Occupy Till He Comes: Serving

The theme for the church this year is “Occupy Till He Comes: Watching, Praying and Serving”. In the last two weeks I wrote specifically on the first two aspects in occupying ourselves till Jesus returns again – watching and praying. This week, I want to talk about “Serving”.

I responded to the call to serve God as a pastor when I was in my late teens. God gave me meaning in life when I was lost in a world that provided no meaning for me. I answered God’s call because He promised me peace of mind and joy in the Lord Jesus. I entered Bible College even though there was not much financial or emotional support from family members. God was good and faithful to me in those early years of theological training. It has been more than 40 years since that call to serve. I would be lying if I said that I did not ever feel like giving up in between those years. There are many reasons why I may have given up serving in the church: persecution for my faith in Christ, fear of criticism, lack of support, misunderstanding, disappointment, and many more. But these are all human reasons. When faced with all these human reasons to give up, I would turn to God in prayer. And God’s answer was always: “You are serving Me, not them.” I could not find any reason to give up serving Him.

I read somewhere that in the USA as many as 1,500 pastors a month leave the ministry. Their reasons include moral failure, spiritual burnout, or discouragement from opposition or contention in their congregations.

Why do people not want to serve God in church?

Many Christians prefer to be just worshippers on Sunday, and then leave as soon as the worship service is over. They do not wish to be involved with other worshippers, or in any area of serving in the church. The reason for not serving in church could be just one main one, or a host of many. Steven Kyger lists 29 reasons for non-involvement in church:

1. I’m not a Christian – I’m checking Christianity out.
2. I’m a member of another church – I come here for more teaching/to meet other Christians.
3. I’m too busy with work.
4. I’m too busy with family commitments (we have kids).
5. I’m too busy with family problems (e.g. my sister’s sick).
6. I’m too busy with other things (e.g. preparing to get married).
7. I’m married to an unbeliever who doesn’t like it when I go out.
8. My husband/wife and I don’t get to spend much time together so the week nights/weekends are precious to us.
9. I don’t know what opportunities are available.
10. I don’t have enough information about the available opportunities (e.g. what would be required of me to serve on a fair trade market?).
11. I don’t know what gifts God has given me.
12. I don’t have the skills required to serve in the available areas (e.g. I don’t know how to use the computer to operate PowerPoint)
13. No one asked me.
14. I’ve come here from another church because I’m burnt out. I just need to be fed for a bit.
15. I’m serving in other ways outside of church.
16. I don’t want to commit to anything in advance (I’d like to keep my options open).
17. I live too far away and it’s a struggle to get to church outside of service times.
18. The staff team is paid to serve so I don’t have to.
19. I don’t know anyone who’s serving in the area I would like to.
20. I serve the people I know by encouraging them in their faith.
21. I’m generous in other ways (e.g. with my money).
22. Serving is what the young people do they’ve got the time and energy.
23. We’ve just got married and we’re concentrating on our marriage for the first year.
24. Everything seems under control – I’m not needed.
25. I offered to serve, and no one followed me up.
26. I offered to serve, but I wasn’t needed (e.g. was told the ministry was full).
27. I served for a while, but I felt unappreciated and no one thanked me.
28. I don’t get anything out of it.
29. I just don’t want to.

 Other reasons could include: I feel useless. I am still nursing hurt feelings from a previous serving experience. I am basically lazy….and the list goes on. If you are not serving in church, is your reason one of the above?

Why Do We Need To Serve?

1) Jesus Christ is our example of service to God

For those who do not want to be involved because of a previous hurting experience, remember that we serve the Lord, not others, not even ourselves.

Jesus Christ Himself said in Jn 4:34, “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work.” His whole life was a life or service to God – teaching, healing, and proclaiming the truths of God. Before Christ went to the cross of Calvary, he reminded His disciples:

“But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, ; let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Mat 20:26-28). Christ washed His disciples’ feet as an example of serving one another (Jn 13:12-17). His example of humility in serving is what He wants us to do, but indeed it is a very difficult example to follow.

