
The High Calling to Servanthood
Philippians 2:6-7 AMPC
6 Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained,
7 But stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being.
Romans 12:6-7 NLT
6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.
7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.
Philippians 3:12 KJV
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
To apprehend means to get hold of, catch, grasp, or seize mentally or physically.
Philippians 3:13-14 KJV
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Press towards your call in God, the gift is already in you, it has to be stirred up, and that is why you have to press, no matter what your past is. Forget the past, which includes the good, the bad, and the ugly. Grab hold of the promises of God for your life. Grab hold of your call to servanthood.
1 Timothy 4:12 AMP
12 Let no one look down on [you because of] your youth, but be an example and set a pattern for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in [moral] purity.
Don’t let anyone despise your youth, age, education, gender, or calling to serve. You have a higher calling that you must pursue in your speech, in the way you conduct yourself. Conduct yourself in love, faith, and purity (live a moral life) Don’t just be a servant on Sundays at church. You can be a servant in your workplace and at your schools.
How do you reach the prize?
Ephesians 4:1 AMP
1 So I, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to you to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called [that is, to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior—a life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation],
How do you walk to your calling?
Ephesians 4:2 AMP
2 with all humility [forsaking self-righteousness], and gentleness [maintaining self-control], with patience, bearing with one another in [unselfish] love.
This is how you pursue your call to servanthood - in love.
How can I walk worthy and walk in love?
Ephesians 3:14 KJV
14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
There is a cause for serving God. This cause is your calling.
Ephesians 3:15 KJV
15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
We are named after Jesus even though we may fall and sin at times. We are to walk worthy of our calling and in love the same way Jesus did while on earth.
Ephesians 3:16 KJV
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
We need inner strength to achieve our high calling to servanthood. We cannot walk in the flesh; the flesh is sin.
How do I press?
Ephesians 3:17 KJV
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
You press by faith. Walk by faith. Live by faith. You press by faith to the high calling of servanthood. Obstacles, hindrances, limitations, etc. will be there to deter you from your high calling.
Look how these Levites served God from generation to generation. Some were doing little things, nothing grand but serving God - gatekeepers opening the gates every morning, guards guarding treasuries from thieves. Some prepared incense and spices, baking flat cakes for offering, special bread for the sabbath, (Communion) worshippers, and leading prayer. The Levites exhibited the spirit of servanthood in the house of the Lord.
1 Chronicles 9:19 NLT
19 Shallum was the son of Kore, a descendant of Abiasaph,[a] from the clan of Korah. He and his relatives, the Korahites, were responsible for guarding the entrance to the sanctuary, just as their ancestors had guarded the Tabernacle in the camp of the Lord.
Gatekeepers were chosen to serve based on their genealogies of the families; they were the Levites.
1. Faithful:
Their ancestors served God, and God counted them faithful.
1 Chronicles 9:22 NLT
22 In all, there were 212 gatekeepers in those days, and they were listed according to the genealogies in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed their ancestors because they were reliable men.
2. Reliability:
The Levites were reliable. God could depend on them to fulfill their service to His house. They relied on and depended on God. But can God rely and depend on you for servanthood? Whether in the church or your community?
- Trustworthiness:
1 Chronicles 9:23 NLT
23 These gatekeepers and their descendants, by their divisions, were responsible for guarding the entrance to the house of the Lord when that house was a tent.
God has trusted us (placed confidence in us) with gifts, talents, skills, abilities, and a calling. We must use them whether we like it or not. Don’t just sit on your gift of serving. We should be trustworthy of the confidence He has placed in us.
4. Responsibility
1 Chronicles 9:29 NLT
29 Others were responsible for the furnishings, the items in the sanctuary, and the supplies, such as choice flour, wine, olive oil, frankincense, and spices.
Parents often check to see if their children are responsible enough and if they can be trusted with certain things: money, property, responsibilities, etc. God does the same with us His children. He checks to see how responsible we are with the small things in His kingdom He assigns us to do. If you are not responsible even for little things, how can He give you a weighty task? It’s like having an anointing but not really guarding it, just living anyhow life.
5. Focus
1 Chronicles 9:33 NLT
33 The musicians, all prominent Levites, lived at the Temple. They were exempt from other responsibilities since they were on duty at all hours.
The Levites were focused on their service in the temple, at all hours. Busyness of everyday life makes it just impossible to stay focused, and it is easy to get sidetracked.
The Levites served in the temple very well. Their hearts were in their service to the House of God.
We can improve our attitudes toward serving by:
Performing small acts of kindness.
Helping your elderly neighbors, less privileged, orphans, homeless, widows, etc. My Mother was a schoolteacher for over 30 years. She had students who came from dire poverty but they were intelligent, and she took them under her care. She paid for their tuition and clothes until they graduated from high school and went to college. We even had one who lived with us and got a job and married, and her husband was a diplomat. These are random acts of kindness that anyone can do. I did not understand it then.
Learn to notice others:
Even the housekeepers at your job are significant. Do you know their names? Learn about them: the cooks, those who do maintenance, laundry, housekeeping, nursing, management.
Fix your eyes on Jesus.
To develop servanthood, take your eyes off yourself and others. Stop worrying about what others think. Be free of people. They did not call you. Your call came from God.
Serve desiring to give, not to receive anything in return.
You may serve and not even get a “thank you”, but the Bible says freely you have received the gift of serving, freely give that gift, expecting nothing in return.
Servanthood is our highest calling. That makes the difference between duty and desire between doing what you have to do and doing what you want to do. When His desires become your desire, it ceases to be a duty. The load may be heavy at times but when you carry it with desire and delight it will be lighter.
Conclusion
John 9:4 NIV
4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.
Jesus was serving, doing what the Father had called Him to do. The call God wants you to fulfill is time-conscious and has an assigned time frame. Serve while it is still day. Serve while you still can. It is your mandate to fulfill the call. Serving is key to your calling. Your calling is an answer to someone else’s prayer. And if you don’t answer the call to serve, it is disobedience.
Whatever you are doing in the house of God, community is not about them, it’s giving to God. Your calling is higher beyond your comprehension, the comprehension of people around you who will question your moves but keep going towards the mark of your high calling to servanthood. Be faithful, be reliable, be responsible, trustworthy and be focused.