A Privilege to Serve

by Roger Purdom

"You're fired", is a weekly statement on our televisions as one of the Apprentices is given his or her marching orders. It makes for nerve-wracking television - for those who watch it. As each week draws to a close, the vulnerable candidates are heard to plead their cause as to why they want to become THE Apprentice. When the discarded candidate is interviewed the following morning on breakfast TV, they may be disappointed but none, so far, has felt that their world has fallen apart because they have been ejected from the house. At the end of the series one person will be told, "You're hired" and he or she will, no doubt, go on to cloud 9 and thank all the other candidates and everyone else involved in the programme and their family and friends and anyone else they might think of on the spur of the moment. And then they will join the company and we probably won't hear of the winner until the next series. I wonder what it's like to work in this company - to serve the boss?

Five years ago, during the Queen's Golden Jubilee year, some soldiers were asked about their serving the Queen. One said, "I am motivated by a sense of comradeship but secondly, by the notion of serving both Queen and country. The Queen is 'the be all and end all'."

Another soldier said, "The Queen is a soldier's ultimate commander. She is special. She needs looking up to. I am proud to have her as my boss."

We, as Christians, are in royal service. And it is exciting. It is also very challenging. It is rewarding, although we might have to wait for the final reward until we get to heaven. To be with Jesus, in heaven, for all eternity, has got to be a reward worth living for and serving towards. Where did this royal service start? It started with God before the foundation of the world when, as Paul says, 'He chose us in Christ.' It was ratified at the Cross when Jesus was crucified - as the hymn tells us, 'In my place, condemned He stood; sealed my pardon with His blood.' Because Jesus died and took my sin on Himself, I can now be forgiven and I can be made ready for royal service. It becomes real when God says to me, "You're hired." To hear that from God is a very exciting prospect, a thrilling experience, a wonderful privilege.

Being in royal service does involve comradeship - we call that Christian fellowship. But the highest privilege of all must be to know that Jesus is my ultimate commander; to know that He is special; to accept the challenge that I need to look up to Him; to be proud to have Him as my boss. Every Christian is in royal service. It doesn't matter how long we have been a Christian, we are in royal service. We are serving the King of kings. We are called upon to follow our Leader. We are called to enlist in His army which is growing around the world. We are called into battle because we have an enemy who doesn't want us to follow Jesus. We are called to serve Him at home, in the workplace, in our local community, in our schools and universities. We are called to serve Him every day of our lives. Although we may go away on holiday we are still expected to serve Him. Serving the King of kings is a total commitment. It involves time, energy, money, sacrifice. It involves encouraging each other as fellow Christians. It involves sharing our faith with those who do not know Jesus. It involves praying for God's work in our church, in our local community, across the UK and around the world.

And, let's put all this royal service in context. By serving the King of kings we are only following His example. He said, "I did not come to be served but to serve and to give my life as a ransom for many." He came to SERVE and to GIVE. Can we do less as His followers?

Parkside Evangelical Church

A Privilege to Serve

by Roger Purdom

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