To Minister
But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.
Romans 15:25
In the beginning of this epistle, Paul writes that he is a servant, a bondslave, of Jesus Christ. Paul was a servant because of his love of the Lord Jesus. Paul’s devoted service to Christ all started because Paul learnt how much Christ loved Him. When an individual genuinely loves the Lord Jesus, he will want to serve Him. How did Paul demonstrate in this verse that he served Christ?
He served God anywhere. Paul was essentially called to be the apostle to the Gentiles. God’s primary will for Paul was to reach the Gentile world for the Lord Jesus Christ. He was equipped in the law of Moses because he was a Pharisee. He was also a Roman citizen and therefore he knew many languages and had free access to all places within the Roman Empire. He went to different places in the time of Christ, including Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Colosse, Philippi and many other places to preach the gospel of Christ. In addition, he went to Thessalonica, Cyprus, Spain, Greece and many other cities to preach the Lord Jesus. He carried God’s ministry with Him and He served God anywhere.
He served God in everything. The word “minister” means an attendant, a host, a waiter. It implies in our Christian ministry that we are willing to do anything and everything for the Lord Jesus. A genuine servant of Christ will do anything that will glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Saviour gave us the example of His life, when He was willing to live without a home, without the conveniences of life, when He gave to feed so many, when he healed the physical needs of people, tended to emotional needs of followers and met the spiritual needs of others. His teaching of servanthood was that anyone who chooses to be great must first choose to be a servant (Mark 10:44). The peak of Christ’s example in servanthood was when He took the place of a lowly slave and washed the feet of His servants.
He served anyone. In this passage, he was going to Jerusalem to be a blessing, an encouragement to the saints. Yet, we also see his heart when he came to serve people : 1Cor 9:20 – 22 .. to the Jews I became as a Jew, … To them that are without law, as without law, .. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Paul’s service was always to anyone with the sole purpose of meeting their spiritual needs. Paul was also concerned about people when they had physical needs and organized a gathering of financial resources to try to meet their needs. To Paul, there was no difference between Jew or Gentile, Greek or Barbarian, He became all things to all men, in order to serve them so that the needs will be met.
Dear believer, are we willing to serve Christ anywhere? In our housing estates, can we win souls and bring neighbours to Christ? Are we willing to go overseas as His missionaries to start a church somewhere for the sake of winning some people to Christ? Are we willing to do anything for Christ? From preparing the worship place for people to come in to sitting down with an unsaved individual so that we can share the gospel with him. Perhaps we might decorate the church for a meeting or cleaning up after a church dinner or lunch? Are we willing to care for a child so that the parents can hear the word of GOD? Are we willing to do anything necessary for the sake of Christ and His glory? Are we willing serve anyone? Our families? Our neighbours? Our friends? Our colleagues? Our enemies? That we may win and bring them to Christ?
Lord, help us to serve You anywhere, be willing to do anything and be willing to serve anyone for Your sakes, as your true servant.
Written by: Pastor Johnny Tan
Edited by: Timothy Lee
Image Credit: J. Stephen Conn, Flickr