Tag: serving

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1 Timothy

So you want to be a leader?

1 Timothy

We talked yesterday about being a pastor or elder in the church. And for most Christians, they have no desire to be those things.

There are more people, however, who seek to be leaders of ministries. They seek to be the person who helps take care of church finances, or takes care of ministries to the poor, or organizes small groups, or organizes church events, or runs the welcome team, etc.

Though not all churches use the word deacon, a person in these positions could rightfully be called a deacon.

They are people, separate from the ministry of pastor or elder, who have been given responsibilities in order to help keep the church running smoothly and allow the pastors and elders to focus on their jobs.

For a lot of people, though, they think their gifts alone qualify them for that office. They don’t.

As with pastors, Paul doesn’t point to their gifts first and foremost when talking about the qualifications of deacons. He points to their character. They are to be people who are,

worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. (1 Timothy 3:8)

As with the pastors, they are to be faithful to their wives and manage their families well. (11)

Unlike pastors, they don’t need the ability to teach the Word, but they should know their faith well and live it. (9)

We are also not to simply throw people into such roles of leadership. Rather, they are to be tested first, and if they prove faithful, and their character is impeccable, then we can place them into these roles of leadership.

I have seen firsthand what happens when we don’t, and the results are not pretty.

There is some debate as to whether verse 11 refers to deacon’s wives or deaconesses. I tend to go with the latter.

Paul makes no  mention of a pastor’s wife and what she should be like. Why then would he make specific mention of a deacon’s wife? That said, it is a debatable issue.

Either way, they are to be,

women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. (11)

The last thing to note is that whatever their duties, they are to be servants. In fact, that is what the word deacon means. Servant. And as servants of God and servants of the church, they are to be faithful and serve well.

Paul concludes by saying,

Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus. (13)

By serving well, not only do you gain a good reputation within the church, but you also see your faith strengthened as you see God at work in you and through you to touch the lives of those around you.

Do you want to be a leader in the church? What kind of character do you have?

Are you a leader in the church? If so, are you serving faithfully?

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Ephesians

How we serve

Ephesians

We close up this section on family living with one more picture of our relationship with God, namely with Christ.

We saw earlier how our marriage relationships are a picture of our relationship with Christ and how our parent-child relationships are a picture of our relationship with God the Father.

Now in this passage, we see how the Roman slave-master relationship is a picture of our relationship with Christ.

It might seem strange to think of slave-master relationships as an aspect of family relationships. But actually, that is how they were often seen by the Romans. Slaves were considered part of the household back in those days.

Why Paul (and others in the New Testament) never outright condemned slavery is hard to say.

What they did do was ultimately pave the way for slavery to be done away with by reshaping how people saw slaves.

How were slaves to be seen? As people, not property.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Paul tells the Christian slaves,

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.

Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. (Ephesians 6:5-8)

Here again, Paul seems to see a picture of our relationship with Christ in the family relationship of slave and master.

This picture, unlike the other two of husband-wife, and parent-child, is not based on an ideal, but based on a reality of Roman society at the time.

We see that slavery was not God’s ideal for human relationships in I Corinthians 7:21-23, where Paul said to the slaves, “if you can gain your freedom, do so…You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.”

Nevertheless, in that passage as well as this one, Paul pictures us as slaves of Christ.

And Paul says to the slaves, “Just as you serve Christ, serve your masters. Obey them with respect, fear, and sincerity of heart. Don’t just do it when they’re looking either, but serve with integrity and wholeheartedly.”

Why?

Because in the end, Christ will reward you for it, as he will all his “slaves.”

None of us are slaves nowadays, but many of us do work, whether it’s at our job earning money or simply doing voluntary work at the church or in other places.

But either way, our attitude should be the same. We need to remember that ultimately, we are serving Christ, and it should show in our attitudes. Does it?

I struggle with this sometimes. And I have had to repent more than once from a poor attitude.

