Good Monday my Church family! I trust that you enjoyed the people of God in the presence of God yesterday. I always do!
We talked about service, specifically, the service of Christ and how we are to first, receive His service and then secondly, respond. Remember, don’t reverse that order because that’s not the Gospel. We as true Christians and children of God are those who respond to God’s grace and provision in everything! Just like real parents who give birth to children out of their united love for one another, so it is with us. We are products of God’s love for us (John 13:1) and service to us (John 13:2-11) in Christ! Our job is to be responders not initiators! In John 13, Jesus says we are not be initiators (John 13:6-8) but imitators (John 13:12-17) of His service!
However, I want to give you all a few ideas for how we can become better servants together by imitating Christ’s :
- Remember that serving one-another is the way that Christ’s Church is built up (Eph. 4:11-12). So how’s that for a Church growth strategy? Grow together in service. I’m always more focused as a pastor on our growth internally and intimately than externally. God will take care of the external growth. We are to make sure that our family is healthy (selfless via service).
- Meditate on the Gospel. If we serve without keeping Jesus in our mind, we just disqualified our service (remember that service is not just a movement but a motivation!). We can serve like the world, but that’s not godly service or Christ like service. It’s something different.
- Think of ways that you can serve your family, biological and spiritual:
- It may be a listening ear; it may be active hands, it may be words of encouragement; it may be a phone call; a visit, a meal, fixing somebody’s broken whatever if you are mechanical; it could be giving money, giving your time, doing chores with a cheerful attitude (kids); it could be so many different things, you can be creative.
- But however you do service, plan to serve. Sometimes for me it means doing the dishes in the home, telling my wife to take a nap (after she is home with the kids all day), or making her a special latte drink. And for husbands, doing things that we consider our wife’s ‘job’ is one gigantic way of serving (like the laundry!).
- And to those older parents now with grandkids, I’ve been the huge recipient of my parents continued service as they watch my kids so that my wife and I can catch a break and a date night! that is a huge act of service!
- It doesn’t need to be anything big, jus simple things every day. We need to learn to first be willing to serve, then eager to serve! And make it a habit of thinking and routine in life.
- When we’ve made our identity ‘servants’ because our Maker is one & has told us to do likewise, we will learn to think constantly in this way of service.
- I wish I could mention all of you by name who serve here with WOL Chapel, but there are too many…from those who open doors, greet, serve in nursery, teach, help out with Awana, VBS, ect… this Church is so blessed because we are doing this (John 13:17!). Let’s do it more and more (1 Thess. 4:9-10!)!
- Lastly, Romans 12:9-21 is a great commentary on Jesus’ actions and words in John 13 and how we are to live them out.
- “9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, (think of Jesus serving Judas!) but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (again, think of Jesus with Judas).
- May we all learn to serve, even those who are considered our enemies, because that will prove our service to be truly Christ like and supernatural!
With love in Christ,
Aaron
