A Serving Community

Thank you music team. Good Morning Church! Good Morning to those joining us on the live stream this morning.

Text: John 15:9–17; Philippians 2:3–11

Introduction: The Radical Call to Serve

In Luke the 22nd Chapter, verse 24 records Jesus saying this to His disciples:

Luke 22:27 NLT - 27 Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.

Typical of the way Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God, this statement turns the tables on the way we commonly think. And not only did Jesus turn our thinking upside down here, His life was and is a living example of this kind of attitude.

I think we could all agree that we live in a world that constantly tells us to put ourselves first. We are bombarded with slogans like "You deserve it," "Put yourself first," "Do what makes you happy." Advertisements, self-help books, and social media influencers, all reinforce the idea that our own needs, our own wants, and our own desires should be the central concern of our lives. In this cultural climate, the call of Christ to live a life of service seems not only countercultural—it seems radical, and perhaps, even dangerous at times.

But the Christian community is meant to be different. We’re called to be a serving community, a people who live not for ourselves but for one another. Jesus made this abundantly clear in John 15:9–17 when He said, “This is my command: Love each other.” And Paul echoes this in Philippians 2:3–11 when he calls the church to “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”

The message of Scripture is clear: for a disciple of Jesus Christ, service is not optional. It is not peripheral. It is not reserved for a few “super Christians” who volunteer in ministry. Service is central to what it means to be a follower of Christ. And it must be driven by love.

In this morning’s message, I want to invite you to explore with me, what it means to be a serving community rooted in love. We'll contrast the false narrative of self-centeredness with the true narrative of Christ-centered, others-centered love. We’ll explore how Jesus modeled this love, and how the early church practiced it, and how today, you and I are called to embody it in the day and age in which we live.

Whenever we begin to talk about Christian service, we must not skim over or fail to recognize it’s very foundation.

1. The Foundation of Christian Service: is Love (John 15:9–17)

Turn with me if you will, to John the 15th chapter.

a. Abiding in Christ's Love

John 15 is part of Jesus' farewell discourse—a deeply intimate moment where Jesus is preparing His disciples for His departure. In verses 9–17 of that chapter, Jesus speaks to them about abiding in His love and keeping His commandments. But then He brings it all to a very sharp point in v12> let’s look at it together: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (v.12)

I hope you didn’t miss it. Not only did Jesus instruct them to love each other, He also told them exactly HOW to love each other. He said, love each other JUST AS I HAVE LOVED YOU.

The love Jesus is referring to here is not some vague fairy dust and butterflies kind of love. It’s not merely sentimental love, or an emotion or feeling. Jesus said that they were to love each other the way He had loved them. And just in case that was not clear to them, He defines it in verse 13: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Is Jesus saying here that we must die for our friends? Well He certainly did. But this is not necessarily about dying pysically for someone. It is about putting them and their needs ahead of our own. An idea that flies in the face of the world’s thinking.

The foundation of Christian service is love—specifically, sacrificial love. And not just any love, but the very love of Christ. He loved us by laying down His life. Now, He calls us to love others in the same way.

Wen we talk about service, we mist understand (you may want to write this down...

Service that is not rooted in love will always become duty, drudgery, or manipulation.

And get this, Love is what turns service into worship. Love is what makes serving others not just an obligation but a joy.

So we are to first abide in Christ’s love for us in order to serve others well and with a right heart.

b. Friendship and Fruitfulness

Jesus also redefines our relationship with Him and with each other. Drop down to v 15. Jesus tells His followers,

“I no longer call you servants…Instead, I have called you friends.” (v.15)

The love that drives service is deeply relational. It’s not about hierarchy or compulsion. It’s about friendship with Christ and with one another.

And this kind of love leads to fruitfulness. Verse 16: “I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” (v.16)

A serving community will bear lasting fruit—fruit that impacts eternity. This fruit is not just conversions or church growth. It’s transformed lives. It’s reconciliation. It’s mercy. It’s justice. It’s the beauty of the kingdom of God breaking into our present moments.

