The Spirit of Service - Don't Look Down on the Small Things
We are going to zero in on the list in Romans 12 which itemizes various functions within the body of Christ. From there we get our subject for today... the gift of service.
Romans 12:3-8 the word service is a translation of the Greek word diakoneo.
The service associated with the word diakaneo can cover a wide variety of activity but search the scriptures and you’ll find a special emphasis on taking care of the needs of others, very often in conjunction with food and drink, hospitality, and physical accommodations.
Diakoneo is the verb form of the word diakonos, or, deacon which is a recognized office in the Church. A person anointed as a deacon is designated as a servant of the Church and provides leadership in the areas of service previously mentioned.
God’s gift of service is not limited to the person ordained as a deacon. Service is for everybody. A deacon provides leadership, and example in this area.
Ephesians 4:11-13 it is the role of a church leaders and teachers to encourage every member towards acts of service. In this way the mind and attitude of Christ work in you.
The Attitude of Service
The list of gifts we read in Romans 12 also mentioned generosity, which implies sharing money or possessions with others, especially those who need help. I would like us to think of service as being generous with your time and energy.
2 Corinthians 9:1 financial aid for famine relief in Jerusalem is spoken of as diakonea/service
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 in the same way I believe God wants each of us to give generously of our time and energy as we have decided in our heart not reluctantly, or with complaining, because God loves service done cheerfully of our own free will.
2 Corinthians 8:12 the attitude is more important to God than the actual amount Luke 21:1-4.
Matthew 10:40-42 what these verses tell us:
- · Service we render others is really service to God
- · God is aware or our service
- · God promises a future reward for our service
- · God is especially focused on the service we perform within the body of Christ
- · Hospitality among the people of God [providing food, drink, and physical accommodation] is a prime example of service
Keeping these factors in our thinking can help us adopt and maintain a cheerful attitude… they also address some of the main reasons hold back from service or serve with a wrong outlook.
3 Challenges to Maintaining a Cheerful Attitude When Serving
Challenge #1 - Focusing on the Physical
God considers service toward our brothers and sisters as service towards Him. But often we only see the other person or group of people and begin to doubt there is a spiritual transaction taking place:
We may consider them unworthy… why am I serving these ugly, smelly, uncool, people? Why aren’t they doing their part? They’re no better than me, why aren’t they serving as much as me?
They may be ungrateful… no one even knows I’m in the back room hauling out the trash… everyone just assumes I am going to take care of everything… they never even said thanks.
You might think the situation would be better within the Church and we wouldn’t have such struggles with our attitudes. We are all working from the same playbook, right?
I have found over the years that serving within the Church is actually rather challenging because the expectations are very high, a lot is taken for granted, and the rewards are far off.
To do well you must expend the necessary mental energy to remember… your service is really toward God and that it is Christ living and acting within you.
Challenge #2 Desire for Recognition from Others
God promises us reward for our service… but that reward is not immediate. However, the human mind is wired to focus on immediate results as a means to quickly determine which behaviors are good or bad. For example: when training a very young child the reward has to be meted out quickly so the child makes the connection easily.
You went potty all by yourself… that makes mommy very happy… have a cookie.
That’s the way we’re wired. Working towards rewards that are further off in the future is something we grow into. It’s a sign of maturity.
You don’t’ say: If you go potty all by yourself… I’ll buy you a corvette when your 18
Matthew 6:1-5 its natural to desire immediate praise, but pay attention to what Jesus is saying here: if you do good to get praise from other people… then that praise is all the reward you will get.
What is praise and recognition from other people? A pat on the back, a quick compliment, and poof it’s over… you’ll feel good for a short while and then it’s over. Your reward has come and gone.
The Reward God Promises is Better
Is it better because it’s a pat on the back from God… and He’s like super awesome? No, the reward from God is better because has real substance… and its lasting.
Luke 19:12-19 in this version of the parable each person is given a gift equal in value to what is given to the others, some double it, some gain 50%, and some do nothing with what they have been given.
