Romans 1:1 A Servant of Jesus Christ

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God-- Romans 1:1 NIV

 
Paul opens his letter to the church at Rome with this declaration of who he is and his authority. 

- a servant of Christ Jesus - Here the Greek word for servant means 1) slave or bond servant - obligated and bound to serve a master 2) servant - one who chooses to serve a master. It's interesting to me that it means both an obligation and a choice. As believers we have chosen to follow Jesus Christ, but in that choice, we are reminded of who we serve in that He is the most high. Our lives should be lived with each step directed by the master. However, today's definition of a slave is counterproductive in thinking this way. The modern definition of a master would include greed, control, tyrant, merciless, malice, etc. Traits that could never be applied to our Lord. He is the antithesis of this definition. So we tend to lean toward the "servant" definition to soften the picture. What we must remember that while we are choosing to serve, we are still serving the Master, all be it a loving, generous, and grace-filled one. It is a 24/7 service. We don't pick up and go home from working for Him to follow our own path. As the Master, we must follow His guidance in every area of our life. We surrendered our life to Him; now we must live it out as He leads. For some, that may be frightening. However, I find great comfort in knowing the Almighty God of the Universe has my back. He loves me and knows what is best for me. That is an easy surrender in my book.

- an apostle - one who is a representative or messenger specifically chosen for this purpose. We are all representatives of something or someone. Every day our lives proclaim a message. Hopefully, as believers, our message is of the love and hope of our Savior, Jesus Christ. However, our message may be communicating other things - anger, hopelessness, negativity, self-promotion, greed. Who are we representing when we get up from our bed in the morning? That's when it begins - our choice to represent the One and Only Hope of the world.

- set apart for the gospel of God - Paul declares here exactly Who he is an apostle for, the good news of Jesus Christ. He is not living for self-promotion or company promotion or government promotion. Paul's life is to spread the message of Jesus Christ and the hope that He brings. He is "set apart" for this task. 

As believers in Jesus Christ, we are all to be His obedient servants, representing His message of hope to a dying world. That is our calling and our hope.

Holy Spirit, guide me each day, each moment to represent You and only You. Let my life reflect the hope you give to a world who so desperately needs hope.

Further Thoughts:  

1. Write down a list of what or who your life may be representing to the world. How can you change that? (i.e. Maybe you are only representing your company.  That may be your job. But how can you make being a representative of Jesus Christ the priority? What will change about your approach at work?
2. What does it mean to be a representative of Jesus Christ? List some of the attributes. What ones do you do well? Where are you challenged?
3. What does it mean to live like Jesus? You may have heard that phrase for years, but write down what it means. 

Judges 1-2:15 "He Means It, Part 1"

"I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars. Yet you have disobeyed me." Judges 2:1b-2a NIV

When God brought the Israelite people to the promised land, He told them to take the land and destroy the idols of those who live there. But they disobeyed. They allowed many of the Canaanites to remain there and over time, their way of life and their idol worship seeped into the lives of the Canaanites. The poison will always try to take over the healthy tissue and that is exactly what happened to the body of Israelites. By not obeying God's commands, they had allowed the evil He had commanded them to get rid of to become a part of their culture.

How often does God tell us to remove something from our lives and we don't do it? Maybe it's a bad habit; maybe it is spending time with someone who is a bad influence on us. Sometimes even innocuous activities can become an obstacle. We can allow watching or playing sports or participating in a hobby to become our obsession and distract us from where God wants us to focus. If He says to remove that habit, activity, or even thought process from our lives, we need to be obedient to that. We may feel like what we are doing is innocent and think that surely God would not ask me to give that up, but He does.

I am fascinated with the Amish. They are completely committed to simplicity, plainness, and devotion to God. They are huge on family and their community in helping one another daily. They live off the land and the distractions of the modern world are forbidden from their lives. Now one area they lack is being evangelistic about their love of God. They have completely isolated themselves from living out Matthew 28:19-20. However, we, in the world, have gone completely the other direction. How much have we allowed the world to infiltrate our lives and water-down the gospel? Have we compromised our testimony to the point of impotency? Do we "look" any different from the non-believers we live among and are supposed to be sharing Christ with?

Surely there is a happy middle ground between isolationism and compromise. Finding how to live "in the world and not of it" is a daily battle we must wage. This can only be accomplished through a constant communion with the Father and obedience to His directives. If he says something must be removed, then we need to remove it. If he says we are to go, then we need to go. God loves us and wants His very best for us. Therefore, if He says it, He means it. Our job is to obey. (Tomorrow, part 2, the consequences of disobedience.)

