WITNESSING FOR GOD WITH A SERVANT’S HEART

Pastor Lynda MacDonald, Nova Scotia

 

 

One of the theme suggestions for this month is  “Go- Tell others about Jesus!” I want to take a different look at this command and how the Body of Yeshua (Jesus) attempts to do just that!

 

After one becomes a believer, the scripture is full of commands about what that new “Creature in Christ” should do. The Epistles of Shaul (Paul), especially, are overflowing with teachings as to what our new life aught to be like, one of which is telling others about God’s love for them.

 

Matthew 28:19, “Therefore, go and make people from all nations into disciples, immersing them into the reality of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

 

Matthew 10:32, “"Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.”

 

Luke 12:8, “"Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.”

 

Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

 

In the church today, this idea of “witnessing” has many people pondering just how they should fulfill the command. One of the top ways I have heard and seen described is by “serving”. This is the method that is often taught and thought to be the utmost way to show people that God loves them. The cart is in front of the horse. Let me explain.

 

We have developed a habit of interpreting how scripture best suits us. The opposite is true. It is how best do we line up with scripture. The old saying “I show God’s love by serving in the church” is not scriptural. Am I saying that believers need not concern themselves with serving the Body? No way! We serve because we love God not because it shows God’s love to others.

 

I have served in almost every office of church leadership – Sunday School teacher, S.S.Superintendant, nursery leader, choir member, orchestra member, worship leader, elder and Lay Pastor. I never was an usher. J Every one of these things I have done because I love God not to show others that God loves them. One is a condition of the heart the other causes a heart condition. J

 

People blessed with the desire to serve are like sponges –whatever they are in they soak it up. Most times the liquid is good but sometimes it is bad. Sponges just are sponges. Servants are servants –they serve.

 

What I have observed is that the one serving is almost always over worked, tired, discouraged and unappreciated most of the time. The burden of serving is too heavy. The pressure to be perfect is far too great. The scriptures have much to say about this. Let’s take a look, shall we?

 

Matthew 11:29 “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

 

Matthew 11:30,  “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

 

Galatians 5:1, “What the Messiah has freed us for is freedom! Therefore, stand firm, and don't let yourselves be tied up again to a yoke of slavery.”   

 

Everything I see from scriptures in this perspective tells me that when I serve I will know if God is in it because it will be restful, easy, burden less and not make me feel like a slave.

 

I recently studied up on the use of a yoke. Here in our province of Nova Scotia, Canada, we have oxen. I have seen them pull as a team in exhibitions and am always amazed at the heavy load they are able to handle. I have learned that it is easier for oxen to pull heavy loads IF they are yoked together.

 

The Ox master knows just how to pick the right teammates but one will always be the leader. The yoke on the neck distributes the pressure of the load so that it is not too great a burden on the shoulders of the team.

 

As one article put it, “Attached to the oxen in any other way than by a yoke, the plow would be intolerablel; worked by means of a yoke, it is light. A yoke is not an instrument of torture; it is an instrument of mercy. It is not a malicious contrivance for making work hard; it is a gentle device to make hard labour light

And here is Yeshua's solution: "Carry it as I do. Take life as I look at it. Look at it from My point of view. Interpret it upon my principles. Take My yoke and learn of Me, and you will find it easy. For My yoke is easy, sits right upon the shoulders, and therefore My burden is light." (Henry Drummond (1851- 1897), Scottish Evangelical writer and lecture)

The exciting this that I see here is that my team mate in this life is none other that Yeshua. He says it is his yoke. He is my partner in this yoke. He can well handle any load that comes our way.

Seeing this scriptural perspective, let’s go back to the idea of showing Yeshua to others. Yes! It is by our works but our everyday works! In other words, how we live every single hour of every day. It is a walk of being holy –of showing God through us. The world needs to see God not us. They will see the right ONE if we are a mirror of Him. When we serve, it needs to be the product of our hearts. The healthy tree brings forth good fruit.

What the world sees now are believers who are expected to be in church, serving in some capacity, every time the church doors are opened. When was the last time you looked and saw the world lined up at the church door to see “those wonderful servants of God, who are tired, unappreciated, complaining, frantic, frazzled people”?

I submit that more of the wounded world would accept a loving God IF they saw that life with HIM was full of healing, rest, peace, love, respect, acceptance and above all wholeness. They might well run to Him IF they saw that he was the one who would make their burdensome life lighter to bear.