The question has come up now more than once. Obviously, there are folks on both sides and theories abound.
Was a 16 minute church service followed by a day of sending everyone out across Charlotte and Union County—to SERVE others—a good or bad idea?
Seriously?
I’m blown away that anyone thinks it’s a bad idea, but I’m beginning to see where they’re coming from.
No, Man! It was a great idea! Of course it was a great idea—I ripped it off from Jesus Himself! It doesn’t take an Oxford road scholar to hone in on a handful of lessons that Jesus placed at the top of the priority list—it’s easy. You find them the same way you find them in anyone’s life.
- Where does their money go?
- Where is their time spent?
- What do they say and do at the most critical points of life?
The answer to ALL of these for Jesus was ‘others.’—Either His heavenly Father or the lost He came to save. Almost never Himself!
And do we want to talk a little here about entitlement?
Was anyone in the history of the universe ever entitled to more than Jesus?!
Huh?!
NO! <— Incase you’re still thinking about it. Here’s His attitude in a nut shell:
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
6 Though he was God,[a]
he did not think of equality with God (read here: entitlement)
as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges[b];
he took the humble position of a slave[c]
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,[d]
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.(parenthetical comments added)
Philippians 2:5–8
When I read this I realize that servanthood is non-negotiable. I have to develop the heart of a servant even if it goes against every fiber of my being. And guess what?
It does! Because I am a sinner saved by grace, it does go against every fiber of my being to put others first. It’s hard because I want to elevate myself, on the one hand, and lift up the name of Christ, on the other.
It’s the great paradox for all believers—who are honest.
Maybe this will help. If Philippians 2:8 were the last verse, it would be 10x more difficult to have the attitude the Lord asks of us. But it’s not the end of the story. God is not into keeping His thumb on you. He actually loves to lift up those who are willing to first serve. Yes, we are asked to have the same attitude that Jesus had, but then we will also partake in the same directional change Jesus experienced as well.
Again, take a look:
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9–11
No, every knee will not bow for you. You are not God. But the principle is the same. You might have heard it put a variety of ways:
-
The first shall be the last
-
The last shall be first
-
The meek will inherit the earth
-
The poor will be made rich
-
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. -
The pure in heart will see God.
-
The poor in spirit now will eventually inherit the kingdom of God.
There are a million and one ways to put it, but the principle is the same. We are not to be in the levitation business. That’s God’s line of work. Let Him lift you up in due time. He will. He promises.
So, that all brings me full circle to the ‘Day of Serving.’
Did we lose people because of it?
Yes. Some people actually went to other churches because Southbrook inconvenienced them with this ‘day of serving’ thing.
No, I’m not kidding. There weren’t many, but there were a handful…and they let me know it.
Did we gain people because of it?
I have no idea. I haven’t given that much thought. As far as church growth strategies go, I’m sure it’s not on the top of any list or printed in any books. But, in the end it hardly matters.
I guess I’ll find out tomorrow.
For now, it’s 5:30 am on a Saturday morning and I can’t sleep because I had a dream about all this stuff. So, what matters (God tells me), is that we (Southbrook Church) are faithful in what He asks us to do.
Period.
And any lesson that moves to the top of your priority list when you only have hours to live (and you know it) must be an important one. And what did Jesus do on the night He was betrayed?
Look for yourself:
John 13:1 and 3–10,
1Now(A) before(B) the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that(C) his hour had come(D) to depart out of this world to the Father,(E) having loved(F) his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2During supper, when(G) the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3Jesus, knowing(H) that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that(I) he had come from God and(J) was going back to God, 4rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel,(K) tied it around his waist. 5Then he(L) poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7(M) Jesus answered him, “What I am doing(N) you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8(O) Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, (P) “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash,(Q) except for his feet,[a] but is completely clean.
Focus specifically on verse 7, “What I am doing(N) you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand…”
Well, it’s ‘afterward,’ and I think I’m finally beginning to get it.
It’s not about me. It’s about ‘others.’
So, will we do this weird ‘serving’ thing again?
Absolutely.
See you on the streets!