The Kind of Service God Requires

For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

—Ephesians 3:1-13 (ESV)

In the first and second chapters of Ephesians, Paul unveils the mysteries of creation and of Christ, who died, resurrected, and was seated in heaven so that we who were outsiders to the promise could be one with him. It seems that next, Paul should teach us how to live accordingly. But then in chapter 3, Paul suddenly hits the brakes and talks about his own ministry, and suffering. The logic as we typically understand it seems a bit off. But upon closer examination, we realize this passage is crucial.

Paul deeply understood the nature of sinners and the sinfulness of the saved. We love truth, and we love to study theology. But we spend very little time truly understanding how to live out God's life. Learning to be like God is hard. 

Often in church, we sing, "Oh Lord, consume me, send me." Then after singing these songs, everyone goes off to eat barbecue. So before continuing with his teaching, Paul first tells the saints in Ephesus, “You know this great teaching about Christ and the gospel. But let me show you how I live out this great teaching. If your life isn’t a testimony, your preaching is empty."

Some theologians have graduated from reputable theological seminaries and seem to teach flawlessly. But they do not care about holiness, and their lives are no different from sinners. This is the greatest taboo in our church. Some in the house churches are afraid of earthly powers. They say, "If the government arrests me, our church will be without me. So, without me, my church is finished." But the church is not finished without you; the church can do well without you. It is often precisely because of you that the church is unwell. Only without Christ will the church be finished. Without you, Christ's church continues as usual. If you read the Bible carefully, you find that God buried his servants and continued his work. 

As pastors, the biggest complaint we often hear is, "How can my congregation be so ungrateful after all I've done for them?" If you serve with such a heart, you are serving wrongly; you are serving yourself, not God. God grants you blessings and peace; people are those whom you serve. Only such service is God-centered; otherwise, our service is merely to please people.

So, dear brothers and sisters, we need to know how to serve God. Through these thirteen verses, Paul tells us two things: what kind of service God requires, and what kind of people God needs to serve him.

A Prisoner Praying For the Free World

First, what is the work of glorious service? It is serving even while in prison. It may seem as though serving and being imprisoned cannot go together. When pastors meet, they ask where you serve. You might say, "I serve in Beijing, Shanghai, Vancouver, or Jakarta." Or you might say, "I serve in the Baptist Church, the Presbyterian Church, or the Evangelical Church." But few would answer, "I serve in prison." Yet pastors also serve in prison. 

I once met a theology student and asked him where he first believed in the Lord. He said, "In prison." I asked who led him to believe in the Lord. He said a pastor in prison led him to believe. I asked if it was a pastor who went to prison in order to preach and evangelize. He said, "No, it was just that when I was in prison, the pastor was also in prison." I often joke with him, saying, "To save you, God sent that pastor to prison." God is truly wonderful, sending his faithful servants everywhere, even to prison, to carry out his ministry. 

A pastor’s primary ministry is prayer. Ephesians 3:1 says, "I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles..." The first verse tells us what Paul was doing in prison. A person in prison has many things they want to do, but usually a person in prison can't do anything. But Paul was different; Paul was not idle. Paul was praying. You might say, "What's so great about praying? Lazy Christians, people-pleasing pastors, people who want something for nothing, love to pray."

I've visited prison to preach the gospel and to pray for prisoners. When I'm healthy,  it is easy to pray for a sick person. That is normal. But if you think about Paul, it's different. In the churches of the free world, that haven't suffered persecution, everyone can pray. Many churches especially like to pray for persecuted churches because we like to consume the church. We enter the church as consumers and therefore many pastors and churches engage in performances that don't cost anything yet can appear very spiritual. It's a service that doesn't require payment; it's an opportunity to consume the church.

Once, I received news that a pastor from another church had been arrested. So I asked everyone to pray for them after our gathering. However, I heard a young theology student say a prayer that deeply saddened me. The prayer went, "Lord, we thank and praise you that we have not been arrested, we thank and praise you that we can gather freely. We thank and praise you for our peace." At that moment, I nearly cried out, "Lord, have you called the wrong person into ministry?" We should not engage in self-serving prayers.

What is different about Paul's prayer? First, the place of his prayer. Paul prayed in prison, whereas we like to stand on the streets or in our churches to pray. Paul said to the Ephesians, "I pray for you and I care for you, even when you can't see me.” Often the time when we most need to pray, when we have no power, instead of praising God we complain to God. But Paul, while in prison, prayed for those outside the prison; a prisoner prayed for those in the free world.

Dear brothers and sisters, do you realize that when Paul prayed, he was in a place without freedom, praying for those who were free? Just like the ministers Yang Xibo and Pastor Wang Yi, who have no freedom, but at this very moment, are praying for us. How beautiful and precious are such prayers. 

