Service
Faith Practices • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 38:33
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· 18 viewsService is a response to Gods love for us in Jesus Christ that teaches us to live like Jesus through specific, tangible actions that contribute to the dignity and well-being of the people we serve.
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Today we wrap up the last of these twelve faith practices we have been examining over the summer. Next week will be one more message in this faith practices series which will tie it all together and incorporate something of a next step in how these faith practices become a more intentional part of a personal discipleship plan.
The final faith practice on our list is service. I imagine the concept of service could cover a lot of ground and at some point, we all find ourselves connected to some form of service on a pretty regular basis. Whether it is lending a hand with a quick job, doing a favor, or helping with chores around the house, we all would easily find some examples of service in our lives. However, does this mean that any and every small favor we do counts as a faith practice of service? Or is there some kind of essential quality that is required in order for a simple kind act of help to become a faith practice?
look closely at what makes an act of service become a practice of faith
Maybe you can guess where I am going with this. Simply doing a kind thing for another person—while it may in fact be an act of service—does not necessarily qualify as a faith practice. That means we have a very particular task here today in this message. We need to look closely at what it is which makes an act of service become a practice of faith which builds and grows discipleship. To help us give some thought to the connection between acts of service and faith practices, see what the apostle Paul has to say to the church in Philippi.
Philippians 2:1–11 (NIV)
1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Did you catch the one line in this passage which gives us a clue to the way in which service becomes a faith practice? It’s verse 5.
Philippians 2:5 (NIV)
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Let’s spend a few moments seeing how this connection between our relationships with one another can move us to share the same mindset as Jesus. After all, this is the goal of what these faith practices are seeking to attain. We have said repeatedly that the goal is to become better disciples of Jesus. Anything which assists us in making stronger and more consistent connections to the mindset of Jesus is going to also help us grow closer as followers of Jesus in our journey of discipleship.
three translation issues in verse 1
There are three translation issues I want to point out in verse 1.
“if” statements are rhetorical, not conditional
better to understand Paul’s meaning by using the word “because” instead of “if”
Paul is asking a rhetorical question in verse 1. He is not actually doubting that the Philippians are encouraged by being united with Christ. He is not questioning that they find comfort in Christ. He is not questioning their unity in the Spirit, or their tenderness and compassion. Just the opposite, Paul is affirming that the Philippians excel in all of these things. The phrasing of these statements is meant to highlight the result. It might be better to understand Paul’s meaning by using the word “because” instead of “if.” Paul’s joy in the Philippian people is complete because they have encouragement from being united with Christ. Paul’s joy in the Philippian people is complete because they have comfort in love. Paul’s joy in the Philippian people is complete because they have common sharing of the Spirit. Paul’s joy in the Philippian people is complete because they share the same tenderness and compassion.
“if any comfort from his love” is better translated as “if any comfort of love.”
not only a reference to the love of Christ, but also the love that Philippian people share with Paul and the love that they share with one another
Secondly, there is a curious addition in the NIV Bible translation which does not exist in the original Greek, and I am not sure why it is added because I think it takes away from the intent of Paul’s message. Our NIV Bibles say in verse 1, “if any comfort from his love.” The suggestion here is that the Philippian people find comfort in the love of Jesus. Of course that is true, but Paul does not limit his reference here to only being the love of Christ. A literal translation of that phrase would be, “if any comfort of love.” This is not only a reference to the love of Christ, but also the love that Philippian people share with Paul and the love that they share with one another. Maybe it seems nit-picky for me to make an issue of this small translation issue, but it matters in the way we understand the overall emphasis of this passage, as we shall see in a bit.
“therefore” connects chapter 2 back to chapter 1
And third, we should note that Philippians 2:1 begins with the word “therefore.” At least the updated 2011 NIV Bible translation does. If you are using the older 1984 version of the NIV Bible, the word “therefore” is left out—I cannot explain why the older NIV fails to include this. The original Greek include that transition word which necessarily connects these opening verses from chapter 2 with the message right before it in chapter 1. Consequently, we cannot gain a full understanding of today’s passage without some additional understanding of what comes right before it.
1:27 summarizes main theme of Philippians
This is what Paul has to say in his opening remarks in chapter 1:27.
Philippians 1:27 (NIV)
Philippians 1:27 (NIV)
27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ...I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel
theme comes back in 4:2
The letter of Philippians is filled with words of encouragement and support for the people of the church in Philippi. By comparison, Paul’s letters to the Corinthians and to the Galatians contain very harsh criticisms and corrections. But Paul’s words to the Philippians are extremely affectionate. Even so, this letter hints at a critique Paul is writing to address and correct. In fact, he lays his cards on the table and shows his hand towards the end of the letter by calling out two people in Philippi by name. he writes in chapter 4:2.
