Overview
Rev. Rico Magnelli examines “Service Through Grace” through Matthew 11, Galatians 5, Luke 10, 2 Timothy 2, showing how grace, service, christ shape a believer’s relationship with God, daily choices, and service to others.
Transcript
Understanding Service Through Grace
Service through grace begins with life through grace and freedom through grace. Each of these, life, freedom, and service, they build one upon the other. Service through grace is our freedom in action.
Our labors in Christ produce a rest to our souls because the heavy lifting of service was already accomplished by Christ. Service through grace must include an identity in Christ. And here in Matthew chapter 11, we see in verse 28, Jesus Christ says, come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.
The world will not give you rest. Worldly practices and ideas will not give you rest. And this is what we need is this rest to our souls when it comes to service.
He says, take my yoke upon you. That yoke is what couples two together. It’s like a coupling.
We’re yoked to the master. He says, take my yoke upon you and learn of me. For I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. We are yoked, if you will. We’re coupled.
We’re tied to his accomplished work. Then we share that good news with others. But it requires us being linked, being identified with Christ.
Service on behalf of Christ without Christ is empty. And it is without true satisfaction. It requires us to stay yoked with the master.
Look at Galatians chapter 5, please. Service through grace begins with life through grace and freedom through grace. In Galatians chapter 5, we read these verses last time, but I want to look at them again in light of service.
Galatians 5, verse 1. Stand fast therefore in the liberty or the freedom wherewith Christ has made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Here’s another yoke. Here’s another coupling.
Here’s something else that we can be tied to. What this is referring to, it’s being tied to one’s own works to be right with God. It’s a yoke of bondage.
But that’s not what God wants for us. He wants us to stand fast or stand firm in the liberty or the freedom wherewith Christ has made us free. One of the reasons why many get frustrated, burned out, or lose interest in service is God is not involved in what they’re doing.
The Biblical Foundation
That’s right. They may have a semblance, they may have techniques, they may have practices that they’re accustomed to, habits and so forth, but more than likely God is not involved and his grace is not guiding them. See, Christ has become of no effect.
They’ve fallen down from grace when works are the backdrop of our service. It goes on to say in verse 2, Behold, I, Paul, say unto you that if you be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing. Christ profits the individual nothing if the individual is yoked to that bondage.
For I testify again to every man that is circumcised that he’s a debtor to do the whole law. Christ has become of no effect unto you. Christ is of no profit, no gain, and he’s become of no effect, which means to make useless.
It means to be separated from Christ. And in our day, and in our vernacular, we could say that Christ has been cancelled. That’s right.
No effect. Ye that are fallen from grace or fall down from grace. God wants us to stand.
Look at Luke chapter 10, please. Service through grace must involve God and Jesus Christ is our connection to God. Luke chapter 10.
A familiar section. Jesus Christ in Luke 10 verse 38. That came to pass as they went that he, Jesus, entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard his word. But Martha was covered about much serving. Her focus was herself, and came to him and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her, or command her, therefore, that she help me.
What is the focus of her service? Her. And what she’s doing. Jesus very kindly redirects her.
And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful, or anxious, and troubled, or crowded in your own mind about many things. But one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her. See, too many Christians do much activity and focus on their own works, and not on the work of Christ.
Now I know that sounds very simple to say, but it’s really important for us to register and recognize our own fruit, and certainly surrounding ourselves with people that love us and will be honest with us about our own fruit. Because service that is anxious, service that is crowded in our minds, often our focus is in the wrong place. We become anxious when we lose sight of the Master.
The key to service is to focus on Christ, because he is the great burden bearer. Christ brings rest to your soul when you’re yoked to him. What ends up happening is people develop a repertoire, people develop skills and techniques and service, and they leave God out.
Look at 2nd Corinthians chapter 12, please. Here in this section, the Apostle Paul is serving, and he has a major challenge that he brings to the Lord, and this is the response in 2nd Corinthians chapter 12, verse 7. Unless I should be exalted above measure, through the abundance of the revelations there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan, to buffet me. We know this was people that were opposing his ministry.
Examples and Spiritual Lessons
Lest I should be exalted above measure, for this thing I have sought the Lord thrice, three times, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace, my grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
The answer is, grace is sufficient. Are we accessing that grace, or are we relying on our own ability, our own personality, our own techniques, our own ways of doing things, rather than the grace of God? See, our own ability and strength will fail. We need grace to be strong enough to serve.
That’s when there’s great impact, and God can impress that grace upon us. See, the weakness here is you can only take things so far with your ability, your knowledge, your personality. When we rely on God and the grace that is in Christ Jesus, we have the strength that we need, and we will not fail, and we will not faint.
