How's Your Serve?

“Happiness…consists in giving and serving others.”

Henry Drummond

  Ten days after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, residents of North Platte, Nebraska heard a rumor that soldiers from their town, part of the Nebraska National Guard Company D, would be coming through on a troop train on their way to the West Coast. About 500 people showed up at the train depot with food, gifts, letters and love to give the boys. But when the train showed up, it wasn’t the Nebraska National Guard Company D on board; it was the soldiers from the Kansas National Guard Company D.

  The North Platte residents decided to give their gifts to these soldiers that they didn’t know. It was a spontaneous act of genuine devotion that touched both the soldiers and those who served them at the depot that day.

  A few days later, a 26-year-old woman named Rae Wilson wrote a letter to the editor of the local newspaper recounting the profound experience they’d shared that night. She suggested that the town organize a canteen, so they could do something similar for every troop train that came through. She then offered to lead the effort as a volunteer, and for the next four and a half years, the people of North Platte and the surrounding communities met every troop train that came through their town. Each day, they prepared sandwiches, cookies, cold drinks, and hot coffee. They had baskets of magazines and books to give to the soldier and snacks for the train. There were even birthday cakes for anyone having a special day. They did this, some days, for as many as 8,000 soldiers and sailors.

  The statistics are staggering. By the time the last train arrived on April 1, 1946, six million soldiers had been served and blessed by the North Platte Canteen. 45,000 volunteers had served faithfully until the war was over and most troops had been transported home. If the residents of North Platte were that dedicated to doing whatever they could to serve American soldiers, shouldn’t we as Christians be even more committed to serve the Lord any way that we can?

  If you are a Christian, you’re saved to serve. Those who don’t believe in grace as the means of salvation, in other words “religious people,” confuse good works. They believe that one earns their place in heaven by doing things or works. Yet, God’s Word clearly tells us that it’s not through good works through that we’re saved (Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). It’s by grace alone, plus nothing! But though we’re not saved by works, if we’re truly saved there will always be works. While we’re not saved by serving but if we are – we will be serving.

  Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Scripture knows nothing of a “chair sitting” Christian. Those who love Jesus “labor” for Him. God designed each one of us with unique talents, personalities and skill sets. When Christ comes into our lives, we’re given at least one spiritual gift. We discover the most joy and make the biggest difference when we use our God-given gifts and abilities to serve Him and build His Church. Why?  

  Serving lets us discover and develop our spiritual gifts. The New Testament compares the church to a human body. As our bodies are made of many parts serving specific functions, the local church is made up of people with different skills and abilities. Alone these pieces aren’t useful, like a finger without a hand. Together we create something wonderful!

  By serving we experience the joy that comes from obedience. The church is not a spectator sport, where we come, watch, consume and leave. We’re to come and be a part of the life of the church, not watching from the sidelines, but getting involved. It’s part of being a family. In a family everyone pitches in and has a role. It’s not done out of obligation. It’s done out of love for the Lord and others. 
  Serving helps us to be more like Jesus. We all are selfish by nature. Most of our agendas consist of self-centered desires, but selfishness destroys us. Our walk with God must be about Him and others. Serving each other is the essence of Christianity. The Bible says that we’ve been set free so that we can love and serve others. If we’re not careful, we may sit happily and smugly in our born-again condition and never grasp our Lord’s intent that we’ve been set free so that can serve each other in love. 

  One cartoon showed a picture of a woman lying in her sickbed, obviously in misery. In the sink were stacked piles of dirty dishes. A huge basket of clothes to be ironed sat nearby. Two dirty children were fighting in one corner. In the other, a cat sat licking spilled milk. A smiling woman stood in the doorway and the caption had her saying, “Well, Florence, if there is anything I can do to help, don’t hesitate to let me know.”

  Too often that’s a picture of the local church! Pastors, church staff and leaders are overwhelmed with work. More needy people cry out for their attention than they have time to serve. Ministries lack workers. Visitors need a personal contact. New people need someone to befriend them. Facilities need maintenance and improvements. Even some who are involved seem to be committed only when it’s convenient. And yet people often say, “If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know!”

  We make all sorts of rational explanations for not serving; I don’t have time. I don’t know what I’d do. I don’t have any special skills to contribute. They don’t need me. Yet, the reality is the Lord doesn’t call the equipped; He equips the called. God used men and women with similar doubts to change the course of history. Moses didn’t think he was a leader or speaker, but God used him to bring Israel out of slavery. David was the youngest (and most insignificant) of his brothers, but God worked through him to take out a giant and eventually made him king. Paul killed Christians before he met Jesus, but he went on to become one of the most highly-regarded and prolific writers/church planters in history.

  Jesus doesn’t want to work for Him. He wants to work in and through you. He does that when you willingly serve Him. Are you missing out on His will and best? How’s your serve?

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Improving Your Serve!

