Eld Ko Swee Chay

Serving the LORD Together in Love
(Part 2 of 2)

Introduction

Part 1 of 2 of this article printed in Pandan News Weekly on 11 March 2018 covered the following two subjects:

I. Believers are Commanded to Serve the LORD
II. Teaching of God’s Word on Serving the LORD

The people of Israel are God’s chosen people, they are commanded to serve the LORD and be a holy witness and testimony for the nations around them and beyond. By way of application, we who are called to be the children of the most High God today are likewise commanded by God to serve Him. We ought to have the right perspective that God is Omnipotent and He does not actually need us to serve Him and help Him to do and accomplish anything. It is by the grace and mercy of God that we are given this great honour and privilege to serve Him, as an expression of our love for Him for what He has done for us and for our own blessing. God wants us to serve willingly and cheerfully, and to find joy in serving Him and others.

It is important to serve the LORD with the right understanding, attitude and mindset that is pleasing and acceptable to Him. Through the study of the lives of great men of faith like Moses, Joshua, David and Paul, we learn about what it takes to serve the LORD rightly and acceptably. Of course, the greatest example and teacher of servanthood of all was our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Through His own attitude and conduct, He gave us the greatest example of true servanthood which teaches us humility, love and compassion and to be willing to sacrifice for one other.

This Part 2 of 2 addresses the third subject: What It Means to Serve the LORD “Together in Love”.

III. What It Means to serve the LORD “Together in Love”

When we serve the LORD in the local church in whatever capacity and role, whether in the BOE/Session, fellowship groups, contact groups, kitchen, as Sunday School teachers or ushers etc., we would have to work together with other people. Given that we have very different family backgrounds, upbringing, education, tradition, culture and practices, spirituality and number of years as a Christian, and some came from other churches and denominations, surely we ought to expect that problems, issues, misunderstandings, conflicts and difficulties are unavoidable as we serve together. After all, as long as we serve the Lord in this mortal flesh we can still succumb to sin even though we have the power of the Holy Spirit in us to strengthen us to overcome all sins. But we struggle and cannot do it perfectly even though the desire is to do it perfectly (Rom 7:21-25). But as children of God there is no excuse for us not to be able to co-labour together with other church members peaceably in love and in unity. Remember the common bond that binds us together as one body in Christ is that we all have believed and accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour and are constrained by the love of Christ.

As we serve, we need to constantly remind ourselves: we are serving the LORD God Almighty, not our own interests and personal agenda; our sole purpose is to glorify God, not ourselves; we are to love, care for and encourage one another and build each other up in the most holy faith; we are to resolve issues and problems together openly and transparently in a God-honouring and God-glorifying manner with a loving heart and forgiving spirit; we are to learn to accept differing views and opinions if they are non-doctrinal, or not unbiblical or immoral. When relationships are impacted because of certain disagreements or issues, the priority is to restore the relationship and move on instead of trying to argue and prove who is right and who is wrong. We must also learn and be prepared to accept demanding, inconsiderate, unappreciative and ungrateful people whom we serve with a smile. We must also take note that we are swapping roles constantly from serving others to being served by others (1 Cor 3:9). When we are being served, we need to be sensitive to the demands and comments we make, and be mindful to express appreciation and gratitude when someone serves us.

Remember, because our service and our work are spiritual, the Devil is ever ready to attack God’s work and God’s workers. Don’t be the weak link that falls into Satan’s trap and become Satan’s prey – through sowing seeds of discord, gossiping, bad-mouthing and causing division. 1 Pet 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” Serve the LORD together according to the teaching of God’s Word. The standards and measures for our ministries are God’s Word, not the carnal way of the world. Our attitude is one of recognizing the honour and privilege of serving one another rather than for position, authority and fame. Competition has no place in serving the LORD. Be patient and persevere, don’t run away at the slightest problem. Solve the problems and issues with an open and sincere heart, and with a loving and forgiving spirit.

Jesus commanded us in Mat 22:37-39 “THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL THY HEART, AND WITH ALL THY SOUL, AND WITH ALL THY MIND. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR AS THYSELF.” [emphasis added]

Serving the LORD and one another in love is a manifestation of this unconditional and sacrificial love for God and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Being the Lord’s holy witness and testimony by serving, giving, encouraging, caring and loving as Jesus loved and cared for us. 

