Serve Jesus’ Church
“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men.” Philippians 2:5-6
It is not always easy to serve humans like it is to serve Jesus, but the Bible is clear that there is no stipulation on those who are worthy of our service. Instead, we must look to Jesus as the perfect example of serving. Once we have His heart and example working in us, we can follow His ways as we serve His people.
We will look at five areas that help maintain a servant’s heart and, in turn, demonstrate Christlikeness to our family, friends, neighbors, and the world.
Love is the foundation of our service to Jesus and others.
The phrase “your good at my expense” is a great way to talk about the motivation of serving. It sounds easy, but it can be challenging! Matthew 20:28 states, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” This scripture testifies to Jesus’ greatest service Christ when He gave His life as a ransom for us. His love now empowers us to serve others the same way. Note: One of the best ways we can serve each other is through the simple, supernatural act of forgiveness.
The phrase “your good at my expense” is a great way to talk about the motivation of serving.
Humility is lowering yourself and placing value on others.
In the book of James 2:1-5, the brother of Jesus beautifully articulates this truth when he admonishes the church not to show Gratitude is the response to how Christ loves and serves us.
A thankful heart creates a joy that overflows to serve others. Take a moment and think about how a family member, friend, pastor, or fellow disciple of Jesus has served you! It will renew the joy you find in serving others.
Grace from Jesus helps us serve.
Each person has unique grace and strength to serve, and the body of Christ needs everyone to function in their place! Quite often, disciples do not fully understand the extent of the grace of God upon their lives until they start serving. When they do, the demand they put upon their faith activates areas of ability previously unknown being unused.
It is important to remember that we are God’s children and heirs, not just volunteers
The practical outworking of this is visible on Sunday mornings as the family of God gathers for worship service. Members of the body bring their gifts to serve on worship, child care, and usher teams, creating a clean and healthy environment for us to enjoy the presence of God together.
It is important to remember that we are God’s children and heirs, not just volunteers. When we bring our children together, we are training them by our example to take ownership of the house of God in our hearts and actions.
Beyond the Sunday meetings, we extend the heart of Jesus as we practice hospitality as an expression of love (Romans 12:10-13). We do this by preferring one another, praying for each other, and meeting the body’s physical needs. Extending this even further is caring for the poor and serving other churches.
Finally, in Matthew 25:34-40, Jesus makes it clear that we will give an account for the way we served Him by how we served His body in the church. Jesus said: “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.” It’s a sobering but wonderful thought because He is the one that gives us the heart and grace to serve!