A Refusal To Serve Others

""No one at that church ever called me when I was sick."" ""What programs do you offer for my children?"" ""Why don't they ever ask me to lead the singing?""

These questions may seem unrelated. Yet there is a common thread in each of them: an emphasis on me. What can you do for me, why aren't you doing for me, when do I get the limelight? America has been subtly indoctrinated by the social gospel that the church should do for you, serve you, help you, and assist you. It is, apparently, the church's responsibility to meet all of your needs. This attitude produces incredibly ineffective Christians. Instead of actively following Christ they sit around like unhappy patrons in a fancy restaurant - waiting for their waitress to come by and see to their needs. That is not Christianity! Let's understand the basic problems that come with thinking God designed the church relationship for my personal benefit.

It is not Christ like. The very way Jesus conducted Himself during the Incarnation may well be the best proof that the Gospel story is not of human invention. If a person had made up the story of Jesus he would have written of a Divine king who came here and received the best treatment. All bowed to him, all served him, all tried to see what they could do for this Divine king. I am not just making this up - look how various countries treat their royalty and those people don't even make a claim to be deity! The New Testament shows us something very different. Jesus comes and humbly serves others. He does for others. Instead of always having the best for Himself He gives way for others. Several passages shed light on this. Mark 10:45 tells us that Jesus Himself said ""For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."" John 13's poignant scene of Jesus washing dirty feet reminds everyone of what the Lord was really like. Truly, He was the ""suffering servant"" - with the accent on servant. It necessarily follows that if I am to be like Christ (and I am, 1 Peter 2:21) then instead of seeking to have all serve me I need to be out serving.

It is not Christianity. God did not design the church as a do-all-for-you institution, a gigantic monolith ready to meet your every need. Primarily, the New Testament church was a group of people interested in preaching and teaching about Jesus, and of course, serving each other. Acts is full of accounts of people serving and sacrificing physically (Acts 6:1ff), financially (Acts 4:32ff; 11:29), evangelistically (Acts 8:4) and even serving in hospitality by having saints in their home (Acts 12:12; 21:8). If I am going to seriously make the claim to be restoring New Testament Christianity I do well to consider if I have restored this spirit of care for my brethren and this desire to see to other's needs ahead of my own. It naturally follows that if our Leader and Great Example humbled Himself and gave up so much to serve others we must do precisely the same as followers. Remember, the test of true dsicipleship in Matthew 25 is not church attendance or osundness on issues but what we did for the Lord by helping others (Matt. 25:40).

The blunt truth is that we are called to serve others, not be served. Let's speak frankly about these matters. What contribution do I make to a local church, besides what I put in the collection plate on Sunday? In comparison to what I receive and have received from others how much do I give back? Do I make excuses why I cannot take food to the sick, teach a class, help out on clean-up day, etc. so that I never really get around to doing any tangible serving? Do I complain that others are not doing enough, aren't fixing this problem or solving that difficulty, yet I do little to help out personally? These are not easy questions to ask or answer, but they may reveal an ineffectiveness about Christianity found in a refusal to serve.

In conclusion, I have always been impressed that God's cure for Elijah's depression was to get busy and serve others (read it in 1 Kings 19:15ff). Such a remedy worked well then, and still works today. Be an effective Christian - serve the Lord through others today!