There are two aspects of serving one another that Paul puts together in 1 Thessalonians 4:18 – 5:11. In relation to the Lord’s soon coming, he says, “Therefore encourage one another with these words”. With rumors, false teachers and public media, there are many in the body of Christ who desperately need encouragement. There are many distractions that+ get our focus off the Lord and the promises of His Word. It is critical that we encourage each other to find stability in the timeless truth of Scripture.
Paul follows this admonition with “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing”. The idea of ‘building…up’ means to “make more able, edify or strengthen” which in our day is so needed. Please read this section and see the wonderful context. As in Paul’s day, we have pressures of darkness and spiritual apathy that work against believers standing firm in the faith. Who will you encourage today? As you are reading this, perhaps the Spirit has put someone on your mind that really needs encouraging. Stop what you are doing, make a phone call, send a message or pray for that person. Perhaps they need a visit. Whatever God is prompting you to do, make the investment that will have lasting dividends.
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What is the biblical basis for “serving one another”? Paul establishes the foundation for this truth in several places. He uses the term “one body” to describe the church. This phrase is used twice in Romans 12:5-10 and 1 Corinthians 12:12-26. Since we have been baptized “in one Spirit…into one body”, “so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another”. This requires a dynamic change in our way of thinking from the ‘me’, individualistic mindset that pervades our western culture.
Because of this divine baptism, we have a prior obligation to everyone in the body of Christ to value, care and minister to each other. There is no secular organization on earth where membership is required that says ‘we are “members one of another”’. That is why Jesus and the apostles place love for “one another” as evidence that we belong to Christ and is the basis of serving (see John 13:34-35; 15:12, 17; Romans 13:8; Galatians 5:13; Ephesians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 4:9; 1 Peter 1:22; 4:8; 1 John 3:11, 23; 4:7, 11-12; 2 John 5). I think the point is made clear. Do you feel independent of everyone else, or do you put this principle into practice even if the circumstances make it difficult. Jesus said, “blessed are you if you do them”, not ‘blessed are you when you feel like doing them’. It would be natural to follow the series on “Servant Leaders” with “Serving One Another”. The first has to do with the character we need to be servants (“what”) while the second is the “how’ of being servant leaders in a practical way.
I will start with Galatians 6:2; “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ”. The word “burdens” means “tremendous hardships that are weighty”. This is not natural for us because we often feel that the burdens we carry in our own lives are more than we can handle. Think of how Paul carried burdens. “And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?” (2 Corinthians 11:28–29). What an example! Next time we will look further into this subject and its practical applications. “Enthusiasm. The origin of this word is entheos, points to “the ability to see God in a situation that makes it exciting. Do you know that God is watching your life? Do you realize that? Something happens to us when we become convinced that God our heavenly Father is aware of and involved in our activities and is, in fact, applauding our lives. There is not a place in the entire scope of your existence where God is not there”
Swindoll, Charles R., Living Above the Level of Mediocrity. Are we living for His applause or man’s? See John 12:43. As I close this mini-series on “servant leaders”, I would be remiss if I left out Paul’s attitude toward his own ministry. Though many tried to discredit his ministry (and some do today), he points to characteristics that reflect the servant spirit of his Master, Jesus. I will list some of these from 1 Thessalonians 2:2-12 and 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 for you to consider and use as a mirror with your own life and ministry.
· He declared the gospel through much conflict. · Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s appeal did not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive those they ministered to. · They spoke, not to please man, but to please God, knowing that He tests their hearts. · They never came with words of flattery, nor with a pretext for greed. · They did not seek glory from people. · Paul said they were gentle among them, like a nursing mother taking care of her children. · They were ready to share the gospel of God and their own lives. · They worked night and day so as not to be a burden to anyone. · God was a witness to how holy and righteous their conduct toward the believers was. · They were like a father exhorting, encouraging and charging the believers. · Their boast was only in the Lord. These are the marks of a true servant that is genuinely concerned about the spiritual welfare of those in the church. There is no room for pride, self-consideration or impure motives. Let us see to it that we grow in this grace; modeling servant leadership and showing deep concern for the maturity of others. Because this subject of servant leadership is so important, I want us to compare what we see in Scripture with what we see around us in the world and in the church. When we hear or read verses like Mark 9:33-35 and Luke 22:24, there is this alarm that goes off in our heads that says, ‘how could these men dare dispute over who is the greatest among them?’ Yet, if we are honest, there is a subtle struggle between our flesh and the Spirit that we are afraid to admit exists in ourselves. Part of our motives jostle for a position just a little higher than we have now because it gives us better recognition, status and perks. I am not confusing this with seeking to do excellent work and being rewarded for it by others. I am conscious in myself that there is a battle of unseen motives that strive for the top.
