The digital age has changed the way we do business and the way we look at the world. Once upon a time, if I needed a service, I needed to know someone specifically or ask if they knew of a reputable business that performed the action I needed. You may have had a unique problem or lived in a remote area without all of the guaranteed assistance you needed, requiring a more investigative approach, like directly calling to see if the business was what I was looking for in the digital age, but that has changed. Now, we perform a quick internet search and discover what businesses are in our area, and then we can pour over some customer reviews to see if this is someone we want to work with. It has taken the guesswork out of whether or not I am willing to partner with a person or organization.
Regardless of the number of 5-star ratings, a service is only valuable if it meets your specific needs. When you search for a service online, the first criterion is whether the business has a track record of providing the exact service you require. Just as not all mechanics specialize in collision repair, not all cleaning services handle laundry. It’s crucial to ensure that your specific needs are met.
At times, we approach our churches with a similar mindset. We ask, ‘does this church offer the services I need?’ Even the terminology we use, such as ‘Worship Service,’ can lead us to view the church as a business. The real question should be, ‘Does this church align with my values and beliefs? Is this a community I want to be a part of as I live out my faith?’
Service is an intriguing word in the biblical sense. The Greek word is λατρεύω latreúō- and referred to someone you could hire for a job. It also was used to denote the action of rendering religious service or homage, referring to a priest or clergy. Under the Mosaic Law, the priests and Levites would perform their rituals, which were also their worship and service to God. Cultic practices changed under the covenant of Christ; rites and rituals were no longer the way to worship God. Jesus had satisfied or fulfilled that requirement, and our worship is now one of spiritual quality. Paul says as much in Romans 12.
Romans 12:1 ESV – “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
Other translations denote “spiritual worship” as “reasonable service,” demonstrating the close connection of these thoughts. This is where our modern-day mentality can mislead us. Biblically, it is not one priest or a set of clergy members who perform a ritualistic sacrifice but rather a collection of members who offer up their lives in servitude toward God.
Romans 12:3-8 ESV – “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”
This passage transforms the question from, “Does this church have the services I require?” to “How can my services be used?” I love that Paul encourages this group to have sober judgment and to think critically about their abilities. God has uniquely designed each of us for a specific purpose, and it is incumbent on us to consider whether we are doing what God wants us to do with our apportioned talents. As you read the list of gifts presented, one of those areas will speak louder to you than the others. That is typically where God wants you to offer your spiritual worship. If you wish more people were served, it is because you have a servant’s heart and need to get busy serving. If you desire more compassion for the disadvantaged, you have been blessed with an aspiration for acts of mercy and care for that community, etc.
A body of believers is meant to serve inwardly and outwardly. This is integral to why God formed us into an assembly of individuals. God designed us to devote our lives to His ministry and take care of each other and the world around us, which requires a collective effort. However, it is not the role of one or a few to minister to every need, but rather for each member to combine their joint gifts to compile our Services Rendered.