Serving Others: “for you were called for the very purpose”
“It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is fine work he desires to do.
(The 1st Letter of Paul to Timothy 3: 1 & 8-11 NASB)
. . .
Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain,
but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
These men must also first be tested;
then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach.
Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.”
Years ago, when we were seventeen, my boyfriend and I were engaged in a small discipleship group with our pastor Bro. Jim. Back then, we were both young in our faith and in our relationship of dating. Never did I imagine that we would grow up to serve in the church and to be married for so long, but now, thirty-eight years later, I see both of us serving in our church as a married couple. How did this happen?
GOD!
- Our heavenly Father brought us together, first as friends and then as a dating couple and finally as a married couple, serving together.
- Our loving Father brought us together as brothers & sisters-in-Christ, connected to other brothers and sisters worldwide, serving together.
How then was this even possible?
Feats such as these can only be summed up in six words: the leading of God’s Holy Spirit.
- When I was fifteen, a mere child, I gave my heart to Jesus.
- When my boyfriend was seventeen, a mere child, he gave his heart to Jesus.
- When my pastor was eighteen, barely an adult, he gave his heart to Jesus.
Since then, each of us have grown in the Lord through Bible study & prayer, and we have served in several different & unique capacities within the church body.
- My pastor has served on committees, as a teacher, as a youth minister and as a pastor.
- My husband has served on committees, as a teacher, as a youth worker and as a deacon.
- I have served on committees, as a facilitator of many different groups, as a youth worker and as a Sunday School teacher.
This morning, as I found myself studying about “serving the Lord,” I was curious about some of the different roles in which the three of us have served.
First, my pastor serves at our church as the under-shepherd, as the biblical Overseer—One who watches over the souls of those entrusted to them in the Lord.
“Therefore, I exhort the elders among you,
(The 1st Letter of Peter 5: 1-3 NASB)
as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ,
and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed,
shepherd the flock of God among you,
exercising oversight not under compulsion,
but voluntarily, according to the will of God;
and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;
nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge,
but proving to be examples to the flock.”
Next, my husband serves at our church as a Deacon—a lay-person, one ordained, who shares in the ministry of a congregation.
“So the twelve [apostles of Jesus] summoned the congregation of the disciples and said,
(The Acts of the Apostles 6: 2-3 NASB)
“It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.
Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation,
full of the Spirit and of wisdom,
whom we may put in charge of this task.”
Finally, as a woman of God, one who is biblically called to be—A humble, modest, gentle, loving, and hospitable one who serves in the home, the church, the workplace, or the community. I have found myself serving in various capacities during my Christian life.
“To You I lift up my eyes,
(The Psalms 123: 1-2 NASB)
O You who are enthroned in the heavens!
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the LORD our God,
Until He is gracious to us.”
Does it matter that we serve the LORD? YES. YES, IT DOES!
We are to share Jesus with those who need to hear, and we are to do so through our relationships with others (both inside and outside the church building walls). As we serve as the hands and feet of Jesus, we see to the needs of others, we care for the orphaned and for the widows, and we form relationships where Gospel opportunities arise.
Therefore, SERVICE is so important to the growth of GOD’S KINGDOM!
We never outgrow this task which we were chosen to do for the LORD, despite the age we become.
Peter said it well within his first letter to the Believers scattered throughout the known world. In writing about “godly living,” Peter recorded these words—
“To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;
(The 1st Letter of Peter 3: 8-9 NASB)
not returning evil for evil or insult for insult,
but giving a blessing instead;
for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.”