Do You Serve or are You a Servant

Service is about who you are not what you do.

When serving is something you do, service becomes an optional point of convenience or inconvenience. People who “do service” check their schedules, timelines, and agendas before serving. Leaders convince, cajole, or guilt people who “do service” into serving.

When serving is who you are, service is the only option.

Servants aren’t inconvenienced by service. The only question is, “Where is your most useful place of service.” Servants never ask “if” they should serve, only “where.”

Jesus didn’t simply perform acts of service. He was a servant.

Philippians 2:5–7 (NIV84) ⁵ Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: ⁶ Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, ⁷ but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

Grasping:

Jesus didn’t grasp for high position. He made himself low. What are you grasping? Do you grasp to be like God? Adam did. Or, are you making yourself nothing.

The God who made the world from nothing can make something of you.

Free to serve:

Jesus’ serves us so we can serve each other.

John 13:5 (NIV84) ⁵ After that (after dinner and before the crucifixion), he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

John 13:14 (NIV84) ¹⁴ Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, …

It’s normal to complete verse 14, “You wash my feet.” But that’s not how servants operate. Jesus actually said, “Wash one another’s feet.”

His service frees us to serve.

Think how Jesus served the unworthy. Servants don’t embrace the worthy and ignore the unworthy because serving is who they are not what what they do. Legalism makes us serve. Grace makes us servants.

Pony Express Churches

The Pony Express was the brainchild of William Russell, Alexander Majors and William Waddell. It operated for only eighteen months from 1860 to 1861.

The Pony Express died because it defined itself too narrowly and failed to adapt. Technology – the telegraph – killed the Pony Express.

If the Pony Express defined itself as a communications company rather than a letter carrying company it might still exist, only in a different form.

Churches can give artificial respiration to dying ponies or learn to define themselves in ways that align with transcendent Biblical truths; truths that don’t change even though the way they are expressed must.

God adapted himself to our context when he became man. Yet, he didn’t lose himself. His appearance changed but he didn’t. He never changes.

Transcendent Truths include:

1. Grace alone.  We always freely receive provision from God. That’s how we become believers and that’s how we live, by grace. Christianity isn’t a self-help program. It’s a grace enabling program.
2. Faith alone. We never work our way to God. He worked his way to us. Our responsibility is to believe. All commitments in our walk are expressions of learning to trust him alone.
3. Jesus alone. He’s not one of many ways to rich relationship with God. He’s the only way.
4. Response alone. All expressions of Christian living are response to God’s love and grace, that includes, service, worship, obedience, evangelism, and everything else we do.
5. Love alone. Love is the only thing that makes life meaningful. Without it, life is empty, like clanging cymbals. The only way to love is to be loved. “We love because he loved.” (Back to #1) Even confrontation expresses love or it’s wasted, useless effort.

Most of the things Churches do in their gatherings are completely adaptable, consider music. There are no Christian notes or rythmns, only Christian lyrics.

What would you add or modify on my list of transcendent truths?

What is adaptable when it comes to Church gatherings and ministry?

The Day I Heard Dad Sing

My dad was a quiet man; not weak, just quiet. We had his funeral yesterday, June 28, 2012 at 1 p.m. He was 84.

He trusted Jesus at the funeral of his best friend, Gene Niles, about 40 years ago. I remember the day when he walked to the front during the public invitation, knelt down and became a believer.

It was one of the few times he spontaneously embraced me. The only person he persistently expressed affection to was mom and he did it a lot.  I’m not complaining. We never doubted dad’s love.

One summer morning, when I was a teenager and dad was finishing the chores in the milk room, (the place we kept all the milking equipment). I heard dad sing. It was early yet and I was just waking up. From across the driveway I heard a god-awful baritone voice belting out, “Amazing Grace…”

He sang like no one could hear. But I did. Now that I think about it, he was probably singing to God.

I checked with family and friends; no one ever heard dad sing, ever. And, I never mentioned it to him.

He was a regular at church but during the singing his lips never moved. You might have thought he didn’t love Jesus or that he had no passion.

Truth is the quiet man from Maine – the man I call dad – was passionate about grace. Over the years, with typical tenacity, he studied grace. We talked about it, from time to time. He didn’t run around like a cheerleader; he lived it. Grace touched him and set him free.

The same passion he brought to his work he brought to Jesus. Even though he worked harder than anyone I ever knew, he always faithfully served. Grace changed him.

