Why should you serve the church?

Why should you serve the church?

There are several good reasons to serve the church, but before we get into those reasons lets address the elephant in the room.

The question is a good one, since many feel like the church has used and abused them, and then have thrown them away. Lets be honest some churches have manipulated or guilt tripped people into serving, some feel like they have to serve or they might go to hell, others out of sense of obligation, but are these good reasons to serve?

Now I know that churches especially small churches, are hurting and can be desperate for people to serve in the different ministries that make a ministry run, I speak from personal experience the church that I get to serve is a small church, about twenty five people, the temptation to allow people to fill a space is tremendous, but its a price I’m unwilling to make the church pay.

Why wouldn’t I let someone serve? After all they are serving God right? As a pastor I’m to tend the sheep and feed the sheep in other words I’m to love the people, so they need to be protected, and there are some who don’t see living in sin and against God’s word as a problem to serving, I’m not speaking of being perfectly sinless, I’m speaking of those who are living in sin, this is the house of the Lord, not some volunteer center where people can live as they please, and think that they are doing something good for Jesus, or the community. I have an obligation to deal with sin, because of God’s love for people, and most especially the church. By confronting sin I’m loving the church and protecting it, by confronting sin, I’m loving those in sin who are deceiving themselves and others, by asking them to surrender to Jesus, confess and repent.

Matthew 7:22–23 (NKJV) 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Now we should ask ourselves, just because there is a need, is that a good reason to serve?

You might find the answer surprising, it is NO! The only good reason to serve or get involved with ministry starts with our love for Jesus Christ, the realization that He has saved me and the gratitude I have may, cause us to start in the ministry of serving others, its the realization that He has a calling on my life for good works.

Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

But its only when we have a loving relationship with the Lord that we can be sustained in ministry.

Why do I say this? Because ministry as rewarding as it can be, is rough, thankless, misunderstood, discouraging, it can burn you out, not only do you get to minister to those who love you but you get to minister to those who are critical of you, don’t really appreciate your service or even know what goes into it behind the scenes, if you do not have a love relationship with Jesus, that can spell disaster, it can beat you up in a way that you stop serving, give up and may even walk away from the church and maybe even salvation. In order to avoid this we must be plugged into the source of life, that we might receive the grace and mercy no one else is willing to give but Jesus, in order to see things from His perspective and not our own.

John 15:5 (NKJV) “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

So serving the church must first be because we are in love with Jesus, and we get involved because we are called, Jesus calls us out of the world and we responded to His call of salvation but now He calls us into ministry, no matter what ministry that is it must be a calling otherwise our service will turn into a burden that we can’t handle rather than a blessing, and if its a burden than its not calling. Because Jesus said that His burden is light.

Matthew 11:28–30 (NKJV) 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Lord Jesus I pray for all those that would come across this, and be blessed and assured that even though people may be critical and not understand that they are in the end serving others because they love Jesus, help us Lord not to make serving about us, in your great name Lord Jesus we pray, Amen.

God Bless you in your service of Jesus to others. -Ruben Vasquez

Pastor Ruben is currently serving Calvary Chapel Landers as the senior pastor as of this writing.