Christian Service
Illustration
A young child was sitting in class listening to the teacher explain a government generated lesson on what service means. The teacher carefully explained that, from a public standpoint, service is an important and useful action, which is performed to meet a specific public need. She went on to explain that, from a legal perspective, a service can be a formal delivery of a notice, summons, or writ. She then explained that, in the banking world, a service is a payment of interest or loan installment, or dividends, as scheduled. The teacher finished by emphasizing that the noblest act of service is our putting forth a personal effort to meet the demands of a humanitarian need. She told the children that their family could provide a noble service through such things as:
• Volunteering to help at a place, which provides food for the homeless
• Donating items to a local charity resale shop
• Visiting an old folks home
• Helping with setting up and running charity events
• Collecting funds for disaster relief or tragic events
• Helping in community beautification programs
• Participating in public events supporting human rights
In all of these things the teacher emphasized how participating in this kind of service would help strengthen the human bond between people: between the server and the one being served, as well as developing a bond between the servers. The teacher closed the lesson by emphasizing the point that helping others will make the individual doing the service feel good about themselves.
The subliminal message in the government generated lesson of service is that participating in worldly humanitarian service will make me feel better about myself, I will become a valuable member of good people, and my effort will get other people to admire what I have done. In other words, participating in public service is really all about me.
Sermon
Secular Verse Christian Service
There can be no questioning the fact that the underlying motivation for secular humanitarian service can be, and often is, focused on the server as much as, or more than, the cause being served. This cannot, however, be the motivation for a Christian. When Christian service highlights the server then the server has their reward from man and not from God. A Christian server should not let their left hand know what their right hand is doing. Matthew 6:1-4 Whether our service is secular or within the Christian community it is very important that we have the right reason for serving and that we serve with the right attitude. We should in not in any way resemble the scribes and the Pharisees, who do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. Matthew 23:5
More important, Christian service, even humanitarian Christian service, must be secondary to our serving our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. Remember the issue of the precious ointment and how some of the disciples felt that the woman wasted it on Jesus instead of it being sold and the money given to the poor. Sounded most noble to sell the ointment and give the money to the poor; but, Jesus said: “Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me.” Matthew 26:6-11 Jesus was not implying we ignore the poor nor was He saying that helping the poor is a waste of time. Jesus was simply pointing out that we must have our priorities straight. Our Christian service must come before secular humanitarian service.
What is our purpose as Christians?
If we are a true Christian it is by grace that we have been saved, because God grants us salvation under the condition that we are convicted Christ is the Messiah. There is nothing we have done to earn salvation, and there is no ritual of man that grants us salvation … salvation comes to those who are convinced of who Jesus is and they desire to become His disciple. We are truly born again when our hearts and our heads are focused on serving Jesus because our spiritual rebirth is the workmanship of God. In fact, when we are born again we are created in Christ Jesus for doing good works. John 3:1-8, Ephesians 2:8-10 Yes, salvation is a gift; but, salvation comes with the obligation to serve Jesus.
One might ask: “to what end are the good woks we have been created to perform?” Paul explained to the Corinthians that everyone who is truly a Christian is a new creature who has been reconciled to God, and who has been given the ministry of reconciliation, which is for us to tell the rest of the world about God’s desire to reconcile the world to Himself. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal to the world through us. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 There is no greater service than our laboring as an Ambassador for Christ.
The primary purpose of every true Christian may be serving Christ as an ambassador, but that does not mean we are all preachers or evangelists. A very important part of being an ambassador is living a life that reflects the love of Jesus by producing fruit in keeping with repentance. Matthew 3:8 In other words, we need to be obedient to the teachings of Jesus Christ and lovingly live this obedience in the face of the world. We can only do this if we are hooked to Jesus like a branch is hooked to the vine. A branch produces grapes because it is hooked to a grape vine. In the same way, a Christian produces the fruit of Christian service because they are hooked into the teachings and spirit of Jesus Christ. John 15:1-11
Paul’s Evangelical Instructions to Timothy
If we are to be an ambassador for Christ, than we must bring the message of God’s reconciliation to those who do not understand. First and foremost our mission is the ministry of reconciliation, and not secular humanitarian services. Think about what Paul said to Timothy: “I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ…” It is kind of hard to find a more serious and focused proclamation. Paul then went on to clearly define the mission. Timothy was to preach the ministry of reconciliation as well as reprimand, scold, and encourage the people with patience and sound doctrine. In other words, we are to tell the people about God’s desire to save them and then we are to work with the people to help them grow into mature Christians. The truth is that people will not easily hold onto the true word of God. People will seek out preachers who will tell them everything is wonderful, and that they do not have to worry about following a bunch of ancient rules and regulations. Paul reminded Timothy of his life of service to Christ and how he had fought the good fight; and how he finished his service to Christ; and how he had kept the faith as an ambassador for Christ. 2 Timothy 4:1-8 The point here is that our mission to walk before the world as a Christian is the foundation of all our Christian service.