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can and as long as you can.” John Wesley

    Did you hear the story about the set of identical twin boys born in Rome? They were given up for adoption immediately. One of the identical twins was taken to Spain where he was named, “Juan.” The other was taken to Saudi Arabia and he was named, “Amahl.” Juan and Amahl never knew each other during their lives, but when they became young men, they began to trace their roots and each discovered that he had a twin brother. So, they arranged to meet their biological families in Rome. It was an exciting day for all of the family members. They were at the airport as Juan arrived. They were so happy to see Juan; they greeted him as their long lost relative! Somehow though Amahl’s plane was running late, so, they had to leave. Somebody said, “You wait here and when Amahl arrives, bring him to our family reunion. They said, “Well, I’ve never seen Amahl before. How in the world will I recognize him?” They said, “That’s easy! If you have seen Juan you have seen Amahl!”

  In the Christian life, in the Church, there is no such thing as spiritual identical twins. We are all unique. No one is exactly alike. That’s why it’s so important for you to know that each believer is a gifted child of God. When you came to Christ, God gifted you to serve the Lord (1 Peter 4:10). Yet, how we serve the Lord falls into some typical categories.

   Some don’t serve. One pastor periodically noted by a name on his membership list in his study the letters “FBPO.” A friend’s curiosity got the best of him so finally he asked what “FBPO” meant. The pastor replied, “That means, ‘For burial purposes only.’ They’re a member of this church, but they don’t come. They don’t give. They don’t serve. Their name is on this church roll just so when they’re buried, their obituary will say, “He was a member of _______ Church.” FBPO. Every church has professing believers where we’d have to write FBPO beside their name. But there’s no retirement program this side of eternity. We’re saved to serve (Eph. 2:10). In the New Testament a local church is compared to a body. Every body part has a purpose. It’s also compared to a building. Every piece has a place. If someone is not serving and using their spiritual gift, one might as well write FBPO over his/her life. They’re disobedient and missing God’s calling on their life. It’s not safe to not use the gifts God has given you, as Jesus pointed out in His parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30).

  It’s tragic to watch the Lord chasten a believer that refuses to use what God has entrusted to them. There are also some telling symptoms of someone sitting on the sidelines. Typically, they’re sporadic in attendance, yet tend to be petty and critical. As they have little investment in the work of God, seemingly they justify it by fault-finding. Life for them is a selfie, yet it comes at a high price. Believers are saved to serve. Those who won’t often struggle with depression, loneliness and poor self-esteem. It’s nearly impossible to be emotionally healthy when one is self-absorbed.

  My friend, Scott Ziegler, bluntly says to such folk who attend his church, “If you’re not going to give or serve, please go somewhere else and leave that space for a lost person or someone who’s going to get involved.” 

  Some primarily serve reciprocally. It’s tempting to limit yourself to reciprocal service, yet you miss out on so much. Add to that, it obstructs your spiritual growth. Those who serve reciprocally serve in the nursery, children’s ministries, etc.…as long as they have children involved in those ministries. Afterwards, you’ll hear things like, “I did my time. It’s someone else’s turn.” Even older adults will focus on older adult ministries to serve.

  The Bible teaches that a church is a family. Every member is vital and needs to be involved in serving others. It’s why at Grace, we look for avenues for even children to be involved in service. And we encourage, where it’s appropriate, for parents to have their children serve alongside of them. Our sinful nature is narcissistic. Serving helps inoculate us against this malady. When I serve others where there’s no “payback,” it’s more easily done for God’s glory alone.

  A wonderful minority serve sacrificially. This is the biblical model. Someone who serves sacrificially serves as Jesus did. Only in eternity will their investment be fully rewarded. Like Jesus, they serve outside of their comfort zones. Think about it. What was “comfortable” about leaving heaven to come to earth in the Incarnation. What was comfortable about washing His disciples’ feet.

  The Christian life isn’t about playing it safe. The cross wasn’t safe. It’s about risk and putting it all on the line. Serving outside of our comfort spaces helps us grow in faith, as we’re more dependent on God’s enabling. We know too, the good that takes place is only of the Lord because we didn’t have it in ourselves. In nearly every church you know who these godly individuals are. If you ask, “Who are some of the most Christlike individuals in your church?” Invariably, their names come up.

  Every Christian can “help.” One spiritual gift listed out in 1 Corinthians 12:28 that’s available for every Christian is labeled “helping.” Even the youngest believer can “help.” It can be anything from picking up trash, setting-up or tearing down for a church function, watching children for a single parent, or helping someone move, or doing yardwork for a senior citizen. It could be as simple as dropping a note of encouragement. One of our best means of helping is prayer. We can all pray. Sometimes that’s the best help, particularly when we don’t know how to help, like when a friend has lost a loved one or is going through a time of suffering. 

  John Piper wrote a small yet powerful book every Christian should read, Don’t waste your life! Please don’t waste your life. Choose to serve. Invest in something that will count for eternity. Glorify God and show your gratitude for His great love to you by serving Him and serving others!

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.