I’ll never forget the day I heard dad sing “Amazing Grace …”

7 Reasons I Don’t Have to Serve You

Top 7 reasons I’m free from serving you:

1. Your preferences are wrong, meaning they aren’t mine.
2. You have sin in your life.
3. I’m smarter than you. You’re making dumb decisions.
4. You need to grow up.
5. You’re self-centered.
6. I don’t like you. Christians are allowed to not like some people aren’t they, as long as they love them?
7. I’ve already served you and you didn’t serve me back. The serving scales tip in my direction. Get busy!

When serving becomes about others
we find excuses not to.

Ultimately, serving is about us not them. When serving is about who we are grace takes center stage.

Jesus served people we reject because
serving was about Him not them.

Strength to serve:

Grace gives strength for free service. Strength for service comes from being served by Jesus. If you don’t let him serve you, you can’t serve others.

Believe Jesus serves you for no good reason except love, then share what you’ve received.

Serving is about grateful response. Ungrateful people may go through the motions of service. However, they need a deeper touch of grace before real serving begins. They may be good and moral but they aren’t Christian.  (Note: I didn’t say they aren’t Christians. You can be a Christian and not act like one.)

Calling people to serve isn’t about brow-beating, crying about needs, or bribing; it’s about grace. When we aren’t serving we need more grace not less.

We’re free to serve as we realize we’ve been served. Serving is the overflow of
gratitude for grace.

If you’re nodding your head but not engaging in meaningful service, you don’t know what I’m talking about.

Stand With not Against

Christians are notoriously great at standing against and tragically weak at standing with. Here’s a surprising “standing with” story.

Deceit:

Joshua 9 explains a peace treaty that was executed based on false information. The Jews – even though decieved – honored the agreement. In Joshua 10 the Gibeonites – dishonest treaty makers – are attacked by surrounding cities. They call to Joshua – the one they just deceived – for help.

Just deserts?

At this point in the story I’m thinking; see what happens to deceivers, you’re getting what you deserve. Liars will be friers! But Joshua marches God’s army all night long to stand with and defend deceivers. In addition, God miraculously “stands with” by joining in. He kills Gibeonite enemies by throwing giant hail stones from heaven.

With:

God and Joshua stood with “sinners.” More than that, Jesus stands with sinners. He serves them, gets uncomfortably close to them, and ultimately sacrifices His life for them. Or should I say, “For us?”

Contaminants or companions:

Legalistic Christians believe sinners are contaminants to be avoided, corrected, or improved. It’s pathetic, safe, and self-serving. Improved unbelievers end up in the same place as unimproved. It’s all about Jesus, nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else. (You might need to read that last sentence again.)

They called Jesus a “friend of sinners.” It wasn’t a compliment. It was an insult from the righteous elite.

There’s a legalist in all of us. For example, when I see “friend of sinners,” I think them not me. Law prompts me to stand against, apart, and above. Grace prompts me to – serve, get close to – stand with.

Note: I’ve used the term “sinners” in this piece to create an “us/them” dynamic. It’s an artificial distinction.

Breaking the Grip of Arrogance and Legalism

Churches are filled with arrogance because we think we know things we don’t and believe we’re doing things we aren’t.

The Pharisees – the most arrogant people in the New Testament – thought they were keeping the law but they weren’t. They were actually breaking it. They thought they understood the law but Jesus said it was all about Him. They missed it completely.

Arrogance and legalism go hand in hand.

Moving toward grace and away from law:

1. Avoid comparisons. “I’m better than …” is pure law! If we must compare ourselves with someone try Jesus. We are no better than anyone! Sure, we may commit “smaller” sins. Well aren’t we special? Grace isn’t extended based on performance, ever. Everyone always needs grace.
2. Help rather than instruct. Get dirty – get up close and personal. You can see arrogance in self-justifying huddles that stand aloof. When I’m in legal mode I get smarter and smarter.
3. Trust God with others. Legalists are great at wringing their hands over real or potential mistakes. What if someone makes a mistake? Get over it. Jesus choses people who make mistakes. He chose you didn’t He? (This has nothing to do with organizational policies and procedures that help people succeed and minimize the chances of failure.)
4. Keep giving chances. Grace doesn’t say, “I’m done with you.” Dang that’s uncomfortable…unless we are the ones getting more chances. Then it’s great.
5. Ask for and extend forgiveness. Few things exemplify grace better than forgiving.

First and foremost:

Ungraceful believers don’t believe grace. Everyone who receives grace extends it. If we aren’t extending it, like the Pharisees, we think we understand something we don’t.

Becoming a Graceful Believer

One goal of grace is the creation of graceful beauty in believers.

Graceful beauty:

1. Humble.
2. Kind.
3. Loving.
4. Gentle.
5. Compassionate.
6. Inclusive.
7. Serving.
8. Selfless.
9. Forgiving.
10. Hopeful.

