8) Servant Gift – Helper 22%

Rom 12:7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching;

The word for service is diakonos and means attendant or waiter. The simplest term would be servant. It is the same word where we get deacon. There is the office of a deacon and a servant’s passion. When the Bible describes Phoebe as a "servant" of the church, the word is diakonos. The same word means the office of a deacon in 1 Tim 3:12 Let deacons be husbands of {only} one wife, {and} good managers of {their} children and their own households." The context determines it and in Romans 12:7, it means service and not deacon.

The servant is the one that gets things done in the church. Being the largest group in the church, they are the ones that give the outsiders the best look at the church. The servants are the souls of the congregation that joyfully provide the maintenance for the others. We all have the obligation to serve, but the one with the servant gift can’t seem to get enough for the most part.

Nobody understood the servant concept any better than Jesus. Listen to the words of Jesus in John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another." Do you remember what Jesus was doing prior to this? That is right! He was washing the disciple’s feet. This was the work of a servant. Jesus was a true servant. Mark 10:45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

The soul with the gift of service focuses on the one another verses:

• Rom 12:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;
• Rom 13:8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled {the} law.
• Rom 14:19 So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.
• Gal 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only {do} not {turn} your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
• Heb 10:24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,

Some examples of servants:

Anna

• Luke 2:36-37 "Anna...never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers."

Martha

• Luke 10:38-42 Now as they were traveling along, He entered a certain village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. ³⁹ And she had a sister called Mary, who moreover was listening to the Lord's word, seated at His feet. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up {to Him,} and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." ⁴¹ But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; ⁴² but {only} a few things are necessary, really {only} one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

Phoebe

• Rom 16:1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea;

Signs of Maturity

1. Creative
   1. They usually work well with their hands.
   2. They usually are resourceful with their means.
   3. They usually are good at meeting needs.
2. Spirituality
   1. They generally pray more.
   2. They generally fellowship more.
   3. They generally are more patient.
3. Work ethic
   1. They are thorough in their efforts.
   2. They are involved with anonymity.
   3. They are pleasant in their service.

Signs of Immaturity

1. Overworked
   1. They tend not to be able to say "NO".
   2. They tend to take on too much.
   3. They tend to take on impossible tasks.
2. Emotions
   1. They tend to be talkative.
   2. They tend to be depressed.
   3. They tend to be subjective.
3. Personality
   1. They tend to micromanage others.
   2. They tend to be indecisive.
   3. They tend to be overly passive.

Some ways to obtain joy with this gift

1. Make someone a meal and take it to their home.
2. Open your home for studies and meals.
3. Be the first in line to assist someone in moving or some other undesirable job.
4. Be a fix it person for things in the church.
5. Help some widows with some of the responsibilities they have.
6. Volunteer to be a chaperone at a youth function.
7. Ask leaders for opportunities to serve, then follow-up on them.
8. Work in a food bank, stacking and delivering groceries.
9. Share in the responsibilities of the church bulletin and directories.
10. Be involved in song leading and nursery.