Further Thoughts:

1. Is there some area of your life that you have allowed the world to infiltrate and God is telling you to get rid of it?
2. What obstacles stand in the way of obedience? How do we overcome them?
3. Do you truly believe God's motivation for his commands in our lives is because He loves us or is He just an Almighty Tyrant? (Honestly think through this answer.)

Father, sometimes I don't understand why you require certain things from me. I feel strong enough in my faith in such a way that they will not interfere with my walk. But I want to live in complete obedience to You. So help me to let go of that which is hindering me from being everything You want me to be. I want to be your devoted servant and that can only happen through absolute obedience. I love you and thank you for loving me. Amen.

Matthew 27:11-26

Read Matthew 27:11-26.

"'I am innocent of this man's blood,' he said. 'It is your responsibility!'" NIV

The religious leaders and the people they sway to their way of thinking seem to be a theme that has been running for several chapters now. Once again, I am struck with the contrast between the religious leaders and the non-believers, in this case, Pilate, the Roman governor, and his wife. Here they turn over Jesus to the civil authorities stating a charge of treason since blasphemy would not have a stand in the civil courts. They could use treason because Jesus had claimed to be "king" of the Jews. Therefore, they were trying to show that Jesus was usurping the Roman authority. But Pilate, this non-believer, sees right through the ruse. Look at verse 18 again, "For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him." He knew that he was receiving an innocent man to be put to death because of the Jewish leaders' arrogance. Isn't that amazing....and tragic? Even Pilate's wife pays attention to a dream she has and tells Pilate in verse 19, "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man...." Two people, not a part of The Way, probably worshippers of mythological beings, sees the Truth clearer than the ones claiming to be upholding it.

And the responsibility for this tragedy doesn't all fall on the religious leaders' shoulders. The people allowed themselves to be swayed by the chief priests and elders and would rather have a known criminal freed and an innocent healer crucified. The blindness is so complete. The enemy had a stronghold that day -- only because God allowed it to fulfill His purposes. But still, the ability to move that many people away from the Truth. We so underestimate his powers. Granted, we have a greater power over the enemy, but only if we keep our eyes focused on Jesus and not moved to Satan's lies.

In the end, the only person who saw the truth was Pilate. He didn't have the fortitude to stand up to the crowd and fight for Jesus' innocence; instead he washed his hands of the responsibility. The people had spoken, and he would honor their request. But he made it publicly known that he didn't agree with the verdict.

So how does the non-believer see clearer than the supposed believer? What is happening in the believer's life to hinder them from seeing Truth as truth? As I look over the last 15-20 years, I know I have grown so much closer to the Lord. I credit consistency to my time in the Word, surrender to His Lordship, and a constant working on my personality to reach out to others rather than just taking care of myself. And as I grow closer to Him, the sin around me becomes more obvious. Inconsistencies are glaring, the world seems to become blacker and Christ's truths, whiter. And my sin appears more wretched than it ever was because I see the perfection of God magnified.

So I guess that boils down to four things: (not necessarily the only things....)

• surrender to His Lordship
• consistently studying the Word to know Him better - this is hearing His voice
• taking steps to be more like Christ
• when I sin, recognize it and immediately confess it

The religious leaders were not doing any of these. Well, obviously they new the Word, but only the law, not the heart. And they obviously did not learn very much about the character of God because their lives did not exemplify Him at all.

This is a clear warning for us all. A life that loses focus on the right priorities, misses seeing the Truth. And that is an eternal tragedy.

Further Thoughts:

1. How are you doing on the "four things?" Are there other areas you think are important that the religious leaders were missing?
2. Compare and contrast the religious leaders of that time to judgemental Christians today. What happens to turn us into judgemental Christians? How is the opposite lived out?

Matthew 26:17-19 "A Certain (Available) Man"

Read Matthew 26:17-19.

"'Go into the city to a certain man....'" NIV

How many times have we read the Lord's Supper story? We know they are in an upper room. We can see Jesus and the twelve reclined around a table. Most of us have probably seen it reenacted in our Easter pageants. The tables are filled with bread, bowls of fruit, and glasses for the wine. The scene is instantly familiar. But have you stopped to wonder whose house they were in?

