D. Service

Before Jesus was crucified He explained to His disciples that the greatest among them would be those who gave themselves in service to others, just as He gave Himself in service to others by dying for the sins of the world.

But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28)

Jesus service to others was not just confined to His death on the cross but had been a part of His entire ministry to the people of His day. The apostle Peter made this clear on one occasion when he said,

You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38)

The apostle Paul tells us that those who have started a new life in Christ now have as part of their purpose in life, the goal of accomplishing the good works that God has prepared for them to do.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

Everything that God has created He has a purpose for, and all that He has created should always bear fruit.

My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. (John 15:8)

Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. (Romans 7:4)

Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful. (Titus 3:14)

There is one final thought to be considered before we move on, and it relates back to the previous topic of sanctification. In that topic we learned that it is God’s will for our life that after being saved we are to begin to cleanse our lives from sin. This is very important because the apostle Paul teaches us that until we begin that process and see real progress we will not really be very useful to God in service.

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. (2 Timothy 2:21)

Keeping that in mind we can now move forward to learn more about how we can be of service to God and others.

GOOD WORKS

The first way we can be of service to others is through doing good works. We will pause for a moment however to remind ourselves that good works cannot save us but they are the natural result of what happens when a person believes in Jesus for salvation. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Our good works in service to others should be motivated out of a heart of love as the apostle Paul explains.

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” (Galatians 5:13-14)

Our love and service to others in many cases will take the form of meeting the needs of others, just as God made provision for meeting our greatest need when He provided for the forgiveness of our sins. James points this out when he writes that those who have put their faith in God to meet their greatest need will demonstrate the reality of that faith by meeting the pressing needs of others.

What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. (James 2:14-17)

The Apostle John makes this same point when he writes,

16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. 19 We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him (1 John 3:16-19)

The writer to the Hebrews encourages others along these same lines saying,

And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. (Hebrews 13:16)

We might ask to whom are we to direct the doing of these good works? While encouraging others not to grow weary in doing good the apostle Paul writes that we are to do good to all men giving special attention however to other believers.

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. (Galatians 6:9-10)

The apostle Paul encouraged believers not to grow weary in doing good but Jesus warned of another danger when it comes to doing good works. We must be very careful that our motivation for doing good is always one of love, and not to because we want to be seen by others. Everyone has a tendency to seek out recognition, but this can easily turn into way of life that does things out of pride and a desire for self-promotion. This is what Jesus said we should keep in mind when we are doing the good works that God has called us to.

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.“So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-4)

We have considered how we can be of service to others by meeting their needs as we are motivated by a heart of Love. These acts of service are things that every believer can do whenever the opportunity arises. But there are other ways for believers to be of service in which each individual has a unique contribution they can make for the common good.

SERVICE AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS

In the New Testament we learn that every true believer has been gifted by God with the ability to make a unique contribution to the Kingdom of God. In many cases these gifts have been given specifically to help other believers but in other instances to be of service to those not yet saved. Peter writes,

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Peter 5:10)

We look to the teaching of the apostle Paul to gain a greater understanding of the topic of spiritual gifts. Paul explains that there are many different spiritual gifts, they are bestowed upon individuals by God and they are meant for the common good. Using the human body as an example Paul points out that the body has many parts that all have a unique purpose and function, but all the different parts work together so that the body works together as a unified whole.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. 12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:4-13)

Because of this interconnection of the different parts of the body we realize that each and every part is vitally important. Even those parts of the body that we might easily dismiss as unimportant we find, when they are no longer in operation, to be very important indeed! Paul continues by saying,

14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. 19 If they were all one member, where would the body be?20 But now there are many members, but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; 23 and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, 24 whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, 25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. (1 Corinthians 12:14-26)

The apostle Paul finishes up by making his readers aware of something very important. He tells them that each one of these believers make up the body of Jesus Christ here on earth and that it is through the individual parts of the body all working together that the work of God’s kingdom continues to this day.

27 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. 29 All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? 30 All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? 31 But earnestly desire the greater gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:27-31)

When writing to the church in Ephesus Paul lists some of the different types of ministries God has given to different individuals to accomplish His work here on earth. Using the same illustration of the body Paul emphasizes that all of these ministries have been ordained for the building up of the body of Christ, that is all the members of His church, so that each individual believer becomes a mature and fruitful follower of Christ.

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16)

Please continue to the last part of this topic to consider some concluding remarks.