Called to Serve

Seeking to be an authentic community of disciples, becoming more like Jesus - walking in step with God, alongside each other and seeing lives transformed

Having looked in more detail at our Vision we're now starting to think about our Core Values here at CBC. We have adopted seven Core Values which shape everything that we do and say.

We started to think a bit more about these Core Values three weeks ago - if you missed these posts then use the links below to catch up - or the Values label at the bottom of the page.

Our Core Values: Loving, Welcoming, Missional, Servant-hearted, Biblical, Spirit-led and Prayerful.

Last week, when we were thinking about what it meant to be Missional, I ended by saying that being missional is for the whole church - it is not something that is reserved for the 'professionals', or the 'elite', or the 'fundamentalist fringe'. It is not something that is the responsibility of someone else. As a disciple of Jesus, his expectation is that we will be fruitful, and will disciple others - first by introducing people to Jesus and then helping them to grow in their journey.

In the New Testament, Paul uses the image of a body to describe how the church should work - our mission is to be achieved as every 'part' functions as it should (e.g. 1 Corinthians 12:12-31). So, each person who makes up the church has a role to play, and the whole only works as it should when everyone is playing their part.

Each part is therefore important. But this also requires a servant heart - because we are called to serve. Service is costly and it requires sacrifice - because it requires us to do something that someone else wants us to do rather than what we might want to do ourselves. It means we put someone else's priorities before our own.

In the first century, as the New Testament was being written, servants and slaves were very much a part of life. As a slave you were not your own. You had no rights. You were owned by your master and he told you what to do. And this master-servant relationship is one that is used to describe our relationship to God - although God is portrayed as a good master - just as early Christians we encouraged to be good masters recognising that their servants were not property but people loved by God.

But a Christian is someone who has chosen to become a servant of God. At CBC, as in many Baptist Churches we have a team of 'deacons'. The word 'deacon' comes from a Greek word - diakoneo - which means to serve and is used as a noun 'servant' (e.g. John 2:5). It is interesting to note that many churches are replacing the term 'deacon' which is not really understood outside of the church, with the term 'leadership team', which is widely understood outside of the church - but is not often associated with the qualities of being a 'servant'.

But we are all called to serve - not just a few.

Someone was once asked, 'how will I know whether or not I have a servant heart?'

The answer came back, 'by how you react when you're treated like one.'

How do I react when I'm treated as a servant? When I'm taken for granted. When no one acknowledges my behind the scenes efforts. When I'm left to do it on my own...again. Our responses to these situations will often reveal whether or not we have a servant heart and whether we're serving God or looking for reward elsewhere.

It is appropriate that we look at this theme on Good Friday. Yesterday, we remembered the Last Supper and how Jesus washed his disciples' feet and instructed his disciples that they were to serve each other.

Today, on Good Friday we remember Jesus' death on a cross - obedience to God, even to the point of death.

We follow the one who even though he knew all authority was his, got up and wrapped a towel around his waist and took on the role of a servant to serve his disciples. The one who said to God, 'not my will but yours be done'.

God really can use you

Do you ever feel insignificant? When we look at the situations around us, they seem so huge and we wonder what difference we could ever make. And then there are really gifted people already doing all they can - and how can we compare ourselves with them? We have no experience. We have no training. Or maybe we've grown up listening to messages telling us that we're no good at anything, and we've heard it so often that we've started to believe it. Or maybe we've started to believe that because we come from a certain background we have nothing to offer. And so we keep our heads down, we don't get involved, and we believe that God can't possibly want to involve us in his plans.

The next part of the Elijah story (1 Kings 17) shows how God uses the most unlikely people in the most unlikely places. In fact, the more unlikely it is, from a human perspective, the better it is from God's perspective, because then we learn to rely on him, and depend on him, rather than ourselves. It is in our weakness that God demonstrates his strength and power.

From Elijah's cultural/religious background the widow at Zarephath would be the last person he would go to in order to find provision in a time of drought and famine. She was a foreigner. She was a woman. She was a widow. She lived in the heartland of Baal worship (see yesterday). And yet this widow was exactly the person that God had spoken to and wanted to use to provide for Elijah in a miraculous way. The most unlikely person in the most unlikely place.

When it comes to doing amazing things for God maybe you see yourself as the most unlikely person. That's great - because that's exactly where God wants us to start from - because it's ultimately not about us - it's about God working in us, and through us, as we make ourselves available to him, and are obedient to his call.

