1.  The apostles & prophets of Christ regarded themselves as His servants (Paul, Rom. 1:1; Timothy, Phil. 1:1; James 1:1; Peter - 2 Pet. 1:1; Jude 1)

2.  Every Christian is a servant of God - Rom. 6:22.

3.  A person can serve either sin or righteousness - Rom. 6:15-18.  We cannot serve both at the same time - Matt. 6:24.

4.  What is a servant? doulos {doo'-los}

  a.  a slave, bondman, man of servile condition (1 Cor. 7:21).

  b.  metaph., one who gives himself up wholly to another’s will (1 Cor. 7:23).

  c.  devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests (Matt. 20:27-28).

5.  How do we become servants of Christ?  What must we serve (and not serve)?  What must characterize our service?

I.  BECOMING SERVANTS OF CHRIST.

  A.  We Have Been Bought With A Price - 1 Cor. 6:19-20; 7:23.

    1.  As a master purchased servants, so Christ, by His blood, has purchased us to be His servants - 1 Pet. 1:18-21.

    2.  Therefore, our duty is to Christ - 1 Cor. 7:23.

  B.  We Must Present (Offer, Yield) Ourselves To Christ As His Servants - Rom. 6:16.

    1.  Not a forced purchase!

    2.  6:17-18 - Transaction occurs when we obey from the heart the gospel!

      a.  To "do sin" makes one a bondservant of sin - Jno. 8:34.

      b.  Likewise, to "do righteousness" makes one a servant of it - 1 Jno. 2:29.

II.  CHRISTIANS MUST NOT SERVE:

  A.  Sin - Rom. 6:1, 19-23 (6:11-14); Jno. 8:34.

    1.  A conscious decision & effort of our part to not obey its lusts.

    2.  Will we sin? Yes. Will we serve sin? No! - 1 Jno. 1:6; 2:1-2.

    3.  The wages of sin is death - Rom. 6:23.

  B.  Mammon - Matt. 6:24. (Money, treasure, riches - Materialism).

    1.  1 Tim. 6:9-10 - "Minded to be rich" makes us servants of $.

    2.  Matt. 6:25 - These things are not as important as you are!  (Matt. 16:26).

  C.  Their Own Belly (Given Up To Selfish Pleasure & Desire) - Rom. 16:18; cf. Titus 3:1-3. (False teaching, 6:17; malice, hatred - 3:3)

  D.  The Creature Rather Than The Creator - Rom. 1:25.

    1.  By exchanging His truth for the lies of man - 1:25 (19).

    2.  By making God after our own image - 1:22-23.

III.  CHRISTIANS MUST SERVE:

  A.  God - Matt. 4:10; 1 Ths. 1:9; Heb. 9:14 (Matt. 22:37).

  B.  Christ - Jno. 12:26.

    1.  With sacrifice - 12:25.

    2.  When we forego our liberties - Rom. 14:16-18.

    3.  And when we stand in sound doctrine - Rom. 16:17-18.

  C.  Righteousness - Rom. 6:19-22.

    1.  Sanctified (set apart) from sin’s dominion (6:14).

    2.  Using the word of God - 2 Tim. 3:16-17.

  D.  One Another - Gal. 5:13; 6:2 (Matt. 20:26-27; 25:40).

    1.  The spiritually weak - cf. 1 Ths. 5:14.

    2.  The spiritually strong - cf. 2 Tim. 4:16 (1 Ths. 5:14-15).

  E.  All Men - Gal. 6:10; 1 Ths. 5:15.

IV.  OUR SERVICE TO GOD MUST BE CHARACTERIZED BY:

  A.  A Willing Mind - 2 Cor. 8:12. (Not forced, coerced)

  B.  Devotion - cf. Phil. 2:19-22.

  C.  Humility - 1 Pet. 5:5 (Acts 20:19).

  D.  Sacrifice - Matt. 20:28.

  E.  Reverence - Heb. 12:28-29.

Conclusion

Matt. 24:45-51 - Servants will be judged & rewarded by their Master, Jesus Christ!