SERVICE

MEANING

Service in the Kingdom of God is fundamentally anchored in the two greatest commandments. It is the outward expression of our inward devotion. When Jesus was asked which commandment was the most important, He replied:

"‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these." — Mark 12:30-31 (NIV)

However, for His Spirit-filled disciples, Jesus elevated this standard even further, tying our service directly to His sacrificial example:

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." — John 13:34 (NIV)

In authentic service, we die to self. We do not serve the interests of the hedonistic, selfish "old self," which seeks only comfort, status, and worldly prosperity. Instead, we crucify those desires. As the Apostle Paul writes, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20).

Temple Prayer encourages us to do this at the Brazen Altar where we lay down our pride and our rights and offer our bodies s living sacrifices.

Service requires us to reject the pattern of this world and present our bodies as a "living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God" (Romans 12:1).

DENYING SELF TO SERVE GOD AND OTHERS

The ultimate physical demonstration of denying oneself to serve others is found in Jesus washing the feet of His disciples.

I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. John 13:15

To fully understand the weight of Jesus’ actions, we must look at the cultural context of the ancient Near East. Washing feet was strictly governed by a rigid social hierarchy. This chore was considered so degrading, filthy, and menial that it was exclusively reserved for the lowest-ranking servants or foreign slaves. A Jewish servant could actually refuse to wash their master’s feet because it was considered too humiliating a task for a fellow Jew.

By doing the job of the lowest slave, Jesus radically redefined greatness in the Kingdom of God. True kingdom authority is not about who serves you, but who you freely choose to serve. Scripture tells us to be humble by actively choosing to serve others, and when you go low, go lower still.

TAKING GOD'S GRACE FROM THE TEMPLE INTO THE WORLD

Our service is not meant to remain hidden behind church walls; it is designed to move from the Sanctuary into the streets. We are called to "go in and out and find pasture" (John 10:9), feeding our souls by actively doing the will of the Father.

This dynamic movement was powerfully captured in the prophetic words delivered by Heidi Baker and Carol Arnott during a Watchmen online meeting on March 22nd, 2020:

The Prophetic Word of Heidi Baker:

"And so the word the Lord has been putting on my heart is so strong, just all eyes on Jesus, all hands on deck, 911, 911, and we know in many nations it’s a call for disaster, but I see it right now as well, this call, to Psalm 91, that we who dwell in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. He’s calling us into the secret place... In the shaking the world is experiencing right now the Lord is asking, 'Who are you?' We are the body of Christ. We are the hands of Jesus. We are the first responders. We are the ones with oil. We are the ones with bread. We are the ones corporately and only corporately when we will shine and we will share and we will carry the response of the Lord Jesus out of the secret place into the harvest, into a dying shaking world, as fearless lovers..."

The Prophetic Word of Carol Arnott:

"The Lord has been speaking to me in this time... about soaking. Psalm 46:10 says, 'Be still and know that I am God,' and as we prepare and as we go God has given us a window of all being home alone, of coming into that place of incredible intimacy with Him... God is going to fill us with such power, and such an anointing that when we come out as His hands, as His feet as His army we are going to be so empowered and its going to be so easy... The other morning I woke up out of this dream with a shofar... 'Wake up Church. Get your hearts right. Repentance, intimacy then the harvest.'"

4. ALL KINDS OF SERVICE

Service in the Kingdom is not a rigid, one-size-fits-all mould. The Holy Spirit equips the Body with a vast array of gifts designed to meet the myriad needs of a broken world.

"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work." — 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul echoes this in Romans 12:6-8, illustrating the diverse ways believers are called to lay down their lives for one another:

"We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully."  Romans 12:8

Whether your service is upfront leadership, quiet administration, giving, or showing mercy, it is all equally valued and ordained by the same Lord.

5. OUTREACH SERVICE

The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few (Matthew 9:37). Engaging this harvest is the specific mandate of Spirit-filled Christians, empowered by the promise of Acts 1:8: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth".

The prophet Jeremiah captures the tragic state of a world without shepherds:

"My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray; they have turned them away on the mountains. They have gone from mountain to hill. They have forgotten their resting place" (Jeremiah 50:6).

We are called to serve the lost.

Our outreach group, Simply Christians, stands firmly on the frontlines of this mandate, acting as "First Responders" to a dying and shaken world.

We resonate deeply with the prophetic calls to retreat to the Secret Place of the Temple. In that place of stillness and intimacy, we are imbued with grace in the Holy of Holies; we gather the oil, the bread, and the anointing from the Holy Place to empower us.

