LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
First to the Lord
"...but gave themselves first to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God" (2 Corinthians 8:5).
Every day we can notice the work of the Spirit converting us from our unfaithfulness, ignorance and unbelief, to the way of the Lord. "Then shall thine ears hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it; and ye shall not turn to the right hand, neither shall ye crook the left hand" (Isa. 30:21).
We hear many times that we should serve. To serve the brethren, to serve our neighbor, but the Lord teaches us something important in this task. First we give ourselves, we serve the Lord, then we serve the brethren and our neighbor by the will of God. He who has not previously given himself to the Lord will serve out of self-interest, he will serve for his own glory.
The church, toward the Lord, has the same position. It seems to be common among us. We are under the impression that it is the Lord who serves us. We sit and wait for him to serve us in our desires, in our needs and ambitions. When we gather together, we have the same position: we expect from above a word, a cure, a blessing. The Lord does not teach us like that. He wishes first to be served by his church, then we will sit down to eat: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me" (Rev. 3:20). First, he comes to dine with us, and then we with him.
When we gather together, we are at the Lord's table; but before partaking of it, we must first serve him. He is our bread, but we too - his church - are bread for the Lord. We feed on him, but he also feeds on us: "Since we are one bread, we, being many, are one body, for we all partake of the one bread" (1 Cor. 10:17).
In Acts 13:1-2, the Lord teaches us from His Word that the church at Antioch understood this clearly. First they served the Lord: "Now there were in the church which was at Antioch prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they were ministering to the Lord, and fasting, the Holy Spirit said: Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them".
In John 12:1-2, we also clearly see this order. In the church there are those who serve the Lord, those who sit at table with him, and those who break his vessel to pour out before him his ointment. First to the Lord, then to us, by the will of God. Let us diligently heed this command, for this is the teaching of the Spirit that Christ may be glorified.