Serving, service and you!
While I have been away, I have not made my bed once. Here in Kigali I am staying at the Radisson Blu Hotel and each day a crew of Rwandan men and women would descend on our room and make it look slick and span. They made the bed, tidied the bathroom, folded the towels beautifully, lined our shoes up neatly and made the whole room feel fresh. It has been a joy.
Being served is great isn't it! In restaurants, at home, at work or at a friend's house, the one served is given honour and assistance by the one serving.
With that in mind, I wonder if you have thought recently about the fact that Jesus served you?
In Mark 10 he spells out the purpose of his life: The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many!
There is something quite profound about that statement and thus Christianity. In most of the world religions, the message is clear: serve long and hard and you might be accepted. In Christianity God says, Jesus has come to serve you, to show you honour and give you help.
Indeed, Jesus comes into our lives to serve us. There is no catch, no small-print, so strings attached - there is just loving, humble, kind service by the Creator of the world for us. Jesus’ greatness is not that He can command the service of millions; it is that he serves millions.
And anyone who has accepted Jesus as Saviour will tell you that life is never better than when it is lived in recognition that Jesus has served you. For it is then that you see the world the right way up and you know your future with certainty.
Equally, when you know Jesus' loving service of you, your feet become ready to respond by loving and serving others! The one who served us now calls us to serve others. So knowing Jesus readies you to show kindness, thoughtfulness, generosity, open-heartedness, mercy and grace to others. Knowing Jesus shapes the use of our time, our gifts, our wisdom and our talents.
Hundreds of people serve in various ways across our church each week. From Growth Group leaders to the tech teams, from tea pourers to gardeners, from welcomers to ESL teachers. I delight in the way so many serve.
And now I am going to let you in on a secret. There is room for you to be serving too. Sometimes people look around in a church like ours and think “wow, there are lots of people, I’m not needed here!” Friends, nothing could be further from the truth.
There are opportunities every day of the week for you to exercise the gifts God has given you as we build wholehearted disciples of Jesus together. Gospel impact will extend, gospel reach will expand, gospel love will enlarge when you put your hand up and say I am in.
Serving gladly is a key part of being a wholehearted disciple and it makes you feel a stronger sense of belonging to all that happens here at Christ Church. We would love to help you get started. So, head to christchurch.com.au/serve and put your hand up for being a Gospel-builder in this church so together we might see Jesus glorified and the world transformed.
Jesus’ service of you is life-changing. Your service of him toward others can be too!
In Christ,
Nigel