With these provisions, we take the response of Jesus into the Pasture, into the world and its values—into a world starved of love.

As First Responders, we listen, and we act. We sow the seeds of God’s love, and we harvest. When people approach us with a stirring already in their hearts, we point them to the Spirit-Filled churches dotted around our area.

OUR CORE VALUES

Our ethical framework and approach to ministry are rooted in Seven Core Values, derived from the Iris Ministries of Heidi and Rolland Baker. These define how we operate:

Pursue God's Presence:

We emphasize a passionate relationship with God as the foundation for all our work and the source of

love, joy, and power.

Depend on miracles:

We have a deep belief in God’s supernatural provision, expecting that miracles sustain our

ministry and confirm the Gospel.

Go Low:

We are committed to serving the most broken, humble, and lowly people, including addicts, the abused, the poor, and the homeless, believing God works through the weak and despised.

Be Available:

We are committed to active and sacrificial service, supporting individuals directly for as long as it

takes. No need to make appointments to see us, we make ourselves available there and then.

Be seen as families of ONE Body:

We promote unity and non-judgment within the Christian community, judging no one and excluding

no one. We promote the truth of already being one body in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

Embrace Suffering:

We view suffering as a valuable part of the Christian life, essential for learning to love and for sanctification, believing that when we are weak, we are strong through God's power.

Consider It All Joy:

We maintain joy as a non-negotiable spiritual weapon, reward, and strength which blots out suffering.

GO LOWER - SERVICE AND HUMILITY

At the heart of the Iris Ministries core values is the mandate to "Go Low". We are committed to serving the most broken, humble, and lowly people, believing that God works most powerfully through the weak and despised.

Service and humility are inextricably linked in biblical teaching; you cannot have true service without true humility. The Apostle Paul provides the ultimate theological link between the two:

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves... In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant..." — Philippians 2:3-7 (NIV)

Jesus radically stripped away the world's standard of power and replaced it with humble servitude, declaring:

"Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." — Mark 10:43-45 (NIV)

Ultimately, biblical service is not simply about performing a task or fulfilling a duty; it is the outward, physical expression of an inward humility. Humility is the root, and service is the fruit.

BLOT OUT

To fully embody the mandate of Service and Humility, we must identify and intentionally blot out the ideologies of the anti-christ that seek to corrupt our motives. The enemy knows he cannot always stop believers from serving, so he attempts to poison the reason and posture of the service.

By recognizing these counterfeits, we can ensure our actions remain anchored in the true humility of Christ.

Here are the specific ideas that need to be removed to make room for authentic Kingdom service:

Blot Out the idea of "Performative Service" (The Status Counterfeit)

The anti-christ spirit twists "servant leadership" into a corporate strategy for personal elevation. The Lie is that service is a pathway to a "platform," recognition, or authority over others. Jesus washed feet in secret, doing the chore of the lowest slave. By doing so, Jesus redefined greatness in the Kingdom of God. We must blot out the desire to be seen. If our service requires an audience, applause, or a title, it is serving the hedonistic ego, not the Lord.

Blot Out the idea of the "Hierarchy of Gifts" (Spiritual Elitism)

The belief that upfront, highly visible leadership (like preaching or leading worship) is more valuable or "spiritual" than hidden acts of mercy, quiet administration, or giving.

The Apostle Paul makes it clear that there are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. We must blot out the pride that ranks service. The person serving the homeless in the streets exercises the exact same kingdom authority as the person holding a microphone on a stage.

Blot Out the idea of the "Holy Huddle" (The Fortress Mentality)

The idea that our primary duty is to serve only those already inside the church, keeping our grace safely hidden from the messy, secular world. We are called to go in and out and find pasture. We must blot out the fear of the world and the comfort of the Christian bubble. True service must move from the Sanctuary into the streets. We are called to be "First Responders" to a dying and shaken world.

Blot Out the "Upward Mobility" Gospel (The Refusal to Go Low)

The cultural obsession with climbing the ladder—the belief that God's ultimate blessing is worldly elevation, comfort, and success exemplified by the ‘Prosperity Gospel’. The way up in the Kingdom is down. We must blot out the pursuit of upward mobility. We must embrace the mandate to "Go Low," intentionally choosing to serve the most broken, humble, and lowly people, recognizing that God works most powerfully through the weak and despised.

Blot Out the idea of the Transactional Service (The Legalistic Counterfeit)

The Lie that we serve to earn God's love, or that our good works obligate God to bless us with prosperity.

