Modeling a Servant's Heart

I recently wrote a research paper for my Discipleship Strategies class called "Love: The Heart of Biblical Discipleship." In this paper I looked at John 13:34-35, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." In the paper, I used this focal passage to generate two questions related to discipleship: How did Jesus show His love? and Can those physical demonstrations of His love translate into a spiritual model for biblical discipleship?

Just prior to this command given by Jesus, we read in John 13:1, It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of His love. What did Jesus do? He washed the disciples' feet. They protested His act of humble service, but Jesus continued to wash each disciple's feet and then said in John 13:13-17, "You call me 'Teacher' and "Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 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."

Jesus modeled His love through acts of service, those acts pointed to the love of the Father. In Philippians 2:3-7 the apostle Paul writes, Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. You attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant...

I write all of this to say that we are to replicate Jesus' servant nature in all aspects of our lives. Last night, I was witnessed to. I think it was a first in all of my life that I was approached by a stranger who was seeking to point me to Christ. I was pumping gas after church when an older gentleman walked over to my car and asked if he could wash my windshield. I said, "No, I really appreciate it, but that's not necessary. Thank you." He said, "Please, let me wash it for you." I consented and he proceeded to clean my windshield and polish up my headlights. When he finished I said, "Thank you. That was very kind of you." He said, "Well, there's a Scripture I like to live by and I'd like to share it with you. Jesus said in Matthew 7:12, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Then he walked off.

That was such a simple act of service. Did it take some time and effort? Yes. But had I been hungry for the gospel, that humble act would have opened my eyes and ears to whatever that man was going to say to me. That should be a lesson to all of us. In order to share an effective gospel, we cannot leave out the acts of service. Acts of service and sharing the love of Christ are inseparable.

Join in God's Work

(This post was originally published on Saturday, January 19, 2013)

I'm finishing up the preparations for my Sunday School lesson tomorrow. I've started a new series this year on basic spiritual disciplines: prayer, how to hear God speak, regular church attendance, worship, tithing, daily quiet time, deeper Bible study, Scripture memorization, recognizing the power of the Holy Spirit, spiritual warfare, and service in ministry. For the last two Sundays, we've discussed prayer--how to talk to God. Tomorrow we will start a much harder subject--how do we listen to God? That is not a question that I'm going to dive into on this blog entry. That is a question that can be developed into volumes of books and hours of sermons. But, one of the open-ended questions for discussion is this:

What effort has God created you to be involved with?

We're going to be looking at the story of Hannah's faith-filled prayer and God's faithful answer in the birth of Samuel. In return for God's favor, Hannah dedicates Samuel to the Lord's service at the temple. God had a special purpose for Samuel. There was a God-created effort for Samuel to be a part of. What effort has God created you to be involved with?

For me, a very special Scripture comes to mind:
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.--Romans 12:9-13

This verse is one that I believe God has laid on my heart as an instruction on how to live out my faith. As to the specifics of the effort God has called me to, I believe that He has gifted me and called me to write and teach. I also believe that He has called me to various ministries within the church body itself and, always, to reach out to the world.

But, what will the answers be from my Sunday School class members tomorrow? I'm hoping and praying that they will surprise me with a wide-array of callings. However, I'm fully expecting the only sound to be that of crickets chirping. God has prepared me for that. The answer He put on my heart terrifies me. But, just in case those class members don't know what God has called them to do, He told me. I get a pit of nervousness in my stomach just thinking about  being brazen enough to claim that I know what God has called them to, but I have God's Word direct from the mouth of Christ to back up that claim. I believe that these are calls that have been put on each and every one of our lives. He has placed these same calls on your life as well:

First and foremost, God called you to belief in Him and in the saving work of His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus said, in John 6:29, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent." A believing knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ is God's chief perfect will for all of our lives!

Secondly, God has called us to love Him with everything that we are and honor Him with everything that we have above all others. In addition to this, He calls us to love others more than we love ourselves. In Mark 12:28-31, we have record of a teacher of the law posing an important question to Jesus. One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had iven them a good answer, he asked Him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second one is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

Finally, God has called us to build His kingdom throughout the world. Before ascending to heaven, Jesus left His disciples with an important task, we call it The Great Commission. In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus says, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

So these instructions from Jesus are, without a doubt, God's plan for all of us:

• Believe in Jesus
• Love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul and strength
• Love your neighbor as yourself
• Go and make disciples

What effort has God created you to be involved with? Correct answer: All of the above.

