4 - Service

SLIDE: Scripture Ephesians 2:10

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

SLIDE: Welcome Home

SLIDE: Title

Introduction

Welcome! It’s hard to believe this is our last week together in our Back to the Basics sermon series. So far we’ve covered prayer, scripture, confession, and today we’ll be talking about service. Or said another way, serving others.

Truth be told, we could probably do a “basics” series for another 3 months as there are so many good and profitable practices and rhythms that we as followers of Jesus can commit to. I pray our time together over the past few weeks will serve as a springboard to you and that you will spend future time exploring other topics like sabbath, giving, communion, and so many others.

We are currently studying how to live to reach others which is actually a way of service. Our highest calling by Christ is to serve others by sharing the Good News of Christ with others. Keep that in mind through out our talk today. I would encourage you to attend the REACH Bible study for the next 4 Wednesdays at 6:30 PM. We will be learning together how to best serve Christ. And we will be planning activities together to serve and reach others.

One thing I know for sure, spending time with Jesus is profitable. As we’ve already discussed, prayer and scripture are things we should be committing ourselves to on a daily basis. And not because we need to check some ambiguous religious box off our righteous to-do list. But because that’s where Jesus is, that’s where we reconnect with our Savior and King. That’s where we get the fuel necessary to go and do good deeds in service to others.

And serving others, trading our time and treasure so that others may experience the love of Christ, this is the topic today…

Kingdom minded service.

Main Teaching

When you think of serving others, what images come to your mind?

If I asked you to pray about trading your time, talent, and treasure, in order to serve and bless others, what would you do?

I imagine many of you are simply thinking about giving money or maybe doing a “service” project. If you’ve ever been on a mission trip or know someone who has, then you know it is another possible avenue for service.

One of the most meaningful things I did in my life is a short term mission trip to the Bahamas in January of 1980 called Lighthouse. Some of you are thinking… “Lucky you!”

You know what you are right. We had a great time time serving the people of the Bahamas. We entertained kids in schools with the Gospel skits and music. We provided concerts to churches.

And some of us, did our practicums there. For me I did a survey of all the many organizations Lighthouse had touched in it’s then 10-year history of service in the Bahamas.

One thing they all told me is that the Lighthouse Outreach needed to expand to other area of the world because of it’s deeply impact ministry to others.

When I got back to Taylor I presented my findings to the Taylor Student Organization and key faculty members. As a result, Lighthouse Outreach evoked from from 30 students and 2 faculty members into (depending on the year to between 80-2500 Taylor students sharing in a diverse set of trips each year. Teams have served in areas such as Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Nepal, Czechia, Kosovo, Peru, and Southeast Asia as well as in the Bahamas. In places where the dominant worldviews include Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Animism, and Atheism.

I don’t tell you this to say look at what I have done, rather to share with you how much impact YOU can have with just doing something that seems simple, and then has an impact that you never imagined.

You CAN and DO make a difference when you serve others in the name of Christ and do so with a Biblical Heart.

Truth be told, there are hundreds of ways we can serve others. While it might be a beneficial use of time, I’m not going to list all of them today. Today, we’re going to spend our time on the biblical heart behind serving others. We’re going to look at the motivation behind the action… which I believe in the long run will “serve” all of us more than a bullet point list of service ideas and projects.

SLIDE: WWJD?

What Would Jesus Do?

How many of you remember or even had one of those WWJD bracelets? And if you have no idea what I’m talking about, just hang in with me for a few minutes.

Pass out WWJD bracelets...

The phrase itself actually goes back hundreds of years and was even employed in sermons by the great preacher Charles Spurgeon. So, it’s not exactly a new idea, but going back to the bracelets for a moment… The bracelets began as a grassroots movement in the 1990’s out of a youth group in Holland, Michigan. The youth pastor was trying to figure out a simple way for her students to remember the phrase. Little did she know that the bracelets would become a worldwide phenomenon and spark an entire generation to consider, What Would Jesus Do? [1]

As I re-consider the phrase today, and how it pertains to serving others, I want to invite you all to turn with me to Matthew 20;

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The son of man did not come to be served, but to serve others. Christ came to trade His life, His energy, His time, everything He had so that others like you and I could have life. And in our case, eternal life. As we follow Him and learn to live like Him, we are called to give our lives, like He did, so that others may experience life.

