Serving Christ, Not People: Heart, Attitude, Reward

Sep 13, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Serving Beyond Applause: The Heart’s True Audience

When a child scans the crowd for his father’s approval, he reveals a universal hunger—not just for recognition, but for meaningful witness. This devotional confronts the tension between human validation and divine purpose. Every act of service—whether sweeping floors or leading ministries—carries hidden motives. Scripture redirects our gaze: applause fades, but eternal rewards remain. What if our work became worship when done for unseen eyes? The story of the boy waiting for his delayed father mirrors our struggle to trust God’s gaze over fleeting approval. [39:41]

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
(Colossians 3:23-24, ESV)

Reflection: When did you last adjust your efforts because someone was watching? How might your hands move differently if Christ alone sat in your front row?

Day 2: The Grumbling Server: When Attitude Taints the Meal

A restaurant server’s scowl poisons the meal, proving that how we serve matters as much as what we do. Bitterness in ministry—whether counting solos or resenting unpaid labor—corrodes joy. Paul insists service must flow from the soul, not obligation. The elderly church cleaner models this: her broom worshipped as she prepared God’s house, not her reputation. Attitude transforms routine into sacrament. [57:53]

“Render service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man.”
(Ephesians 6:7, ESV)

Reflection: Where has resentment quietly replaced your zeal? What one act of service can you reapproach today with fresh joy, as a gift to Christ?

Day 3: Applause Delayed, Not Denied: Joseph’s Unseen Seasons

Joseph’s prison years prepared him for palace stewardship, proving God’s rewards outpace human timelines. The sermon warns against quitting when titles or thanks don’t come. Like saints who cleaned sanctuaries before social media, we’re called to faithfulness in obscurity. Heaven’s ledger notes what earth overlooks. Your unseen labor builds eternal weight. [01:01:12]

“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
(Galatians 1:10, ESV)

Reflection: What hidden act of obedience have you undervalued? How might trusting God’s timing reframe your frustration into anticipation?

Day 4: Crucify or Hosanna: When Crowds Turn

Jesus healed critics and fed deserters, anchored to His Father’s approval. The sermon contrasts fickle crowds with God’s steady gaze. Like the Savior who sweated blood in Gethsemane, we’re called to serve even when betrayed or misunderstood. Human praise shifts like desert winds; divine purpose stands firm. [01:05:05]

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”
(Matthew 6:1, ESV)

Reflection: When have others’ opinions derailed your obedience? What step can you take today to recenter on Christ’s “well done” over others’ approval?

Day 5: Broom Theology: Sacred Work in Unseen Corners

The elderly woman cleaning empty pews embodied worship without witnesses. Her broom declared: “This is the Lord’s house.” Every mundane task—paid or unpaid, noticed or ignored—becomes holy when offered to Christ. The sermon reframes slavery’s exploitation into a radical call: serve masters as if serving Heaven’s King. Your daily labor echoes eternity. [49:15]

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
(1 Corinthians 15:58, ESV)

Reflection: What routine task feels insignificant? How might infusing it with prayer transform it into an act of communion with God?

Sermon Summary

Paul’s words in Colossians 3:23-24 put one question in front of every act of service: Who are you doing it for? The text reaches from the choir stand to the usher board, from the communion table to the workplace, from caring for family to helping somebody who cannot repay. The call is not merely to do good things, but to do “whatsoever” comes to hand heartily, as unto the Lord and not unto man.

The danger of a human audience is that people gain control over commitment. People’s praise can make a servant proud, their criticism can make a servant quit, their neglect can make a servant bitter, and their inconsistency can make a servant inconsistent. Human applause shifts too fast. The same crowd that cried Hosanna also cried, “Crucify him.” God’s judgment, however, does not shift with the room, the title, the program, the social media post, or the thank you that never comes.

The call to examine the audience leads straight into the call to examine the attitude. “Heartily” means from the soul, from the inner person, with sincerity and wholeheartedness. God is concerned not only with what gets done, but with how it gets done. Bitterness can make service heavy. A person can volunteer while tearing down the work, sing while angry, serve while complaining, or say yes while the face says, “I wish they had asked somebody else.” The right audience changes the attitude, because fixing the mind on God keeps another person’s bad attitude from contaminating faithful service.

