Reasonable and Well-Pleasing Service  

I. The service we render to God must be reasonable and well-pleasing. – Rom. 12:1-2

     A. We must offer ourselves, our bodies, as a living sacrifice; then we can offer materially. – Phil. 4:18         
     B. Our mind must be renewed, so that our soul may be transformed; then we can be like-souled in the gospel work, in the fellowship among the believers, in the pursuing of the Lord’s interest, and in the Body life. – Phil. 2:20 and footnote
     C. Our spirit must obey the leading of the Spirit; then we can bear the fruit of the Spirit. – Rom. 8:14; Gal. 5:16, 18, 22-25

II. The serving person must be one who has the up-to-date vision, the proper living, and the adequate responsibility. – Col. 3:23-24

    A. Our vision is God’s economy and God’s dispensing; Christ as our life, and the Church as our living. – Eph. 1:9-11; 3:9-11; Eph. 5:25, 29
    B. The proper living must be one that submits to the Head, and has vertical fellowship with the Father and with the Son, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit –Eph. 5:24; 1 Cor. 1:9; 1 John 1:3; 2 Cor. 13:14
    C. The proper living must be one that honors the Body, and has horizontal fellowship with the members of the Body, the fellowship of the apostles – 1 Cor. 12:12; 20-27; Acts 2:42
    D. Our responsibility is to carry out God’s divine economy according to the God-ordained way.
          1.     Begetting – “…in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.” – 1 Cor. 4:15
          2.     Nourishing – “…being nourished with the words of the faith…” – 1 Tim. 4:6
          3.     Perfecting – “For the perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry...” – Eph. 4:12
          4.     Building – “…but he who prophesies builds up the church.” – 1 Cor. 14:3-4 
      E. One who serves is a person in Christ, summarized in Bro. Watchman Nee’s words:

      “God gives importance to what we are more than what we do. The genuine work is the flowing of life. The service that counts is always the living out of Christ. To offer oneself to God is not to work for God, but to let God work. Whoever does not let God work can never work for God.”

III. Every believer in Christ is qualified to serve and must learn how to serve.

     A. Every saved person has the life and organic ability to serve. – 1 Cor. 12:7-11; 14:26; 1 Pet. 4:10 

     B. All believers, without exception, must be vital functioning members of the Body, laboring priests of the gospel, fruit-bearing branches on the vine, and living stones for the building of God’s house and His kingdom. – Rom. 12:4-8; 15:16; John 15:16; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Rev. 1:6; 5:10

     C. Service requires the practical oneness, one accord, and one-another.

         1. Oneness is the Triune God Himself. The practical oneness is the One Spirit for the One Body. – John 17:21-23; Eph. 4:3-4a
         2. The one accord is the condition of being in harmony, being attuned in the same mind and opinion, having the same love, joined in soul, to produce a symphony, a harmonious blending of musical sound; to sound the one trumpet. – 1 Cor. 1:10; 14:8; Phil. 2:1-2
         3. The Lord commanded us to “love one another” (John 15:17, footnote; 13:14). The apostle Paul charged us to admonish one another (Rom. 15:14), through love serve one another (Gal. 5:13), be kind to one another, bearing one
another and forgiving one another (Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13), speak to, teach and admonish one another (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16), comfort one another, and build up each one the other (1 Thes. 5:11), wait for one another (1 Cor. 11:33); not 
provoking, envying, biting, devouring one another (Gal. 5:15, 26), but having the same care for one another (1 Cor. 12:25).