Survival

I've been thinking a lot about serving lately.  I have this great new friend who really challenges me and pushes me to love Jesus.  He's into radically serving Jesus.  So am I, but lately I have lacked the drive to actually do crazy things in the name of Jesus.  However, now that I have this friend, I seem to have the drive to be radical again.  Today I was coming up with and writing down bold ways to serve people.  My church back home just started this whole "Servolution" movement, where they want everyone in our town to be affected by the love and kindness of LIFE-ers (I go to Life Church Franklin). Anyways, I was doodling the word "servolution" on the top of my list of radical ways to serve in Lynchburg.  Now you need to understand that sometimes my brain works best in diagrams and formulas and flow-charts.  My brain is really into flow-charts.  All of a sudden I saw this in my mind:

revival + serving = survival

Lately I've been hearing lots of things about revival.  Several people I've been talking to say, "I don't pray for revival because I am revival."  In Luke 17:21, Jesus says, "...because the kingdom of God is within you."  Revival is defined as the "act or condition of being revived."  To revive is to "restore to life."  I have received new life, and I have that new life living inside me, so when I tell people and love people and serve people and see people come to salvation, doesn't that sound like revival?  Some people are praying for a different kind of revival, I'm sure, but I'm wanting the revival that means "the act or condition of restoring someone to life" just how the word breaks down.  So I'm writing here, I will pray for boldness because I am revival because I have the Holy Spirit inside of me.  

Where do I even start with serving.  Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve.  I could honestly list scripture for pages, but I think you get the point.  Jesus humbled Himself to become a servant.  He washed the disciples feed.  He multiplied bread and fish in order for hungry people to eat; thus serving them.  He told us that when we serve (clothe, feed, heal) the least of these, that we are actually doing it for Him.  Jesus was a servant and has called us to walk as He did.  So we're supposed to be servants.  

Now you're probably starting to wonder how revival and serving equals survival.  Let me first establish what I mean by the word survival.  To survive is to "continue to live or exist, especially in spite of danger or hardship."  Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."  1 John 5:11 says, "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son."  So we can only have eternal life if we are in Christ Jesus; survival is in Christ Jesus.  I think everyone can agree with me on that one.  

I would like to suggest everyone read John 14-17.  It just wrecked me.  My new goal/priority is going to be to memorize it.  In John 14, Jesus talks about the Father being in Him, Him being in the Father, the Holy Spirit being in us, us being in Him, etc, etc.  Revival.  New life.  In Christ.  Where then does serving come in?  In John 15, Jesus talks about the vine and branches.  Verse 8 says, "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."  He then talks about how we're called his friends and that we are commanded to love one another.  1 John 3:18 says, "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."  Loving with action sounds like serving to me.  Also James 2 says that faith without deeds is dead.  

Maybe it shouldn't so much be an equation, but just reality.  If you are revival (have new life IN CHRIST, showing people new life) and are serving (loving people with action and truth because of being IN CHRIST to glorify the Father), you will surely survive (attain eternal life because you are IN CHRIST).  

I hope and pray that this is super glorifying to my Father and blesses you in a mighty way.  :)