All Christians have been called into full time ministry – that is we are to serve the Lord all the time, every day, even in the “secular” and mundane issues of life.

Full-Time Ministry

Romans 12:11

We return again this morning to those powerful and practical exhortations of the apostle Paul in Romans 12:11 – “not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.”  Paul is exhorting the church in how they are to live, now that they have received His mercies.  They are to give themselves completely to Him. They are to use their spiritual gifts to edify the church.  They are to love one another.  They are to hate evil and cling to the good.

Now Paul exhorts them to serve the Lord. That is the driving action word in this sentence.  Then he tells them how they are to serve the Lord.  Negatively they are not to lag behind in diligence.  Positively they are to be fervent in spirit.

So, this morning, let’s consider these exhortations for the purpose of obeying them.

1. We Are Called To Serve The Lord?

We are Slaves of Christ.  What kind of person serves another?  A slave serves his Master. If we are commanded to serve the Lord, that tells us that we are slaves of the Lord. And, that’s exactly what the Bible teaches.  Ephesians 6:5-6 says, “Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.”  Notice two things. First, first century slaves were called “slaves of Christ.” Second, these slaves were to do the will of God from the heart.  What is the duty of a slave? It is to do his master’s will, right?  Well then, as slaves of Christ, we are to do the will of Christ. That’s our job as Christians. That’s why Jesus said in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.”  So, the first thing we must understand about serving the Lord is that we are slaves of Christ, and that serving Him means to do His will.

It is our Solemn Duty to Serve the Lord.  Jesus responded to Satan when he was tempting Him in the wilderness in Matthew 4:10, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.”  Hebrews 12:28 says, “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe.”  Every true child of God must serve the Lord.

Paul served the Lord.  He said in Acts 27:23 when he was aboard a ship that was being tossed and driven at sea, “For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me…”  That’s how Paul described God.  He is the God to whom he belonged and to whom He served.  He said in Romans 1:8, “For  God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you…”

Serving the Lord is the Fruit of True Conversion.  When Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, he described them like this in 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, “you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God…”  Conversion is described as turning from idols to serve the living God.

We Will Continue to Serve the Lord in the Age to Come.  Listen to how God’s people are described in the age to come in Revelation 7:15, “For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple…”  Then in Revelation 22:3 we read, “There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him.”  Brothers and sisters, we begin to serve the Lord the moment we are converted. We continue to serve Him our entire lives, and we will serve Him eternally in the New Heaven and the New Earth.

What Are We NOT To Serve? 

            We are to serve Jesus, not our Appetites.  Romans 16:17-18, “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.”  We are to turn away, avoid those who cause dissensions and hindrances. Why? Because these people do not serve Christ. Rather, they serve their own appetites. Literally, “they serve their own belly.”  This sounds a lot like what Paul said in Philippians 3:18-19, “For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.”  Brothers and sisters, do you serve Christ or your belly?  Christ has told us His will in Scripture. We are not to use our bodies for fornication, adultery, homosexuality, drug abuse or gluttony. That is the will of Christ.  So, when Christ’s will comes into conflict with the appetites of our body, which do you serve?  Do you choose to serve Christ and His will, which is chastity, self-control, and moderation?  Or, do you choose to self-indulgence and sexual license?  If we choose self-indulgence, we are choosing to serve our appetites rather than Christ, which is sin. We are really saying that indulging our bodily appetites is more fulfilling and satisfying that serving the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are to serve Jesus, not the Law.  We discover this truth from Romans 7:1-6, where we are told that while we were unconverted we were married to the Law. We were focused on the obedience of the Law for our justification and acceptance with God. However, that only ends in death because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified. However, when a person is saved, they die to the Law (vs. 4) and are released from the Law (vs. 6). Romans 7:6 says, “But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.”  While we were unconverted, we served the Law. That was our focus. We were bound to it. However, now we are married to Christ. He is our new focus. He is our husband. We now serve Him in the newness of the Spirit. So, serving the Lord is not mainly about serving a Law. Rather, it is serving a Person. And that Person has perfectly fulfilled the Law, born its curse for us (Gal. 3:10,13).  It is very different to serve the Law and to serve Christ. When we serve Christ, we serve One who met all the demands of the Law, and bore all its curse on our behalf, before He makes a single demand of us. Yes, He demands much, but He empowers us and helps us to fulfill every demand He makes.

