“You know that Stephanas and his household were the first of the harvest of believers in Greece, and they are spending their lives in service to God’s people. I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, to submit to them and others like them who serve with such devotion. I am very glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus have come here. They have been providing the help you weren’t here to give me. They have been a wonderful encouragement to me, as they have been to you. You must show your appreciation to all who serve so well.”
1 Corinthians 16:15-18 NLT
There was a man called Stephanus in Corinth, and Paul reminded the believers there that he was the first convert to Christianity in that region of Greece. But what it must have been like to find a society that knew nothing about Jesus at all. A virgin territory ripe for the preaching of the Gospel. But it was one corrupted by sin and evil, particularly in the worship of idols. The Greek pantheon of twelve gods prevailed as the religion of the day. However, false gods had so permeated Greek society that reaching the people there with the announcement of the real God with His free gift of eternal life was nothing short of a miracle. Stephanus may have been a rich man because the Scriptures record that his household was saved as well as himself. But regardless, Stephanus was in a position to serve his fellow Christians and even travelled to Ephesus, where Paul was ministering, and there he supplied encouragement. Paul reminded the Corinthians that they must show their appreciation for servants like Stephanus who served them in their church.
What does service in a church look like? I noticed yesterday a lady in my church quietly emptying a rubbish bin and replacing its black sack. No one asked her to do it. She just saw a need and stepped up to meet that need. That’s service. On another occasion, I found her in the toilets mopping the floor with disinfectant. That’s service. Our worship leader lives twenty miles away, but manages to get to the church on a Sunday morning for a practice with the other musicians and singers two hours before the 11 am meeting. That’s service. And that is after she had prepared the songs and loaded the computer to project the words onto the screen at the front of the church.
But outside the church, others show acts of service. What about the pastor who visits those who are sick and unable to attend church services? Or the church members who do the same? We have a treasurer and administrator who ensures the church is well stocked with consumables, keeps the accounts up to date, handles the money, and pays bills. That’s service. These are all practical acts of service without which the church and its mission would soon become ineffective.
We don’t know what role Stephanus played, but I suspect he was a church leader working behind the scenes, getting things done. Our churches in the UK have many such people, but do the congregations ever show appreciation for them? Too often, they are taken for granted. We might express thanks to those who are involved in the up-front ministry, people such as the pastor and preacher, but only rarely to those who are not so obvious in their ministries.
There was a meal one day, and Jesus “ … got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him” (John 13:4-5). Can you imagine the surprise on the disciples’ faces? Gob-smacked would be a modern descriptive word and would probably be quite appropriate. After He had finished, Jesus said to them, “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you” (John 13:13-15). In Matthew 25, Jesus told a story about the Sheep and the Goats, and we read what Jesus said to the “sheep”. “For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me” (Matthew 25:35-36). These may have been considered minor things, but Jesus concluded, “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” (Matthew 25:40).
All those people like Stephan’s who worked away behind the scenes are doing it for Jesus. One day they will hear those wonderful words, “Well done, good and faithful servant” from the Lord Himself. What a wonderful day that will be for all the people in our churches who serve.
Dear Father God. Thank You for all those who work behind the scenes without reward, doing so many tasks that most won’t want to do. Please help us to show our appreciation to them at every opportunity. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 