Servant of the Gospel

I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power.  - Ephesians 3:7

Being a servant is a wonderful gift of God, a reflection of Christ (Phil 2:7), a means of helping those with need.   Servanthood is more than acts of generosity, kindness, caring, and works of assistance.  Such service is important.  However, as Paul wrote to the Ephesians, we are to be servants of the gospel.  The gospel, the good message, the good news, is the message of the salvation through Christ Jesus alone—the truth and the way to God the Father.

A born again, Spirit filled disciple is a servant who is being transformed into Christ’s likeness.  In example we are to respond as Jesus does, when Jesus “saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt 9:36).  This story, in context, is preceded with telling how Jesus was “preaching the good news [the gospel] of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness” (v35); then, in the next verse, Jesus shares with his disciples that “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”  Thus, in the midst of going to people in compassion and healing them is the essence of Jesus’ service, it is evangelism.    

To be like Jesus is to realize beyond the earthly need, and seek to heal the evil one’s harassing, to give the helpless the bread of life found in the gospel.  As we go to the needy, provide care and comfort, the apex of our caring work is to give opportunity for true spiritual healing. 

The last thing said to the disciples by Jesus was a command, he said, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all … And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; [and they will] place their hands on sick people, and they will get well”; then Jesus went into heaven [and the] “disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.”

As a disciple we are a servant of, and a servant to Christ, in turn, a servant to the needy.  Servants attend to the needs of the harassed through true servanthood which attends to earthly needs as we practice servanthood evangelism.  As Paul said, he was a “servant of the gospel” not by his might, but by “God’s grace [and] power” (Eph 3:7).  So, we are to grow in Christ, show his compassion, serve by sharing the gospel story, and by God’s power serve as a channel of the Holy Spirit to heal the needy in body and spirit.

In His service,

Owen <><