Running to Win - 15 Minute Edition - He Owns Our Status – Part 3 of 3

March 27, 2026·15 min·1 clip

Pastor Lutzer asks if you serve for recognition or genuinely for Jesus, revealing a heart-check for every believer.

This episode concludes Dr. Erwin Lutzer's three-part series "He Owns Our Status," focusing on Christian service within the local church. Dr. Lutzer, pastor of The Moody Church in Chicago, teaches from Acts chapter 6 about God's qualifications for ministry roles. He argues that God prioritizes character and spiritual wisdom over worldly credentials for service in the body of Christ. Lutzer analyzes whether the church should be run like a business, distinguishing between administrative efficiency and reliance on promotional methodology. He recounts a story about custodians at the Brooklyn Tabernacle holding a prayer meeting before cleaning the building. The sermon highlights two individuals from Acts 6: Stephen, who became the first martyr, and Philip, who became the first evangelist. Lutzer states that faithfulness in a smaller responsibility, like waiting tables, leads to greater responsibilities from God. A key insight is that the significance of any act comes from doing it for Jesus, not from the act itself. Lutzer illustrates this with Jesus both preaching the Sermon on the Mount and washing the disciples' feet. He claims the dishes, aisles, and even the church parking lot are holy places where God is represented. The pastor shares a local example of Bervin Peterson, chairman of the church's board of elders, who serves by parking cars and often misses the service. Lutzer contends that all service roles have equal importance but not equal responsibility, with preaching the word carrying greater accountability. He references Jesus's teaching that faithfulness with "little things," like money, determines who is entrusted with "true riches." The episode concludes with a promotion for Lutzer's book, "The New Birth," which he calls a matter of life and death. He invites listeners to support the ministry in exchange for a copy. The tone is pastoral, instructional, and exhortative, blending scriptural exposition with personal anecdotes and practical application. Its style is conversational yet authoritative, directly addressing the listener with challenging questions. Listeners interested in Christian discipleship, church leadership, and the theology of service would find this episode compelling. Those seeking a non-religious or purely narrative podcast would likely skip it.

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