True biblical service is not a transaction; it is the outward, physical expression of an inward humility. We must blot out the "old self" that constantly asks, "What's in it for me?" Service is the overflow of our devotion to the two greatest commandments: loving God and loving our neighbour.

The Mandate: Stop trying to build a kingdom for the self. Blot out the desire for status and recognition. Strip away the world's standard of power and replace it with the towel and the basin. Humility is the root, and service is the fruit.

SCRIPTURE VERSES

SCRIPTURE VERSES

1. The Foundation of Service and Sacrifice

These verses support the truth that service is rooted in love and requires the sacrifice of the "old self."

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30-31

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." John 13:34

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." Romans 12:1

2. Denying Self and True Humility

These scriptures demonstrate that greatness in the Kingdom is found by going lower and taking on the posture of a servant.

"Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you." John 13:14-15

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves... In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant..." Philippians 2:3-7

"Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:43-45

3. Taking Grace into the World (Outreach)

Support for the mandate to move from the secret place (the Temple) into the harvest field (the Pasture) as "First Responders."

"I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture." John 10:9

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8

"Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'" Matthew 9:37-38

"My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered from mountain to hill and forgot their own resting place." Jeremiah 50:6

4. All Kinds of Service

These verses confirm that the Holy Spirit distributes a diverse array of gifts, all of which are equally vital to the Body.

"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work." 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

"We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully." Romans 12:6-8

5. Supporting the "Blotting Out" of Counterfeits

Blotting Out "Performative Service" (The Status Counterfeit)

To refute the idea that service is for an audience, platform, or recognition.

"Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven." Matthew 6:1

Blotting Out the "Hierarchy of Gifts" (Spiritual Elitism)

To refute the idea that visible leadership is more valuable than hidden service.

"On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour." 1 Corinthians 12:22-23

Blotting Out the "Holy Huddle" (The Fortress Mentality)

To refute the idea that grace is meant to stay safely hidden inside the church walls.

"He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.'" Mark 16:15

Blotting Out the "Upward Mobility" Gospel (The Refusal to Go Low)

To refute the cultural obsession with climbing the ladder for worldly status.

"For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." Luke 14:11

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." James 4:10

Blotting Out Transactional Service (The Legalistic Counterfeit)

To refute the lie that we serve to earn God's favour or obligate Him to bless us.

"So, you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'" Luke 17:10

A Prayer for Authentic Service and Humility

Heavenly Father,

We come before You, anchoring our hearts in Your greatest commandments: to love You with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbour as ourselves.

Lord Jesus, thank You for elevating this call, commanding us to love one another just exactly as You have loved us.

We stand at the Brazen Altar and willingly crucify our "old self." We lay down our pride, our rights, and our hedonistic desire for comfort and worldly prosperity, offering our bodies to You as a living sacrifice.

Lord, give us the mindset of Christ. Strip away our obsession with status and hand us the towel and the basin. Teach us the profound strength of true humility, that we might gladly wash the feet of others, doing the work of the lowest servant. We realize that true Kingdom authority is not about who serves us, but who we freely choose to serve. Give us the grace to "Go Low," intentionally seeking out the broken, the despised, and the lowly, knowing that Your Kingdom's greatness is found in this downward trajectory.

Holy Spirit, empower us to take Your grace from the Sanctuary into the streets. Do not let us hide in a "Holy Huddle," keeping Your presence safely tucked away from a dying and shaken world. Instead, make us Your "First Responders," going in and out to find pasture, carrying the oil, the bread, and the anointing to a world starved of love. Lord of the Harvest, the fields are plentiful but the laborers are few; send us out and use our diverse gifts—whether upfront leadership, quiet administration, giving, or mercy—for the unified good of Your Body.

In the mighty Name of Jesus, we actively BLOT OUT the counterfeits of the enemy:

Blot out performative service. Destroy our desire for a platform, an audience, or the applause of men. Let our service be a quiet devotion, serving the Lord rather than the ego.

Blot out spiritual elitism. Erase the pride that ranks Your gifts. Remind us that the one serving the homeless on the streets exercises the exact same Kingdom authority as the one holding a microphone on a stage.

Blot out the Gospel of upward mobility. Deliver us from the cultural ladder of success. We refuse to seek an "upgrade" to our old lives, choosing instead the sacrificial love of the Cross.

Blot out transactional service. Forgive us for treating our obedience as a currency to buy Your blessings.

We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.

Let our service never be a burden we simply endure, but rather the joyful, outward fruit of an inward humility. Transform our interior lives into a vibrant dwelling place so that we might pour Your love into the lost.

Amen.