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Dan Anderson spoke in chapel about serving God. He observes the story of Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father, and his prophecy. He encourages the students to ask God what they need to do in light of what He has done. The only enduring motivation for serving God is gratitude for what God has already accomplished.

Scripture Text

Luke 1:67-75; Romans 12:1; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 1:18-19

Main Points or Ideas

God Visited Us – The Greek word for ”visit” in verse 68 means to look in on someone specifically to assess their condition and come alongside to help. God did not wait for humanity to find its way back to him — the separation caused by sin was too great. Like a doctor who made house calls when patients were too sick to travel, God came to us in the person of Jesus Christ. This alone is sufficient reason to serve him.
God Redeemed Us – Redemption means to buy back or pay a ransom to free someone from captivity. No man can ransom another (Psalm 49), but God paid the price only he could pay — not with silver or gold, which perish, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). Our salvation was not an afterthought; it was planned before the foundation of the world. The redemption provided for Israel also extended to every nation, tribe, and tongue.
God Saved Us to Serve Him – Verse 74 gives the purpose of deliverance: ”that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.” Believers serve God without fear — because we have been made his children. We serve him in holiness and righteousness — not our own, but Christ's, imputed to us. We serve him alone, not for the approval of others. And we serve him all our days — there is no retirement from serving God.

Conclusion

Romans 12:1 calls believers to present themselves as living sacrifices, and Dan Anderson argues this is simply the ”reasonable service” of anyone who has truly received what God has done. To be saved and have nothing to do with God afterward is unreasonable. The only fitting response to being visited, redeemed, and saved is a life of zealous service to him.