But as we see our bosses and those in charge of us, we should see them as we see Christ and obey them as we obey Christ.

On the other hand, Paul tells the bosses,

And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him. (Ephesians 6:9)

In other words, be just to the people who are under you.

If they are deserving of reward, don’t withhold it from them. Instead, just as Christ rewards those who are faithful, reward those under you who are faithful.

And don’t threaten them, ruling with fear. Remember you have a Master too. And ultimately, you and those who work for you are under one Master. You have merely been given charge over them for a short time.

And because of this, you yourself are to be faithful to Christ in dealing with the people he has given you.

So the question is, “How do you serve?”

How do you serve your bosses God has put over you? And how do you serve Christ in dealing with those he has given under you?

May we always be found faithful in whatever situation we have been put in.

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1 Corinthians

Refreshing others

1 Corinthians

When we think of serving others, many times we think about simply doing the job God has called us to do. And certainly that’s important to do.

Paul writes,

You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints.

I urge you, brothers, to submit to such as these and to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it. (1 Corinthians 16:15-16)

Paul recognized this man Stephanas and his family for their service to God. And he said we should submit to leaders such as them, who not only join in the ministry, but labor at it with all their hearts.

Ministry is a difficult thing. Certainly, God has given us gifts and that makes our work easier to do.

But still, we need to put in the time and effort to do the things God has called us to do well. And Stephanas was such a man.

But then Paul adds,

I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you.

For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition. (1 Corinthians 16:17-18)

How often do we think of the importance of refreshing the spirits of others?

There may be some people you know that are very diligent in doing their works of service. They may in fact do them very well.

But when people come away from them, they come away not refreshed, but exhausted.

Why? Because sometimes these people doing “the Lord’s work,” can be critical, condescending, irritable, and arrogant.

But Stephanas and the others Paul mentioned were not like that. When people came away from them, they came away refreshed. And that’s how we should be.

How about you? How do others see you?

Do they feel dragged down when they see you? Would they rather avoid you because of your attitude?

Or are they attracted to you? Not just because you’re doing the Lord’s work, but because being around you lifts them up.

May we all be people that refresh those around us as the love of God flows through us.

As Solomon wrote,

A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:25)

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Luke Luke 14

Humility

Luke

In this passage, we see a cultural issue that we don’t really see so often in Western culture, if at all.

Jesus noticed at the meal he was at, that people were jockeying for the best seat.

Generally, the person sitting to the right of the host was the most important, while the person to the left was the second most. And the further away you were from the host, the less important you were.

So Jesus told them, “Don’t fight for the best seat. If you do, the host may ask you to go down to a lower seat, and you’ll be humiliated.

Instead take the least important seat. Then if the host deems you worthy of a higher position, you will be exalted in front of everyone.”

Like I said, we don’t really face that situation nowadays. But so often, in the church, people look for the “higher positions.” It may be as a teacher, or worship leader, or other high-profile position.

But don’t be so wrapped up in trying to attain these positions. Be humble enough to serve in lower positions.

It may be setting up the room for worship service. It may be greeting people at the door. Be faithful in those things.

And at the proper time, when the Lord thinks you’re ready and deems you worthy of a higher position, he’ll give you that opportunity.

But if you’re always criticizing those around you, saying, “I’m better than him. I’m better than her. Why are they in that position and I’m not?” you will be cast down.

Jesus humbled himself in this way his entire time on earth.

He didn’t demand to be made king. Nor did he demand to have the best of everything even though he was certainly worthy of such things.

Instead, he remained humble, taking the role of a servant all the way to the cross.

And now Paul says,

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)

So let us be like Jesus, remaining humble and serving where we can. And in due time, God will lift us up.

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Matthew Matthew 10

The “great” and the “small”

Matthew

It’s interesting to me how Jesus finishes this discourse. He tells the disciples that if people receive them, they are receiving him.

