Gospel-Centered Expression

from Pastor Lane

Jesus came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10.45). As his followers, Christians are to live for Jesus by serving. This does not mean that we ransom others by our life. It means that in the ransoming of others, our lives are used as instruments of his grace. Christians are the workmanship of God created for the purpose of good works. Just as a great work of art or architecture honors the one who created it, so Christians glorify Creator God by the expression of our life.

We are empowered with his compassion for others in order to serve and meet needs. Living in his redemption, we share the ministry and message of reconciliation that he has given to us (2 Cor 5.17-19). In practical terms, the help and hope of the gospel is to be shared with those who are hopeless and helpless without Jesus. When a need is identified, it does not produce or motivate our service. It is the object to which we direct the hope and help of Jesus. This is the Christian expression of the gospel, motivated by Christ’s loving compassion, addressing need and sharing hope.

Christ-followers, as servants, serve to meet needs in Jesus’ name. Serving is more than just something we do, it defines how we express who we are. To NOT serve is a denial of our identity and purpose. We address needs in this world, serving and working to alleviate their immediate pain and suffering, in order to address deeper spiritual needs of helpless and hopelessness. Some people have a greater affinity for certain kinds of work or serving opportunities and this is by God’s design as well. This is biblical in that there are many different gifts that God gives. But all gifts function to serve the same purpose.

While they all function the same, the defining point of the deed is ultimately determined by the message that it delivers and where its praise is returned. Take for instance the difference in good deeds between a Christian and a celebrity. Take for example, a home built. When the work is done, a home is given to the recipient. A home is good and as a basic provision of life all people should have a place to live. The home can be celebrated and spur thanksgiving. But the home nor the one who built it should be praised and this is where the message and the motivation of the gospel continues. That which the gospel produces here on earth is but a picture of the ultimate hope it provides for eternity in salvation. When glory is rightly returned to God, then he receives the praise and the gospel is the ultimate message delivered by the servant. When the servant is gone and all that is left is the home, the gospel remains, giving hope and help beyond the house.

To God be the glory. Great things He will do through his Servants, those who are his craftsmanship.

Need, Compassion, & Motivation to Serve

from Pastor Lane
Misinterpreting Need
When a Christian recognizes need in the world, it should be a reminder to give thanks for all God’s blessings. But if personal gratitude is the only heart response to need in the world, then it simply becomes another motivator to focus on self. Jesus never looked on the great need of the world and thought, “Thank me I’m perfect.” Need is not simply a reminder for gratitude. Christians have an abundance of blessing and provision that produce gratitude without any external reminder. Christians should think biblically about all matters (Rom. 8.5—6), so when looking at another person we learn to do so in light of the Bible’s teaching. People do not see, perceive, others as God does. “For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Sam. 16.7). Christians must first believe what the Bible says about the heart and soul of a person and train themselves to see others in view of this truth. Christians should be faithful to address physical needs and use them as an opportunity to illuminate real spiritual need in life. Need does not serve as a Christian’s motivation to serve. It is an opportunity to display God’s glory and love through obedience to express a biblical response to need. What, then, is a Christian’s motivation to serve?

He saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them. —Mark 6.34

Gospel-Centered Compassion
Jesus did not respond simply with pity. He was not so consumed with the immediate needs of life that he failed to minister to spiritual needs. He was filled with compassion because in seeing them he understood their real need, salvation. When we remember the gospel and its impact on life, we understand its power to impact the lives of others. The gospel ignites compassion for others within the heart of a Christian! Christians model Jesus’ compassion when they learn to discern the greater burden of spiritual need through the recognition of physical need, a reminder of humanity’s spiritual darkness, brokenness and separation from God. Compassion is a motivator to act, acknowledging the brokenness and suffering of this life and responding to address the needs of others! Gospel-ignited compassion is the ultimate motivation to serve the needs of other in Jesus’ name! Compassion shines bright to share help and hope against the darkness of this world’s helplessness and hopelessness.

Have you remembered the power of the gospel for your life today? Has your heart filled with gratitude and joy for God’s grace? How much compassion for others has filled your life today? Remember the gospel and be filled with compassion to serve others in Jesus’ name.