We must take note that it is not about duty or the amount of activities or quantity of works we do. It is about demonstrating the love of Christ to those around us as well as those serving together with us. It is not being selfish and self-centered, but considering others better than ourselves (Phi 2:3). Knowing that God has given each one of us different gifts, it is about discovering and knowing ours as well as others’ gifts and use them for the glory of God. It is about discovering and knowing our strengths and weaknesses as well as others’, and work to complement each other’ strengths and weaknesses. Be mindful not to be overly task-oriented or end results-focused, always insisting on our own way and approach. Ignoring the views and feelings of others will surely cause relationship problems and stumble other people. Remember that the end does not justify the means.

If we simply go through the motions of serving the LORD without love, we are wasting our time as Apostle Paul said: “¹Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. ²And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. ³And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” (1 Cor 13:1-3). If our service is not motivated by the love of God, then, as Paul said, it is nothing and it profits nothing. Serving the LORD together in love is to have a benevolent and charitable heart to other co-labourers, especially the weaker or less capable brethren; be kind, gracious, humble, considerate and helpful one to another.

In the NT epistles from Romans to 2 John there are 46 statements with the phrases “one another” (38 times) or “one to another” (8 times). These statements give the children of God precious instructions to relate one to another: first and foremost love one another (13 times), ye also ought to wash one another's feet (Jo 13:1), in honour preferring one another (Rom 12:1), exhort one another daily (2 Cor 13:13, Heb 3:13); by love serve one another (Gal 5:13); Bear ye one another's burdens (Gal 6:2); forbearing one another in love (Eph 4:2, Col 3:13); forgiving one another (Eph 4:32, Col 3:13); comfort one another (1 Th 4:18); consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works (Heb 10:24); Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love (Heb 12:1); Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God (Eph 5:21). God’s Word puts great emphasis on instructing us to mutually love, care for, support, encourage, promote and tolerate one another. God’s desire is for His people to serve together in unity and in love.

Apostle Paul has given us a comprehensive range of instructions and guidance on how to serve the LORD together in love as one body in Christ: “If there be therefore any consolation [encouragement] in Christ, if any comfort of [consolation] love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels [affection] and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than ourselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Phi 2:1-5). “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels [tender] of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all things put on charity, which is the bond of perfection.” (Col 3:12-14).

Conclusion
After our salvation, God allows us to remain on this earth whereby we can have the opportunity and privilege to serve Him and glorify His holy name. This is the divine will and purpose for a believer’s life. The LORD will judge our life and everything that we have done on earth, including our service, whether it is “gold, silver, precious stones” or “wood, hay, stubble”.

The pre-requisites to serve the LORD are to follow the LORD and fear Him, get rid of sinful practices and other gods from our lives, keep His commandments, know and obey His Word, and hold fast to Him. We are to serve the LORD in sincerity and in truth, with a right and pure motive out of the love for Christ Jesus and fellow men.

Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ gave us the greatest example of true servanthood which teaches us humility, love and compassion and willingness to sacrifice for one other; not in position, authority and fame, but in serving one another humbly.
By the grace and mercy of God we are given this honour and privilege to serve Him, as an expression of our love for Him for what He had done for us and for our own blessing. We should never view serving the LORD as more of a chore and obligation, or worse still to obtain personal gain and praises from men.

When serving together, recognize that there will be problems, issues, conflicts and troubles, including suffering. What is important is how to handle them in a God-honouring and God-glorifying manner according to God’s Word and God’s standards. The LORD will enable and equip us and provide for us what we need to do the work He called us to do. To serve the LORD effectively, all we need is to have an obedient and willing heart, and faithfulness, and serve together in love and in unity.
It is a wonderful honour and privilege to serve the one and only true and living God. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Cor 15:58). All that we do in this life is vanity, but work done for the LORD has eternal value. Our LORD is not unrighteous to forget our work done in love and according to His will and purpose. Let us persevere and press on, serving the LORD together in love faithfully and joyfully till Christ returns. AMEN.