Bethany Bullet-Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Arrogance...It can blind us from seeing things for what they really are. It can give us a false sense of security. It has a way of creeping in without our knowledge. It may start out as confidence but at some point something changes.

I think we all have battled with arrogance. We all have become a little too overconfident. When arrogance and bickering creep into the body of Christ the first thing that goes is service. When we get so comfortable and wonder what we can get out of the church is exactly the place where bickering can begin and where service ends. I want to take a page from the corporate world and give you some simple truths to good service. These truths were developed with the idea of improving customer service but I think we can apply them to Christian service.

1. Great Service Inspires Stories…Whether it is positive or negative we let others know our experience. Jesus’ service on the cross has inspired generations of storytellers. Four stories of his life have been preserved for us in the Gospels. Does your service inspire stories?

2. Great Service Uses Outside-the-Box Thinking…Where would we be without the thinking that has produced things like the printing press, the personal computer? Jesus was an outside-of-the-box thinker. He took a rag-tag group and formed them to be servants to the world. Are you thinking out of the box?

3. Great Service is Active…The attendant that goes the extra mile, the server that attends to your needs during a meal, the employee that takes your bag without expecting anything in return; active service makes a lasting impression. Jesus was active in ministry, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and making the blind see. His service to others made a lasting impression. Is your service active?

4. Great Service Starts with a Clear Vision…Knowing what you want to do and how to do it gives service a great chance of success. Jesus took the vision of his Father when he took on flesh and came to serve not to be served. Do you have a clear vision for service?

5. Great Service Requires that Everyone Catch the Vision…When a company wants to improve its customer service everyone must be on board. After Jesus went back to heaven he sent the Holy Spirit who fanned the flames of service and the message was spread. In Acts we see the effects of the vision being caught. Have you caught the vision?

6. Great Service Surprises People…When have you been surprised by service? The ministry of Jesus was surprising. He came as a king yet did the work of a servant. He was God but came as a baby. He came to rule but he went to a cross. He was dead, but rose again. Is it time to surprise someone?

7. Great Service Begins with Anyone…Anyone can make a difference. No matter what you do or where you live, no matter what skills you have or what experiences you possess; you can make a difference. Jesus chose the downcast, the undesirable, the plain, and the unworthy to be his messengers. Where can you serve?

8. Great Service Goes the Extra Mile…Those who go the extra mile are remembered. Jesus went the extra mile for us. His service to us was above and beyond what we could imagine. Have you gone the extra mile?

9. Great Service Brings Customers Back…What brings you back to a business? Jesus’ service brought us all back from sin. Left in our sin and selfishness we would be lost, but Jesus finds us and brings us back to his loving arms. Does your service bring people back?

10. Great Service Comes from the Heart…Service cannot be coerced, or forced; it comes as an extension of who we are. God loved the world so much he sent his son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. How is your heart?

Because of the service of Jesus to us we can be in service to others. We get to be the hands of Jesus offering help to those who need it, bringing love and compassion. You know the service that Jesus’ hands brought to us was not simply a formula or a recipe but his service actually brought the comfort and peace that it promised. May our Lord’s passion motivate us to show compassion in service to others.

Having been called to faith in Christ, moved by the love of God the Father and empowered by the Holy Spirit, the members of Bethany Lutheran Church are committed to Serving Passionately.