Should I serve God? How can I tell others?

Step 8

As you grow in your Christian life, there is a shift that should take place. For a short time after being saved, you will spend most of your time receiving from others, but eventually, you should shift your focus from being served to serving others.

It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Ultimately, we heard the gospel of Jesus Christ because someone decided to serve God and share their faith. Once you are saved, it's your responsibility to do that for someone else.

Serve God

The Christian life is not meant to be passive. Churches are full of people who show up on Sundays, watch people sing songs, listen to preaching, enjoy the benefits of their church, and go home thinking that they are living the Christian life. Biblically, they are missing the mark.

God didn’t save you just to:

Attend church
Listen to singing
Hear sermons
Grow privately

He saved you to follow Jesus and be conformed to his image. Jesus had every right to come down to earth demanding worship and service (he is the King of Kings), but instead, he came as a servant. If we are going to be good Christians, we should do the same. You serve by using your life to honor God and help others.

Ephesians 2:10 - “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Where Do You Serve?

Although there are many different places that you can serve, the primary place is your local church. When you serve under the umbrella of your local church, it allows you to be organized, efficient, and part of other believers who share common goals.

Ways to serve:

Helping with practical needs

Supporting church ministries

Encouraging other believers

Assisting the pastor

You don’t need a title or position.

You just need a willingness to be used.

The Best Ability is Availability

Many people hesitate to serve because they feel unqualified. They think that they can't serve God unless they graduate from Bible college or have some fancy certification. But all throughout the Bible, God used people who are willing, faithful, available.

1 Corinthians 4:2 - “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

Start small... you don’t need to do everything.

One area
One opportunity
One step of obedience

Where do you start?

Sit down and talk with your pastor. Tell him that you would like to serve somewhere and see if there is a need that you can fill in the church. Don't be picky... serving requires humility. If you need help finding a good church, check out Step 2: Find a Biblical Church.

Share the Gospel

Every believer has a responsibility to share the message of salvation. Before salvation, you were being blinded by Satan. Since you were blind, you were unable to see truth. But once someone gave you the gospel and you placed your faith in Jesus, you can now see the truth of God's word. Now that you can spiritually see, it is your responsibility to bring those who can't see to Jesus.

2 Corinthians 4:4 - "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

What Is the Gospel?

Jesus Christ died for our sins
He was buried
He rose again
He did it all for you

1 Corinthians 15:1-4

1) Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2) By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

3) For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4) And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Why Share the Gospel?

There are billions of lost people in the world today. Today, they woke up in spiritual darkness without any hope. They practice their false religion, listen to the words of their dead religious founder, and try their best to escape hell... but they don't know what Jesus did for them. These people cannot believe if they do not hear.

Romans 10:17 - “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

There are people all around you who:

Don’t know the truth
Have never heard the gospel clearly
Are relying in something else to get them to heaven

How to Start

You don’t need to be an expert. Most Christians never share their faith because they don't know what to say or they are scared of failing. Fortunately, our job is not to save people... we can't even save ourselves. Our job is to tell people about Jesus and what he did for us. We can't control the results. We just need to give the information in a way that it can be received clearly.

Start with:

Your testimony (what Christ has done for you)

Simple truth from the Bible

Don’t Let Fear Stop You

It’s normal to feel nervous, but remember... We are commanded to tell others. Just like anything else, the first time is the hardest time. The more you do it, the easier it will become for you. Since God commands it, he will help you along the way.

Mark 16:15 - “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Serving and sharing should become part of your life. You'll be surprised how many opportunities show up when you start looking for them.

Look for opportunities:

At church
At work
With friends and family

Keep Growing

If you never serve God or share the gospel, your growth will become stagnant and your faith will remain inward, instead of outward. After salvation, it's important that you grow. At first, not much is expected from you, but over time, a healthy Christian should grow. Serving God and sharing your faith is a natural part of the development process.

When you decide to live for others:

Your faith becomes active
Your purpose becomes clear
Your impact grows

Your Next Step

Make plans to take one step this week. Talk with you pastor about serving in some way. Pray for God's help and share the gospel with someone. Start slow and simple... just start. Once you get going, the next time will always be easier.

You’ve now walked through the foundational steps of the Christian life. Did you miss something? Click on any of the links below to learn more about these topics:

This is not the end—it’s the beginning.

Continue growing, learning, and living for God.

Do you want weekly help with living the Christian life? Check out the Bible Basics Blog.

We'd love to hear from you!

Do you have questions about what you just read?

Do you need help finding a good church in your area?

Fill out the form below and let us know about it! We'd love to help you grow closer to God!