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3C. The One Serving Body of Christ
Those who are in Christ must be prepared not only to be a new creation but also to serve. Jesus states,
"Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will
honour the one who serves me"(17).
My Father will Honour
Saint Cyprian, the martyred third century Bishop of Carthage, witnessed that
"before I knew Christ, I did not know the possibilities of what I could become." Membership in the Body of Christ brings with it certain obligations. Jesus asserts,
"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me"(18).
Jesus taught about the dangers of riches, "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money"(19). In Jesus' mind, it's a clear case of either-or. Dick Francis wrote,
"Jesus gave the rich young man the highwayman's choice : Your money or your (eternal) life."
Pathway to Fulfillment in Life
Service of Christ can be the pathway to fulfillment in life.
"I don't know what your destiny will be," wrote the great missionary Albert Schweitzer,
"but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are
those who have sought and found how to serve."
Some may try good works as a substitute for loyalty to Christ. Serving Christ properly belongs within the Body of Christ, but not as a way of entering it. Works alone lead us away from God instead of towards him.
WHEN THE WORSHIP IS OVER THE SERVICE BEGINS
Gifted Body
Christians are called upon to exercise their gifts and ministries in the Mystical Body.
"Use what talents you possess," Henry Van Dyke urges,
"the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best." Others should benefit from our gifts and talents.
All gifts are bounteously and freely given by a kindly God but they are like folded flags in our lives until we unfurl them for his use. Fulfillment and true happiness result from exploring and exercising our spiritual gift or gifts.
One Christian Gift
In the Body of Christ, all are granted at least one of the twenty-five or so Christian gifts mentioned in the New Testament. Some people do not feel that they have any.
Consider a plant found everywhere. Its leaves can be eaten in salads, cooked and consumed like spinach. Properly dried, it brews to a tea-like drink while its roasted and ground root percolates into something like coffee. Its flowers produce a tasty wine. It is as common as the humble DANDELION!
It is extremely valuable to know which gifts we do not have. Billy Graham jokes, "Most of my friends tease me because I cannot carry a tune." Dr. Graham has many geniuses such as preaching and evangelism, but singing is not among them.
Questions for Discussion
1. What Spiritual Gifts do you have?
2. What did Jesus mean by "You cannot serve both God and Money"?
Notes
(17) John 12.26. (18) Matthew 16.24. (19) Luke 16.13.
"We are living members of his mystical body"