On the other hand, Christians who believe in the beauty of law end up ugly.

Legal ugliness:

1. Rigid.
2. Demanding.
3. Harsh.
4. Narrow.
5. Arrogant (when they successfully obey).
6. Exclusive.
7. Self-protective.
8. Self-centered.

What I mean by grace and law:

Grace = benefit flows to us by faith alone, not works. The benefit you received when you trusted in Jesus is grace-benefit, exclusively.

Law = benefit flows to us by works. Benefit comes to us based on performance.

Both sides:

I find myself on both sides of the divide; sometimes beautiful – sometimes ugly. The thing that frequently determines where I land is my view of grace provision alongside seeing my own frailty. The more I see frailty the more beautiful grace becomes.

*****

Why Believers Don’t Know Jack

Christians are great at saying they believe in something but acting otherwise. James calls it looking in the mirror and forgetting what you see.

We say we believe in grace but impose rules.

We say we believe in freedom but bring people into “righteous” bondage.

We say we want others to trust in Jesus but add religious ceremonies and activities. It’s ridiculous!

We say we want to be like Jesus – who was the friend of sinners – but we make sinners the enemy. Rather than adapting to them, like Jesus did, we expect them to adapt to us. He became human. Perhaps we should try it.

Frequently the message we send to outsiders is act like a believer before you become a believer. Not only is it foolish, it’s selfish. We demand comfort for ourselves while making others uncomfortable. It’s disgusting!

It’s no wonder nonChristians have a low view of church and Christians. We have a reputation of wanting things, demanding conformity, rejecting sinners, and pretending we are better than we are. It’s nauseating!

Questions for the day:

1. How can I help someone think highly of Jesus?
2. How can I love someone without expecting a return?
3. How can I bring positive value? Value doesn’t occur until we give more than we take, not before.

I can imagine believers nodding while they read that list of questions. Yet, truth be told, we haven’t the first idea of what it looks like. Our heads are so buried up our righteous butts that we’ve convinced ourselves we are doing things we aren’t.

How can you practice the questions I asked? If you can’t describe it, you can’t do it. Period!

Truth be told, we want to talk it but we DON’T want to do it. We don’t know jack till we practice what we preach!

Vitality: Received and Given

In a way, Easter signals the Christian New Year. Christianity, if it’s about anything, it’s about newness.

1.  New life.
2.  New covenant.
3.  New commands.
4.  New wine.
5.  New creation.
6.  New self.
7.  New world.
8.  New song.
9.  New name.
10. New start.

I wonder why I, frequently, feel “old” rather than “new?” I’m thinking “old” in my spirit, not my body, which is rapidly getting older.

Thinking back, the thing I’m most proud of – the thing that makes me feel new – is bringing newness to others. The moment a fellow believer believes in their gift and sees themself in a new light – with new potential – is pure, invigorating joy.

The great day-to-day faith challenge is believing in newness in a broken world where past failures suck everything downward.

Jesus answers the downward pull.

Resurrection is the ultimate new beginning. It calls us from oldness and failure to vitality, opportunity, and fresh starts. Undoubtedly, we’ll get dragged backwards, again…and again… But, Jesus persistently calls us back to new life.

New life is best enjoyed by receiving and giving others life. How are you giving life to others? That’s newness in practice!

Think back to what makes you proud, what makes you feel new. Can you do more of that?

2 Corinthians 1:12 (ESV)
For our boast (NASB has “proud confidence”) is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.

Easter provides hope that, personally and in service to others, we can bring vitality – help them believe in their gift and see new possibility – to those around us.

Following the Example of a Whore

Rahab’s courage in Joshua 2 challenges cowards and lifts the timid. She lays her life and future on the line by choosing to help God’s people.

Joshua 2:3–4 (ESV)

³ Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.” ⁴ But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them…

Following the example of a whore:

Are there ways you can follow the example of this prostitute? Can you put your life and future on the line for Jesus?

1. Serve and add value in imperfect environments. Excuse makers wait around for perfect conditions before adding value and end up doing nothing. Worse yet, they blame others for their lack of performance.
2. Serve with what you have not what you wish you had. So what if you aren’t so hot! If God can fulfill his purposes with a whore, He surely can use you.
3. Prioritize giving above getting.
4. Let God’s grace change the way you think of yourself. Grace opens a world of possibility based on faith. You matter.
5. Find a friend and dream their noble dreams with them. Rahab helped others reach their noble goal. Does grace energize you enough to rise up and give yourself to others? If it does, you’re following a prostitute’s example.

How does this example of grace challenge or encourage you?