Wednesday, June 18, 2014

serving or a service ?

I have noticed something as we served a lunch at city gate lancaster.
we are missing a generation of laborers. not sure where they are.
 I know they love God and love worship and attend many amazing events. but I am curious where the laborers are.
as I looked around those serving the free lunch in the city, I noticed that I was one of the youngest workers. and I am not young by any means, mid 40's (or 40 is the new 30 so let's go with 28). but I am curious where is the next generation of servers.
could it be that we have replaced serving for sitting? sitting in services ?
while people on the street really just want a sandwich?
maybe to some serving looks like holding a worship concert. which isn't bad, its a good thing. I am a worship leader, so I am all about worship nights and loving on God, but it still doesn't get the homeless guy his meal. or relationship. or shoes.
I think we have had some really good moves of prayer, worship and services, but that still doesn't replace the actual act of serving someone.
so I am praying. to the Lord of the harvest. to send the workers. we need the next generation to rise up not only in worship and prayer, but in serving.
so maybe we need to redefine what serving is?
what a servant does?

here are what others say about serving:

Prayer in action is love, and love in action is service. Try to give unconditionally whatever a person needs in the moment. The point is to do something, however small, and show you care through your actions by giving your time … We are all God’s children so it is important to share His gifts. Do not worry about why problems exist in the world – just respond to people’s needs … We feel what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean, but that ocean would be less without that drop.“- Mother Teresa

The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?” But the good Samaritan reversed the question: “If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?” Martin Luther King Jr

Have you ever realized that you can give things to God that are of value to Him? Or are you just sitting around daydreaming about the greatness of His redemption, while neglecting all the things you could be doing for Him? I’m not referring to works which could be regarded as divine and miraculous, but ordinary, simple human things – things which would be evidence to God that you are totally surrendered to Him. – Oswald Chambers

In Matthew 25 it tells us:

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

This always makes  me cry.
why? because I see the least of these every day in the city. at every meal we hand out. with every pair of sneakers we give. and you know what happens after we give to the least of these. they want to meet Jesus.

maybe evangelism needs to look more like serving ?
maybe I am a Moses looking for the Joshuas ?

I just want to be found serving, not sitting


1 comment:

  1. Amen & Amen!!! Come on people, isn't it time to stop waiting for a move of God and be the move! Can we please get up off our blessed ASSurance and "Go ye into all the world" Getting on fire for God is more than yelling JESUS at a conference or Sunday service! Come on you Frozen Chosen lets get hot with passion for feeding, clothing, and visiting Jesus!

    ReplyDelete