Serving for Jesus
One mistake that we as believers need to avoid is the idea that the Christian life is ultimately about “Me.” It is so easy in an individualistic society as ours to begin to think that everything revolves around me. When this happens, the goal of the Christian faith is less about glorifying God and more about advancing myself. Rather than seeing myself as a part of God’s kingdom, I can easily begin to see God as a part of my kingdom. Over time, I begin to think that the church exists to serve my needs and my desires. When the church can no longer help me become all that I want to become, like a consumer at a retail store, I simply change locations. This approach to the Christian life not only destroys the idea of authentic community, it also misses the central goal of the Christian life.
The ultimate goal of the Christian life is not simply to connect with Jesus. For that matter, growing in Jesus is not the final destination of our journey with Christ. The ultimate goal is Serving For Jesus. As we take the role of a servant, we take the very role that Jesus Himself accepted for the pattern of His own life. Jesus Himself said, “I am among you as one who serves.” (Luke 22:27) In Matthew 20:28 Jesus proclaimed, “The Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Jesus life was a life of service. So it’s not surprising to hear that Jesus called His disciples to a life of a servant. Speaking to His disciples, Jesus said, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant…” (Matt. 20:26) And the motivation for this service is not to advance ourselves. The goal is to draw attention to the greatness and glory of God. As Jesus said, “…let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16)
This, then, is the vision of our church. It is to help disconnected people reconnect with God and one another by connecting with Jesus. It is to help those connected with Jesus to be growing in Jesus as they seek to be rooted and established in Him. Finally, those connected with Jesus and growing in Jesus enter the world serving for Jesus. Out of this service, our prayer is that God would be glorified and those served might themselves become connected with Jesus. In this way, people are reached, equipped and sent. This is the vision of Community Bible Church.