And Jesus answers many of our objections throughout the gospels… You may be thinking, well what about people I don’t like? He says,

“love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)

Okay, what about my neighbors and people that I don’t even know? Jesus would probably have you read the story of the good Samaritan found in the gospel of Luke 10:25-37.

Okay, so what about my day-to-day living, what if I’m having a bad day or a hard time?

What if I simply cannot function and do anything meaningful for another person?

A couple things come to mind here. The first one being something that Jesus said to the Apostle Paul;

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

2 Corinthians 12:9

Paul says he’ll boast even more in his weakness and the reason for that is because it gives all the glory to Jesus. So on one hand, be confident that even in your weakness, God can use what you have to offer. The truth is, even if you can send a text message, you are able to send someone an encouraging note. If you can make a phone call, if you can access the internet, etc… There are numerous avenues made available for us through technology to serve and love others.

The second thing that comes to mind is something that the Apostle Paul says in his second letter to the Corinthians;

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

2 Corinthians 9:6-8

Full disclosure on this passage: Paul is definitely talking about money. So I don’t want to mislead you and make this all about money. I think this principle applies to serving others too. I believe sowing and reaping are Godly principles that play out in many different areas of our lives. And I know for a fact, God loves a cheerful giver. I know He will give us all we need so that in every situation we can abound in every good work.

That’s the economy of the Kingdom, it’s bountiful. It’s plentiful. And even when you don’t feel like you are enough or have enough, God works through you as you offer yourself a living sacrifice into His service. (Romans 12:2)

Advance:

So, What Would Jesus Do? He would, and He did, offer Himself for others. He gave himself, full stop, to the work the Father sent Him to. And we are called to follow His example.

SLIDE: Made for more

Made for More

Do you ever have this feeling you were made for more than a mediocre life you daydream escaping from?

What if this feeling were real?

What if it was something deep inside you, planted there by the divine creator of the cosmos?

Turn with me to Ephesians 2:10;

“​​For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Advance: Created to do good work

There you go, we are created in Christ to do good work. Work that God the Father prepared in advance. You are created for more than mediocrity. You are created for good works, divine works, kingdom works. And there is so much of the kingdom life to experience on the other side of serving others.

You have to, like the gospel of Luke says,

“Put your hand to the plow and don’t look back.” (Luke 9:62)

You have to get into it and try. Start small, start with a donation, or a message. Start by donating some food to a local food bank. Start by serving in some ministry once a month. Just start somewhere. You were created for more.

Let me say it this way… I love how easy this is to remember. You weren’t saved by good works, you were saved to do good works.

Advance: More than mediocrity

You were actually in fact, made for more than mediocrity.

Conclusion

We’ve covered a lot of ground in the past few weeks. And again, I hope and pray it’s a springboard for you. At the very least, I hope you will find regular time to pray and read the word every day or week. I pray you will feel confident and empowered in confessing your sins and praying with other believers. And finally, I hope you will find a meaningful place to serve others. And, I trust in serving others, you will experience in new ways, in fuller ways, the love of God made available through Christ and the fellowship of believers.

As Christ has loved, we are to love…

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

(1 John 3:16)

SLIDE: Marathon

The life of faith is a marathon not a journey. You don’t have to do everything all at once, start small and build. Just make sure you start somewhere today.

Let’s pray together.

Prayer - “Jesus, the example you set is so amazing. The way that you loved others and gave yourself for others is a north star guiding us through a dark and weary night. Help us to be more like you, to love like you, to lead like you, and to give ourselves like you did.”

[1] WWJD information here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_would_Jesus_do%3F