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In this Part 3 of The Servant series we narrow the focus on verses 7 and 8 of Luke chapter 17, the parable of the Servant and the Master, discussed in Part 2. We discuss in greater depth what (or should we say Who), where and how it is, that we serve God in spirit. We discover that God has an order of things that work in our favour as we give Him first place, i.e. when we feed the Master first.  We also discover that the best thing we can serve up to God and others is what He Himself has already given us! What a Lord! He has supplied but where do we find it? What fields do we labour in that we might bring something satisfying for Him to eat?

We draw on some New and Old Testament scriptures as well as a couple of personal experiences that highlight what this means and what it can look like in our daily life as individual christians as well as corporately –  how we meet with other saints, serving Christ in His body members. How altogether different serving Him in spirit is to what many of us have known in the past and what a wonderful reality that God has given us a spirit in which to know Him this way. As family of God, it is what we long for because its what we’ve been made for.

As in all areas of growth, awareness is one thing but its quite another for that awareness to become our experience, right? So towards the end we suggest some practical help from resources that have helped us in getting to know the Lord more in spirit.  We’re certain these resources will be a great help to you as you hunger and thirst to know the Lord this way. So let’s take this journey together, deeper into knowing and serving the Lord in spirit.

Resource Links

To view our Web Site Resource page Click here otherwise click on links below:

– Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ by Jeanne Guyon

– The Temple Within by Milt Rodriguez

– 100 Days in the Secret Place compiled by Gene Edwards

– Living By The Indwelling Life of Christ course by Frank Viola

Scripture References

Luke 17:7-10   Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down to eat’? “But will he not say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink’? “He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? “So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’” 

Numbers 18:28  Thus you shall also offer a heave offering to the LORD from all your tithes which you receive from the children of Israel, and you shall give the LORD’s heave offering from it to Aaron the priest.

1 Chronicles 29:6-17  6 Then the leaders of the households, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly. 7Toward the service of God’s house they gave 5,000 talentsc and 10,000 darics of gold,d 10,000 talents of silver,e 18,000 talents of bronze,f and 100,000 talents of iron.g 8Whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the LORD, under the care of Jehielh the Gershonite. 9And the people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given to the LORD freely and wholeheartedly. And King David also rejoiced greatly.

David’s Prayer of Blessing

10Then David blessed the LORD in the sight of all the assembly and said:

“May You be blessed, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.

11Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in heaven and on earth belongs to You.

Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. 12Both riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler over all. In Your hands are power and might to exalt and give strength to all.

13Now therefore, our God, we give You thanks, and we praise Your glorious name. 14But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from You, and from Your own hand we have given to You. 15For we are foreigners and strangers in Your presence, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.

16O LORD our God, from Your hand comes all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy Name, and all of it belongs to You. 17I know, my God, that You test the heart and delight in uprightness. All these things I have given willingly and with an upright heart, and now I have seen Your people who are present here giving joyfully and willingly to You.

1 Cor 15:45  So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a life-giving soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

1 John 1:1-3  What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ

John 3:6  “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.