2 Cor 4:5 NASB For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.
A pastor was called to a local nursing home to perform a wedding. An anxious old man met him at the door. The pastor sat down to counsel him. The pastor asked several questions.
“Do you love her?”
The old man replied, “I guess.”
“Is she a good Christian woman?”
“I don’t know for sure,” the old man answered.
“Does she have lots of money?” asked the pastor.
“I doubt it.”
“Then why are you marrying her?” the preacher asked.
“She is allowed to drive at night,” the old man said.
He needed a servant, not a wife! Oftentimes people think that the Church’s first responsibility is to serve the community they live in. Like many churches, the church I pastor gives groceries out to the needy every week, feeds the homeless, gives school supplies and Christmas gifts to the poorest children in our city, and regularly distributes household items to the needy. But the church is NOT a public charities club. We are servants for JESUS’ SAKE. That means the church serves people for the purposes of Jesus Christ. The Church is here to do what Jesus wants, and those things may or may not be what people want.
So what does He want? In Jesus’ first sermon He tells us.
Luke 4:17-19 And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him[Jesus]. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.”
If the Church is serving people for Jesus’ sake, then the people will hear the Gospel. That “repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations..” [Luke 24:47 NASB] The church will declare to captives (addicts to drugs, sex, bitterness etc.) that the love and grace of Jesus Christ is more powerful than their addictions. The church will declare to those who have lost their sight ( no longer even “see” that there is a God at all) that God is real and so are the consequences of unbelief. The church will tell those oppressed (literally “broken” people) that Jesus Christ can heal the broken hearted, and give beauty for ashes. The Church will tell the world that Jesus Christ brought grace (the favor of God giving what we do not deserve) and that grace changes everything.
The Church is Jesus’ servant. He gave to us the commission to do what He did. He gave the Church the Holy Spirit to empower her to do the work. What an honor to be a Christian, a servant of Christ! Dear Christian, do not allow this world system to intimidate you to be anything less than an honored servant of Christ. It is a privilege to serve Him!