The reverse is also true. When people reject us because of the gospel, they aren’t merely rejecting us, they are rejecting Christ who is in us.

Basically, this means, don’t take their rejection personally. It may hurt, especially if they are people we care for. But ultimately, they’re not rejecting you because of who you are. They’re rejecting you because of who you represent.

But Jesus goes off on this to lay down a principle for the disciples to remember.

He says in the same way, if a person receives a prophet, they will receive a prophet’s reward. And if a person receives a righteous person, he will receive a righteous person’s reward.

Here, I think Jesus is specifically referring to people who provide room and board for others doing ministry, as people would do for the disciples on their mission trip.

Why did Jesus say this? I think he was reminding them that though their work was important, they were not to look down on others who were given other tasks by God to do.

He was telling them that the people who would provide for them were as worthy of as much honor as the disciples themselves.

The disciples may have been doing the “spiritual” work, but these others were taking care of the “practical” work that was needed for the ministry to go forward.

Too often, we look to the pastors, teachers, and worship leaders as the “great people of the church.”

But we fail to look at the other people who work behind the scenes. The ones who run the audio equipment or the ones who set up the room, for example.

These too are worthy of praise, and will be honored by God just as much as the person who is up front speaking or singing.

Since God honors them, we need to remember to honor them too.

But Jesus goes beyond that, saying,

And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward. (Matthew 10:42)

I wonder what Jesus is talking about here.

Did he happen to be holding a “little one,” that is a child, in his lap as he said this? Or was he referring to the disciples and prophets as “little ones?”

If he was talking about a little child, it’s a reminder to us that even caring for the needs of a child because he belongs to Christ is important to God.

If he’s talking about the prophets and disciples, it’s a reminder that they are “little ones” themselves. Certainly not people who should hold themselves over others because of the position they’d been given.

Are you in a “greater” position than others?

Remember that what others do for God’s kingdom, even if it’s “just” supporting your work, is just as important as what you do. So honor them as such.

Are you in a “lower” position? Remember that if you are faithful in what God calls you to do, he honors you just as much as the people in the “higher positions.”

Because when it’s all said and done, God considers us all valuable in his sight and will honor us if we are faithful.

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Psalms

The joy of being with God’s people

Psalms

As the pilgrims came upon the gates of Jerusalem, they probably started singing this song.  And it shows their joy in coming to the house of God.

I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.” (Psalm 122:1)

I remember a time when I didn’t rejoice about going to the house of the Lord.

I became a Christian when I was 7 or 8, but by the time I hit junior high school, I really didn’t want to go to church.  Not that my church was bad or anything.  I just had other things I wanted to do.

But when I became a high school student, I experienced the presence of God in my life for the very first time.

For the first time, when I was singing worship songs, I realized “God is really here.  We’re not just singing karaoke.  We’re singing prayers to God.”

It totally transformed my view of worship and of church.

Sometimes Christians think they can live without church.  That they’re fine just worshiping God by themselves.

Certainly, there is a personal aspect to worship that is essential in the Christian life.  But there is something wrong with the Christian who doesn’t rejoice at the idea of worshiping with other Christians.

Often times, there are problems of pride.  “I know the Bible well enough.  I don’t need the pastor’s sermon.”

Other times there are problems of unforgiveness.  “Every time I attend a church, something happens where somebody hurts me.  I don’t want to go through that again.”

In other cases, there are problems with judgmentalism.  “All of the people I see there are hypocrites.  I don’t want to associate with them.”

And for others, it’s a problem of selfishness.  “I just don’t get anything out of church.”

But they forget the fact that the purpose of going to church is not simply about getting something out of it.  It’s giving.  It’s giving praise to God.  It’s serving others.  And it’s working with others in the church to serve the community you’re in.

The psalmist talks in this psalm of praying for the peace of Jerusalem.  For seeking the prosperity of Jerusalem.

