“His Service, Not Self-Service”
Text: Acts 20:28-35; Titus 1:1-9; Luke 10:1-9
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
More and
more, things in our world are self-service.
As far
as I can remember, it seems to have started with gas pumps. There used to be
attendants who would pump your gas for you, but now - unless you live in New
Jersey or Oregon - you have to do it yourself. It’s almost all self-service now.
One of
the next change was
banking. You don’t have to go into the bank and talk to a teller anymore
when you need to make a deposit or withdraw cash - just go up to the ATM and do
it yourself. Or for some, you can even make a deposit through your cell phone.
And now
you even have self-service checkout at the supermarket and many other stores.
It started with a cashier scanning your items and you having to bag them yourself,
but now you even scan them yourself. And it’s not unusual anymore to see more self-service checkout
lanes open than there are cashiers waiting to help you.
Self-service. Just do
it yourself. It’s
faster, easier, and for many people preferable.
And so
it makes sense that more and more people are beginning to see religion or
things spiritual in the same way now - as self-service. No need for church, no
need for other people. Just do it yourself. Help yourself.
Now all
this self-service may be good when it comes to certain areas of our life, but
it is not when it comes to things spiritual, when it comes to the
church. It never was, and never will be. In fact, when our first parents tried
self-service and helped themselves, it didn’t turn out so well.
And it
is the same today. Or even worse. For if our first
parents couldn’t do it before
they fell into sin, after is no better. This self-service mindset
actually feeds the sin that now lives in us that wants to be independent and
self-sufficient, to stand on our own, to be strong and not need anyone else. I
can find God on my own. I can get what I need. I know what I need.
But the
truth is, faith really is the opposite of all that. For as we grow in faith we
grow not independent of God and need Him less and less, as some would have you
believe today. To grow in faith means that we grow in our dependence
on God and know our need more and more. For independence from God is
called death. He is the source of our life.
And so
from the beginning, God has arranged for the care of His church. To give His
people what is needed. To care for them with His Word and His gifts. To care for His church, as Paul says, that He obtained with
His own blood. And today that means pastors, as we remember and
commemorate one of the earliest pastors in the church, named Titus.
The
things about pastors, though - whenever we talk about them, it’s not really about them. It’s all about the church they care for.
In fact, if it ever becomes about them, about the man, then the focus is wrong.
Pastors are given by Christ. Pastors give Christ and His Word. And Pastors give
to those who belong to Christ. It’s all about Him. It’s all about Christ.
All the
readings today were about pastors and those sent by Christ to proclaim His
Word, but except for Titus, we don’t know their names. Jesus sent the 72 out ahead of Him, but
who they were wasn’t
important. What was important was that they were going before Jesus.
What was important was their proclamation: The kingdom of God has come
near to you.
In the
first reading from Acts, Paul is speaking to the Ephesian pastors - who they were wasn’t important, but what they would
do was. They were to pay careful attention to the flock and care
for the church of God of which the Holy Spirit had made them
overseers. And notice: no self-service there! For the
church or the pastors.
And then
in the reading from Paul’s letter
to Titus, Paul tells Titus to appoint elders - which is a
biblical word for pastors - in every town on the island of Crete,
to give the people instruction in sound doctrine and also rebuke those
who contradict it.
And all this because the satanic wolf and his pack are
still out there. Paul knew it, telling the Ephesians
pastors: I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among
you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the
disciples after them.
Jesus
knew it too, telling the 72: I am sending you out as lambs in the midst
of wolves.
So how
does the wolf attack? What does he do? Well first of all, the wolf attacks with
lies and false doctrine, to drag us away from Jesus. Trying to get you to
believe that God’s Word
isn’t really
God’s Word,
or it’s unreliable, or it’s just too old. All those things it calls sin we know
really aren’t sin
anymore. So don’t worry
about it. You’re
actually a pretty good person, you know. Especially compared to the rest!
Or if he
can’t get
you with that, he’ll try
to opposite - to get you to believe that you’re too big a sinner, too far gone,
that God could not ever possibly love someone like you. Just look at yourself!