So the foundation of Christian service is and must always remain LOVE. But not the world’s brand of love. Love as defined by Christ and in Scripture. Christ’s brand of love lead to His death. The love He has commanded us to have for each other must begin with our own death. We talked about it last week. We said to live the Christian life is to die with Christ—die to the world, die to sin, die to self-rule. To die daily to the lies that our worth comes from performance, pleasure, or public opinion. We must die to fear, to shame, and to the belief that we’re too broken for God to use.

It is then, once we die to those things, that our love and service to each other will bear much fruit.

Jesus said we are to love as He has loved us. That means we need to pay attention to...

2. The Pattern of Christ: It was a pattern of Humility and Self-Emptying (Philippians 2:3–11)

Jump over to the right a few books in your Bible to the book of Philippians and make your way to Philippians chapter 2. Here we can gain some insight to...

a. The Mindset of Christ

In Philippians 2, Paul gives us one of the most profound theological reflections on the person of Christ—and he does so in an effort to teach us how to live.

He begins with a direct command in v3: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” (v.3)

I like the way the New Living Translation puts this. it says simply,

“Don’t be selfish. Don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better then yourselves”

v4...

Philippians 2:4 “4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Notice he is not saying ignore taking care of yourself, but ALSO look out for others.

I just want to say here that if you think you can honestly and consistently live like this, without the help of the Spirit that Christ sent, you are probably being dishonest at best, and delusional at worst.

As I said when we began, this attitude runs entirely opposed to what the world bombards us with and what our natural bent often is. The idea that our own wants, and our own desires should be the central concern of our lives.

What Jesus is telling us to do is the direct contradiction to the false narrative we hear all the time of self-centeredness. The world tells us, “Assert yourself. Look out for number one.” But the gospel says, “Humble yourself. Look out for others.”

And then Paul says in v 5, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” (v.5)

So, what was His mindset. What was the attitude of Christ? We ll we get some very clear insight into that in the next few verses. What we are about to read is called...

b. The Kenosis of Christ

Kenosis is a theological term that refers to Christ's self-emptying during His incarnation. It emphasizes how the eternal Son of God humbled Himself by taking on humanity while preserving His full divinity. The term originates from the Greek word (keensos) κένωσις, and it means to empty.

So let’s read this together.

This is also from the New Living Translation.

Phl 2:6-8 NLT - 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross.

So what we see here, is a poetic description of the kenosis—the self-emptying—of Christ:

He was in very nature, God, but did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage.

He made Himself nothing, taking the nature of a servant.

He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross.

This my friends is the heartbeat of Christian service.

Jesus had all the rights, all the privileges, all the glory, all the power of God—and yet He emptied Himself. He became a servant. He washed feet. He touched lepers. He ate with outcasts. He gave His life for sinners.

So this begs a question in my mind.

If Jesus—God in the flesh—became a servant, how can we, His disciples, who are but dust, live for ourselves?

And Paul says, “Let this mind be in you.” Not just admire it. Not just sing about it. Live it. Embody it.

Let’s talk more directly about the false narrative that dominates our culture: the idea that my needs, my desires, my happiness are what matter most.

3. The False Narrative: My Needs Matter Most

In the day and age in which you and I live, this is the air we breathe. It shows up in our entertainment, it is present in our education, our economics, even our spirituality. We are told that the purpose of life is to be true to yourself, to maximize your personal happiness, to prioritize self-care above all else.

Now, let’s be clear—God does care about your needs. He made you. He knows your frame. He invites you to rest, to be healed, to be restored.

But the lie is this: that you can only be whole by putting yourself above others.

That lie is killing community. It isolates us. It turns churches into consumer centers. It makes relationships purely transactional. And ultimately, it leaves us empty. Because we were not made to be the center. We were made to reflect the One who gave Himself for others.

In Matthew 20:27, Jesus flips the script when He says: “Whoever wants to be first must be your servant.” (Matt. 20:27)

Folks, True joy is not found in self-fulfillment, but in self-giving.

Turns out, the old adage “It is better to give than to receive” is true.

The paradox of the kingdom is that when we pour ourselves out in love, we are filled. When we lose our lives for His sake, we find them.