Jesus knew what was going on in the minds and hearts of his own disciples and he sets before them a supra-cultural, timeless principle that we all must allow to form our character and thinking. “And He sat down and called the twelve. And He said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” (Mark 9:35). Notice the steps in this short statement that reinforce the point: · “And He sat down and called the twelve.” The importance of this point required that Jesus take time out from His ministry to teach His disciples. He drew them into this teachable moment by putting everything else aside. They had to come to One who was serving them. · Jesus applied this principles to everyone by saying, “If anyone would be first”. There is no exception! That includes you and me! · There is also no other way; “he must be last of all”. I find this extremely challenging and know that I have failed miserably in obeying Jesus’ instruction. But our failure does not give us a detour around the imperative. “I must be last of all”! · It is one thing to take the last place at any occasion, it is another to “be…a servant of all.” This is what Jesus has done in coming into this world. As His representative, I have no choice but to do the same. As challenging as this is, we must take on this attitude if we are going to be His witnesses and see the Holy Spirit work through us. Servant leadership is a difficult trait to learn in our world. There are cultural pressures that try to make us believe positions of importance and power are better than serving others. Jesus makes the point clear; “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,” (Matthew 20:25–27).
Jesus presses the point with the disciples about the religious leaders of His day. “They love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues” (Matthew 23:6). Just before Jesus pronounces the seven woes against the Pharisees, He says to His disciples, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (23:12). Because we live in a very self-centered world, we must model God’s design for leadership – ‘others first’. God thought of us who were unworthy of His consideration and expressed it by the greatest act of love. Why should we not seek to demonstrate such love by serving others? What better place can we begin this subject than the perfect example of Jesus. After James and John (sons of Zebedee) sought a special place beside Jesus “in [His] glory”, Jesus points to His own attitude in coming to earth. “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
Jesus raises the importance of this attitude again with the disciples in John 13 after washing their feet. He says, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done to you.” (John 13:14–15). If the Creator and Upholder of the universe can stoop to serve those He created, it should be a small thing for us to humbly serve others. What kind of leadership model are you following? If it does not reflect the attitude of Jesus, it is not worth following (see 1 Corinthians 11:1). He was equal with God yet “emptied Himself by taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:6-8). This was an intentional action on the part of Jesus that was motivated by humility and obedience. No leader will be effective for the glory of God unless this attitude becomes the controlling motive for all he or she does. God is looking for such persons to be an example in the church and in the world. If you are willing to hear His call, carefully consider the words of John the Baptist; “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). Peter introduces a vital aspect of spending time with the Lord in God’s Word. “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love” (1 Peter 1:22). James confirms the principle of obedience when he says, “be doers of the word, and not hearers only…a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” (James 1:22, 25). We must understand from both Scriptures that there are direct results from our obedience to the Word. Without obedience our quiet time descends into a ritual and we ignore the Holy Spirit’s presence and work in us.
I want to encourage you in this very important habit. Take it on as a delight of the heart and benefit from a closer walk with the Lord. Spiritual maturity is critical to advancing the gospel and expansion of church planting among all people groups around the world. The writer of Hebrews was deeply concerned that we graduate from “milk” to “solid food”. Spending time in God’s presence listening to Him speak to us through His Word will enable us to become skilled “in the word of righteousness”. “Solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:13-14).
Perhaps the most effective way to mature is through a quiet time with the Lord. In those moments where the Lord’s presence, God’s Word, and the Holy Spirit converge on the soul, we experience spiritual transformation. Our appetite for “solid food” grows and we mature in our thinking, words and actions. The reflection of Christ becomes clearer and the power of the Spirit more evident. What are you eating? |
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