What does it mean to ‘Serve’ the Lord?

What does it mean to ‘Serve’ the Lord?

In most people’s minds, it involves attendance to services and functions, giving of tithes and offerings, and perhaps giving an overall appearance of being a ‘good’ Christian.

Too many times people feel brow beaten and put on guilt trips if they are not doing the ‘right things’ or ‘going to church’. If they are not at ‘church’ every time the doors are open and put money in the plate, then they get the feeling of not being a good Christian, of not serving the Lord properly, and are on track to backsliding.

Where and how did this mindset come about?

How do we live and/or serve Christ?
I believe we do this simply by allowing Him, by His Spirit, to direct our everyday functions and dealings.
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What are your thoughts?????????

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Shaliach on June 1, 2010 at 9:34pm

"What is your reason for typing 'G-d'?? I realize this is off subject but it may clarify for other folks too".

My goal is to be a light, especially in the Jewish community, of which I'm a part, both online an in the real world. In that community it is seen as sign of disrespect to G-d's title to type or write it out using every letter (as it may become dishonored, thrown away etc..). This is carried out to varying degrees, with most refusing to ever utter much less spell out His actual name "YHVH" at all which I entirely disagree with. Despite that, when in that setting I refrain, so as not to offend them as I realize they believe they are showing great respect. Here I am free to write it as I wish, but over time, it has become a habit to spell His title as "G-d" no matter where I am. I hope that made sense!

1 Corinthians 10
31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

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Permalink Reply by Patricia McCutcheon on August 5, 2010 at 6:06pm

I am in agreement, with what you said above totally. I am new to a home church, and I have felt such a peace at this home. My Pastor is an awesome woman of God, I feel more freedom in Christ since, I have started attending Gathering Wheat Ministries about 3 months ago, I came out of a church about 5 years ago, Broken and empty inside.The church became to political, and the religious groups were unreal. It was like the pharasis in action.I did love the Praise and worship, lol. I do miss that at times. But now that I am free from Religion and the works of church. I am basting in the presence of my King. Thank you Jesus and Our church is in Hot pursuit of Jesus and we are about our fathers business of casting out devils, seeing the people healed and set free, the widows and orphans are being taken care of.Praise the name of Jesus, I highly recoment to my friends to seek out a home church to get involved with. and help us harvest the fields.. Prasie The Lord. Thank you for having this website available to people like me. I LOVE IT.. Pat McCutcheon

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Permalink Reply by Sandy McCoy- Foust on August 5, 2010 at 9:11pm

David....you said.......I believe we do this simply by allowing Him, by His Spirit, to direct our everyday functions and dealings.

My thoughts exactly!!..and its exciting to see where He leads!.....sure makes the scripture... "My yoke is easy, and My burden light" come alive in a whole new way!...SIMPLIFY...SIMPLIFY... :)

Blessings
Sandy

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Permalink Reply by Carolyn on August 30, 2010 at 4:47am

Hey Sandy, I was looking around to see what's up... some of the same influencers that are mormon or universalist are still here, but many of the others working in their area of faith and practise are busy with other things. I still follow Sean and Miguel and Ching, but they are on facebook as much as anywhere.

Now about this discussion, if we develop a hearing ear, and we follow the cloud (as the Israelites did in the wilderness) then we can anticipate being the Lord's hands and feet and pocketbook and arms and legs and laps and hugs and food supply and shelter to those with whom he is working at the time.

It is important to learn some of the disciplines such as heart listening, and being able to speak what the Lord is saying into another life as a means of honoring them with the value that God has put into them. It is important to help people notice what the Lord is saying to them, and to not lose it. All these things serve the Lord, since they are not serving oneself or serving at just another's whim.

However, scripture is clear, true religion (the service of God) is to visit widows and orphans in their affliction, so it doesn't have to take a sign from heaven to go help the "widow" in the motel by oneself without the support of a larger institution. How will we ever experience God's miraculous supply unless we get to the end or our own resources! Blessings... miss sharing with you! Carolyn

Sandy McCoy- Foust said:

Hey Bill....how you been?...havent heard from you in awhile....Carolyn has been gone too...hope you are well! :)

Blessings!
Sandy

Bill Wood said:

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Permalink Reply by David on August 30, 2010 at 1:36pm

Hello Bill,
Yes, I think you are quite on target. Thanks for the input! :)

Bill Wood said:

howdy living stones,

Perhaps we should change the phrase from serving the Lord to serving the Lord's purposes. We have been called according to His purposes.

First of all we need to come to the understanding that we don't have anything to offer when it comes to righteousness, redemption, or sanctification(holiness). God has provided all these in His Beloved Son, His Wisdom. 1Cor.1:30. Therefore we can't boast in anything except the Lord. To serve the Lord's purposes we gotta be clear on this. We offer nothing. This can be quite offensive some, but so be it. Jesus Himself is a stone of offense. He's the first thing rejected by those who aspire to build.

