Eternal Servant

My Dear Friends,

The previous five blogs laid down a pattern that I will follow. I am sure that over time I will make some adjustments.  Most of what was written was original in some respect, but not in the pattern. The pattern is very clear once you begin to see with the heart of a servant. The Gospel is all about whom we will serve. The Christian church talks about following, obeying, and trusting in the will of God. It is odd that we stop short of the goal by not talking about the goal. That is to be servants in our hearts 24 hours a day and 365 days of the year. Jesus said there is no greater love than this, but to lay down one’s life for another. When you lay your life down to “follow Jesus,” you are actually saying you are no longer owner of your life. Ownership has been transferred to Jesus. In the bible God gives an interesting ritual when a person pledges to be a freewill slave. The following verses are in Deuteronomy Chapter 15:

[12]  “If your kinsman, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you, then he shall serve you six years, but in the seventh year you shall set him free. [13] “When you set him free, you shall not send him away empty-handed. [14] “You shall furnish him liberally from your flock and from your threshing floor and from your wine vat; you shall give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you. [15] “You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this today. [16] “It shall come about if he says to you, ‘I will not go out from you,’ because he loves you and your household, since he fares well with you; [17] then you shall take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also you shall do likewise to your maidservant.

In the above verses we see the following:

The person is free to choose (v12).

Love for the master and the household (v16).

Chooses to be a servant (v16).

An awl as a piercing instrument (v17).

Nailed (so to speak) to the door by the awl (v17).

An ear to the door (v17).

Blood on the door from the piercing (v17).

A servant forever (v17).

 

This is an image of Christ nailed to the cross and what it means to follow Him.  The bible says faith comes by hearing. It is interesting then that the ear (our hearing) is nailed to the door. In the Book of John Chapter 10 Jesus says, “I am the Door.”  The implication here is that this servant has determined that their ear is permanently attached their master’s voice and that they hear no one else. The servant has pledged their life (blood) to the operation of the master’s house.

This ritual does not demonstrate enslavement per se, but willingness to serve. To be forever bonded to the Master and His household for the sake of love. This is a picture of heaven, a household full of loving servants devoted to the Master of Love.

If you find the idea of being an eternal servant troubling, then let me leave you with this note from Jesus in John Chapter 15:

[12] “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. [13] “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. [14] “You are My friends if you do what I command you. [15] “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. [16] “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. [17] “This I command you, that you love one another.

 

Your Brother in Christ,

 

DFCutler

 

The Four Great Arenas

My Dear Friends,

 

There are many scriptures about God searching, weighing, and testing the heart. He is looking for a people who will follow after Him. Here in Deuteronomy Chapter 8, God is speaking over His people while they were in the desert.

 

[2] “You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. [3] “He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. [4] “Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. [5] “Thus you are to know in your heart that the LORD your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son.

The searching, weighing and testing here is not only for God’s sake but also for our sake. Here we see in verse 5 that God wanted them to know that the testing was to solidify their faith in a God who cares for them despite hardship. The testing was to strengthen all four chambers of their heart.

 God tries the heart through many means. In an attempt to simplify and focus our understanding I have categorized these trials. There are four great arenas in which the heart is tested. These arenas train the heart through trials that are unique to each of the four arenas. Therefore, each arena requires a similarly unique form of discipline to be mastered in order to be successful within that particular arena. Growth and eventual increased strength in the servant’s heart defines success.

The first great arena is authority. We are all under one authority or another. As Christians, we have submitted ourselves as servants to the authority of Jesus Christ. We are now representatives of His heavenly authority here on earth. We are duly authorized representatives of a government that is not earthly. By definition, this makes us ambassadors. Being an ambassador is our first discipline. As ambassadors, we must remember that we are always to represent the will of our sovereign and not our own will. As ambassadors, we also carry the authority of the one who sends us. This is a great responsibility and the source of the Christian’s spiritual power. In 2 Corinthians Chapter 5 the apostle Paul makes this appeal:

[20] Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. [21] He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

 

The second great arena is provision. We all possess something. Whether it is life, health, wealth, intelligence, or a supernatural gifting. When we are done with this life, God will take an account of what we did with what we were given. We will be rewarded or punished for our use and investment of what was provided to us. In biblical times the steward was in a position of great responsibility. Being a steward is our second discipline. There are many examples of stewards in the bible. The steward was an overseer of the master’s goods and was held responsible for their maintenance and investment. There is a great secret here in all Jesus’ parables about stewardship. He expects fruit. I prefer to use smaller portions of scripture, but this story is important to understanding that provision is not about us; it is about the call and expectation of the Master. The following passage from Matthew Chapter 25 is a warning from Jesus about the seriousness of being a steward:

[14] “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. [15] “To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. [16] “Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. [17] “In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. [18] “But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

[19] “Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. [20] “The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ [21] “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

[22] “Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ [23] “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

[24] “And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed.  [25] ‘And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

[26] “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed.  [27] ‘Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. [28] ‘Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

[29] “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. [30] “Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

 

 

The third great arena is community. We have been given a great commission to go out into the world and represent Jesus. His goal is to bind everyone under the one true God as a unified community. We are asked to minister to their physical wounds and their hearts. Being a minister is the third discipline. As ministers, we are directed to help reconcile people to God and then to the others around them. In 2 Corinthians Chapter 5 the apostle Paul makes this observation about our ministry.

[18] Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, [19] namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

 

The fourth great arena is loss. It is in the arena of loss that faith is won. This is a great secret. It is not when we survive loss that makes for great faith; it is when we transform loss into a freewill sacrificial offering that it becomes a heavenly gift to God. Being a living sacrifice is the fourth discipline. Sacrifice is going the extra mile, turning the other cheek, praying a blessing in response to a curse and giving at cost to one’s comfort. This is the furnace where the heart transforms humility, belief, empathy, and courage into spiritual gold. This kind of sacrifice produces a heart of great faith. Sacrifice is about what we are freely willing to give up at personal cost despite personal gain. Sacrifice is not about what God takes as much as it is about what we are willing to give. Our belief in grace, mercy, justice, and forgiveness are all wrapped up in sacrifice. It is being a living sacrifice that excites God. In Romans Chapter 12 the apostle Paul directs believers to yield themselves to God’s will.

[12:1] Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. [2] And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

It is the servants that are the successful warriors in the above arenas. It does not always feel that way, but it is true. In the future, we will see that each arena has a special challenge on each chamber of our heart. In the end when God call us to Himself, we will see that being a servant has readied us to face God with a pure heart full of love for Him and others.

 

Your Brother in Christ,

 

DFCutler

A Servant Paradigm

My Dear Friends,

                                                                                                                     

What these writings represent is sadly a paradigm shift in how we follow Christ. It is sad because there should not be such a change involved. Jesus positioned His heart to be a servant. If in our hearts we position ourselves as servants, we make ourselves available to God’s will, as did Jesus. God is all about expressing perfect love. His perfect expression of love is what makes God holy. Love is all about making, building, and maintaining relationships in truth and grace. When we become a servant to the Father’s will as Jesus did, we become a servant of his love. Being a servant to the Father is positionally the very best place to be if we are to grow in love. These two statements by Jesus encourage us to be about the great work of being a servant: 

 

Book of Mark Chapter 10

42Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them.

43"But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant;

44and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.

45"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

 

Book of John Chapter 15

12"This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

13"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

14"You are My friends if you do what I command you.

15"No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

 

It is apparent in many of the New Testament books that the apostles Peter (2Peter 1:1), John (Revelation 1:1), and Paul (Rom 1:1) took the calling to be a servant to heart. They were servants first with their individual callings as apostles secondary to their position as a servant. James (James 1:1) and Jude (Jude 1:1) were both leaders in the church who also called themselves servants. In the book of Revelation there are many passages that speak of those who follow Christ as His servants. Within the first century New Testament church the common paradigm was a servant church. This was their shared identity in Christ. Each of the believers had a different role, but first and foremost was their common bond as servants under one Lord.

 By the fourth century, when the church started to become a political power under Constantine, the servant church had already begun to erode. By the eleventh century the church under successive leadership had laid claim of direct authority over civil governments. The church decided to become master of the world and not a servant to it. Since that time, with the exception of a few bright lights, the vision of a servant church has never really recovered. Though the Christian church has fought several important doctrinal wars since that time, it is the servant’s heart that has since lain arrested.

 We must resuscitate this vision and move believers toward servant-centric discipleship if we are going to build a church that will represent Christ to the world. For instance, what if married couples decided that marriage was about being a servant to their partner and not about being served? If stated in another way, what if couples understood that marriage is much more about giving to their partner and far less about what they are getting from their partner? I know there would be far less divorce because each partner would be servant to the other (look at Ephesians 5:22-33).

This is just one example of how a servant centric approach to the gospel aligns us with God’s will and word toward us. Here are several more examples why being servant-centric works:

 

When we serve, we do not follow our own selfish way, so we are less likely to sin. In this way, serving is a natural antibiotic to sin. Jesus did what the Father said. Jesus did not sin because He served the Father. Serving the Father prevents us from serving ourselves.