Jesus sent the disciples to "a certain man." Who was this man? Had Jesus met this person on His travels? Was he someone that Jesus had healed? Was he a prominent man in the city or a religious leader? Or was he a simple tradesman or shepherd?

Did the man know the disciples would be coming? Did he know what was meant by Jesus' message, "My appointed time is near?" If so, who told him? An angel? Or did Jesus warn him at a previous meeting? Maybe the man was still expecting Jesus to make a political or military take over and thought that was the time that was near.

Whoever this man was and whatever he did or did not understand about Jesus' message, he willingly served the Master without question. An unknown man that provided the setting for one of the most dramatic and symbolic events in our Christian rites. His name is not given; he is not immortalized in the Scriptures or da Vinci's The Last Supper. A man of obscurity with a very important role - to serve the Master when called.

We are each people of obscurity in the Christian realm. There are very few Billy Graham's or D.L. Moody's walking the earth. Most of us are simple servants striving to live in the world but not be of it, to learn from the Rabbi, serve Him, and serve others. There are no marquees announcing our accomplishments or awards adorning our mantles. But we are each called to do what Jesus asks us to do. It may seem small and insignificant such as cleaning the house and making a few loaves of unleavened bread. But the purpose is great when the Master arrives.

Lord, I don't desire fame or recognition; position or wealth. I just want to be available to do whatever you call me to do when you call me to do it. Lord, here I am.

Further Thoughts:

1. Many of the patriarchs were people of obscurity. List some of them and their origins. (i.e. Moses: a poor Hebrew slave's baby rescued from massacre.) Like Moses' walking stick became a source of power when God used it, so can we be used for great deeds when in the hands of the Master.
2. Are you ready and willing to serve when the Lord calls? What should you be doing in preparation for His assignments? How are you serving in between the bigger jobs?
3. Do you feel you are not usable by God? If yes, that is a lie that the enemy has led you to believe. We are all given gifts and talents that God can use. (Find the Scripture that supports that statement.) If you don't know your gifts, ask your pastor for a spiritual gifts test. You will probably find you knew your gifts all along.
4. How does this readiness for service fit with the greatest commandment?

Matthew 20:20-28 "A Heart for Service"

Read Matthew 20:20-28.

"...just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,and to give his life as a ransom for many." NIV

Here's a big surprise to many people who confess Christianity, we are here to serve. We are not here to soak up knowledge like a sponge. It is good to gain knowledge, but then we must put it to work. We are not here to make money. Although if we are blessed with a good paying job, we can certainly help out God's work financially. We are not here to gain more power. We are not here to sit on our backsides and complain. We are not here to let everyone else serve us.

Jesus demonstrated that we are all called to serve others. Now what that looks like will be different for different people. God has placed us all in various places on this globe at various times in history to do various jobs for Him. He's uniquely gifted each of us and will use those gifts to meet the needs of others and glorify Him. But no matter where we are, our service opportunities will range from large acts such as helping someone rebuild their home after a disaster to the smallest acts of service such as holding a door open for someone. God wants our eyes to be constantly on the lookout for someone needing us to serve them.

However, before our eyes can see, our hearts must be in an attitude of giving and it begins with surrender. Surrender to my agenda and submission to God's. This is not easy to do and I'm constantly working to do better. I am definitely a list person. I wake up in the morning thinking through the list of things I need to accomplish that day. Can you imagine Jesus doing that? "Okay, I'm going to heal three blind people, one lame, and two deaf today."

Jesus lived in the moment of need. We see several times where he was walking one place and was interrupted with someone calling Him over to heal them or taking Him to their home to heal their child. And because Jesus had such a high level of compassion and a heart to serve, He went.

Now I know we still have to do the things we need to do to live and pay bills. But it wouldn't hurt me to focus more on living in the moment and letting God interrupt my schedule to go serve someone who needs it.

Lord, increase my heart compassion for others and their needs. Help me to remain focused on Your redirection from my daily tasks. Don't let me miss the moment because it doesn't fit my schedule.

Further Thoughts:

1. Look up Scripture with the word "serve" or "service." What are the situations noted where we are to serve?
2. Is it easy for you to get caught up in the "to do's" of life? Ask the Lord to open your eyes to the needs around you.

Matthew 6:19-24 "One Master"

Read Matthew 6:19-24.

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." NIV

I understand the beginning of this passage - working for things of this world is not where our focus should be. "Stuff" here will be gone. It's not that I can't have stuff, but my heart needs to be focused on the will and direction of my Lord and Master.

