CRSS 102: Exposition on the term Christian Service
Now the Christian is
God's "servant." He is so by purchase (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
He is so by covenant, having solemnly entered into a compact with God,
to perform the duties of a servant—that he may enjoy the privileges of
one. He has recognized and yielded to God's claims upon him. Previously, he was
his own servant, fulfilling the desires of the flesh, gratifying himself. But
upon his conversion, he surrendered to the Lordship of Christ, took His yoke
upon him, to henceforth submit to His rule over him and be subject unto His
will in all things. Thus, to "serve the Lord" is not to do
something for him—as though we showed Him a favour—but it is to
render something unto Him. It is to perceive His just requirement of me, to own
His absolute authority, to dedicate myself wholly unto Him. It signifies that I
take the place and honestly endeavour to discharge the obligations of a servant;
and a "servant" is one who does as his Master bids him, who seeks to
please Him and promote His interests.
God glories in His
people in this particular character: "My servant Moses" (Numbers
12:7), "My servant David" (2 Samuel 7:8), "My servant Job"
(Job 1:8). As the saints glory in being able to say "my God,"
"my Lord," "my Saviour;" so God glories in them as His
"servants" because He has honour and pleasure by such. It is our honour
to be God's servants; and He is pleased to consider Himself honoured by our
obedience, yes, more so than by our worship: "Does the LORD delight in
burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To
obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of
rams." (1 Samuel 15:22). He was supremely honoured when His own beloved
Son took upon Him "the form of a servant" (Philippians 2:7). Said the
Father, "Behold my servant, whom I uphold; my elect, in whom my
soul delights" (Isaiah 42:1).
Any service
that reflects Jesus’ love is “Christian service.” From giving a cup of water (Mark
9:41) to dying for someone (John
15:13). There are as many types of Christian service as there are needs in
the world. Very few involve in activities within the four walls of the church. The
Bible gives some specific examples of Christian service: show hospitality to
strangers (Hebrews
13:2), remember those in prison (Matthew
25:36), provide for the needy (Matthew
25:35), and mentor others (Titus
2:2-8). Some examples speak to our day-to-day living: care for children (Matthew
18:5), tend families (Titus 2:5), treat employees fairly (Colossians
4:1), deal honestly with customers (Leviticus
19:36), and be diligent with employers’ resources (Matthew 25:14-30). As long as the act is done
“in Jesus’ name”—that is, it is motivated by the love of Jesus—it is Christian
service. The world is in desperate need of Christians willing to show the love
of Christ through their actions. Jesus said the second greatest commandment was
to love others—not sentimentally, but tangibly. Every action performed out of
kindness, powered by the understanding of Christ and His love, is Christian
service.
However, for this course I will, by the grace of God, be focusing on Christian service within the four walls of the church. The Bible instructs that we should not forsake the assembling of believers and I trust that when we gather together in Jesus name, there are one or two responsibilities we will be bestowed upon with. There will be needs to be attended to. Imagine a church without ushers, there will be so much chaos in seating arrangement and passing of information from a member in the congregation to an elder/pastor on the pulpit and some other problems not mentioned here. How about a church without the Evangelism/Follow-up group? Yes, we are all called to spread the good news of Christ’s salvation but there have to be people with specific responsibilities of seeing that the church carries this out. So, the importance of having and serving in certain units of the church is really great.
In
conclusion, Christian Service is not something you do for God but something you
render unto Him. It is not constrained to the four walls of the church but
should be an expression of a life unto God and love to others. However, within
the four walls of a church, it is necessary for Christians to get involved with
serving God in one unit or another.
I do hope
that I have given (at least to the best of my knowledge) a good explanation of
what Christian service is and why serving inn a unit is important. Be free to
leave your comments, corrections and ideas in the comment box. Be blessed.
Supported
articles culled from Grace Gems
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