Philippians 4:2 (NIV)
2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.
more than a personal dispute, but these women are pulling others in the church to be on one side or the other
be like-minded with Christ and with one another
So, as it turns out there is division in the church at Philippi between two women, Euodia and Syntyche. The reference of the letter suggests that it is more than a personal dispute, but these women are pulling others in the church to be on one side or the other; they are dividing the people of the church in Philippi because of their disagreement. It is not by accident that Paul repeatedly uses the idea of being like-minded, of the same mind, and united with the mindset of Christ in the passage we read today in chapter 2. And it is no accident that Paul repeats this same idea of being of the same mind in the Lord again at the end of the letter when he finally gets around to calling out the dispute taking place among people in the church.
how does a divided church become like-minded?
How, then, does Paul suggest the people of the church go about addressing the dispute between them and focusing their life of discipleship towards being like-minded in Christ? His answer to this in chapter 2 is to pursue their acts of service as a faith practice which builds them up in discipleship. It is by serving one another that they will heal the divisions among them and grow closer to Christ.
Jesus provides the ultimate example for us of what a true servant heart looks like
a specific attitude of servanthood that is necessary for discipleship
It seems rather obvious that Paul is making a simple argument in Philippians 2 in which Jesus Christ provides the ultimate example for us of what a true servant heart looks like. Granted, you and I can never attain the same perfect standard that Christ demonstrates. And our act of servanthood does not follow the same path of action taken by Christ. (Although, the gospels do use the analogy that we who follow Christ are to take up our own cross.) The point is not to lay out a specific task list of what servant actions are necessary for discipleship. Rather, the point is to lay out the specific attitude of servanthood that is necessary for discipleship.
Jesus demonstrates humble obedience
Christ is not obligated to serve
What is this attitude of servanthood we see in Philippians 2? Paul describes the servanthood of Jesus as actions of humble obedience. In humble obedience Jesus chooses to lay aside his own position of glory and honor in service towards broken sinners in a broken sinful world who have no glory and no honor. Christ is not obligated in any way to serve those he came to be among. Do you hear that? Christ did not have to do what he did on the cross. Nobody made him do it; Jesus did not owe us or anybody else any obligations whatsoever. This is going to sound harsh, but hear this: there is not a single reason in the world why God should love you. We are all broken sinners who from the moment of our birth embodied a sinful nature and came into a sinful world. There is no reason why a perfect and sinless God should be obligated to love sinful people in this sinful world.
even though God is not obligated to love you, he chooses to love you
But this is the message of the gospel. Even though God is not obligated to love you, he chooses to love you. And it does not stop there. The kind of love God chooses to lavish upon you is not a basic tolerance or half-hearted acceptance. God chooses to love you with an extravagant love like nothing else in this world! And this love of God which he chooses to pour upon you is not momentary or fickle or temporary. It is an eternal love that is everlasting and can never be taken away. And since this love is not dependent in any way on anything you or I can ever do, there is no way to make God stop loving you. There is no way his love can ever be turned away by anything you ever do or anything you ever fail to do.
God chooses to do whatever is necessary to redeem and restore our relationship
But it doesn’t stop there either. Our relationship with a perfect and sinless God was broken because of our sin. And because God loves us so very much, he chooses to do whatever is necessary to redeem and restore that relationship back again. Jesus chooses to take on the penalty of sin that we deserve so that this world he chooses to love so very much can be redeemed. Jesus goes to the cross not because God owes you, but because God loves you. And at the cross all the guilt of your sin is removed as Christ takes it upon himself. And at the cross the perfect righteousness of Christ is placed upon you and now covers you completely. Even though there is not a single reason in the world why God should ever love you, because of his amazing grace God chooses to love you with a love like that. Jesus chooses to become a humbly obedient servant because he loves you that much.
we are called to be servants who share the same mindset of Christ
I serve because I choose to be humbly obedient to God
You and I are called to be servants in this world too. But we are not called to do that simply for the purpose of being helpful people who do supportive things for one another. We are called to be servants who share the same mindset of Christ. This means I don’t do helpful things for you because I owe you a favor. I serve because I choose to be humbly obedient to God. I don’t pick and choose who I serve and who I don’t serve based on who I like and who I don’t like. I serve because I choose to be humbly obedient to God.
greatest thing that Christians can do to show the love of Christ to others is to demonstrate humble service towards other people
Paul writes these words in the letter of Philippians to a group of people who seemed bitterly divided enough that he calls it out by name. And he tells this group of divided people, show acts of loving service towards people you are so sharply divided against. The single greatest thing that Christians can do to show the love of Christ to others is to demonstrate humble service towards other people. In serving other people, we show that we love other people. In serving other people, we show that other people have value and worth. In serving other people, we echo the love and service that Christ has for us and others.
in serving other people, we echo the love and service that Christ has for us and others