Day of Atonement

The LORD said to Moses, “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the LORD your God. Anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from His people. I will destroy from among His people anyone who does any work on that day. You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. It is a Sabbath of rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your Sabbath.”—Leviticus 23:26-32

Something new occurred to me when reading this passage today. The Lord stressed the importance of keeping the Sabbath to the Israelites. He repeatedly commanded them to do no work on the Day of Atonement. The act of atoning rests upon God alone. He does the work. Yes, it is up to us to accept His gift and WHOSOEVER WILL may call upon the Name of the Lord for salvation, but the work is His entirely. So, by resting on the Day of Atonement, the Israelites were placing their trust in His work of atonement, not on their own merit or quality of sacrifice.

When He had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, He bowed his head and gave up His spirit.­—John 19:30

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.—Titus 3:4-7

“The law says, ‘Do this, and you will live.’ The Gospel says, ‘It is done. Now, live.’”--Luther

He Is

The Bible was written by approximately forty men through the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit over a span of sixteen-hundred years. Even with the diversity of authors, time, language and form it is through the Scriptures that God reveals Himself to mankind. The Bible has two major divisions: The Old Testament and the New Testament, also referred to as the Old Covenant and the New Covenant from the Greek word διαθήκη. Giving the name “Covenant” to these two divisions of the Bible in the Christian faith emphasizes the image that the relationship between God and man is established by covenant. God’s revelation to man through His written Word is progressive with the Old Testament laying the foundation for the ultimate manifestation of God in the person of Jesus Christ revealed in the New Testament. Bruce Wilkinson and Kenneth Boa state that “The New is in the Old concealed, and the Old is in the New revealed.” It has been said that “history is loom on which the Old Testament is woven.” If history is the loom, we can be sure that Jesus Christ is the thread which binds it all together.

The entire Bible is understood to be Christocentric, or Christ-centered. The progression of the Old Testament incites belief that its history is leading to a climax of full redemption. It is history blazing the trail to salvation. The New Testament is the revelation of the Messiah in the person of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament is looking forward to the Messiah while the New Testament sees Him come to earth and looks back to the events of His birth, life, death and resurrection in order to encourage and instruct the believers who become the Church.

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.­—Hebrews 1:1-3

“And the Father who sent me has Himself testified concerning me. You have never heard His voice nor seen His form, nor does His word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one He sent. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me.”—John 5:37-39

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”—Matthew 5:17

Tell of the Fruit

So He (Jesus) replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.”—Luke 7:22

 

This verse gets me to shout "Hallelujah!" The funny thing about the context is the reason for Jesus giving this declaration. John the Baptist had heard about all that Jesus was doing and actually sent word by messenger to ask Jesus, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" Can you imagine?!!! But, that was an honest question. Jesus' answer was brilliantly piercing. He didn't say, "Yes, I am the Messiah." He said, "the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor." Rather than give just words, He showed the fruit.

God's Will

So many times we go to God in search of His will as if it is some unattainable mystery. Make no mistake, if we aren’t walking with Him daily, His will CAN be an unattainable mystery. But, if we are spending time with God in His word and in prayer, seeking HIM and not just seeking His voice, His direction or His power, then that is when we delight in Him. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Often we look at this promise and believe that it means He will give us everything we want. I think what He’s saying is that if we delight ourselves in Him (seek Him for HIM and not for what He will give us) then He’ll impart His will into our desires.

 

In his book, The Power of Positive Praying, John Bisagno says, “You may be confident that if something is necessary for the carrying out of His will in your life, God is ready to give it. The fulfillment of desires may be granted on this condition. If they are not mere whims to bring only momentary satisfaction or glory to us but are rather true desires to accomplish more good and live more fully to His glory, then it will be in accordance with His will.”

 

We are told in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” In Isaiah 30:21 He tells us, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” In Romans 8:5&9 we’re told that, “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires…You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you…”

 

Yes, there may be times when we are uncertain and we need to ask God for direction and believe that He will confirm the answer knowing that God does not mislead, God is not the author of confusion and God does not contradict His word. But, what if, just what if by pressing ourselves into His word and allowing ourselves to be led by the Spirit, He’s been whispering His will to us all along?

Releasing Forgiveness

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.--Mark 11:25

Last night at the Alabama Baptist Pastors' Conference, Thom Rainer preached on the Book of Philemon. His message was that in ministry we ought to:

• Do ministry from a heart of love.
• Witness from a heart of love.
• Forgive from a heart of love.

He mentioned that, especially in ministry, harboring unforgiveness and bitterness can be a major hindrance to how the Holy Spirit moves through us. I've been feeling convicted of harboring unforgiveness toward someone in my ministry for weeks now. It is time to give it to the Lord, beg forgiveness for my unforgiveness and move on to complete the tasks God gives. Help me Lord.