And I understand the last paragraph -- there can be only one master of my life. Two beings or things giving instruction will often contradict. God desires to be the one and only. In fact, He states it very clearly in Commandment #1 - "You shall have no other gods before me."

But that middle paragraph had me a little confused. What does my eye and light and darkness have to do with anything? After some research, everything is much clearer, hmmmm, which is sort of what it's talking about, clarity. The Greeks would have understood that having good eyes means to see things clearly and completely focused. And with good eyes you walk in light -- seeing all things clearly with a strong purpose. Whereas darkness is clouded and without focus.

If we keep our eyes focused on God and His purposes; if we follow His precepts; if we remain in this world and not of this world, our eyes will be filled with light and not darkness. I have many people ask me how to keep sin out of their lives and not become mastered by it. Here's the answer. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Simple sentence but the enemy makes it a difficult task. Only by focusing our will on the Father and glorifying Him can we keep from satisfying the lusts of the world.

Sometimes I wish I'd lived in biblical times or even live in a country now where people have very little. Well, I wouldn't choose to live in a place where I didn't know where my next meal was coming from. But I would love to live a simpler life. I've many times threatened to get a dumpster and sweep my house clean of all stuff. Just leave me a bed, a chair, and a table, some food, and a few changes of clothing and I'd be happy. (Yes, if I was Catholic being a nun may have been appealing.) Getting rid of all that stuff is so freeing. I wouldn't have to dust, wash, mend, repair, make payments on, store, or file anything. How freeing would that be?

But that's not where I live. Therefore, I must discipline my mind to not get caught up in the "stuff" society I live in and let the Joneses out do me. I will own things without them owning me. I will continue to give things away to keep my life as uncluttered as possible. I will not allow my "things" to master my life, but serve only one Master. I'm not made for this world, but for one coming where stuff has no meaning. For now, I will do the Lord's will, reach out to people, and let the clutter of the world fall around me untouched.

Further Thoughts:

1. Is there some thing or things that have taken control of your life other than God? Do you really want to serve that master? Read 2 Peter 2:19b. Find other Scriptures on serving only God.
2. A great deal of this has to do with our choices. What choices do you need to make so you are serving one Master and not two or more? Joshua made choices to follow God. Read his farewell to the Israelite leaders in Joshua 23:1-24:27.
3. How can time become your master? What can you do to keep that from happening?
4. Are there some changes you need to make in your life pattern/habits to choose God as your only Master? Ask the Lord to help you and write down your plan for change.

Ephesians 3:1-7

"For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles --

"Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

"I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me
through the working of his power." NIV

Paul has always fascinated me. He is a man of extreme passion. When he was persecuting the Christians, he did it wholeheartedly. He was driven to stop them in any way. Now, as a follower of Christ, he has the same passion but for the good. Here he is in prison because of his faith and writing to the church in Ephesus to encourage them in their faith. This man is unstoppable. He is beaten, imprisoned, cast out, ship-wrecked and like the Energizer bunny keeps marching on. How is that? His spiritual battery IS the power of God. Paul gets it. In verse 7 he calls himself a servant, and Paul takes his job very seriously. No half-hearted, lazy, working grunt attitude in him. He is blessed to be a servant of the Most High, no matter what that means.

We all are just as much servants of the Most High as Paul was. Our calling is not for comfort and power in this world. We were made for another place -- eternity with Him -- and we need to be about our Father's business while we are here. It's hard to keep perspective with so many things to focus on in any given day. We become very myopic. My prayer when I'm getting bogged down in the details of life is, "Lord, pull me higher. I need to see a birds-eye view to get a better perspective." Do I do it perfectly? Absolutely not. But I am His servant, imperfect and flawed, and I will continue by His power to work to do it better. Lord and Master, I'm here to serve You. Show me each day how to do that better no matter what.

Further Thoughts:

1. Is anyone too far gone to be saved by Christ? (Read Paul's story. Acts 7:59-8:3; 9:1-31)
2. What is a servant? (Read a dictionary definition and find Scriptures on servant and serve.)
3. List different ways you currently serve the Master. (Remember, serving God is not always through church-related activities. You can serve Him in anything you do as long as you are doing it for Him and His glory, not yours.
4. Spend time today asking the Father how you can better serve Him. (Be ready. It's a dangerous question if you truly want an answer.)