Letters To The Church By Francis Chan – Servants & Good Shepherds:
What would radical service look like in the church?
When I think of radical service in the church, I think of what we see in Acts 4: 34-35. The believers were all in, they were laying all they had at the apostle’s feet, they were doing it for the good of the church, and there was “not a needy person among them.” This, of course, speaks to the early church’s generosity, but it also speaks to their willingness to serve one another.
But what does this look like for us? I think Francis Chan was spot on when he quotes Philippians 2:1-8
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:1-8)
If we want to see radical service in the church, then we first need to have unity in the church, unity like we see in the church in Acts. We need to be “in full accord and of one mind” (Philippians 2:2). And in this unity, we need to throw off all selfishness and “count others more significant” (Philippians 2:3) than ourselves. And in this unity, we need to follow the example of Christ.
When we talk about Jesus emptying himself and taking the form of a servant… Here was God in the flesh, emptying himself of all that He deserved. Which is everything!!! And yet we, who deserve nothing, by comparison, struggle to do the same. If we ever expect to see radical service in the church, if we ever want to see a church with “not a needy person among them,” then we need to empty ourselves of ourselves and follow Christ.
Are we producing servants at Gateway? Why do we get “burnt out” on serving?
I think Gateway has done an excellent job of providing opportunities for servants. Being a mobile church provides ample opportunities for people to serve every week. Add to that mercy ministry, mission trips, and serve week, and there is really little excuse for a member of Gateway not to find a place to serve.
All that said, not everyone, takes advantage of these opportunities. Week after week, we see the same individuals serving, and the same individuals not. From my own experience, this is the leading cause of getting “burnt out.” When new people don’t step up to help out, those that do begin to wear out. They stop serving simply because it is what God has asked them to and begin serving out of obligation. They do it because they see a need, not because the Holy Spirit prompted them, and as time goes by, they begin to feel burnt out.
What did you learn about shepherding the church in this chapter from Francis Chan?
“It has been my experience that it is very easy to ‘do ministry’ without loving people. Love is not necessary to be a ‘successful’ pastor in our country. I can think of many seasons in my life when I was ministering to people with no real feelings of love toward them. It is very easy to see people as projects that you want to fix rather than children you deeply love.” – Francis Chan
That one cut deep. I’ve always thought of myself as a loving person. But the more I look at the life of Christ and the early church, the more I realize how much I am missing the mark. I have a deep desire to show others who Christ is, to be a shepherd, but I struggle most days even to pick up the phone and call my flock.
On my own, I am perfectly content in my little bubble. Working at home and being isolated from the rest of the world during COVID has had very little impact on me. The isolation doesn’t bother me at all. It’s clear that the Holy Spirit has led and empowered me to make great strides in this area, but it is also abundantly clear that He has so much more for me. But it requires me to move, and it requires me to be better at loving others.
This is something that I have wrestled with quite a bit lately, and it has become a daily prayer of mine to have more of Christ-like love for people.