Mr. Potato Head - Part Two

Although we can't know for certain the events surrounding Paul's writing of 1 Corinthians, it may have happened something like this... (the photos are from Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head's recent holiday - making the most of the heat wave).

Narrator: It is the year 55 AD. We arrive, somewhere in Ephesus, just as the apostle Paul is concluding a time of prayer…

Paul [kneeling, praying]: ... How could they be so stupid? How many times do I have to tell them? God you know how hard I’ve tried with these Christians in Corinth, but they just don’t seem to get it. Give me strength as I write to them again. Amen.

(Mr. Potato Head enjoying a diet coke on the beach)

[Paul gets up and paces the room, clearly agitated and looks at his watch.]

Just look at the time! Where is Sosthenes? You just can’t get the staff these days. We must get that letter in the post by the end of the week, and there is still so much to say. Now where was I…?

[Takes a scroll off the table, and unrolls it and begins to read…]

Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed… Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good … wisdom … knowledge … faith … healing … miracles … prophecy … discernment … tongues … interpretation … All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Excellent – that seems pretty straight forward and clear – not much that can be misunderstood there. Now, what’s next?

Where is Sosthenes? I’d hoped we could brain storm – I need to find an illustration that emphasises that everyone in the church is important, and that every single one of us has a vital, but different role to play.

[Suddenly there is a commotion at the door, as Sosthenes bursts in, out of breath.]

Sosthenes: Sorry, sorry, sorry – I know I said I’d be here at 7 Paul, but you should have seen the traffic on the ring road. Overturned chariot apparently.

But I did leave a little later than normal, because my nephew is staying and he was showing me a great new toy…

P [cutting in - firmly]: Can we get down to work Sosthenes – I pay you to write, and we need to get this letter done by the end of the week. I talk – you write. Right?

S: But what will they come up with next! I mean Mr. Potato Head. It’s just brilliant.

P: [Getting slightly more irate]. Sosthenes! Will you shut up, get the flip chart out, sit down and get ready to brain storm – please.

[Sosthenes gets the flip chart out, sits down, unrolls a scroll and gets out a pen]

[Paul positions himself by the flip chart]

P: Right that’s better: [pause – deep breath] now I need some kind of illustration to show how within the church everyone is important and has a vital but different role to play.

S: Before we start hadn’t we’d better…[cut off by Paul who completes the sentence…]

P: Pray – I’ve already done that – whilst waiting for you…

S: No, I was going to suggest: hadn’t we better take a look at Mr. Potato Head – I brought him along, but I had to promise my nephew I’d bring him back before tea time. If you don’t see him now, you may not get another chance.

[As talking Sosthenes takes out a bag and reveals Mr. Potato Head].

[Paul sits opposite Sosthenes and leans across the table]

P: Sosthenes – read my lips – I’M … NOT … INTERESTED … IN … MR. … POTATO … HEAD.

S: But look – you can fix his arms here, or here, and if you get more than one set you can fix more than 2 arms, and then eyes where you like – it’s just brilliant. My nephew plays with this for hours.

P [with head in hands]: Sosthenes – do I look the slightest bit interested in Mr. Potato Head. What a stupid idea. What’s the point of having 4 arms – where are the legs going to go, and without legs how’s he going to stand up…And if he’s all eyes how’s he going to hear – he needs his arms in the right place, his legs in the right place, his eyes in the right place, his ears in the right place…

[Suddenly Paul jumps to his feet]

P: Sosthenes – you’re a genius – give him to me and get writing…

[Paul takes Mr. Potato Head and paces the room and starts to dictate…]

(Mrs. Potato Head enjoying the sun - safely)

P: You know that Mr. Potato Head is made up of many parts: arms, legs, eyes, ears, nose, moustache…and yet he is still one body. Now imagine what would happen if an eye decided it wanted to be an ear – how would Mr. Potato Head see where he was going? Or if Mr. Potato Head was covered in eyes how would he hear anything or smell anything? Mr. Potato Head needs every part to be in the right place doing what it does best – eyes seeing, ears hearing, nose smelling…

Right Sosthenes – read that back to me – let’s see how it flows…

Narrator: And so with some further editing Paul and Sosthenes finished their letter to the Corinthians. Unfortunately Mr. Potato Head lost out in the redacting process.