That’s right. Even when circumstances of service are challenging, and there’s no question about it, we each have faced challenging situations in service. When we partner with God in our heart, there is something that we sense deep inside our heart that is real.
It’s almost tangible, something that we may not be able to always articulate, perhaps. That’s grace. Grace is that signature and unmistakable involvement of God in our life.
We know he’s there, and what links us to this grace is Christ. Service can quickly become a conveyor belt, quickly, where we just go through the motions, but that’s not grace. Then we’re relying on our own ability and our own knowledge.
Look at 2 Timothy, please. In 2 Timothy chapter 2, Paul encourages his protege Timothy, in 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 1, Thou therefore my son be strong in the grace that’s in Christ Jesus. That’s where our strength comes from.
That’s when we don’t think. Now we get tired, oh absolutely, go to bed and we’re ready for sleep, but we’re not going to throw in the towel on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We’re not ready to turn our back on God and Jesus Christ and what has been accomplished for us.
No, no, no, no. See, when the grace of God is guiding us, there is an amazing sense of his participation in our life, and when he’s involved, there is a strength that just cannot be deterred, because it comes from God. We are strong in the grace, and then that allows us to do verse 2, and the things that thou has heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit that a faithful man who shall be able to teach others also.
We can work with individuals. That’s right. It’s strength through grace is how the message of Christ is carried from one to another.
It’s not about works. It’s about that favor of God that is there present with us in each and every situation. Back to Galatians chapter 5, please.
Each of us needs reminders. Each of us needs encouragement. Each of us needs to rub shoulders with the household of faith.
Faith in Action
Each of us needs to sharpen iron with iron. Each of us needs it. No one is an island.
We all need it, and this is one way that we can serve one another. It says in Galatians chapter 5, verse 13, for brethren, you’ve been called unto liberty. There’s the freedom.
We’ve been called to freedom. We’ve been called to freedom. God doesn’t call you to bondage.
He calls you to freedom. Only use, not liberty, freedom for an occasion to the flesh. No.
The carnal mind is enmity against God. But what are we to do? But by love serve one another. That’s right.
Freedom in Christ is based on our living our salvation, and it leads to serving one another in love. It’s an organic spiritual progression. That’s right.
The more grace that we put on, the stronger we get. That means the less we rely on our ability, our personality, our knowledge, and all of that stuff. It doesn’t mean you throw that out.
It means you don’t rely on it. You don’t trust it. You trust God.
The more we do that, we get stronger and stronger in grace. God can open up amazing doors and avenues to help one another. Like we’ve mentioned before, some think freedom means independence from submitting to anything and anyone.
That’s not true. That’s the way of the world. But freedom in Christ is understood as an interdependence in the Christian family.
We need each other to help draw us away from a self-centered life. Service has more to do with attitude than any action that we take. The attitudes that are fueled by his grace move us in the right direction.
Look at Luke, please. Luke chapter 2. We’re to be yoked to the master. What did he do? How did he develop? Well, he applied wisdom, and he was full of wisdom.
Walking in Love and Confidence
And one of the great aspects of wisdom that I would encourage any person that is interested in service would be get God involved. That’s wisdom. You can do it through prayer is a great way to do it.
You can do it by casting your care to him. You can do it by not relying on any five senses thing, but trusting in him. But getting God involved is a key.
And we see this with Jesus Christ in Luke chapter 2, verse 40, speaking of him. And the child grew, verse 40 of Luke 2, and waxed strong in spirit or spiritually. Look at this, filled with wisdom, filled with it.
He was full of wisdom. He had an understanding and application of what to do and what not to do. And where did it lead him? And the grace of God was upon him.
That’s right. The grace of God was upon him, upon Jesus Christ. Amazing.
This is not an isolated idea. Look at Acts chapter 6. What was the criteria 12 apostles delineated in order to choose out seven individuals to serve? Well, in Acts chapter 6, this is what it says in verse 3. Wherefore, brethren, the apostle said, looking at among you seven men of honest report, full of Holy Spirit and wisdom or spiritual wisdom. Spiritual wisdom.
That’s the wisdom that comes from God, whom we may appoint over this business. This is fantastic. Full of spiritual wisdom.
See, that’s what they wanted to identify among the group. And then they chose seven and they prayed. They had the environment that was mutually beneficial and collaborative.
They prayed and worked together. Why are we talking about wisdom when it comes to service? Because when it comes to service, it’s not your preference or mine. It’s not your skill set or mine.
It’s what does God want? What is the wisdom of God in this situation? That’s what we’re after. And the more we hone ourselves in this, we are tapping into the grace of God. That’s right.
Look at James. When it comes to service, we want the wisdom from above. That’s what we’re looking for.
