He Serves Us First

He Serves Us First
 
Scripture Focus
 
Mark 10:45 (NASB 1995)
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
 
 
 
Sermon Reflection – He Served Us First
 
Church, we have been walking through what it means to walk by the Spirit. We examined our time, our treasure, and now our talent, our spiritual gifts. But underneath all of that is one foundational truth:
 
The gift was never about you.
 
“Walking by the Spirit means using your gift to serve others, motivated by love, because you remember how God first served you.”  Before we ever lifted a finger in ministry, God was already serving us. The Father serves us daily. He sustains us. He opens His hand and satisfies. You woke up this morning because He served you. The Father served us eternally by giving His Son. Not spare. Not surplus. Not extra. His only begotten Son. The Son served us by giving His life as a ransom. He did not come to climb a throne. He came to carry a cross. The Spirit serves us by dwelling within us. Not visiting. Not temporary. He abides. He empowers. He strengthens.
 
Serving did not originate in the church.
Serving originated in God.
 
And here is the danger: if we forget grace, our service becomes mechanical. We begin to serve in the church instead of serving from the gospel. When we forget what we’ve received, we start serving to earn, to impress, or to be seen.
 
But when we remember He served us first, service becomes worship.
 
 
 
How I Should Respond
 
I must ask myself honestly:
 
Am I serving to earn recognition, or am I serving because I have received mercy?
Have I drifted from gratitude into obligation?
Have I stopped serving altogether, even though I have been served so deeply by God?
If I have been sustained by the Father, redeemed by the Son, and empowered by the Spirit, how can I withhold myself from the body?
 
I do not serve to become loved. I serve because I already am.
I do not serve to earn grace.I serve because grace has been poured out.
 
Today, I will remember. And from that place of memory, I will serve with love.
 
 
 
Weekly Prayer
 
Father, thank You for serving me before I ever served You.
Thank You for sustaining me daily.
Thank You for giving Your Son for my eternal salvation.
Thank You, Jesus, for giving Your life as my ransom.
Holy Spirit, thank You for dwelling within me and empowering me to obey.
 
Forgive me for the times I have served mechanically, pridefully, or conditionally. Restore in me the joy of gratitude. Help me to serve from the gospel, not from pressure. Let my obedience be an expression of love. Shape my heart so that my service reflects Yours.
 
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
 
 
 
Application for the Week – 5 Day Plan
 
Day 1 – Remember Daily Grace
 
Read Psalm 145:14–16.
 
Reflect on how the Father sustains you daily.
Write down three ways God has served you this week through provision, protection, or strength.
 
Gratitude fuels service.
 
 
 
Day 2 – Reflect on Saving Grace
 
Read John 3:16 and Romans 5:8.
 
Spend time meditating on what it cost the Father to give His Son.
Ask yourself: Am I living like someone who understands that love gives?
 
Let the cross reshape your motivation.
 
 
 
Day 3 – Look at the Example of Christ
 
Read Mark 10:45 and Philippians 2:5–8.
 
Where are you clinging to your rights?
Where might Christ be calling you to humble yourself?
 
Choose one act of hidden service today. Do it without announcing it.
 
 
 
Day 4 – Depend on the Spirit
 
Read John 14:15–16.
 
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you have been serving in your own strength.
Invite Him to empower your obedience, especially in difficult relationships.
 
You are not left to serve alone.
 
 
 
Day 5 – Take Action in the Body
 
Read 1 Peter 4:10.
 
Identify one specific way you can serve in the church or in your home this week.
If you are already serving, revisit your heart posture.
If you are not serving, take a step toward involvement.
 
Belonging means participating. The body moves when its members move.
 
 
 
Final Thought
 
He opened His hand to sustain you.
He opened Heaven to save you.
He opened His arms on the cross to redeem you.
He opened your heart through His Spirit to dwell within you.
 
So how can we close our hands?
 
We do not serve to become loved.
We serve because we already are.
 
He served us first.