24 Nov W1 | Excellence Recap
REFERENCE BIBLE VERSES
Colossians 3:22-24 (ESV) | Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Matthew 5:48 (ESV) | You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect
1 Corinthians 11:1 (ESV) | Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ
OBJECTIVE
To recap what we have learnt about excellence
To encourage the continuation of the pursuit of excellence beyond this year alone.
CONTENT
THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE
- To recap our year-long theme of Excellence, we must return to its biblical foundation. In Colossians 3:23-24, Paul commands us: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Paul outlines the heart behind this command in the previous verse, explaining that we are called to obedience motivated by sincerity and reverence for the Lord.
- Looking at the context of this passage, Paul wrote his letter to Christian households, with preceding verses addressing husbands, wives, and children. Verses 22-24, however, are directed at "bondservants." The Greek word for bondservant, doulos (δοῦλος), in the New Testament describes someone in a state of willing and joyful submission to a master. While husbands, wives, and children have distinct roles, the term "bondservant" applies to all believers. Our lives are no longer our own; we have been purchased by Christ's blood and are owned by Him.
- In other words, the pursuit of excellence is not primarily about the end result, but about our identity as willing servants who work in obedience to God throughout our entire process.
FOR HE IS EXCELLENT, SO WE SHOULD BE TOO
- Isaiah 52:13-14 | Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. As many were astonished at you—his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind (ESV)
- This is the God we serve. Jesus Christ is the servant who acts wisely. He served to the end of His days, with an appearance "so marred, beyond human semblance," as the prophet Isaiah described. If Jesus came to earth to serve as a bondservant, who are we to consider ourselves above our Savior? Instead, as His ambassadors, we are called to imitate Him. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”
- Therefore, we need look no further than Christ to understand what true excellence means. - Look to Jesus' relationships to understand excellence in our own. See how He loved those around Him. Note how He obeyed His parents, Joseph and Mary, despite being the Messiah (Luke 2:51), growing in favor with both God and man (Luke 2:52). - Look to Jesus' ministry to understand excellence in our work. See how He worked diligently to heal people and perform miracles in His Father's name, all to bring glory to His Father regardless of the crowd's reactions. - Look to Jesus' spiritual habits to understand spiritual excellence. He consistently took time to be alone and pray, maintaining dependence on His Heavenly Father (Mark 1:35; Matthew 14:23; Luke 6:12)—especially during difficult times, such as the hours before His crucifixion (Luke 22:39-44). - Look to Jesus' calling to understand excellence in purpose. It was through His obedience to the Father and love for mankind that He endured suffering and mistreatment, being crucified to die for our sins.
- Our choice is not merely about wanting to be excellent. If we choose to follow Christ, excellence becomes a natural byproduct of the identity graciously given to us as His children. As Matthew 5:48 states, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
EXCELLENCE REQUIRES PRAYER AND PLANNING
- Like Jesus, we must depend on our sovereign God to excel, especially during hard times. However, unlike Jesus, our knowledge is limited. Therefore, we must be diligent and plan, for "the plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance" (Proverbs 21:5).
- Yet, we must be careful not to wrestle control from God in our planning. We often plan so meticulously that, without realizing it, we try to force God to work according to our blueprint—we assume He will act in certain ways to make our plans succeed, hiding our desire for control behind the guise of "having faith."
- Instead, we must involve God in every step. Make your plans under His authority. Pray at each step for guidance, and surrender to whatever God wills (Proverbs 16:9).
- Walking with Jesus means focusing on the process, not just the result. As servants, we are called to prioritize faithful function over personal achievements. Instead of praying for how to achieve our goals, we should pray for sensitivity to the problems around us, seeing them as opportunities to fulfill the needs of others.
- Be faithful in the process. Surrender to the sovereign God, ask for His guidance, and obey what He has planned. This is our calling as those anointed to serve as Jesus did. To the world, Jesus' death on the cross did not look like an achievement; it was seen as a humiliation. But we know better than to look down on His work. It was through Jesus’ excellence that He was led to sacrifice Himself on the cross—for us and for God’s glory.
CONCLUSION
As Christians, we are called to manifest excellence in our lives because He who lives in us is excellent. Our definition of excellence is not the world’s, which is fixated on the final outcome. The Kingdom’s excellence is found in the process. Our excellence flows from our obedience to God, purposed to bring Him glory and to lead people to know Him. That is why our pursuit of excellence is not by our might alone, but is utterly dependent on God’s power in our lives.
REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- How has understanding of the Kingdom’s excellence impacted your life throughout the year?
- Share an occasion where you have to intentionally depend on God in your pursuit of excellence this year.
REFERENCES