All those horrible thoughts you have, those lustful and evil desires you have,
those hurtful words you say, and those things you do or are too lazy to do.
Or if he
can’t get
you with that, he’ll try a
whole host of other ways to get you to rely on self-service. It’s too inconvenient to go to church.
Those people at church are too bothersome and messy, or don’t want to be bothered with your mess.
Or, there’s too many churches - you can’t really believe any of them. Or, it
really doesn’t matter
what you believe, as long as you believe something. That’s an especially popular one these
days. But the bottom line to all of them, to all these temptations and lies, is
self-service. To separate you from God. That you help
yourself. Do it yourself. Decide for yourself. And die.
But the
truth is that into this world came a servant.
A servant who did nothing to serve Himself; everything He did was to serve you.
He was born for you, lived for you, suffered for you, and died for you. He
taught the truth - calling sin sin, but even more
showing the love of God in all He said and did. He didn’t pretend that lepers weren’t really unclean - He cleansed them.
He didn’t
pretend the deaf and blind and mute were okay - He healed them. He didn’t let sinners go on in their sin as
if it didn’t matter
- He called them to repentance and forgave them. For in Him, in Jesus, the
kingdom of God had come near. In Jesus, God had come to serve His
people. All the way to the cross.
For the
cross is the ultimate opposite of self-service. There is Jesus all for you.
Dying for your sin, the death you deserve, that in His resurrection you may
rise with Him to life. Shedding His blood for you, that you
be cleansed of your sin and live as children of God. So that you live in
a truthful confidence - not a false confidence born of self-service - but the
truthful confidence of a God and Saviour who loves
you so much that He would lay down His life for you.
And
pastors He gives to point to this truth, the truth of the cross. To care for the flock by pointing to the cross. Preaching
it, teaching it, and living it. To baptize and apply Jesus’ death and resurrection and
love. To absolve and apply His forgiveness.
To give
out His Body and Blood that died on the cross and rose from the dead to feed
and strengthen His children with His life and to the same resurrection. And
pastors do so not because they choose to do so, or
because they are better or stronger than everyone else - pastors need
pastors too! But because, as Paul said, the Holy Spirit has made them
overseers.
Pastors
are given by God to the congregations they serve. And God desires that they do
only this - only this, but always this: point to the cross of
Jesus and all that means. That they preach the strong Word of
God to show you your sin, but even more to show you your Saviour.
That you not listen to the self-serving wolf who wants you to be self-serving
like him, but listen to your Saviour and receive His
service to you. His service which gives life. His
service which gives a kingdom that will never end.
For it’s not easy being a Christian. You know that. God knows
it too. That’s why
Jesus came to serve and is coming and serving you still. And that’s why He continues to send pastors
like Titus - to fill you with Himself, His Spirit, and His truth. To be with
the flock, care for the flock, and love the flock. That His Word and truth be
preached and given. That His Word and truth live in you. That His Word and
truth thwart the efforts of the evil one who wants to mislead and deceive.
For
still today, the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Therefore
pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.
Pray earnestly for your pastor and all pastors. Pray earnestly for George and
all studying to be pastors. Pray earnestly for the Holy Spirit to call more men
into the holy ministry.
And
fulfill your callings too. Taking the Word that is here preached and given to
you out into your lives and homes, your workplaces and schools, and show the
life and love of Christ to the world. That wherever the evil one be lurking or
attacking, there also be the love and truth and forgiveness of Christ - the love
and truth and forgiveness the wolf hates and cannot stand against. That as you
are blessed by Christ’s giving, those around you may be blessed by your giving. And
the life and love of Christ, then, fill the world.
So just
say no to this mindset of self-service! To the life of
independence and self-sufficiency. There’s a better way. The Christ way. His service to you. Depend on Him. Receive Him. Grow in Him.
And then go and fill the world with Christ, His servive,
and His love.
Almighty
God, You called Titus to the work of pastor and teacher. Make all shepherds of Your flock diligent in preaching Your holy Word so that the
whole world may know the immeasurable riches of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who
lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Now the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.