The Phil Files

Church folks and Christians in general have the reputation of being mostly talk and not much action. In fact, Jesus’ three primary criticisms of the religious leaders of His day in Matthew 23:1-4 are the ones most folks make of church folks:

1. They don’t practice what they preach.
2. They burden people down with guilt and rules.
3. They don’t do anything to lift burdens off of people.

Now we can have serious issues with those perceptions, but we can’t escape that they are out there in a growing number of people. But while we can’t control what folks think about us, we can control who we are!

So in my Heartlight.org article this week, “Putting My Life Where My Mouth Is,” I challenge each of us to put our faith into action. I especially love the way James puts it: “I will show you my faith by what I do” (James 2:18b).

There are all sorts of ways to serve folks in the name of Jesus. The key is for us to get out there and start doing it. But here are some questions for you to consider and I’d love to get your insight into them.

Why do you think that most non-believers see church goers as hypocrites who lay burdens and guilt trips on people and don’t do much to help those around them who are broken?

Do you think this is a fair assessment?

What can you do to change people’s attitude about Jesus’ followers today?

What is one specific thing your church or small group or group of friends do to help serve the broken in your community?

What is one specific thing you could start doing to help serve those with whom you work, go to school, or meet in daily life?

What are things that Christ followers you know are doing today to serve the community around them? (This is to help share ideas with other believers of things we can do to help today!)

In my Heartlight.org article this week, “More than a Fork in the Road,” I talk about the term used widely in the by Jesus and the rest of the New Testament to describe leaders — the word is diakonos (and related forms) and it simply means “table servant.” For a chart giving an overview of the use of this term for servant, follow this link: http://www.heartlight.org/handouts/serving.pdf

Jesus demonstrated it in the washing of his closest followers feet on the night he was betrayed (John 13:1-17) and then told them what the event meant so they would get over having to try to be “first” among his followers:

A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.  Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. (Luke 22:24-27 TNIV)

Why is it so hard for us to see the essence of church leadership as simply serving each other?

What makes it easier for us to view church as a service for us rather than a community where we are to serve others?

In Jesus’ day, a table servant was a low paid family servant, a woman or a child. Why do you think Jesus, and the early church after him, chose this term to describe its leaders?

Do you believe the following?

No matter how true the message and no matter how powerful the messenger, both messenger and message will not produce the results intended if the people who share it, receive it, and believe it won’t serve others like Jesus.

Today is WATS day!

For our church, it is a special day to gather for a shared Communion service and then go out and serve the community in very intensive, manual labor, ways. WATS stands for “We Are the Sermon.” We begin the day with a shared time of worship with communion — the air is electric and people are excited, dressed in their get dirty work clothes and many pulling trailers full of yard tools. The singing is joyous and upbeat. When we finish, we break into work groups, share a quite bite of lunch, and spend the afternoon working our backsides off to bless others. It’s all part of our sense of mission:

We are God’s community front porch: inviting, including, and involving others in the life of Jesus.

Last year, well over a thousand people served their neighbors building wheel chair ramps, painting homes, cleaning up yard messes, restoring houses to code, and just lending a helping hand. We collected over 80 tons of debris and garbage. It’s one of the coolest and most exciting church days of our year.

Here are a few links to help you know more about it:

W.A.T.S. Happening | Churchgoers Will Be the Sermon

What are some things your church family does to get outside the church building and share the love of Jesus with those in your community?

Last minute update: “Will the weather derail our day?” We’ll have to wait and see!