I see that Phil.2:13 has been referred to a couple of times and it too adds to the proof that we can't do a thing.

What is our part? Yielding. And at least for me I have to ask the Lord to give me a yielding heart. He's the One that gives ear that are willing to hear.

gotta go

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Permalink Reply by larry on October 10, 2010 at 10:27am

CAN I USE THIS ON MY FACE BOOK
LARRY

Cheryl Kaster said:

I think this mindset comes about because that is what the IC leaders lead us to believe is the way to "serve" the Lord. They get us early, and often, and this mentality of being there every time the doors open is very appealing to folks like me who tend to be "performance" oriented and want to please the Lord. Unfortunately, those same leaders are not as diligent to insure that we become disciples in addition to being "servants" of the Lord.

I agree with you when you say that serving Christ is doing what HE directs, each and every moment of the day. And, I would add, there is absolutely nothing more exciting than to hear His voice through His word, and His Holy Spirit.

The false requirements, as you mention in your initial post, are actually a bondage put upon us for the furtherance of someone's idea or vision of what "church" is. In the N.T. you don't hear anything about this. The disciples (all believers were disciples, not just "attenders") met together, ministered, used the spiritual and material gifts they possessed for the building up and encouragement of the rest of the body...no committee had to approve them, there were no hoops to jump through for them to be able to minister to, exhort, bless others. They were indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God and were FREE for the Holy Spirit to touch, love, heal through them. If we live so that all that we do and speak brings glory to God, the we can, I believe, be confident that we are serving Him, and not our own desire to be "involved."

There was leadership in the N.T. but it wasn't a hierarchial type such as is seen so often today that is super impressed with their education, knowledge and position and lord it over the sheep. Those who do that have gone very far astray from the knowledge of the word of God and especially the part that says that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. We had to experience some pretty extreme spiritual abuse for us to wake up and smell the roses about what was going on and how wrong it was. I used to think that we came out of the IC simply as an overreaction to the abuses we saw in more than one church. Now, however, I believe that we are not rebelling against God's will for us but rather are more perfectly in the will of God than we have ever been before and I each day I see His hand in our lives and trust Him more and more that He is leading and will continue to lead by His word and Holy Spirit. We have been set free to love and serve other people and to build disciples as we are commanded. Our accountability remains to God first and also to those others of the Body that He brings us into fellowship with.

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Permalink Reply by David on October 18, 2010 at 7:59pm

Hi Larry,
Why not provide a link on your Facebook page back to this subject?

larry said:

CAN I USE THIS ON MY FACE BOOK
LARRY

Cheryl Kaster said:
I think this mindset comes about because that is what the IC leaders lead us to believe is the way to "serve" the Lord. They get us early, and often, and this mentality of being there every time the doors open is very appealing to folks like me who tend to be "performance" oriented and want to please the Lord. Unfortunately, those same leaders are not as diligent to insure that we become disciples in addition to being "servants" of the Lord.

I agree with you when you say that serving Christ is doing what HE directs, each and every moment of the day. And, I would add, there is absolutely nothing more exciting than to hear His voice through His word, and His Holy Spirit.

The false requirements, as you mention in your initial post, are actually a bondage put upon us for the furtherance of someone's idea or vision of what "church" is. In the N.T. you don't hear anything about this. The disciples (all believers were disciples, not just "attenders") met together, ministered, used the spiritual and material gifts they possessed for the building up and encouragement of the rest of the body...no committee had to approve them, there were no hoops to jump through for them to be able to minister to, exhort, bless others. They were indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God and were FREE for the Holy Spirit to touch, love, heal through them. If we live so that all that we do and speak brings glory to God, the we can, I believe, be confident that we are serving Him, and not our own desire to be "involved."

There was leadership in the N.T. but it wasn't a hierarchial type such as is seen so often today that is super impressed with their education, knowledge and position and lord it over the sheep. Those who do that have gone very far astray from the knowledge of the word of God and especially the part that says that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. We had to experience some pretty extreme spiritual abuse for us to wake up and smell the roses about what was going on and how wrong it was. I used to think that we came out of the IC simply as an overreaction to the abuses we saw in more than one church. Now, however, I believe that we are not rebelling against God's will for us but rather are more perfectly in the will of God than we have ever been before and I each day I see His hand in our lives and trust Him more and more that He is leading and will continue to lead by His word and Holy Spirit. We have been set free to love and serve other people and to build disciples as we are commanded. Our accountability remains to God first and also to those others of the Body that He brings us into fellowship with.