I had an interesting week here in God’s shop. It just so turned out that I was called for jury service in Will County. Now, if you have never had to do this. It’s a wacky deal. You check in the night before your week of service, either by phone or email, to discover if you are to report for duty the next day. Each day of your week of service you are to check in at noon for 1:30 service or 4 for the next day. If I’m honest, this really had me stressed. Didn’t God know, we had big plans and this was going to slow them up? However, the inconvenience actually turned into a blessing. As I was sitting in the jury room without the benefit of cell phone or computer, I had time to pray, meditate and write. In doing so, I realized what an important aspect of our judicial system a juror is. Without our service, the system breaks down. It made me think of all those special folks who don’t preach or teach up front but without, we couldn’t have the type of Sunday mornings we do. I also thought and prayed for all those who will be helping to carry a message of Christ’s enduring love in activities ranging from prayer meetings to outdoor concerts. I say all this to help someone in this room realize no matter where you are or who you are, you can serve God’s kingdom.
The apostle Paul provides us a great example of this in his writings from prison. Today’s scripture is particularly appropriate because Paul is writing in 62AD while in a Roman prison to his first church plant. Paul was writing to the church in Philippi. A church he loved deeply. He had planted it so it was his baby. They had come to know Christ under his leadership and through earlier writings we know they supported him for the remainder of his ministry. They really adored him. I know this because even while he was in prison they continued to support him.
Can you imagine any church family today standing by their pastor awaiting charges? It says a ton about Paul, his message and his service to the community.
In today’s scripture, we see Paul encouraging those in Philippi to stick close to the Good News he had proclaimed to them. He asked them to note how his life had changed since his encounter with Christ. Let those who have ears listen to these words:
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
The meaning is clear. When we fully surrender to Christ, everything in the world takes on different values. Paul admits all that he was striving for was not worth it but that there is a life worth living for that is. He is also making sure they did not fall into the traps of religion: ritualism (that somehow some material item or pattern can make God jump through a hoop), works righteousness (that somehow if you just do enough good deeds you go to heaven) or perfectionism (if you live life perfectly that’s what will get you to heaven). Paul is telling us it’s about believing first, inviting the Holy Spirit in and letting the love of Jesus flow, changing you and propelling you to share the gift of love to others through service.
Now service takes on many forms. It can be serving in the counting room to serving on a short term mission trip. Wherever it is, serving God changes us as much as it changes others. Each adventure grows our faith. This became apparent in my life through the many different ways I have served. It was apparent in Tanzania doing a Life in the Spirit seminar for 2500 Rwanda refugees that God was teaching me how shallow my faith was. He taught me in Haiti about poverty and about my fear of those I have not met. He taught me in the youth room about what letting the Holy Spirit lead looks like. He taught me about unconditional love at the free health fair for those who don’t have insurance. He gave me an understanding of poverty in the US by working over at the local homeless shelter. He taught me through Alpha to have a heart for those who look and live just like us – they shop at Kohl’s, eat Chipotle and drink way to much coffee - but they are spiritually poor never having known the love of Jesus.
The point is serving others in Christ’s name changes us while deepening our faith. Just as your salvation is not dependent upon you doing Christianity perfectly, your continued spiritual growth is not about your ability as much as your availability. God will equip you if you are called. It’s about taking a leap of faith, not once, but over and over again. Service does that. It’s a constant reminder of our willingness to trust God to take care of us. It’s a reminder of the first moment each of took the leap to believe in something unseen. Are you taking those leaps? If you’re not now, when? If you have in the past but have moved away, why? If you want to grow your faith, get into service. If you’re a parent and want to insure your children get a relationship with Jesus, show them what it looks like to serve in Jesus’ name and bring them.
Let’s pray.
www.communitycenter.life/rev-robert-butler-info