We are to serve Jesus, not People.  Now, of course, there is a sense in which we are to serve people.  Paul says in Galatians 5:13, “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”  So demonstrating love for others by serving them is the will of God. However, there is another way we serve others that is totally wrong. Paul describes this in Ephesians 6:6-7, “not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men.”  The wrong way to serve people is to become a slave to their approval.  When that happens, we descend into bondage and defeat. Are you a servant of the opinions of others?  Do you strive so that others have a good opinion of you. Does your happiness depend on what others think of you? That is evil, because that kind of service must be reserved for only one person – the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only One you ultimately must strive to please.  I remember when we first started this church, and there were 7 people in the building. I would go back and pray before the service, and Kelly Salas would always remind me, “you are preaching for an audience of 1.”  It is true. The Lord’s approval and pleasure is the only thing that truly matters. It doesn’t matter if I, or anyone else approves of you, as long as the Lord approves of you.  When we serve Christ in this way, we are set free from the praise of man.

Full-Time Christian Ministry.  I remember talking to others in the church about those that were on staff, and saying something like, “he’s in full-time ministry.”  We thought that only those people who got a salary from the church, or went to a different country to plant churches were in full-time ministry. The truth is every Christian is in full-time ministry! Why? The word “ministry” means “service.”  Every Christian is called to serve God full-time, all the time, 24/7!  It doesn’t matter if you make your living by working at Starbucks, Microsoft, or Amazon, or whether you are a stay at home housewife or college student. If you are a Christian you are to serve God full-time.

How can we serve God full-time if we are not devoting all our time to church or missionary work?  We do it by serving God in everything we do.  The first century slave was called to serve the Lord Christ when he obeyed his master in all things. He was to perform his obedience to his master as unto Christ. If we do what we do out of faith in Christ, out of love for Christ, and for the glory of Christ, we are doing it unto Him.  So, when you mow lawns, do it unto the Lord. When you homeschool your kids, do it unto the Lord. When you fix the money changing machines in the grocery stores, do it for the Lord. When you run a business, run it for the Lord. When you do your work as a florist, do it unto the Lord. When you do your construction work right alongside all those cussing and profane employees, do it unto Him.

This means you can serve the Lord when you spend time with your spouse and kids, when you are working hard out in the hot sun, when you start your day with Prayer and the Word, when you listen to worship music, when you eat or drink, when you study for your college exams, when you love your neighbor, when you take food to a sick person, when you visit someone in the hospital, when you call, text or email someone to encourage them, when you use your spiritual gifts to edify the church, when you show brotherly love for the saints.  The possibilities are endless.  We need to be fervent when it comes to doing these things as service to the Lord.  1 Cor. 10:31, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”  When you really get this, you realize that all of life can be worship! That’s what Paul meant in Romans 12:1, “Therefore I urge you brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”  What is our spiritual service of worship? Presenting our bodies as a sacrifice to God. How often are we supposed to do that? All the time, no matter where we are, or what we are doing. So worship is not just the songs we sing between 10 and 11 am on Sunday mornings. Worship can be performed as you play with your kids, date your spouse, love your employees, please your customers, show integrity in your business, and treat others with respect and kindness. So, brothers and sisters, you are in full-time Christian ministry, whether you realize it or not!

2. How Are To Serve The Lord?

Paul tells us first negatively, and then positively. Negatively, we are not to lack behind in diligence. Positively, we are to be fervent in spirit.

