St Albans Presbyterian church. Teachings: 40days of purpose: Week 5

40 Days of Purpose Week 5: SERVING WITH ATTITUDE

Adapted from Rick Warren’s material by Steve Jourdain

For three weeks in 2002, Elvis Presley’s album of greatest hits was the number one album in the USA, 25 years after the guy had died! Now in spite of enormous success, Elvis was, according to friends, an unfulfilled and unhappy man. He died of obesity and drug dependency at 42. In an interview with his former wife, Priscilla, she said: "Elvis never came to terms with who he was meant to be or what his purpose in life was. He thought he was here for a reason, maybe to preach, maybe to serve, maybe to save, maybe to care for people. That agonizing desire was always with him and he knew he wasn’t fulfilling it. So he’d go on stage and he wouldn’t have to think about it." Elvis didn’t have a clue where to look. In a sense, he was lost.

Today we’re continuing the 40 Days of Purpose, and we’re going to look at God’s fourth purpose for your life, ‘You were shaped to serve God’. Elvis felt like he was here to do something, to serve, to preach, to save…to do something with his life, but he just couldn’t quite figure it out. I don’t want you to make that mistake.

The Bible says this in Ephesians 2 verse 10:

"God creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing." (The Message version)

"For we are God’s masterpiece ("workmanship" in the NIV). He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (New Living Translation)

God has created us for a life of good works…. To join God in the work he is doing to build his kingdom. The word "workmanship", "masterpiece", "craftsmanship" is from the Greek word meaning ‘poem’. We are God’s creative expression, God’s masterpiece, although we may not always feel or look like it! We are not mass-produced on a production line, but a custom-made, original, masterpiece, for a unique task God has long intended.

Ephesians chap 2 verses 9 & 10 make it clear that we were Made and Saved to Serve God. You and I were not created to take up space, to just eat and breathe. We were made to contribute not consume, not to get the most out of life but to give the most with our lives; not to take from life but to add value to life.

Ephesians 2 verse 9 & 10 make it clear we were not saved by good works, but for good works.

The Bible’s key word for "doing good works" is service, serving; and we serve out of gratitude to God for what he has done and continues to do for us.

Romans 12 verse 1 says, "So then my friends, because of God’s great mercy to us I appeal to you: offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service."

Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t just take us straight to heaven the moment we accept Jesus as out Saviour? It would be a great method of controlling the world’s population!

Some Christians act as if all they need to do after being saved is to sit on the roadside and wait for the next bus to heaven! We don’t go straight to heaven, because God has a purpose for us, a task for us to do. We have a ministry in the church and a mission in the world.

The term ‘ministry’ means ‘service’, to serve or help, and the terms are interchangeable. So too are the words ‘minister’ and ‘servant’. We are all called to be ministers, servants in the church community, the body of Christ. Some churches make this point very clearly. On their Sunday Newsletter where it says ‘Minister’, they type: ‘The Whole Congregation’ or ‘All our Members". Then underneath they put the ‘Vicar’ or ‘Presbyter’ or ‘Pastor’ is Steve Jourdain, or whoever.

In some churches in China, a new believer is welcomed into the church by the leader saying, "Jesus now has a new pair of eyes to see with, new ears to listen with, new hands to help with, a new heart to love others with."

The reason we are all called to serve in an interdependent, multi-gifted body is so that, as each of us serves and ministers with our gifts and passions, no one person or ministry should be stressed or overworked. But if some parts of the body don’t do their role, the other parts suffer. Some churches seem glad enough that their members just turn up on Sunday and put $5 in the offering – just like waiting at the bus stop to heaven and paying off the fare on time payment! But we are made and saved for much more; for the active service of God.

We must act on what we know. Christian maturity, Bible knowledge, spiritual gifting, are not ends in themselves. Maturity is for ministry. We are saved to serve, healed to help, blessed to be a blessing. We grow up to give out; and so often we grow and mature through giving out in practical service.

There is a wonderful example in comparing the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea in Israel. Both have water coming into them but only Galilee gives out water. It is a vibrant living sea. But the Dead Sea is just that. It doesn’t have any outlet; it does not give out. You and I risk dying, risk stagnation in our faith, if we don’t give out.

We don’t need more Bible studies, more training, more church services. We need to do more ministry, more practical service for the Lord, to stretch our faith, to develop our spiritual muscles.

There are two key aspects of our Christian service: our SHAPE and our ATTITUDE.

SHAPE is one way of referring to our personal attributes or equipment.

It is an acronym for Spiritual gifts, Heart/passion, natural Abilities, Personality & life Experience.

Others refer to our personal attributes as a combination of gifts/passion/style.

Knowing our SHAPE is important to serve God effectively and joyfully, because we serve best when we find our best fit in the interdependent, multi-gifted community that is the Body of Christ.

Just as important than knowing our SHAPE is having a servant-heart or servant-ATTITUDE; the attitude of Jesus who came "not to be served but to serve and to give his life" …

Or as Philippians ch 2 verse 5 says, "You should have the same attitude as Christ Jesus…".

The world defines greatness and success in terms of having power, position and possessions, Jesus measures greatness and success in terms of service and self-sacrifice; by how many we serve, not how many serve us.

