Los Alamos Church of Christ

Drawing Closer To God

Practicing Service

This is one of my favorite times of the year… March Madness. Are there any other basketball fans? Los Alamos is not a hotbed for NCAA basketball or of any other sport. But I have enjoyed several of the games already… I am looking forward to the next couple of weeks as the Tournament intensifies. I mention basketball, this morning, in order to use it as a metaphor. Basketball may help us understand being a servant.

Remember we are in the Port of Service. We are learning what it means to be a servant. God intends his people to be the blessing. God promised Abraham, his descendants would be a blessing to all the nations of the earth. Jesus fulfilled the promise and then Jesus passes the promise to us. We are now the blessing of Abraham to the world. It is quite the honor to be the blessing of God. There is joy in knowing God intends to use me as his servant.

Hebrews 9:14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

We have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus so, so we can serve! When I was washed in baptism I was called to be a servant!

All I have to do is get over the obstacles. I have to get over my own selfishness, my pride, my arrogance, my pettiness, my overvalued sense of my time, and the overwhelming bunch of needy people in the world. I must resist the devil and overcome these obstacles. Then, I can take joy in the simple pleasure of being God's servant.

I gave a "dot" assignment to go on a secret servant mission. I can't ask if you did it, because then it wouldn't be secret. So, just smile, knowingly, if you did your secret servant mission. Being a servant, without any fanfare, is the way to learn to listen for the divine nod of approval. When we learn to serve because we want God's recognition, we can hear the nod and overcome the obstacles. Our self-focus goes away when we are God-focused. Wow, we have already learned a lot about being living in the Port of Service.

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There is one more lesson I want to learn about serving and a basketball metaphor may help.

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Here is a typical scene you could watch this afternoon, if you were a basketball fan. (Scene of basketball arena with crowd…) Notice, there are 10,000 people in the stands cheering. There are several coaches on each bench; coaching. There are 3 refs on the court; reffing. We see a couple of announcers; announcing. Here is a row of cheerleaders; cheerleading. There are players on the bench; benching. There are 5 players in white and 5 players in blue on the court, playing. You can't see how many millions might at home; watching.

With our scene frozen, let's interview different people involved in this scene. Let's ask each of them, "Why are you here?"

- The guy on the front row; "I love the game. I spent a ton of money to get this seat and buy this shirt and be here to support my Team - Go Team!"

- The ref - "I love basketball. What better way to see a game? I spent years learning the rules and working my way up to be able to officiate this game. I love basketball!"

- The Coach - "I love basketball. I enjoy teaching these kids the game. I love competing. And besides I make good money."

- The Announcers - "I love basketball. I get paid to talk about it. I love to break it down and discuss strategy and what both teams need to do to win."

- Cheerleaders - I love to dress up and lead cheers for our team. Two bits…

- A Player - "I love basketball. I get a college education for playing. All these people are cheering for me? The girls love me. I'm going pro next year and make a gazillion."

- Guy on couch watching TV - "I love basketball. I have my bracket all filled out…"

Now compare that, to this scene. Here are some guys having a pickup game in the dark. There is no planning. No tickets. No programs. No jerseys. No consequences to winning or losing. No one is paid. There are no referees. No crowd. No scholarships. No cheering. No TV cameras.

What would happen if we asked these guys, "Why are you here?" "We love to play." (Silence) "Anything else?" "No. We love to play."

A lot of Christians love Service. A lot of us support service. Many of us know the Rulebook. We can quote the Bible. Some of us are announcers or cheerleaders. Many like to be referees of Service; point out everyone's fouls. Some of us get paid to be servants. Many of us give lots of money to help service. Many watch on TV.

How many of us actually are like these guys playing in the dark? How many of us are servants?

Don't misunderstand, it is great to give and support and help and encourage and study. But, we are also called to play. We must touch the basketball. But, we are called to be servants.

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Let's get practical. Let me make some suggestions about how to play. This will be an extended "dot" part of the sermon. Be thinking about what your dot means this week as I quickly go through seven ways to be a servant.

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1) The Simple

Not all service is spectacular. Not all service is done in the arena with 10,000 fans. In fact most of our service is rather simple, like the guys playing pickup. There was a woman who mastered this.

Acts 9:36-39 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come at once!" Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

Dorcas made clothes for the poor. Straight forward. Simple. Powerful! She got brought back to life in order to make more clothes for the poor. Where do you offer simple service?

2) Courtesy

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.

Acts of courtesy and politeness are still amazingly powerful.

Please and Thank you

Yes sir and no mam.

Thank you notes,

Bouquets of flowers,

Heartfelt congratulations
Putting things back where you found them.
Close the door

A warm handshake

"How are you?"

Turn out the lights

Respect people's space

Hold open a door

Let someone else go first.

Don't interrupt

Be on time

Does it sound like I am talking to children? Maybe we all need a reminder. There is an element of being a servant which places the other person first. by being considerate. What does your dot say?

3) Hospitality

One of the more consistent admonitions of the Bible is hospitality.

1 Peter 4:9-10Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

We are to be servants of hospitality. Our homes should be open. We should be quick to take people out to eat. We should be friendly. Part of service is entertaining. We should play together. Look at your dot. Is it hospitable?

4) Listening

Galatians 6:1-2 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

As servants we listen. We are open in such a way as to encourage others to share. Others will never share, if we don't shut up. Sympathetic listening is how we carry each other's burdens.

It is a gift to listen. Even if they are not sharing their burdens, but simply talking, we offer a service when we listen, intently.

5) Ministry to the Marginalized

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

How hard is that? Consider others better than yourself. We will never be a servant until we see others' needs as important as our own. Each of us needs to be involved in some sort of ministry that helps the needy. Sure we should serve each other. But where do you plug into helping those who are hurting; those who are pitiful; those who haven't been blessed like you?

The spiritual discipline of serving calls us to minister to the hurting. To whom does your dot call you to help?

6) Allowing Others to Serve You

One of things my dad taught me is if someone wants to help them; let them. It is not a selfish thing, but rather allowing others to experience the joy of being a servant.

Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

We are to serve one another in love. We allow others to serve us.

7) Share the Word of Life

Philippians 2:14-16 Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life.

As servants we are called to hold out the word of life. We are called to be servant teachers. We do not teach from arrogance or pride, but from the humility of a servant. Let me challenge you to look at your dots and ask, "Where do I need to teach?" We have lots of opportunities to teach kids. Talk to Vicki if you would like to plug into teaching kids. Talk to Connon for teaching adults. But beyond the scope of our walls there are lots of opportunities to hold out the word of life.

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There are lots of opportunities to be a servant. I'm sure you could extend my seven to a dozen or more. That leads to another question, "How do I know what to do?"

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The simple answer is we learn to listen. We learn to listen for the gentle nod from God. The nod that says we need to get involved; the nod which says, "Go on. Do it." We learn to recognize God's leading in our lives. He places opportunities in front of us constantly. We become aware of needs and are pushed into service. We learn to see the needs of others through the eyes of God.

"True service comes from a relationship with the divine Other deep inside. We serve out of the whispered promptings; divine urgings." - Richard Foster -

When we feel the divine urgings we move. We are not like squirrels.

"The highways of life are full of flat squirrels who couldn't make up their minds!"

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"Bottom line it for me Tim."

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We are beyond spectators and supporters we enter the game as servants.

Hebrews 6:10-15 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants". And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

We are diligent. We are servants. We are not lazy. We are Abraham's promise.

Tim Stidham

Los Alamos Church of Christ

March 20, 2011