The text also refuses to let Colossians be used as a weapon of exploitation. The call to serve the Lord does not require surrendering truth, boundaries, justice, or dignity. A believer can fight injustice, demand fair treatment, and say, “This is wrong,” while still carrying a Christ-like spirit. God does not ask His people to become wrong because somebody else has done wrong.

The reward comes from the Lord. God keeps a record when people overlook, forget, criticize, or take credit. God knows the sacrifice nobody applauds, the prayer nobody hears, and the work done without plaques, praise, or promotion. Christ stands as the fullest picture of this faithfulness. Jesus served while misunderstood, loved while rejected, prayed while betrayed, and kept going to the cross because His audience was the Father. His blood purchased redemption and repaired the breach between God and humanity. The question remains plain: man will let people down, but service unto God gives strength to keep on.

Key Takeaways

1. Examine who sits in the audience. [44:09] The human audience is dangerous because it can quietly become the master of the heart. Recognition can turn into an addiction, and silence can turn into resentment. God’s approval gives service a steadiness that public opinion cannot provide. [44:09]
2. Serve from the soul, not resentment. [51:11] Wholehearted service is not merely showing up and completing an assignment. God sees the poisonous attitude behind outward faithfulness, as well as the sincere heart behind unnoticed work. Bitterness makes every burden heavier because it keeps the eyes fixed on people instead of God. [51:11]
3. Justice and faithfulness belong together. [55:23] Christ-like service does not mean accepting exploitation or calling wrong things right. Boundaries, truth, and demands for fair treatment can stand alongside a faithful spirit. God calls His people to resist injustice without allowing injustice to remake their hearts. [55:23]
4. God remembers unseen sacrifice and faithfulness. [01:01:12] Human beings may forget who cooked, cleaned, built, prayed, gave, and carried the load. God does not lose the record of work done for His name. Delayed recognition may even become God’s protection, preparing a heart for what greater responsibility requires. [61:12]
5. Christ kept going for the Father. [01:05:27] Jesus did not let betrayal, lies, abandonment, pain, or public hatred stop His obedience. The cross reveals a Savior whose commitment was anchored in the Father’s will rather than the crowd’s response. His faithfulness gives redeemed people both their example and their strength.

## [65:27]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[35:29] - Colossians 3:23-24
[36:14] - Who Are You Doing It For?
[37:38] - Serving for the Lord, Not Praise
[40:17] - Christ Must Be the Center
[42:56] - Examine Your Audience
[44:09] - The Danger of Human Recognition
[50:36] - Examine Your Attitude
[55:10] - Faithfulness Without Exploitation
[59:45] - Expect a Reward From God
[63:42] - Heaven’s Approval Over Human Applause
[64:38] - Jesus Kept Going to the Cross
[70:28] - God Has Been Good
[72:12] - Invitation to Rededication
[75:02] - Prayer and Benediction

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Colossians 3:23-24
“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” [35:47]

Galatians 1:10
“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” [46:03]

Ephesians 6:6-7
“Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:” [46:28]

Matthew 6:1
“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.” [46:14]

Observation questions

In Colossians 3:23-24, what words show that Paul’s instruction reaches beyond one church assignment and includes every part of life?
What are the four ways people can gain control over a person’s commitment when they become the primary audience? [44:37]
According to Ephesians 6:6-7 and Colossians 3:23, what is the difference between serving with “eyeservice” and serving “from the heart”?
What examples show that a person can complete an assignment while carrying a poisoned or resentful attitude? [51:27]

Interpretation questions

Paul says believers serve “the Lord Christ.” How does seeing Christ as the true Master change the way a believer responds when people fail to say thank you or give credit? [42:40]
Galatians 1:10 warns against living to please people. What are some signs that a believer’s service has shifted from pleasing God to gaining visibility, a title, praise, or approval?
Colossians calls believers to serve heartily, yet this passage should not be used to excuse exploitation. How can a believer speak truth, seek fair treatment, and establish boundaries while still keeping a Christ-like spirit? [55:29]
What does the promised “reward of the inheritance” mean for a believer who has been overlooked, criticized, or had someone else take credit for faithful work? [01:00:16]

