We Are Servants

Nick Minerva • Aug 31, 2021

One of the unique things that we notice right off the bat about this book is that Paul doesn’t use his title as Apostle when he begins addressing this church. He begins by calling himself and Timothy servants. Paul is the writer of Philippians but he includes Timothy in the greeting possibly because of Timothy’s love for the church (2:19-24). He is another proven example of a Spirit-filled servant.

What Is A Servant

The only other time the Greek word for servant or slave “ Doulos ” is used in this epistle is in 2:5-7 to describe Jesus. So Paul identifies as a servant in order to model one of the things that he is trying to teach in this epistle. That is, a life of authentic joy is found in being totally dedicated in service to Jesus. He identifies as a servant (literal translation is a slave). Check out what Jesus said in Matthew 20.

Matthew 20:25-28   Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you  must be your servant , and whoever wants to be first among you  must be your slave ; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served,  but to serve,  and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Being a slave to Christ doesn’t mean Christ needs our “labor.” It does mean we live to serve Christ often through serving others. When we live our lives as servants of God we are the ones who reap the benefits.

Service Leads To Joy

Romans 6:20-22   For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness. So what fruit was produced then from the things you are now ashamed of?  The outcome of those things is death.  But now, since you have been set free from sin and have  become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification — and the outcome is eternal life!

When we live in service to Christ we become the beneficiary of sanctification and life – JOY. Whatever your occupation is, you are a servant of God. So when you “clock in” tomorrow morning, you are serving God. When you “clock out” and go home to your family you are serving God. Our attitude is not one that expects service. We do not want to position ourselves to make ourselves look good. We don’t exist to build our own platforms. Our goal is NOT to make our name known, but Christ’s name known. Like John the Baptist –  He increases, we decrease. 1  Unfortunately, we have turned this verse into  I must increase, so he can increase. As if The Holy Spirit needed our platform.

We Are Servants

We don’t get to make the rules, we’re just servants. Our job is to show up and follow Jesus. Being a servant means we think of others and not just our own interests. 2 As Paul begins this book that is overflowing with a joy-filled life he immediately starts with a life of serving. This is counter-cultural to what the world that says. The world says you need to look out for yourself in order to find true joy. Even though Paul was mightily used by God, he introduces himself as a servant. This reminds us that we are simply servants of Jesus. 

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  1. John 3:30
  2. Philippians 2:4

The post We Are Servants appeared first on Thriving In Exile.

A Creed To Remind The Gathered Church Of Its New Life In Christ

By Nick Minerva • 14 Jul, 2023
When I was pastoring I wanted to read a blessing over the church that would remind all of us of our new life in Christ. So I wrote this new life creed and every week I would read it and remind us of what Christ had done for us. We gather together as believers professing our great need We acknowledge that we have fallen short We confess that we are rebels who have gone our own way Apart from Christ, we stand condemned, guilty, and unable to save ourselves But what we are incapable of doing, God did In his infinite love, God made a way of salvation for all who would believe Jesus willingly laid down his life and received the just punishment we deserve So that could walk in new life So yes, we confess our great need We humbly recognize that apart from Christ we are incapable of any good thing But we also proclaim that because of the finished work of the cross we will never be apart from Christ We are forever secure in the love of the Father We have been sealed by the Holy Spirit All because of the sacrifice of the Son, Jesus Christ. We are no longer in bondage to sin We are no longer facing righteous wrath We have been declared holy by our King And nothing on heaven or earth will change that reality This gathering is a testimony to our redeemed state We pursue holy living to be an authentic demonstration of the love we have for Christ We believe that we have been empowered by grace to meet our every need And we gladly anticipate the complete fulfillment of our adaption and the remaking of this world at the coming of our Lord To Christ be glory forever and ever Amen

A Praying Church: A Book Review

By Nick Minerva • 23 May, 2023
Prayer is one of those topics that always seems to convict me. I have never heard a sermon or read a book on prayer and not been challenged. Even as I am writing this review there is a bit of imposter syndrome because I know I should pray more. In A Praying Church , Paul Miller writes about how to become a people of hope in a discouraging world through prayer. And he does so in a way that was very authentic and accessible. While I was consistently challenged, I was also consistently encouraged. Throughout the book, he takes you on his journey of developing a personal prayer life plus countless stories of ministries that developed communal prayer as a vital component of their life together. One thing that struck home with me throughout these stories was the reality that prayer always grows out of desperation for God. There were several things that I found very helpful in this book. One of them was the connection between a life yielded to the Holy Spirit and a vibrant prayer life. The power to do anything of eternal importance comes from the Holy Spirit and the Spirit moves in response to prayer. Paul shows us a biblical pattern we see throughout the New Testament. Prayer-Spirit-Jesus-power. However, this is not a simple formula to get God to do what you want. Another thing I appreciated about this book is Paul tells us time and again that the Spirit often moves in ways we don’t expect and that almost always includes difficulties. The Spirit enables us to look more like Jesus and that means joining him in the fellowship of his suffering. So this is not a “how to turn God into your personal genie” scheme, like many books on prayer. God often answers in ways we don’t expect and in places we don’t anticipate. This book is also full of practical help. I’ve already mentioned the stories he tells, but Paul also offers several helpful charts, strategies, and ideas to help put into place what he writes about (and lives by.) At the end of each chapter, he has a section called “A Word To Pastors” with a few paragraphs of wisdom to help them become a person of prayer and then lead their congregation to become a church of prayer. This book also made me thankful that I am a part of a church that has sought to grow in corporate prayer over the last few years. This would be a great book for any ministry leader who is burdened with the prayer life of his or her church. But it’s also a great read for any believer seeking to develop their own prayer life. Crossway was kind to send me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. You can get a copy of it at the affiliate link below.

Non-Toxic Masculinity: A Book Review

By Nick Minerva • 28 Apr, 2023
Let me start this review by saying everyone should read this book. If you've grown up in Evangelicalism, you‘ve no doubt heard of purity culture. For the last several years we have seen the harm that has come as a result of this sub-group of Christianity. In Non-Toxic Masculinity, Zachary Wagner does an excellent job unpacking its teaching and the damage that has come as a result. He explains so well the angst I've been feeling with the movement and how often the Church falls short and winds up doing more damage. But unlike many critiques, this one also points a way forward. We know what toxic male sexuality looks like. We see it in the news and unfortunately, in the Church. But what does healthy male sexuality look like? What does it look like for me? What will it look like for my boys? In my heart, I know what I want it to look like, but so often I struggle to find the right words to express it. Non-Toxic Masculinity paints a healthy picture that is (re)humanizing and ultimately looks like Jesus, who, like all of us, had a sexual body. Zach is also very transparent in this book and God used his transparency to encourage, challenge, and convict me. As you read his story you will no doubt find yourself resonating with him on some level. Every man should read this book for themselves first and foremost. But if you have sons, nephews, grandsons, or young boys in your life, reading it is a must. Non-Toxic Masculinity is a breath of fresh air that will prove to be a tremendous resource for generations. Thank you Zach for writing it and sharing your story to serve us.
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