Dear Church Worker,
Can you serve in His church and not have a relationship with Him?
Is it possible to do all of the duties but not truly possess His heart for His people?
In theory and sometimes in practice, this is a novel idea to serve faithfully in a ministry environment. So what's the problem? We were all that worker who tried to be diligent in our duties. First one in, last one out, right? That's what would please the Lord that sees everything, correct? Heck, it would even please the Pastor, whose attention we want to have also, huh? One problem with this novel idea. The church worker is serving in the building during operational hours. When the building is closed, the "church" worker's duties are concluded until the doors open again. If your church is open on Sunday from 8am to 12 noon, the church worker, in theory, works the same hours with maybe a few small exceptions. When the doors are closed and locked up for the week, the church worker has no further duties to perform besides the occasional cutting of the grass, sweeping of the floor, some repairs and miscellaneous needs that may crop up during the week, if the church worker is involved in these at all. Sounds good again in theory but the church worker is working for the wrong church.
Huh? I am not talking about River of Everlasting Flowing Eternal Life Baptist Church or Seven Thousand Reasons Protestant Church or Too Much Holiness A.M.E. It's never meant to be about the name of your church, the denomination, or how big the congregation is. This is always about the Body Of Christ. I tell folks anytime I have the opportunity. As great as your church may very well be, every face in that audience, on your left, or right, in front, or in back, don't all represent the Body Of Christ. They just go to your church. The Body of Christ is scattered (very important word) all across the world. Almost like secret agents speckled in different ministries or perhaps, not involved with any organized ministry. They may be doing street ministry in the urban areas or doing mobile Sunday Schools, or missionary work in a third or fourth world country. There's a good chance many of the people you sit with every week are there for reasons that you are not aware of. They may be doing reconnaissance work to decide where they want to be centrally located, they may be there because they're infatuated with one of the parishioners, they may be looking for a place where they can net a job as a musician, or they may believe "God" told them they were to marry the already married Senior Pastor. There are some motives less and perhaps even more sinister. You never know who sits among you but it's wisdom to know why you are there.
That's like my mother used to say, "where the rubber meets the road".
I have been in several ministries where church workers or servant leaders become so territorial with their duties that they inadvertently or in some extreme cases, or by specific design, force people out of the church. In basic terms, they may push a parishioner out of the building but they lack the power to force them out of the "church". They can only keep you at bay from the local gathering with cliquish attitudes, divisive power plays, misuse of power and authority, and other such tactics. They may not be members at Social Club 57 Fellowship Church but they are connected to the Church as long as they are connected with the Christ that is the sole reason for His Church to begin with.
It's sad and often goes unseen by the leaders of the church. It is the epitome of the "throwing a rock and hiding one's hand" kind of philosophy. Workers in the church feel entitled to a territory, or area of ministry, or a place at the table with the senior leadership, a position that makes them feel wanted and valued and "special". They hurt people. they destroy relationships, and they portray a warped and twisted version of what Acts Chapter 2 teaches us. They will do what they think is best and not be led by the Spirit. On top of all that, they're unable to receive instruction from anyone except the "object of their undying affection and obedience". Spoiler alert! I should be referring to Jesus Christ but I'm not. Their eyes on fixed on man! Particularly, those men that have the ability to elevate them at some point in time. This is the hope of some of these "workers". Their hearts are in the wrong place and they do more damage to others and their own spiritual position than they do good with all of their good deeds. Like the Lord told Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7, "Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
Honestly, what other service truly matters? I love the words of Paul in Romans 12:1-2 in this context: "I beg you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
A living sacrifice. I love that. Get up on that altar all by yourself. You're not guilted, coerced, or sedated into doing this. You go of your own volition. You lay your own life down and trust the wielder of the blade. Spoiler alert! That's also not the Senior Pastor. That responsibility belongs to God as well.
It won't be long before we all see what manner of work we've been doing all this time. The work that matters is the work that most people don't see.
"Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." (I Corinthians 3:12-13)
In theory and sometimes in practice, this is a novel idea to serve faithfully in a ministry environment. So what's the problem? We were all that worker who tried to be diligent in our duties. First one in, last one out, right? That's what would please the Lord that sees everything, correct? Heck, it would even please the Pastor, whose attention we want to have also, huh? One problem with this novel idea. The church worker is serving in the building during operational hours. When the building is closed, the "church" worker's duties are concluded until the doors open again. If your church is open on Sunday from 8am to 12 noon, the church worker, in theory, works the same hours with maybe a few small exceptions. When the doors are closed and locked up for the week, the church worker has no further duties to perform besides the occasional cutting of the grass, sweeping of the floor, some repairs and miscellaneous needs that may crop up during the week, if the church worker is involved in these at all. Sounds good again in theory but the church worker is working for the wrong church.
Huh? I am not talking about River of Everlasting Flowing Eternal Life Baptist Church or Seven Thousand Reasons Protestant Church or Too Much Holiness A.M.E. It's never meant to be about the name of your church, the denomination, or how big the congregation is. This is always about the Body Of Christ. I tell folks anytime I have the opportunity. As great as your church may very well be, every face in that audience, on your left, or right, in front, or in back, don't all represent the Body Of Christ. They just go to your church. The Body of Christ is scattered (very important word) all across the world. Almost like secret agents speckled in different ministries or perhaps, not involved with any organized ministry. They may be doing street ministry in the urban areas or doing mobile Sunday Schools, or missionary work in a third or fourth world country. There's a good chance many of the people you sit with every week are there for reasons that you are not aware of. They may be doing reconnaissance work to decide where they want to be centrally located, they may be there because they're infatuated with one of the parishioners, they may be looking for a place where they can net a job as a musician, or they may believe "God" told them they were to marry the already married Senior Pastor. There are some motives less and perhaps even more sinister. You never know who sits among you but it's wisdom to know why you are there.
That's like my mother used to say, "where the rubber meets the road".
I have been in several ministries where church workers or servant leaders become so territorial with their duties that they inadvertently or in some extreme cases, or by specific design, force people out of the church. In basic terms, they may push a parishioner out of the building but they lack the power to force them out of the "church". They can only keep you at bay from the local gathering with cliquish attitudes, divisive power plays, misuse of power and authority, and other such tactics. They may not be members at Social Club 57 Fellowship Church but they are connected to the Church as long as they are connected with the Christ that is the sole reason for His Church to begin with.
It's sad and often goes unseen by the leaders of the church. It is the epitome of the "throwing a rock and hiding one's hand" kind of philosophy. Workers in the church feel entitled to a territory, or area of ministry, or a place at the table with the senior leadership, a position that makes them feel wanted and valued and "special". They hurt people. they destroy relationships, and they portray a warped and twisted version of what Acts Chapter 2 teaches us. They will do what they think is best and not be led by the Spirit. On top of all that, they're unable to receive instruction from anyone except the "object of their undying affection and obedience". Spoiler alert! I should be referring to Jesus Christ but I'm not. Their eyes on fixed on man! Particularly, those men that have the ability to elevate them at some point in time. This is the hope of some of these "workers". Their hearts are in the wrong place and they do more damage to others and their own spiritual position than they do good with all of their good deeds. Like the Lord told Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7, "Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
Honestly, what other service truly matters? I love the words of Paul in Romans 12:1-2 in this context: "I beg you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
A living sacrifice. I love that. Get up on that altar all by yourself. You're not guilted, coerced, or sedated into doing this. You go of your own volition. You lay your own life down and trust the wielder of the blade. Spoiler alert! That's also not the Senior Pastor. That responsibility belongs to God as well.
It won't be long before we all see what manner of work we've been doing all this time. The work that matters is the work that most people don't see.
"Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." (I Corinthians 3:12-13)
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