Each of us have our own lives and our own sphere of influence. And there’s many issues and things and people that we have contact with and connect with. The wisdom of God is like a fountain.
Applying the Teaching in Daily Life
It never is exhausted. You can ask him all the time. You can ask him questions every single day, 10 times a day, 100 times on one topic if you want.
Why would we not tap into that? That’s another reason why people have challenge, undue challenge, let me put it that way, unnecessary challenge when it comes to service. They don’t ask God. They don’t go to God.
They don’t get God involved. And therefore, his grace doesn’t guide them. In James chapter 3, in verse 17, but the wisdom that is from above is first pure.
So it has no contamination in it. It’s pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated. It’s full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisy.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. If the wisdom from above isn’t what we’re seeking, then service is going to fall flat. We can’t just keep doing the same things rote, day in and day out, week in week out, that are not producing the right fruit.
And that’s where you have to be good at reading fruit, starting with yourself. See, wisdom and guidance from God are inspired. And they’re not forced.
Oftentimes, people try to force service. And that’s why they get frustrated. They see something, and perhaps the timing is not right in a situation, and they still try to force it.
And it does not produce the best results. All this is involved with grace. This is how Jesus Christ grew up.
He grew up advancing in wisdom. And he had grace with God and man. He grew because he sought the wisdom of God.
That is grace. With grace, there will always be a sense of deep satisfaction, a settling in the heart, that peace on the inside, knowing we’re responding to him. Even if it’s a challenging situation, eventually that peace, like it says right here, that fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
We’re looking for that result, and that will be there. It’s not necessarily it comes when you expect it. It’ll be there, though.
And that’s part of how God supplies what we need in service. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 3, please. And we’ll close there.
Getting God involved is wisdom. And the way that he gets involved in our life is through his grace, his favor. And we partner with him in everything.
A Life Shaped by God’s Word
The Corinthian church was having some trouble, and they were factioning off, following this person and this group, following this person and this group. And that’s not the way of the Lord. In 1 Corinthians chapter 3, in verse 6, Paul writes, I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.
So yes, we partner with other believers, other ministers, absolutely. But it’s still ultimately God that gives the increase in our service and in the increase of the word. So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth, but God giveth the increase.
There it says it again. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one. And every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.
God does give us incentive for service. Oh, absolutely he does. For we are laborers together with God.
I don’t know, but that’s maybe one of the most powerful statements in terms of service huh? We are fellow laborers together with God. You’re God’s husbandry, you’re God’s building. According to the grace of God, which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation and another buildeth thereupon.
Absolutely. Sometimes you’re laying the foundation and somebody else builds. Sometimes they lay the foundation and then you’re building on that.
I have laid the foundation and another buildeth thereon, but let every man take heed how we build it thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. The spiritual recognition of his involvement is part of how we experience grace.
His involvement in our life on a day-by-day basis is how we experience grace or one way. When God is involved, a sense of obligation and service gets replaced by a sense of satisfaction. That satisfaction that we have responded to him, that we’ve responded to him.
And as we read in Matthew 25, 21, those wonderful words spoken by Jesus Christ, his Lord said unto him, well done thou good and faithful servant. Thou have been faithful over a few things. I will make thee ruler over many things.
Enter thou into the joy of the Lord. Service does produce joy. So service through grace is built upon life through grace, freedom through grace, and service through grace is inspired.
It’s unforced. It’s collaborative. We work together and it’s mutually beneficial.
The key is each of us stays yoked to the master and service through grace is definitely our freedom in Christ in action one toward another. So may God in his graciousness continue to open doors for us that we may partner with him as we live and share his grace through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Key Takeaways
- The key is each of us stays yoked to the master and service through grace is definitely our freedom in Christ in action one toward another.
- Service through grace must involve God and Jesus Christ is our connection to God.
- So service through grace is built upon life through grace, freedom through grace, and service through grace is inspired.
- Service through grace begins with life through grace and freedom through grace.
- Service through grace must include an identity in Christ.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main message of “Service Through Grace”?
Rev. Rico Magnelli examines “Service Through Grace” through Matthew 11, Galatians 5, Luke 10, 2 Timothy 2, showing how grace, service, christ shape a believer’s relationship with God, daily choices, and service to others.
Which scriptures are central to this teaching?
The teaching draws especially from Matthew 11, Galatians 5, Luke 10, 2 Timothy 2, Luke 2.
How can believers apply this teaching?
Believers can receive the truth presented, verify it in Scripture, and put it into practice with faith, humility, love, and consistent action.
Scripture References
Matthew 11; Galatians 5; Luke 10; 2 Timothy 2; Luke 2; Acts 6
This text was prepared from the teaching audio or source document. Please verify scripture references against your own Bible.