Running on Empty

from Pastor Lane

LifePoint is hosting a pictorial gallery throughout the month of July to heighten awareness of need and encourage our people through Summer Serve, a month long emphasis on serving through multiple Servant Projects. You can read more about that here. As I viewed the gallery Sunday morning and came to this picture, it struck way too close to home. A reminder of my empty tank that needs filling when gas prices are setting new records weekly—now that’s a great way to encourage people! Surely it heightens my awareness of need, much like an ice cube being used to identify a sensitive tooth or exposed nerve. How much more fun can this get?! This photo touches a nerve! But when I remain long enough to endure the initial shock, I am reminded how great a need this photo identifies. The benevolence requests LifePoint receives has doubled, tripled, maybe even quadrupled over the last three to four months. It reminds me of one all too common issue. People are hurting! While the practical pains of life are most evident (bills, food, medicine), these serve as reminders of the greater need that abounds, spiritual darkness.

When Jesus looked on crowds of people that gathered around him, he was filled with compassion and mercy (Matt. 9.36). Fully aware of and sensitive to their physical needs, as demonstrated in Scripture, Jesus was filled with compassion because of their spiritual emptiness. Matthew 9.36 describes them as harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. This identifies not only the physical needs of people, but the spiritual needs of helplessness and hopelessness. The world is full of this spiritual emptiness. People we live and work and recreate next to every day are living on empty spiritually. Their hopes, dreams, and plans rest solely in themselves. They are unprepared to address eternity and subsequently ill-prepared to fully experience life in the present. The strength and hope of life is consumed in the here and now and all that this world can provide. Sadly, hope rests in whether or not they they have enough money to fill their gas tanks and no significant consideration is given to the weightier matters of life. Like sheep without a shepherd, people in spiritual emptiness live unsuspecting lives in a world whose only promise is to bring heartache and pain, suffering and loss, and all without any meaning. How helpless and hopeless life in the kingdom of darkness really is. But Christians have been transferred into the kingdom of light!

Christians exist in the perfect environment to complete the perfect mission of our heavenly Father. Serving in Jesus’ name makes an eternal difference! In serving we glorify God and direct the eyes, ears, and attention of people to him to show how he is our hope and our help. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Ps. 46.1). Christians are the light of the world (Matt. 5.14). What better place for light to be than in darkness in order to do its work? Christ-follower, do not forget that when you are living in obedience unto God, you live for a divine purpose!

For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. —2 Cor 4.5–6

Remember these simple truths in serving:

1. Don’t live your life on empty. Jesus came that we might have life to the full (John 10.10). Full life comes only through an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Fill your heart, mind, and life with him every day. He does not intend for you to serve in your strength. He has ordained your life to be used as his instrument of hope and strength.
2. Be aware and look for opportunities to do good deeds unto others. Think simple and practical. You may have the opportunity to serve another person in a monumental way or you may not. But there is always an abundance of ways to serve others in simple, practical ways.
3. When you have the opportunity to do a good deed, be careful not to dismiss it as insignificant. You never work alone, and you never know when God will use the smallest of acts to ignite a wildfire of opportunity to share his love.
4. Be intentional with your deeds and considerate enough to inform others of why you are doing good deeds. “Jesus loves you” following a simple practical good deed does two things: 1) Reminds you of how God is using you every day to accomplish his will and mission on earth. 2) Communicates the true source that initiated the good deed, Jesus Christ, and directs any praise offered in response to him.

Christ-followers, as servants of Jesus Christ, let us serve in his name unto the glory of God the Father.

In the same way, let your light so shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. —Matt. 5.16

10 Ways to Serve Your Neighbors This Summer

You know it’s summer when LifePoint gets in a tizzy about serving. As a church this month, we’re collecting food, giving blood, and serving the city of Ozark, but the serving doesn’t have to stop there. With a little creativity, we can all serve our neighbors this summer, and here are ten ways you can start:

1. Babysit your neighbors’ kids
2. Mow your neighbors’ yards
3. Offer to check your neighbors’ houses (feed pets, water plants, get mail, etc.) while they’re on vacation
4. Visit with elderly or home bound neighbors
5. Support your neighbors’ garage sales by stopping by, browsing, and maybe buying something
6. Share flowers and vegetables from your garden with your neighbors
7. Bring housewarming gifts (baked goods, plants, etc.) to neighbors who’ve just moved in
8. Invite your neighbors over for dinner
9. Volunteer at your neighborhood’s polling place
10. Sponsor a neighborhood fireworks party

For me, it’s easier to start a conversation and build a relationship when I have something in my hands or have something to do, which is why many of the items on the list above involve a gift or an activity. Did I miss anything? What are you doing to serve your neighbors this summer?