We need to be doing the same for the cities we’re living in.  But there’s a limit to what we can do by ourselves.  We can do so much more if the body of Christ is working together for the good of the communities we live in.

The truth is, if all you’re doing at church is sitting in your chair for the entire service and then going home, you’re missing a large part of what God wants for you.

Get involved.  Start doing the part God has assigned you as a part of his body.

And as the writer of Hebrews put it,

Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  (10:24-25)

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Esther

Working for the good of the people

Esther

The book of Esther finishes with a brief passage talking about Xerxes’ greatness and of Mordecai’s.

What strikes me here is the last verse where it says,

 Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.  (Esther 10:3)

To many people, being a leader is all about perks.  About being served.

But to Mordecai, who certainly enjoyed perks and people serving under him, leadership meant much more.

It meant serving the people.  It meant looking out for their good, not just his own.  And it meant making sure that his people were cared for.

This was what he had impressed upon Esther in chapter 4, and it was how he carried himself as a leader.

How about you?

As a husband, parent, teacher, boss, or whatever position of leadership you may hold, how do you carry yourself?

Do you look out only for yourself, demanding respect from the people around you?

Or do you work for the good of the people under your leadership?

You notice that it was because Mordecai looked after his people’s good, that he was held in high esteem.

You cannot demand respect of people.  It must be earned.  And the way to earn their respect is to look out for their good, and to care for them as Jesus did.

Paul put it this way,

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.

Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.  (Philippians 2:3-4)

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Daniel

The God who is sovereign

Nebuchadnezzar

We now return to the book of Daniel, and close up the story of Nebuchadnezzar.

This is the famous story of how Nebuchadnezzar lost his sanity, acting basically like a cow for seven years before finally acknowledging that God alone is sovereign.

The story opens up with Nebuchadnezzar praising God, saying,

How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation. (Daniel 4:3)

This indeed is the theme of the whole chapter.

Nebuchadnezzar then talks about how he had been in his palace, content, prosperous, and as a result, quite full of himself.

But then he had a dream that terrified him. He saw a huge, beautiful, and fruitful tree that provided shelter and food to all. But then a messenger from heaven called out,

“Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches.

But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field.

Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth.

Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him.

The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.” (Daniel 4:14–17)

I find Daniel’s response to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream very interesting. It was filled with compassion. Here was a man who took Jeremiah’s words to heart when he said,

Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. (Jeremiah 29:7)

Though Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed the nation he loved, still Daniel desired Nebuchadnezzar’s good.

He told Nebuchadnezzar that this dream was directed at him and that judgment was about to fall on him until the day came when he recognized God’s sovereignty over all, including his own self.

He then urged the king to repent so that God’s judgment would not have to fall.

As is God’s pattern throughout history, he gave Nebuchadnezzar time to do so before passing judgment. For one year, God waited for Nebuchadnezzar to repent. But after one year, nothing changed.

Then one day, Nebuchadnezzar was on the roof of his palace bathing in his own glory, saying,

Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty? (Daniel 4:30)

At which point, God’s judgment fell on him, and he became like a beast for seven years. When this happened, no one knows, although it has been noted that there is no record of Nebuchadnezzar’s activities between 582 and 575 B.C.

Finally, at the end of this time, Nebuchadnezzar looked up to heaven and his sanity was restored. As it was, he praised God saying,

His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation.

All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth.

No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?”…

Everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble. (Daniel 4:34–35, 37)

What can we get from all of this? Very simply: Remember that God is sovereign. You are not.

What does this mean for us practically?

For one thing, are you in a position of authority? Whether as a husband, or a mother, or a boss, or whatever position you may be in?

Remember that though you may have a position of authority, you yourself are subject to the ultimate Authority. And he will hold you accountable for how you use the authority you’ve been granted.

God did not give you this authority to trample on those in your care. He has given you that authority to serve.

Jesus himself is our example. As God, he had ultimate authority. But he didn’t come to reign. He came to serve.

