jesus Christ. Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” If it’s worthy to do, then it’s worthy to do with all of your might. Ephesians 5:16 says that we are to make “the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” Friend, we’re to turn it up a notch or two in these evil days, and redouble and triple our efforts. Not our self-efforts, but our spiritually energized efforts in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ! So are you working hard in the service of Jesus Christ? Or are you hardly working? Don’t be like so many Christians who are rusting out instead of wearing out in serving the Lord Jesus Christ! DETERMINE TO SERVE GOD WITH ALL OF YOUR MIGHT.