 

When we serve, we are more likely to be communal. The servant of God will reflect the Father’s character of perfect love and willingness to be relational.

 

When we serve we will likely be more humble. God gives grace to the humble.

 

When we serve our faith will grow because of its sacrificial nature. Sacrifice is the furnace of faith.

 

When we serve we are reminded that we are not our own and that we have been bought by Christ.

 

A servant is inherently mission minded.

 

In heaven we will all serve one another; being a servant is eschatological. It is the future model being lived now.

 

Being a servant confronts the very American attitude of entitlement. Entitlement is (in my opinion) the cultural sin of our nation. Entitlement (akin to works) is diametrically opposed to grace (free gift). Entitlement quenches gratitude because it thinks it deserves what it is getting. Gratitude on the other hand nurtures humility.

 Fostering a culture of servanthood requires ground level work. A culture is a whole of its parts. It is more than language and acts of service. It is also story and song and creative arts all together making a unique expression of community. As the cultural expression becomes clearer, fuller, and reinforced it becomes more compelling.

 If we build a church founded on being a servant, we build an inherently flexible expression of Christ that is better suited to change. When the world’s culture changes, a servant need not change what they are. The servant need only change how or what they serve.

 Lastly, we need to remember that this teaching should be servant-centric and not service-centric. The first is relational and the latter is about works. We are building disciples not services. Being a servant is not about building self, but building up a community of love under Christ. That is the foremost aim and accomplishment of being His servant.

 

Your Brother in Christ,

 

DF Cutler

The Servant Centric Heart

My Friends,

 

This is a very long post. It is an introduction to the Servant Centric Heart. In future posts I will break this subject down into smaller pieces and expand on each part.

In the book of 1Samuel Chapter 16 God makes this statement to the prophet Samuel before picking David as the next king of Israel.

[7] But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him (David’s brother Eliab); for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

 

Later in the bible there are over twelve statements by God referring to King David as “My servant David.” With God, there is a definitive relationship in being His servant and the condition of the heart.

The word “heart” in this text refers to the core being of the spiritual man. References to this heart occur over seven hundred times in the bible. Though most of these references refer to either an evil or good heart, there are over one hundred of these references that are more specific. These heart references can be categorized into four distinct groups. These four groups or chambers, as I will call them, work together not unlike a human heart. Individually these chambers cannot work effectively (if at all) by themselves. Each of these chambers requires the assistance of the other three to work effectively. The names that I have placed on these chambers are volition, belief, empathy, and intent. Each one of these chambers holds within itself key characteristics that make up the core of our spiritual being (our “Be”).

 

The Chamber of Volition holds within it our willingness to bend to the will of another. The key character trait that God is searching for within this chamber is humility. A proud heart is an enemy to God. In the book of 1Peter Chapter 5 the apostle Peter reiterates this biblical theme of pride and humility.

. [5] … and all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.

 

The Chamber of Belief holds within it the essence of our world view. The key character trait that God is searching for is truth in our innermost being, our heart. King David says this in Psalm 51 about God’s desire for truth.

[6] Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,

And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.

 

The Chamber of Empathy holds within it the capacity to relate with others. The key character trait that God is searching for is compassion. Our willingness to be moved into action by the distress of God and others is core to our ability to relate emotionally with them. In the book of Zechariah in Chapter 7 the prophet relays this word from God.

[8] Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah saying, [9] “Thus has the LORD of hosts said, ‘Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; [10] and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’ [11] “But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. [12] “They made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the LORD of hosts.

 

The Chamber of Intent holds within it the capacity to focus and drive the purpose of the heart. This is the chamber where faith gets out of the boat to walk on water. The key character trait that God is looking for in this chamber is courage. In the book of Matthew Chapter 14 it is courage that gets Peter out of the boat and his fear that sinks him.

[24] But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. [25] And in the fourth watch of the night He (Jesus) came to them, walking on the sea. [26] When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. [27] But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”  [28] Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” [29] And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. [30] But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” [31] Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

 

Each of these chambers strengthens or weakens the others. For instance, the above passage shows Peter’s willingness to bend (humility) to the Lord’s command. This was working together with Peter’s empathy (deep relationship) with Jesus. Peter sank when he believed his eyes (seeing the wind) more than his ears. Peter’s courage failed him because his belief in the wind was more real than his belief in Jesus.  Interestingly Peter’s humility and empathy with Jesus did not fail during this test as displayed when he cried out “Lord save me!”