Without a servant attitude, we are more likely to misuse our personal attributes for personal gain or to excuse ourselves from service. Just as we are never too old to serve, we never become too important, too wealthy, or too powerful to serve (2nd Corinthians chapter 8 verse 9)

Although our shape determines our primary ministry/area of service, we must always be ready to serve casually wherever we are needed. We shouldn’t say that our spiritual gift is not service or helps or mercy, therefore I don’t have to serve. That would be like saying that my gift is not giving so I won’t give any money to God’s work; not teaching so I’ll never help out at Sunday School when they’re short; not healing so I’ll never pray for a sick person to be healed.

Our SHAPE reveals our ministry, but our SERVANT-ATTITUDE reveals our maturity. You don’t need talent, gifting or experience to tidy up after church, pick up rubbish, make a meal, pick up someone for church, to be a servant; you only need character, the character of Jesus developing within you.

I want to finish with some characteristics of a true servant-attitude.

Real servants make themselves available to serve

Real servants are "at your service, Lord." They don’t fill their lives with so much personal and self-centred stuff, whether work, family, leisure or whatever, that they are not available to serve. Serving only when it’s convenient, is not true service.

How available are you to God? Can God mess up your plans, bring someone across your path, interrupt you, without you becoming resentful? True servants don’t get to pick and choose when or where they serve. A servant-attitude means giving up the right to control our schedule and being available in God’s service.

It is helpful to remind ourselves at the start of each new day that we are God’s servants and that our agenda will be whatever God brings into our lives; that interruptions may be divine appointments for ministry.

Sometimes discernment is needed, to decide whether an interruption is from God, or a person abusing our kindness and availability, or whether we really need time out for recreation.

Real Servants pay attention to needs

Real servants are observant and spontaneous, looking for ways to help, and seize the moment. I like David Watson’s daily prayer, "Lord give me eyes to see, and the grace to seize, every opportunity for you". Paul told the Galatians, "Whenever we have the opportunity, we have to do what is good for everyone, especially for the family of believers." (ch 6v10) God calls us to make the needs of fellow disciples a high priority.

Real servants don’t look for great opportunities to serve but look to do small tasks as if they were great opportunities. That incredible servant of God, Methodist preacher John Wesley, had a great motto, "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."

Real Servants do their best with what they have

Real servants don’t procrastinate, make excuses, wait for better circumstances or until they are better equipped. As Nike commands us, real servants ‘Just Do It!’

God expects us to do what we can, with what we have, wherever we are. Less-than-perfect service is always better than well-intentioned-statements.

Some people are reluctant to serve because they feel that they are not good enough. According to the Bible, serving God is not just for the professionals, the gifted, the experienced; its for ordinary, everyday followers of Jesus like us.

We have all kinds of proverbs in our Western culture, "If it can’t be done with excellence don’t do it!" "If a thing’s worth doing, its worth doing well." Actually Jesus never said either of these!

Counsellor David Riddell recognises the impact this philosophy has had on many people’s self-esteem. He says, "If a thing’s worth doing, it’s worth doing badly until you get better at it!" He also says; "Sometimes good enough is good enough."

Rick Warren initiated a principle in their church called ‘the good enough’ principle. Your service doesn’t have to be perfect for God to use and bless it. Every biblical hero was less than perfect; every member of God’s family today is less than perfect. So if you’re feeling less than perfect today, you belong! And if you do happen to be feeling perfect, you’d better leave, as you’ll soon be feeling uncomfortable! St Albans is a hospital for sinners not a hotel for saints.

God would rather involve thousands of ordinary Kiwis in ministry than have a perfect (and empty!) church led by a few gifted professionals.

Real Servants are faithful in their ministry.

They stick at it; finish their tasks, keep their promises, fulfil their responsibilities, even when they get discouraged. They are dependable. Many people today make commitments casually and then break them for the slightest reason, without hesitation or regret.

Can others rely on you? Are there promises or commitments that you need to honour?

Life is a test. God is testing our faithfulness, our stickability in small things, before entrusting us with greater things. God has promised to reward our faithfulness in eternity.

How good will it be to hear those famous words of Jesus, "Well done my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in managing small amounts, so I will put you in charge of large amounts. Come on in and share my happiness."

Real Servants are humble not proud

When real servants are recognised for their service, they humbly accept it but don’t allow recognition to distract them from their work.

Jesus exposed the devotion of the Pharisees as an empty show, a kind of godly behaviour that is done for attention. It is ‘eye-service’ to catch the eye of another, to impress; rather than ‘humble service’ that doesn’t seek the approval or applause of others. Real Servants serve an audience of one! (Colossians chapter 3 verse 23)

Sometimes you may feel unnoticed or unappreciated in your area of service, but God knows and God values what you do. Stick at it faithfully until God moves you on.

The Message version has a fresh translation of Colossians chapter 3 verse 4, "When Christ shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up too – the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ."

In the USA, there are more than 750 ‘Halls of Fame’ and more than 450 ‘Who’s Who?’ publications, but you won’t find many real servants in these places. Real Servants know the difference between prominence and significance. The most significant service in God’s Kingdom is often unseen, but on Judgement Day, God will visibly acknowledge and reward his many obscure and unknown servants. Story of Billy Graham.

Friends, don’t be discouraged when your service for the Lord goes unnoticed or unappreciated. Stick at it. As Paul said to the Corinthians, "Keep abounding, stay enthusiastic in the Lord’s work, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort." 1st Corinthians 15 v58.

These then are some marks of the servant-attitude.