Most of us, as Christians in Western Culture, have not been able to fully understand that God is holy and infinitely superior. Instead of viewing him properly, we sometimes treat God as if he were a generous and indulgent parent who loves his children and has no higher purpose than to give us all we desire. God is our loving Father; faithful, generous, and merciful, but we must remember he is also our King. We can never repay the debt that Jesus paid for our salvation, and we are never asked to. As God’s children, our service to him is motivated by love for him, but not to earn his favor. We serve in love and gratitude for the gift of salvation he gives us, which inspires a life of obedience, service, sacrifice and surrender.
The consumer model of how we view God is all about what God can do for us. This is very dangerous. When we view God through the eyes of a consumer, we are unprepared for the inevitable hardships in life. When tragedy strikes, or persecution, Christian consumers will likely walk away from God thinking he has failed them. They were taught that God wanted to bless them, and he would protect them. They were promised Jesus would keep them in good health and they would be prosperous in life. When difficulty overwhelmed them, they often threw aside their faith and followed the Lord no more. Jesus referred to this as the “seed sown on the rocky soil” (Matthew 13:20-21).
The servanthood model, that Jesus called us to, is much different. It is based in serving God and others. There is great joy in knowing God as our Father and in serving others, but this joy is based in knowing Jesus personally and walking with him through the joys and sorrows of life. God’s goal for our lives is not simply to make us comfortable and prosperous. There is a battle to be fought. There are souls to be rescued. Our goal is to hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23).
As Jesus gives us the gift of salvation, with all of its blessings and privileges, he also adds: “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42-45)
Jesus said to them again,
“Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (John 20:21)
“We love God because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Out of love and gratitude for what Jesus has done for us, we willingly serve him, obey his commands, and are willing to follow in his footsteps of suffering. But we are never alone. Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30)
Francis Chan put it this way: He said there was a young man in his church who was frustrated as the church began to shift from consumerism to servanthood, and he said, “I feel like the rules of the game have changed. When I became a Christian, it was like God had gifted me with a new pair of ice skates and I was free to enjoy them on the ice and do as I pleased. But now I am being told that God wants me to use these skates as a player on a hockey team training to win a championship.” There is a purpose to the gifts that God gives us. They are not purely for our enjoyment.
Jesus is preparing a Bride which is the Church. He modeled for us all that he expects of us. This involves doing his will and keeping his commands as he did for the Father. This is not a works-based salvation. We are saved by grace alone, but then we are to obey him. Jesus was called to commitment, sacrifice, and even suffering to accomplish the will of the Father. He calls us to follow in his footsteps.
Jesus’ love for the Father and lost souls caused him to obey even when it was hard. He modeled a life spent for the glory of God and the benefit of others. “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
The consumer model of how we view God is all about what God can do for us. This is very dangerous. When we view God through the eyes of a consumer, we are unprepared for the inevitable hardships in life. When tragedy strikes, or persecution, Christian consumers will likely walk away from God thinking he has failed them. They were taught that God wanted to bless them, and he would protect them. They were promised Jesus would keep them in good health and they would be prosperous in life. When difficulty overwhelmed them, they often threw aside their faith and followed the Lord no more. Jesus referred to this as the “seed sown on the rocky soil” (Matthew 13:20-21).
The servanthood model, that Jesus called us to, is much different. It is based in serving God and others. There is great joy in knowing God as our Father and in serving others, but this joy is based in knowing Jesus personally and walking with him through the joys and sorrows of life. God’s goal for our lives is not simply to make us comfortable and prosperous. There is a battle to be fought. There are souls to be rescued. Our goal is to hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23).
As Jesus gives us the gift of salvation, with all of its blessings and privileges, he also adds: “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42-45)
Jesus said to them again,
“Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (John 20:21)
“We love God because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Out of love and gratitude for what Jesus has done for us, we willingly serve him, obey his commands, and are willing to follow in his footsteps of suffering. But we are never alone. Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30)
Francis Chan put it this way: He said there was a young man in his church who was frustrated as the church began to shift from consumerism to servanthood, and he said, “I feel like the rules of the game have changed. When I became a Christian, it was like God had gifted me with a new pair of ice skates and I was free to enjoy them on the ice and do as I pleased. But now I am being told that God wants me to use these skates as a player on a hockey team training to win a championship.” There is a purpose to the gifts that God gives us. They are not purely for our enjoyment.
Jesus is preparing a Bride which is the Church. He modeled for us all that he expects of us. This involves doing his will and keeping his commands as he did for the Father. This is not a works-based salvation. We are saved by grace alone, but then we are to obey him. Jesus was called to commitment, sacrifice, and even suffering to accomplish the will of the Father. He calls us to follow in his footsteps.
Jesus’ love for the Father and lost souls caused him to obey even when it was hard. He modeled a life spent for the glory of God and the benefit of others. “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
Posted in Disciple-Making Discipleship Updates