And so should you. Serve your wife. Serve your children. Serve the people in your care. That’s what it means to be a leader.

Second, when you are worried about who’s leading you, whether on a government level, or in your job, or in your family, remember that God is sovereign.

God has allowed them to take these positions of leadership over you, though we may not see why.

And as Daniel did with Nebuchadnezzar, we are to seek their good and pray for them even when they aren’t good leaders.

We are not to rejoice when they fail or fall. We are to pray for their repentance and restoration. For when our leaders are truly submitting themselves to God, not only will they prosper, but so will we.

How about you? Are you submitting to God’s sovereignty in your life?

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Ezekiel

Godly leadership?

Ezekiel

In this passage, God really comes down hard on the people who had been the political and spiritual leaders of Judah. What was their problem?

God told them,

Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? (Ezekiel 34:2)

The main problem of these “shepherds” was that they were looking to be served, rather than to serve.

They used their positions to gain power, money, and prestige, but cared nothing for the people they were placed over. Rather, they took advantage of them.

God said,

You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.

You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost.

You have ruled them harshly and brutally. (Ezekiel 34:3–4)

In other words, they took everything they could from the sheep but gave nothing back.

They did not take care of the weak or heal the sick or search for those that went astray. Rather, they ruled over them like tyrants.

What was the result? With no protector, the sheep were left to the wolves.

So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. (Ezekiel 34:5)

So God told the shepherds, “I hold you accountable for what’s happened to my flock, the people of Israel. I hold you responsible for the fall of Jerusalem, and all the people who have now been scattered among the nations.

“I will remove you from your position, and I myself will become their shepherd.”

And that’s what God did. He brought all of the Israelites back to their own land by his own power and might.

And then Jesus came. When Jesus came down to this earth, he was God in human form. But when he came, he said,

[I] did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)

Jesus came as a servant. A good shepherd. As such, he loved us so much that he died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins.

And now, by his blood, we who were scattered and separated from God have now been brought near to him. He heals our scars and our wounds, and makes us whole again.

But the question you need to ask yourself is, “What kind of leader are you?”

You might say to me, “Me? A leader? I’m no leader.”

But if you have children, you’re a leader to them.

If you have a wife, God calls you to be a leader to her.

If you’re a boss, you’re a leader to the people under you.

And if there are people following you in whatever ministry you do at church, you are definitely a leader.

But whether you’re a leader at church, at home, or at work, Jesus calls us to follow his example.

To care for the people under you. To put their needs above your own. To help bring healing where they need healing and give guidance where they need guidance.

That’s what Jesus did for us. Let us do it for each other.

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Exodus

Willing to give, willing to serve

Well, I think we’re down to the final two days of Exodus. 

Most of the last few chapters are reiterations of the commands that God gave to Moses in the building of the tabernacle.

But one thing that struck me here is the heart of the people. 

God said, “Only those whose hearts move them should give and serve for the making of the tabernacle.” 

God didn’t want anyone to give or serve out of compulsion.  He wanted them to do so because they wanted to.

And the people did so.  In fact, they ultimately gave so much, that they had to be restrained from giving more.

That’s how the church should be.  People should be giving and serving, not because they have to, but out of the joy in their hearts that God has given them. 

Paul wrote to the Corinthians,

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  (2 Corinthians 9:7).

This verse is talking about giving, but the same could also be said about serving God. 

God doesn’t want you to serve him because you have to, but because you want to. 

And if you’re giving or serving because you feel you have to, not only are you missing out on the joy of giving and serving, but what you’re offering will not be accepted by God.

What kind of heart are you giving from?  What kind of heart are you serving from? 

Are you giving and serving hoping that others are watching you, and thinking what a great Christian you are? 

Are you giving or serving because you feel you have to in order to be a good Christian? 

Or are you so joyous about the life that God has given you, that you give and serve willingly?