Not Lagging Behind In Diligence

The phrase “lagging behind” means lazy or slothful.  It is used to refer to the sluggard in the Book of Proverbs.  Let’s look at a few of those proverbs.

Proverbs 10:4, “Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.”  In this verse, the diligent hand is contrasted with the negligent hand. Negligence is the opposite of diligence.

Proverbs 13:4, “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the soul of the diligent is made fat.”  What is the diligent contrasted with in this verse? The sluggard is the opposite of the diligent.

The word Paul uses for “lagging behind” is the same word Jesus used in Mt. 25:26 when He said, “You wicked lazy slave…”

Diligence refers to making every effort. This proves that living out the Christian life will take great effort on our part. Sometimes I hear bible teaching that says we do nothing and Christ does everything. It says that our part is to remain passively resting in Him, and He will live out His life in us while we rest and trust and wait. That’s not how the apostle Paul viewed the Christian life. He saw it as a race that he was he was going to do everything in his power to win, including disciplining his body. He saw the Christian life as the good fight of faith, in which he was not just beating the air, but fighting a real opponent. No, the Christian life is anything but passive. We must stir ourselves to live this new life out with all our might.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, “Whatever your hand find to do, do it with all your might.”  I think this verse of Scripture must have inspired Jonathan Edwards to write, “Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.”

Paul echoed this thought in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

So, the first way that we are to serve the Lord is with diligence. That means we are to serve the Lord by working and toiling. We are to do lots of work for Christ. Would you characterize your life as “always abounding in the work of the Lord”?  When it comes to serving the Lord and working for the Lord, we must never be lazy! We must stir ourselves up to labor for the Lord with all our might!

Fervent In Spirit

“Not lagging behind in diligence” refers to our work, our toil, our doing. “Fervent in spirit” refers to our feeling, our passion, our zeal.  We are to serve the Lord by doing and feeling.

The word “fervent” refers to water that has come to a boiling pitch, or metal that has been heated until it glows.  We would say today that he is “on fire for God.”

This white hot passion to serve the Lord is felt in our spirit, in our inner man. How does this happen? I believe it happens when the indwelling Holy Spirit communicates to us what He is passionate about, and we respond with an “Amen!” So, what is God passionate about?

1. His glory.
2. His holiness
3. His Name
4. His Kingdom (The salvation and sanctification of His people)
5. His will

Are you passionate about God’s glory, holiness, Name, kingdom and will?  If you are, you are fervent in spirit.

So, the message of Romans 12:11, is that all Christians are to serve the Lord diligently and fervently.

Conclusion

So, what would it look like for us to serve the Lord diligently and fervently?

1. It would mean that you are dedicated and committed to be present whenever the church meets? Why? Because there will be opportunities for you to serve the Lord there! There will be opportunities for you to speak an encouraging word, or pray for someone who is in need, or help someone by doing something for them. Folks, if you want to serve the Lord, make it a priority to meet with the Church on Sunday mornings, Tuesday evenings, and with either the brothers or the sisters every other Thursday night.

2. It would mean that you are eager to be involved in outreach. When the church plans an outreach, you’re there. I’m thinking of things like our Missional Community going out and sharing the gospel in apartment complexes, or in Old Sacramento.  It would include things like feeding the homeless, and ministering to the poor.

3. It would mean that you would be looking for ways you can serve the Lord in your neighborhood, like hosting BBQs or pancake breakfasts, or helping a neighbor when they are sick or in need.

4. It would mean you would seize opportunities that present themselves to you on your job. Every year our company has a Christmas party, so I took the opportunity at the last party to share the gospel with all my employees. Being the boss, I get to say whatever I want, so it gave me the opportunity to point my employees to Christ.

Brothers and sisters, it is easy to become apathetic and negligent in serving the Lord. However, Romans 12:11 teaches us that laziness, slothfulness, negligence, half-heartedness or lukewarmness are utterly inappropriate when it comes to serving the Lord.  Let’s recommit ourselves to serving the Lord diligently and fervently!

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