2) God gives us gifts to serve Him

1 Peter 4:10-11 says
“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man ministers, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Every Christian is called to serve, to a ministry of glorifying God with the gift which God has given to him or her. Perhaps, there are some who may not want to serve because they are unaware of the gift or gifts which God has bestowed on them. If you do not know what your gift is, talk to family members, your pastor or church leaders who will be able to give you an idea of the gift(s) they see in you.

In Matt 25:14-30, we are familiar with the servants who were given 10 talents, 5 talents and one talent. Much is often said about the diligence of first two servants and the rewards they received from the master. When the one-talent servant had to give an account of the use of his one talent, he said: “Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: and I was afraid, and went to hid my talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.”

The one-talent man gave several excuses for not making use of the talent which his master gave him. He had a fear (what kind of fear? Of failure, or not being able to multiply his talent?) He said that he had an over-demanding or unfair boss. If we are not serving in church, what would be the excuse that you would give to God?

3) Serve God as a result of a change of heart

When the early church encountered persecution, Saul was one of those involved in the great persecution of the church at Jerusalem (Acts 8:1-3). He “made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.” But, after he met Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, his whole life was transformed. He spent the rest of his life devoted to serving God, spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ wherever God led him. In 1 Tim 1:12-14, the Apostle Paul gave thanks to God for counting him worthy and faithful to be called to serve Him. God met him when he was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and one who loved to inflict injury on others. Paul obtained mercy in Christ, and his response to this mercy was to serve God.

What has God rescued you from? What is your natural response to His love, grace and mercy towards you?

Serve God without complaining or grumbling

When we serve God, we need to be focused on Him; not on others, or what others do and say. There will be some who will grumble and complain, even when they chose to serve God. They complain about almost everything. The prophet Malachi describes such a group of people who were saying: “It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:13-14)

Malachi advises us to avoid such complaining people because they sit in judgment of God instead of submitting to His will and purpose. The Israelites were known for their spirit of grumbling and complaining against God in the wilderness. Even after Moses had led them out of slavery in Egypt, and God helped them to cross the Red Sea, they began to grumble. (Ex 15:22-27) They complained about the manna and the quails they had to eat every day (Numbers 11). They complained so much that they wanted to return to Egypt (Num 14). God was so displeased with these grumblers and complainers that He wiped them out in the wilderness (Num 14:26-38).

God knows His children, and hears and remembers everything we say and do. He distinguishes between those who serve Him righteously, or those who serve Him with lots of complaints. He distinguishes between “him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not.” (Mal 3:18)

“God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have showed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” (Heb 6:10)

We need to remember that we serve God, and not man. Thus, we should not be looking to man to acknowledge us or reward us for our service in church. If we are truly serving God, He notices us, and will reward us one day. For those who serve God faithfully, we will be able to say like the Apostle Paul: “He has laid up for me a crownof righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day…” (2 Tim 4:8)

Serve the Lord with joy and gladness

When we have decided to serve God, let us serve Him with joy and gladness in our hearts. God does not desire that we serve Him out of obligation or duty. He wants us to serve Him as a natural response to His love for us (1 Jn 4:9-11). We love God because He first loved us. We serve Him because Jesus Christ came first to serve us.

Serve the Lord with gladness in our works and ways
Come before His presence with our songs of praise.
Unto Him our Maker, we would pledge anew
Life’s supreme devotion to service true.

Serve the Lord with gladness, thankful all the while
For His tender mercies, for His loving smile.
Blessed truth enduring, always just the same.
We will serve with gladness and praise His name.

Serve the Lord with gladness, this shall be our theme.
As we walk together, in His love supreme.
Listening, ever listening for the still small voice.
His sweet Will so precious, will be our choice.

Serve Him with gladness, Enter His courts with song.
To our Creator, true praises belong.
Great is His mercy, wonderful is His name.
We gladly serve Him, His great love proclaim.
(B.B. McKinney)

Pastor Bob Phee