DALLAS—Committed Christian service demands moral courage, Michael Evans reminded participants at the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission conference.
"Service is not for the faint of heart," said Evans, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield and president of the African-American Fellowship of Texas.
God wants faithful stewards who labor diligently, not "one-event wonders," he said.
Michael Evans, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield, said Christian service demands moral courage.
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The call to serve Christ requires voluntary self-denial, willing work and persistent participation in God's purposes, Evans insisted.
"Slackers need not apply. Glory-seekers need not apply. Hirelings need not apply. Cowards and the faint of heart need not apply," he said.
God rewards servants for their faithfulness, but he does not guarantee their success, Evans noted.
"The faithful servant has courage—the moral strength. It is the kind of courage that knows the possibility of failure but takes risks anyway," he said.
Fidelity to God's calling to Christian service "takes unction and ethics," he added. Christians are called to be good stewards of their time on earth and the opportunities God provides.
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"It means asking, 'What have you done with your life?' That's where ethics comes in. How have I behaved? Have I committed myself to a moral life in a mixed-up world?" he asked.
Christian service means demonstrating the willingness to pay the price and answer the call to radical obedience, Evans said.
And that call has both spiritual and social dimensions, as Christians proclaim a message of salvation from sin and a call for justice, he concluded.
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