Their reward is in proportion to how well they did with what they were given. The substance of the reward is a position of authority in the Kingdom of God. The reward promised by God is better because it has real substance… and it’s lasting.
Revelation 20:4-6, Revelation 5:9-10 [3:21]
Ephesians 2:5-7 you have been called by God now, disciplined and trained by Him, so that you might be raised up to serve in the coming age of Christ’s rule on earth.
Matthew 25:14-23 in this version of the parable the gifts are not all the same. Some are given more to work with and some are given less. The person given 5 bags doubles it; the person given 2 bags doubles it. Both receive the same reward… each has done equally well considering what they were given to work with. Not everybody has the same gifts, or opportunities.
- Principle #1 Luke 12:48 to whom much is given much will be required, to who much has been entrusted much will be asked.
- Principle #2 If you are faithful in the little things God gives you to do [acts of service for example] you will be put in charge of many things when Christ returns in power an glory. So, the person who distains the day of small things… well, that’s just a bad life choice.
Challenge # 3 Seeking Recognition By Complaining
Luke 10:38-42 Martha appears to be a person blessed with a desire and talent for service. She is pictured as hospitable and busy. Jesus was a frequent guest at her home and my guess is that part of the reason why was that she always made it a very enjoyable visit. Here she is recorded making some of the classic mistakes of a person given to service:
Her focus on service generates a great deal of unnecessary busy work – since service is a good thing, the more work we do in service the better, even to the point of creating new things to do! The problem is: these cause a distraction from other spiritual instruction.
She wants recognition – don’t you care, don’t you recognize my effort?
She wants others to conform to her standards of service – command Mary to stop sitting there listening to you talk and help me out here! [even though some of the stuff Martha was up to were not really essential].
Seeking recognition by complaining has the potential to diminish your reward… because if its praise from other people you are after, then as Jesus says, then that’s your reward.
Which do you prefer? The reward of praise from men… or the reward from God?
Caveat: praise is OK. If I come along and praise you I have not taken away or replaced our reward from God. The point is: don’t seek praise & recognition. His word tells you to take a lowly position and wait to be acknowledged by God in due time.
Luke 14: 7-11 notice the setting... food and drink, status and recognition
God Doesn’t Like Complaining
The classic example of complaining is: the people of Israel in the wilderness.
Newly redeemed and freed from Egyptian oppression the people of Israel find themselves in a desert. After a while they start to get hungry and thirsty [food and drink].
They start grumbling: man, what are we going to drink… God provides sweet water
Then they start murmuring: man, we had all kinds of food in Egypt… have you brought us out here to starve? … God provides manna.
Then they say: man, this food is boring, it’s the same thing all the time… we were better off in Egypt. We should just go back.
In each case Israel had some legitimate concerns. The problem was how they voiced those concerns. The way they voiced their concerns was not acceptable… “I don’t like how things are being done around here”, “this isn’t the way I would have done things”, and imputing malicious intent on Moses. When you are serving in a situation where someone else is in charge this type of complaining is common.
God does not like complaining… but He often creates situations where complaining seems perfectly justified! Why would He do that?
Deuteronomy 8:1-5 He purposefully made life hard to test them and see what was in their hearts. God’s goal is not that our physical lives run smoothly, no glitches, no problems, or that our activities have no faults, no flaws.
God is concerned with the training of the heart and mind.
He purposefully allows circumstances to be less than ideal, or difficult: to humble us, to test our character, to teach us to set right priorities, to discipline us for maturity, to show us it is not by our strength that His work is done… to trust Him.
Sometimes we lack what seems important to us… sometimes our needs are supplied in a manner we find unfamiliar or not how we would have preferred… sometimes we are stressed… sometimes we suffer disappointment.
God gives us opportunities for service
God allows problems and difficulties
Serving cheerfully is spiritual discipline
1 Peter 4:8-11
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