Application questions

Think about a place where you serve—at church, at work, in your home, or in the community. Whose approval are you most tempted to seek there? What would it look like this week to do that work sincerely unto the Lord? [36:27]
Has someone’s criticism, neglect, or inconsistency caused you to pull back from serving, praying, giving, or helping? What part of that hurt do you need to bring honestly before God? [44:37]
Is there an area where you are doing the right thing outwardly but carrying frustration, jealousy, anger, or resentment inwardly? What could help you serve from the soul rather than merely completing the task? [51:00]
Where do you need a healthy boundary right now? How can you say, “This is wrong,” seek justice, or ask for fair treatment without allowing another person’s wrong actions to make your heart bitter? [55:43]
What unseen sacrifice have you been tempted to stop because nobody noticed it? How does the truth that God keeps a record encourage you to remain faithful? [01:01:08]
Jesus served, loved, prayed, and remained faithful even through rejection, betrayal, and the cross. Which part of Jesus’ example speaks most directly to a struggle you are facing right now? [01:04:44]
What is one practical way the group can encourage someone this week who has been serving faithfully without recognition?

Sermon Clips

44s

#HeavenOverApplause

“When you leave here today, begin to examine your audience. Examine your attitude and expect a reward from god because your audience, your attitude, and the reward are all that god has for you. Somebody has been discouraged because people did not recognize what they've done. You keep waiting for somebody to say thank you. You keep hoping somebody would know. You keep wondering when you get turned on, but maybe god sent this word to shift your eyes. Stop measuring heaven's approval on human applause.”

61s

#DontServeToImpress

“Preachers preach to impress people. Singers sing to impress people. People serve to impress people. People give so their name will be recognized. People work so people will brag about them. People leave because they want a title. People volunteer because they want visibility. If people become your primary audience, people gain dangerous control over your life. I'm sorry. This may not be one of them shout messages today. People will control your commitment because you'll be looking at them wondering, why ain't they doing this? Because when people are your audience, their praise makes you proud. Their criticism will make you quit. Their neglect will make you bitter.”

34s

#CheckYourAttitude

“You used to love serving, but now you don't threw your hands up. You're watching who gets thanks. You used to love singing, but you won't sing no more. You're counting everybody else's solos. You used to love helping, but you won't help no more. You're saying nobody helped me, so I am not gonna help anybody. But Paul says, check your attitude because bitterness makes everything heavy. That's right.”

45s

#GodIsSufficientApproval

“We have to realize that the audiences which we're talking to ought not be men but the maker of men. The judger of the men. The lord of men. The king of men and that is god. Yeah. Amen. You you know, god's recognition to us ought to be enough. pat on the back by god ought to be sufficient. It ought to be enough to say, the lord is pleased with me. Yeah. Some”

36s

#WholeheartedService

“You have to examine your attitude. That's hard right there because guess what? All of us are guilty of that bad attitude at times. Yeah. For for listen to me. From from the pew to the pulpit, from the pastor to the people, our attitudes have to be examined. The writer says, and whatsoever you do, do it hardly. That word means from the soul, from the inner person with sincerity and wholeheartedness.”

33s

#ServeWithRightHeart

“Paul says whatever you do, not just some things, not just on Sunday morning, not on when people see you, but whatever you do because god is concerned not merely with what you do. God is concerned with how you do it. Yeah. You can perform an assignment with a poisonous attitude. That's right. You can serve and complain the whole time. You can sing with anger because nobody else got the need.”

37s

#ServiceWithoutExploitation

“Oftentimes, that phrase is was used to exploit us. Because the master wanted to control us by cherry picking verses from the Bible. I am not here to to tell you that that that that you have to be exploited. But what I am here to tell you is that you have to do your service unto the Lord. You can fight injustice and still give God excellent service. Yeah.”

55s

#ChristAtTheCenter

“Who are you trying to impress? Because sooner or later, if you're trying to impress people, you have to ask yourself the question, audience are you seeking? Paul here says, do it unto the lord. If Christ is not the center of what you're doing, then that means Christ is an accessory in your life. In other words, Christ is something that you put on and take off. But we ought to want Christ to be the center of our life. Christ to be supreme in our life. To be our creator and our redeemer in our life. And and we ought to have an attitude that that acknowledges the fact that whatever I'm doing and I'm doing it unto the lord. Yeah. Yeah.”

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