Power To Serve (book review)

Smith Wigglesworth: funny-sounding name, but he spoke such powerful, confronting words. Power To Serve was not actually written by Wigglesworth, but spoken by him. This book — like most books that bear his name — are a series of his sermons transcribed for us.

I liked the feel of this book. Instead of the fine polished writing of an accomplished author, these words feel like they are coming right from the mouth of this fiery Pentecostal preacher. Wigglesworth is an expositor of God’s Word with few peers. He takes a passage of Scripture and finds the many facets of life in which to bring its holy application.

This book (as its title suggests) challenged me to think about leadership in terms of servanthood. The greatest of leaders are the greatest of servants. And the best servants are those who serve like Jesus.

This is not a book I could speed-read, but had to digest it slowly as I thought about the application to my own life. Here’s a quote which sums up the head-on, no-holds-barred challenges that these words bring to me —

“The Bible is the plumb line of everything. And unless we are lined right up with the Word of God, we will fail in the measure in which we are not righteous. And so, may God the Holy Spirit bring us into that blessed ministry of righteousness.”

I’m trying to line up to God’s Word. These sermons are a great reminder of just how far I still have to go.

Satisfied Service

I started a conversation last week about being a servant (you can catch up here).

Serving should be a two-way street. Contrary to the way that some people look at servant hood, being a servant is not the same thing as being a doormat. Consider two key verses —

  • Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:4)
  • Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:21)

We should look equally to others needs as well as our own needs. Zig Ziglar says it this way, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”

This can be manipulation… if you’re simply looking to someone else’s interests as a form of flattery or as a quid pro quo. But if you are truly serving — if you truly have the other person’s best interests in mind — if you are willing to submit to them out of reverence for Christ, serving can be liberating.

Last week Rick Warren tweeted, “The more self-centered I am, the more unsatisfied I’ll be.” I retweeted with this addition, “So the more I serve, the more satisfied I’ll be.” I believe that.

Try it for yourself… it works!

Loving Servanthood

Over the past couple of days I’ve been thinking a lot about something: What does it mean to serve? Or more specifically, what does God say about how we should serve?

The typical image that comes to mind when someone says servant is a person of lower status… someone who is at the lower end of the organizational chart… someone who is expected to do more with less… someone who doesn’t have many opportunities for advancement (or even a day off)… someone who is expected to be tuned into everyone else’s needs, but seldom has his own needs met.

Is being a servant the same thing as being a doormat?

Consider Jesus

He now showed them the full extent of His love…. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.

Jesus was the most important person in the room: Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power. He was also the most love-filled person in the room. What did He do with all of His love and power? He served others.

When He finished, John writes that He returned to His place, and asked His disciples a question, “Do you understand what I just did?” Then in the only instance of Scripture where Jesus Himself said this, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done.”

Servants are people who use the power they have to serve others. Servants don’t serve because someone else forces them to serve. Servants serve because the love of God empowers them to serve.

Do you love your spouse enough to serve him/her? Do you love your family enough to serve them? Do you love your coworkers enough to serve them? The greater the love we have for others, the greater the empowerment to serve. Love empowers us for service.

Something to think about this weekend. I’ll share some more thoughts on serving next week. In the meantime, I’d love to hear your thoughts too.

The Compliment Of Application

As a pastor, sometimes I wonder if all of the time and effort I put into prayer, study, message prep and message delivery are effective. How do I gauge my effectiveness? One word: application.

I love seeing people not just listening, but doing. Applying what they’ve heard and what’s been revealed to them by the Holy Spirit is the greatest compliment a congregation could give a pastor.Sophie

So I am absolutely thrilled to see the incredible folks from Calvary Assembly of God so quickly applying what we’ve been discussing!

My inaugural series was called “I My Church.” We looked at the practical ways the Acts 2 Church turned dechurched people — those who knew about God but didn’t have a personal relationship with Him — into those who ’d their church. How exciting it is to see such immediate application in our community.

Just a couple of examples —

  • The message board in the lobby immediately sported the message “You are the church.”
  • Stephanie helped Sophie get into the act with her new t-shirt.
  • A group of our Impact! students volunteered their afternoon yesterday packing more food boxes than they could count for the needy.
  • Last week we cleaned the house of a woman recovering from hip surgery.
  • Tomorrow we’re helping a family move into their new house.

Wow, am I a proud pastor! I can’t wait to see how God is going to continue to use this group of committed people to change the world!

Choices

“…Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.” – Joshua 24:15.

I have to choose.
Not my parents.
Not my heritage.
To choose for me.
Myself.

I have to choose.
Not trapped by yesterday.
Not anxious for tomorrow.
To choose this day.
Everyday.

I have to choose.
Not to be in control.
Not to be the master.
To choose whom I will serve.
Servanthood.

I have chosen.
Myself.
Today.
Servanthood.

There is a choice you have to make
    in everything you do.
So keep in mind that in the end,
    the choice you make makes you.

Are you choosing? For yourself? Today? Servanthood?
What “you” are your choices making?

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