 

Whether it is pride, lies, callousness, or fear, we constantly struggle with our hearts. In the book of Deuteronomy Chapter 11 God asks us to love and serve Him with all our heart. It is often with a divided heart that we serve Him and others. A divided heart will cause our faith to sink and our lives to be consumed with doubt. There is a lot going on within our hearts. Let us join with King David in his prayer of Psalm 139.

 

[23] Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Try me and know my anxious thoughts;

[24] And see if there be any hurtful way in me,

And lead me in the everlasting way.

 

Your Brother in Christ,

 

DFCutler

 

The Servant Son

Dear Friends,

“Behold My Servant whom I uphold, My chosen one in whom my soul delights.” With these words in Isaiah Chapter 42 God proclaims a prophetic vision of His Son Jesus.  These are not words of a disappointed father over a lowly servant son. In this verse, the Father is shouting words of satisfaction and pleasure over His son. Being a servant did not lessen the Father’s joy; He delighted in His son’s occupation.

Jesus was both Son and servant. However, he did not live the life of a privileged son. He lived and died as a servant. In Luke Chapter 4 Jesus faces three temptations. Two of these temptations directly taunt Jesus to prove His sonship and the third asks Jesus to serve another.  Jesus refuses. He is committed to being a servant even if He starves to death. He has adamantly laid down the garment of His authority and privilege as God’s son and has taken up the humble garment of a servant. The apostle Paul says this about Jesus’ decision to be a servant in Philippians Chapter 2 Verses 5-9.

5Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

 6who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,

 7but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men.

 8Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

 9For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name…

 

We too are to take up the very nature of a servant. If we have asked Jesus into our hearts, He would have us be servants. Now, by His Spirit, we are asked to lay aside our robes as adopted children of God and take up the garment of a servant. This is to be our identification as God’s children. As we travel along this servant’s path it will become very clear that being a servant is eschatological. Being a servant is both now and future. We are being readied for our new heavenly home. The path of a servant will take our hearts to a place of humility, truth, compassion, and courage. As we journey, we will reap the everlasting rewards of faith, hope, and love.

 

Your Brother in Christ,

 

DFCutler

Getting Started

To my friends,

It is better to light a candle than rave at the darkness. This blog will be about lighting a way. In a previous blog, I was more concerned about what was wrong with our Christian church. That is looking at a glass halve empty. The more I looked at our Christian culture in the USA the more I began to see that the glass is becoming emptier. As a church, we are stuck. Over the generations God has come down to speak to his people. However, our culture has made us deaf, blind and fearful of what God would breathe into our hearts.  In the last year I have seen where God would take us, all of us. It is a journey lost to many generations. It is an old forsaken path that would lead our hearts into eternity prepared. This is not secret revelation, this is a clear dynamic way that was abandoned long ago when the Christian church decided to be Lord over the earth and not be a servant to it. Our hearts were deceived by the position of being God’s children. We forgot the simple fact that while Jesus walked in this world he took off his robe of God’s authority (His sonship) and clothed himself with the garb of a servant unto death. In His heart Jesus would live and die the life of a servant (Phil 2:5-8). This is not accomplished as a list of doings; it is a way of being.

I would like to talk about our hearts. The word heart is mentioned over 700 times in the bible. It is of greatest importance to God, it is the home of the innermost man. It is the organ that the Lord tests and where our hardest decisions make us (or expose) who we truly are.  The heart is our “Be.” The heart is not necessarily our “do.” There are a great many things that I do that may look great on the outside but on the inside I am acting selfishly with regard only to my own desire (Mat 23:27). My “Be” in this case is selfishness. Acting out in selfish desire is a good definition for sin. I often act out with the single intent to comfort my conscience.

This is a great definition for “lukewarm” as mentioned in Revelation 3:16. When you are lukewarm, you only do enough to assuage guilt but not enough to change your heart. This lukewarmness has one goal and that is comfort. It does not generate the intense heat necessary to forge a strong heart.  Real heat is provided by suffering and trials. This kind of heat causes crisis, which forges the heart. We often avoid this and only do enough good to keep ourselves comfortable, not enough to cause ourselves to be changed by suffering.

As Americans, we are a weak hearted group. We have allowed our hearts to be fat, callous and not muscular. The American church as a whole is very much like this. We are the church at Laodicea (Rev 3:14-18). We think we are rich but we are in spiritual poverty. We must go where there is spiritual gold to be found. We must rediscover the mother-lode of spiritual gold. However, to mine its ore we must change our “Be.” Our hearts must be changed; we need to “Be” someone else. We must “Be” servants. This is the path laid down by Jesus Christ and we must follow if we are to be like Him.

 

Your Brother in Christ,

DFCutler