Bear one another’s burdens
If we are a mature Christian our number one obligation is to serve Jesus Christ as an ambassador with the ministry of reconciliation. At the same time, however, we are also expected to serve one another. The New Testament is filled with scripture detailing a Christian’s obligation to serve one another. Please understand that we are talking about service within the Christian family (Romans 8:14-17) and not secular service in the world. This is not to say that worldly secular service has no place in the Christian mission; but, at this moment we are talking about service within the Christian family. Galatians 4:4-7, Ephesians 4:11-16, 1 John 3:1-2 Sometimes our zeal for evangelism and for secular service is so great that we neglect the need for service within the Christian family.
Most assuredly the elders of a congregation have an obligation to serve the people with spiritual monitoring, correction, and guidance. 1 Thessalonians 5:14 This does not, however, negate individual members of the congregation having an obligation of service to one another. It would do us well to remember Paul told the Romans that we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Romans 15:1 In fact, Paul also told the Galatians that we are to bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 If we love Jesus we will love one another and if we truly love one another we will be sensitive to the needs of others … especially those in the family of Christ.
We are to use our gift in service
Probably one of the most neglected aspects of service within the family of Christ is our utilization of God given gifts in serving one another. Yes, God gave us the freedom to choose how we walk this earth. This freedom, however, produces the need for us to choose wisely. It is not necessarily wrong for us to focus our attention on indulging worldly desires; but, it is definitely wrong if we are so focused on the world that we neglect serving one another, in the family of Christ. Galatians 5:13 While it is true that we have the freedom to choose whom we serve, and how we serve, the fact remains that God has gifted each of us; and God expects us to use that gift in serving one another.
Peter wrote that each one of us has received a special gift from God and we are to employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10 Please note, we do not all have the same gift; for, we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us. It really does not matter what our gift is because it is Holy Spirit given and there is only one Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:4 It does not matter if our gift is singing, preaching, prophecy, healing, administration, encouraging, or what have you. The important thing is that our gift came from God, and our gift was designed specifically for us; therefore, what matters is what we do with the gift. Romans 12:6-8 We might have great empathy for worldly needs, and this is good; but, our first duty is within the family of God.
We are to use our gift wisely
When it comes to special gifts we cannot help but think on the one gift we see most often neglected or abused: it is the gift of music. How can we deny that God has gifted certain people with talents, such as singing, for the expressed purpose of praising Christ. For example, people like Jessica Simpson, Avril Lavigne , Tina Turner, Carrie Underwood, Kevin Costner, Diana Ross, Little Richard, Aretha Franklin, and Britney Spears were given the gift of music and they all started life by serving Jesus in a church choir. We do not know what their relationship with Christ was, but we do know that when fame and fortune came their way singing in a church choir became the last thing they desired to do with the talent God gave them. They forgot that Jesus said: … “from everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.” Luke 12:48 Some of these singer may still have a good relationship with Jesus but for many of them their lifestyle proves that serving Jesus is the last thing on their mind. If we have a special gift from God then God expects us to use it in serving Jesus Christ.
There is nothing more disheartening than seeming a gifted person use their God given gift for a self-serving purpose. Prosperity preachers bilk money hungry and self-focused people out of millions of dollars; snake-oil-salesman, charlatan healers, con desperate people out of millions of dollars; and, Svengalis charm gullible people into selling their soul to a demon inspired doctrine. Think about it, how could a person have prophesied in Jesus’ name, or cast out devils in Jesus name, or done many wonderful works in Jesus’ name if they had not been gifted. Yet Jesus said: “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21-23 Just remember, we are God’s creation and our capabilities are God given … given by God for the purpose of serving Christ and fellow Christians.
Conclusion
A Christian servant may fool his fellow man but there is no way that he can fool God. God not only see what we are doing with the gift He gave us He also sees into our heart and knows the motivation behind our service or lack of service. In fact, false prophets, who walk among us in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves, are known by God. And, they can be known by us as well; assuming we become fruit inspectors. After all, grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. We need to evaluate the service of ourselves and the service of one another because we will know the measure of service by its fruit. Matthew 7:15-20 We need to evaluate our service with God’s standards not man’s.
If our service is to find favor in the eyes of God then it must be spiritually fruitful in keeping with repentance. Paul told the Galatians that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Galatians 5:22-23 In other words, when we serve Jesus, and one another, the motivation behind that service must come from our heart and not our head. Holy Spirit filled service will manifest the love of God and it will reveal God as the source and not man. Rest assured, God is not unjust; he will not forget our work and the love we have shown Him as we have helped his people and continue to help them. Hebrews 6:10 If our service is to find favor in God’s eyes then it will not seek the approval or rewards of man … we will humbly serve fellow Christians to serve God.