Why would someone say, “All the good fortune is yours, the suffering is mine, and yet I still bless and pray for you”? Where else could you find such a deal? Not in this world, but in the gospel, because Paul's faith was not in a religion called Christianity, but in Christ. Paul knew his calling; he knew he had received everything; he lacked nothing. "My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). Therefore, now I am to comfort others, a prisoner praying for the free.

So often, our ministry is filled with sorrow. When you find yourself in hardship, for whom do you pray? The people of the world, and selfish Christians, pray for themselves. They pray for their status, wealth, marriages, careers, for their church to be blessed and for other churches to close, so more people will come to theirs. This is the reality for many pastors.

Dear brothers and sisters, if we cannot bring people closer to God, we are failing in our calling. Thus, we see the wonder of Paul's ministry. He served you by the grace God gave him, caring for you as was his duty. He said, "You should not feel burdened, and there is no need to send money or gifts. It is not about your worthiness, but the grace given to me by God." Those of you who serve, thank God. And those of you who are served, thank God.

A Prisoner Who Knows the Mystery

Next, we see Paul’s ministry in prison was to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. God called Paul to proclaim his name before Gentiles, kings, and the people of Israel. Paul said, "I am chosen to preach the gospel, to show how much one must suffer for the name of the Lord."

Most of us would like to say, "I served such and such president, or such and such official,” just as Paul testified before Caesar, before the high officials of the Roman Empire. But now that he is suffering in prison, he can also say, “I want to spread the gospel to the people in prison, and to the guards in charge of the prison.”

Where can you find a complete society? In prison. There are presidents, governors, and committee members in prison; all levels of society are there. I think the best place for a seminary would be in a prison. Today we say, "We can't afford to buy property for a seminary, could the government provide a free space?" Pastors and Christians squatting in prison, sentenced to four years, could then graduate, even with a government-recognized degree. If God wants to save the most intelligent, cunning, and sinful people, what should he do? He should send the wisest, most intelligent, and most loyal people to prison. Do you want to become the most intelligent and loyal person? Now is a good opportunity. 

Pastor Wang Yi has been sentenced to nine years to be precise, the equivalent of a Ph.D. He is almost ready to graduate. I think after he comes out, his preaching will be even more powerful. He will be able to preach to committee members in prison, to big businessmen in prison. In this world, all who were once glorious are now slowly gathering in prison.

Many pastors say, "I have no congregation, I lack sheep to shepherd." There are definitely sheep to shepherd in prison. Our biggest worry during gatherings is, "The gathering time has come, where are the people?" We can barely gather people to pray for only an hour, but it's different in prison. A pastor told me, "I preached for three hours in prison. Every time I preached for half an hour, I got tired, but the audience in prison said, 'Pastor, continue, don't stop. You have plenty of time, we have plenty of time, keep preaching.'" What a great training ground. 

We see pastors saying, "We cannot bear the cross." Our faith is a faith of life-on-life discipleship, not just saying, "I've preached, brothers and sisters, now you try to live it out." So Jesus said, "You cannot bear the cross," and therefore he bore it, and then Paul bore it, and then Timothy bore it, and then Titus bore it. Paul's biggest concern after preaching Ephesians 1-2 was, "What about you? You have been raised from the dead, you have been saved by grace, how are you living?" And in chapter 3:1-13, he says, "I am living in this mystery, in this gospel.” To truly imitate the life of Christ is to live in the life of God. Without truly breaking oneself, without living the values of Christ's life in one's own life, it is very difficult to lead anyone or to bring the spirit of God to them.

Those of Paul's generation, those who followed the Lord generation after generation, bearing the cross, chose to suffer. Suffering shapes life. In our era, many people also like to suffer. We endure much hardship for the sake of losing weight, refrain from eating what we desire, and wake up at three in the morning to run. If we are not naturally attractive, we even undergo surgery to make ourselves look more wonderful. 

Today’s preachers have learned to complain about suffering, but do you know that only through suffering can one attain glory? Some preachers, whom I call "degree collectors," spend all their time studying theology. Studying theology cannot be separated from knowing God. Do you know that with electronic books, it's very convenient for me to gather the gospel from all over the world into my computer? But how do you become a boxing expert? How do you become a master of martial arts? You must suffer, bleed, cry, and sweat. 

What is authentic service in God's kingdom? In our times, many have confused it with worldly achievements and grand enterprises. As Christians and shepherds of faith, how do we define truly meaningful service? We've begun to mirror secular leaders - acting as politicians directing world affairs, entrepreneurs expanding church territories, and investors accumulating wealth. This mindset has permeated both clergy and congregation alike. Some envision building Christian nations and establishing religious governance. Others adopt corporate strategies, creating "Kingdom Investment Funds" and developing global church enterprises. Though these endeavors may shine with apparent success, we must discern: Is this the true glory of God's kingdom, or merely its shadow?

