Five Days-Five Questions!
Jacob Burson wants to know: Can someone be a committed Christian and not serve in the local church?
Short Answer: NO
Now let me explain! First, I think it’s funny that we use the term “committed” to describe Christianity. The first Christians were being insulted. In Scripture, the word “Christian” isn’t used that often and when it is, it’s derogatory. It was meant to describe one who is a slave to Christ. To be Christian means to be committed. It means a person’s life is owned by Jesus! Second, if you’re a slave to Christ, then you do what Christ did. If there’s one thing that Christ did, it was serve!
In John 13, Jesus is having his last real hang-time with the disciples before he dies. John records him as saying that he wants to show them the greatest extent of his love. He wants them to know the fullest measure of his love. One of the most interesting things about that chapter is that Jesus clearly wants to show the extent of his love to those who are his. How does he do it? He washes the disciples’ feet. Now, that was a task reserved for hired slaves. It’s clear Jesus is making a huge point. Slave-like service=Fullest Measure of Love. Now check this: “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” That’s a quote from Jesus if you didn’t catch it! It’s pretty clearly that when it comes to those who are HIS, we’re called to serve one another with radical love. At our church over the summer, I challenged people to out-serve one another on Sunday mornings! Not that we need to, but let’s move from Jesus to Paul.
Paul says that each person who belongs to Jesus has at least one spiritual gift and that gift is to be used for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7). Spiritual gifts are given for the building-up of the Church. If we aren’t serving within the Church, then we’re neglecting our spiritual giftedness. If we’re neglecting our spiritual giftedness, we’re neglecting the Holy Spirit, which is the same Spirit in Christ. So, bottom line is that we’d be neglecting Jesus Christ. One last thing: Paul says that we’re all members of the same body, the body of Christ. As a member of the body of Christ, we belong to each other. If you’re reading this blog and you’re a follower of Jesus, I belong to you! Now before you go crazy on that one, remember, you belong to me too! If one part of the body neglects it’s role, the whole body suffers.
*There’s one exception to this answer: The person who has just given his/her heart to Jesus Christ.
Can a person be an uncommitted Christian? Nope. Can a person be a committed Christian and not serve? NOPE!
Tomorrow’s Blog: Kent asked “Why Women Can’t Serve as Pastors (or can they)?”
Need to confess?
August 31st, 2009 at 5:05 pm
In addition to 1 Corinthians 12:7 and John 13, I keep getting led to concetrate on Luke 14:25-33.
Also, something that is screaming at me is the commitment of Andrew the disciple. I know there’s not much scripture on Andrew, but he led his brother Simon Peter to Christ and eventually, it was Simon that Jesus gave so much praise. Andrew never left. He continued to serve and proclaim the gospel until he himself was crucified.
Lesser men may have quit when they weren’t in the spot light.
I think this “commitment” issue is something to keep in mind in churches like ours who have so many new followers of Christ involved. Actually, it almost seems that it’s the new followers who tend to “get it” quicker that the folks who claim to have been Christian their whole life.
August 31st, 2009 at 9:25 pm
New Christ-followers aren’t the problem at churches where people serve. It’s the transplants that typically have a hard time adjusting to church life that’s different from their background.