The Engaged Servant

In week 1, we discussed the health of the church, what a healthy church looks like Biblically. What is required of its Covenant Members by Design and Call. What it means to be Christian as well as an engaged part of the body through Covenant Membership.

Last week (2), Pastor Greg gave a compelling sermon on Purpose of the Church as it as it is interwoven into our Biblical vision and mission as the Covenant Body, by Christ’s mandate’s to His Church through the Great Commandment and the Great Commission to “make disciples.” Without Christians who are committed to the local church and who are obedient to Christ’s commands and commission to “make disciples” who “make disciples”…there is NO CHURCH.

Today as we begin week 3, I want to specifically engage are Covenant Members and those who desire to be Covenant Members what it means to be a Christian Servant.

The two terms cannot be separated. Here’s the Big Idea that I want us grab hold of:

To awaken to Christ’s love is too engage in Christ’s service.

Exposition

Here’s what we must ask ourselves, especially if we call ourselves Christian:

What is it to be an engaged Christian servant?

Let’s start first by asking the text: Where did the term Christian come from?

1. Christian named ()

Here in , where we left off with our Deep Community series last year (and will pick back up later…) we find God up to something extraordinary especially for the Jewish raised disciples.

The disciples had just learned that Peter preached the gospel to the Gentiles (as assigned by God) and Cornelius and his whole house (Gentiles) received the good news of Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the exact same way the Jews did at Pentecost (). And at the beginning of the disciples and the Church learn from Peter that the Holy Spirit has descended upon the Gentiles and are now fellow brothers in Christ.

Acts 11:18 ESV

18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

The text picks up where the disciples have been scattered (because of the death of Stephen) now they had gone out as far as Antioch.

Antioch, (according to the ancient Jewish historian, Josephus) an important intersecting point for a number of roads, is about 300 miles north of Jerusalem. If travelers averaged 20 miles a day (and various factors would determine the rate of progress), it would take some fifteen days of actual walking.

It says specifically in v. 19 that the disciples were only speaking to other Jews in Antioch. Our text tells us in v.20 that some travelers who were Hellenists—these were Jews who had been scattered about since Israel had fallen to several nations—and because of influence of the Greek occupancy under Alexander the great—the Greek culture was so widely invasive that many of the people of that day spoke Greek, including the Jews and the Romans (who would overtake the Grecians as occupiers of Israel). These Jews were known as Hellenistic Jews (and not thought of very well by the traditional Hebraic Jews).

So we see in v.20 that the “hand of the Lord was with them and a great number” of people “believed” and “turned to the Lord.”

So, in v. 22 the church sent Barnabas to check out what was going on in Antioch, and when he got there he saw it was legit. This is the first mention of the disciple Barnabas but we know he was a trusted agent of the church because of how v.24 describes him.

Acts 11:24 ESV

24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

The church was growing so fast Barnabas needed help...

Acts 11:25–26 ESV

25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

Acts

pay close attention to what Barnabas and Saul (who we also know as the Apostle Paul) did in Antioch in v.26.

They stayed with this new church plant for a whole year

they met with the church

and taught a great many people

And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

Up until this point they had been known as followers of “the way.” But now they were known by following and serving one another for the namesake in which they gathered, taught, lived and worshipped; Jesus Christ our Lord. “In Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.”

Notice the power of culture throughout this text. As we began there was a cultural divide even in the Jewish race because the Greek culture had been so influential that even the Jews who had grown up under Greek influence were called “Hellenist.” The Greek culture was powerful at that time to cause some to be called something different. But notice…we don’t call anyone Hellenist today.

Though Greek culture made an impact on the entire world even us today…we don’t call anyone Hellenist anymore…but see the power of God at work as He spread the good news of life, death, and resurrection of His Son. 2000 years later we still call ourselves “Christians.”

The power of Christ and His church affected the culture in such a way that even today Christian carries the weight of a people committed to Christ.

Or does it?

Does being a Christian still mean what it meant for those 1st century followers?

Does it carry the same weight?

Are we who call ourselves Christians known for gathering, loving, teaching and serving one another in the name of Christ as the disciples of 2000 years ago?