Do you understand now what service is? We need people willing to serve in this way. A prisoner is someone without wealth, without love, without anything. But when I speak of prisoners, can you imagine a person who is upright, kind, holy, and loving? You would say that is an apostle, not a prisoner. But Paul tells us here that these two can be one. The most despised in the world are prisoners, and the most noble are apostles. But apostles on earth can be prisoners because the Lord himself could be a prisoner. 

The biggest problem for us preachers and Christians is the issue of face. We say, if someone who does not believe attacks me, then we lose face. But our Savior, when he was crucified on the cross, didn't even have a piece of cloth to cover his shame. Jesus lost both face and substance to save you. Do you still want to save face? 

Paul didn't want to save face; he served you in prison. Those who serve the Lord are shameless. If you want to save face, then don't serve God, because our Lord gave his life for you without saving his face or life. So Paul tells the church in Ephesus, "I am an apostle, now I am a prisoner; I want nothing else but to serve the Lord." What kind of prisoner is this? Paul says, "I am not a murderer or arsonist, but a prisoner who knows the mystery." 

People in prison have mysteries. A prisoner once told me, "Prison is the best place to hone skills.” He was caught for robbery, and once he was inside, he met an older more experienced robber who gave him pointers. Next time he robs, he will know how to do it with better skills. Paul says, "I also have a mystery. I know who I am, who you are, and how we together can find true peace and joy in Christ." 

More importantly, we know who God is. So Paul says, "God has given special love to the unspecial. And I can't just know the mystery; knowing the mystery gives me a mission. If my mission is to let the world know this hope, then I know how to live.” 

If someone in Thailand says that real estate will increase tenfold within five years, you wouldn’t keep it hidden, and after ten years, see what happens. You would quickly sell your house in China and hurry to invest in Thailand. So, those who know the mystery must take real action. Today, many Christians know the mystery of eternal life, but invest every day in this life and this world. I can only say that they still don't understand. 

The Aroma of Christ in Prison

Everyone is incarcerated; Earth is a big prison. In America, there is a man named Elon Musk who wants to begin interstellar travel to escape Earth. But sinners tainted by sin polluted Earth, and we will pollute Mars once we get there too.

So where can you flee? The pandemic has opened many people's eyes, and it has shut many other people's eyes. After the pandemic, many pastors say, "Should I continue to stay in China, or should I go overseas to serve?" I say, "I'm not your Lord, why are you asking me?" Some say that because Pastor Wang Yi stayed, so we must stay. Others say, if we leave, the gospel can be spread globally. So there are excuses for leaving, and reasons for staying.

Why do we struggle with this question? We are all in a great prison, where the life of the jailer mirrors that of the inmate. During my university years, I worked as a security guard at a nightclub located in the basement of a dormitory for prison guards, within the prison itself. Surrounded by walls, inmates on one side and guards on the other, I observed both groups diligently keeping time and earnestly working. Whether asking a guard how long they had been there, or an inmate, the language was the same. Yet, the nightclub was different, frequented by the city's most beautiful, who were repeatedly drawn by the desires of the flesh and material wants. Is there a difference between us? No. What difference exists between us here and our brothers and sisters in prison? Not much. We are all appointed a time and place to meet God, to see him wherever we are, at any moment. Thus, we are all eventually subject to divine governance.

Everyone must die, and death is certain for all. There is a song called "The Peaceful Ox," which says, "Whether plowing or offering sacrifices, let the Lord use you." In death, the difference between the rich and the poor is slight. It is said that in ancient Egypt, the poor were wrapped with fewer spices, if any, while the rich could afford hundreds of pounds of spices for their preservation. Studying the Bible made me wonder why there was this disparity. Perhaps in death, some might smell worse than others. Yet everyone emits the scent of death, except for Christ, whose death exudes a fragrance of life, a sweet aroma even in death. Let us die in God's appointed time, and live according to his will.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:14-16, "But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life." 

We are grateful for life and death, for in both, we belong to Christ. Let us not miss any opportunity to glorify him, whether in China or abroad, in prison or free. Let us know the Lord, recognize him, and live a life of purpose, for this is the life of his Son, the eternal life, belonging to the eternal kingdom. 

This article was originally a talk delivered to house church pastors and leaders in 2023. This English edition, including the introduction and footnotes, are copyright © 2024 by the Center for House Church Theology. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Explore the Center for House Church Theology's Resources Page for more resources from Chinese house church theologians and pastors.