To awaken to Christ’s love is too engage in Christ’s service.

What does it mean to carry the name of Christian?

What does it mean to carry the name of Christian servant?

2. Christian defined (John 12:25-26)

Jesus defined His followers, His servants (Christians) in this way...

The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, Vol. XLV The Christian’s Service and Honour (No. 2,651)

FEW men love service. Man prefers to be his own master, to do as he pleases, according to “his own sweet will,” and, like the winds, to be under no control whatever; but he who spurns the counsel of God, despises his law, and tramples on his commands, commits an act of suicide to his own liberty. Those who act thus, whilst they seek to be free, become the veriest slaves; for, when they give a loose rein to their lusts, they find them like wild horses dragging them irresistibly along. Passions indulged turn into habits, and those habits hold them fast in their iron grip, and they cease to be free any longer. He is the freeman who serves God, and not the man who scorns the yoke of Jesus. He is the freeman whose shoulders bear the yoke of Christ; but he who refuses to serve him is a slave. He who will not obey Jesus, obeys a tyrant master called Satan, or worse still, himself; for, after all, the greatest tyrant to a man is his own sinful self. There is no slavery harder to endure than the despotism of evil habits when they have grown strong upon a man, and fixed their chains upon his neck. The service of Jesus is perfect liberty; those who wear the collar of Jesus find it to be a royal badge, which makes them far more honourable than would the Order of the Garter, or the Bath. There is nothing that can so exalt a man as to make him a servant of Jesus; and the man who bends his neck willingly to serve him, manifests the greatest wisdom.

What is it to serve Jesus? The text says,

John 12:25–26 ESV

25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

John

By Jesus’ own definition, is that what our world sees in us?

Are we impacting our culture in such a way where people are drawn to the local church?

Because they too want to follow Christ, love His people, and serve Him and His people?

Because they too have been loved, and served by His church?

Do they want truth?

Do they want to follow Jesus?

Do they want to serve Christ and His church and the community in which He has placed us?

Is that what we are known for?

Or, because we have done such a poor job of being Christ’s Church and His servants, would they rather be served instead of serving?

Would they rather be made to feel good about themselves and be entertained, than to hear the truth of God’s Word and worship Him in Spirit and in Truth?

Is our culture and our generations defining Christianity as those in the 1st Century, or as we have been called too by Jesus?

Here is the problem…the name Christian is still here, but if it was riding on our faithfulness, instead of Christ’s preeminence, would He even be known at all?

Charles Spurgeon says this:

Few men love service. Man prefers to be his own master, to do as he pleases, according to “his own sweet will,” and, like the winds, to be under no control whatever; but he who spurns the counsel of God, despises his law, and tramples on his commands, commits an act of suicide to his own liberty.

Look right at me…Christian you have been called!

To awaken to Christ’s love is too engage in Christ’s service.

3. Christian called ()

This is the Apostle’s Paul version of …YOU HAD ONE JOB!

1 Corinthians 7:17–24 ESV

17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. 20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. 21 Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.

1 Cor 7

Bondservant could be translated as slave also. So with that said, we know we are all slaves to sin, slaves to this world, slaves to rules and regulations of this crooked generation and nation.

We are so enslaved to sin and the brokenness of this world that before the end of the week there will be a new law that says you can murder a teenager for talking back to you.

We are so enslaved to sin and the brokenness of the world that life has no meaning in this place...

yet, life has a purpose for the Christian...

Romans 1:1–6 ESV

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

Your name…verse one

Why?

Romans 1:16–17 ESV

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Look right at me… Here we don’t play church.

Here we are the Church.

Because we are Christians who have been Named, Defined, & Called by the life-giving, life-saving, name-bearing, name-redeeming Gospel of Jesus Christ.

And Because we are Christians who have been Named, Defined, & Called by the Lord Jesus Christ we will commit to serving His bride (the local church) and serving His people (the local church), while compelling others to be AWAKENED to the way, the truth, and the life of Jesus Christ.

Because...

To awaken to Christ’s love is too engage in Christ’s service.

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