So the false narrative is, “My needs matter most”

4. The True Narrative: The Needs of Others Matter Most

The gospel presents a radically different narrative: It is a narrative that says the needs of others matter more than our own preferences. The needs of others matter more than our own comfort. The needs of others matter more than our own agendas and stinking political ideologies!

This is what Paul means when he says, “not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” (Phil. 2:4)

Look, this is not about being a doormat or denying your humanity. It’s about recognizing that we were created for love. And love always looks outward.

This is the model of our teacher and Lord. Jesus came not to be served, but to serve. He came to seek and save the lost. He came to carry the burdens of the weak. He came to bear the sins of the world. He sets the standard and He calls us to follow Him—not just to admire His sacrifice, but to imitate it.

5. The Marks of a Serving Community

So, what does a serving community look like in practice? Let’s see if we can paint the picture. First, a serving community should be...

a. A Community of Radical Hospitality

A serving community welcomes the stranger, the outsider, the broken. It doesn’t just shake hands at the door; it opens homes, shares meals, and builds relationships.

Love-driven service sees people, not as interruptions, but as invitations.

One of the conversations at our elder meeting has been how, like many of you only see each other on Sunday morning, many of us rarely see each other outside that meeting room back there. In the coming days we are going to be very intentional about changing that. We are going to very intentional about getting together with each other and our families outside of those elder meetings. We want to love and serve each other because, ...also in the coming days and weeks and months, we plan to encourage you all to do the same.

We have been talking about discipleship around here a lot. But here is the thing. Discipleship to Jesus and engaging in the disciple-making process will never happen by simply gathering in this building once a week. Discipleship CANNOT happen outside of relationship. I will say that again. Discipleship CANNOT happen outside of relationship. And we cannot be in relationship with each other if we only see each other once a week in the context of our weekly worship service.

Did you know there is actually a formula for relationships? We love formulas because they give us the step by step. So here is the relationship formula. Here is what I read in an article this week that I think sounds about right.

The relationship Formula consists of four basic building blocks: proximity

frequency

duration

and intensity.

These four elements can be expressed using the following mathematical formula: Friendship = Proximity x (Frequency + Duration) x Intensity.

First...

Proximity

Proximity is the distance between you and another individual and your exposure to that individual over time. Proximity serves as an essential element in all personal relationships. Without proximity, no relationships can develop.

People who share physical space are more likely to become attracted to one another, even when no words are exchanged. The key to the power of proximity is that it must take place in a nonthreatening environment. If a person feels threatened by someone being too close, they go “shields up” and take evasive action to move away from that person. Next...

Frequency and Duration

Frequency is the number of contacts you have with another individual over time. Duration is the length of time you spend with another individual over time. Duration has a unique quality in that the more time you spend with a person, the more influence that person has over your thoughts and actions. So choose carefully who you spend time with!

Mentors who spend a lot of time with their mentees exercise a positive influence over them. People who have less than honorable intentions can negatively influence the people they spend time with. The best example of the power of duration is between parents and their children.

The more time parents spend with their children, the more likely the parents will be able to influence them. If the parental duration is lacking, the children tend to spend more time with their friends and, in extreme cases, gang members.

Duration shares an inverse relationship with frequency. If you see a friend frequently, then the duration of the encounters will be shorter. Conversely, if you don’t see your friend very often, the duration of your visits will typically increase significantly.

For example, if you see a friend every day, the duration of your visits can be low, because you can keep up with what’s going on as events unfold. If, however, you only see your friend twice a year, the duration of your visit will be longer. Think back to a time when you had dinner in a restaurant with a friend you hadn’t seen for a long period of time. You probably spent several hours catching up on each other’s lives. The duration of the same dinner would be considerably shorter if you saw the person on a regular basis.

Conversely, in romantic relationships, the frequency and duration are very high because couples, especially newly minted couples, want to spend as much time with each other as possible. The intensity of the relationship will also be very high. So proximity, frequency and duration...next is...

Intensity

Intensity is how strongly you are able to satisfy another person’s psychological and/or physical needs through the use of verbal and nonverbal behaviors. Positive intensifiers include mutual gaze, touching, whispering, frequent head nodding, mirroring body posture, frequent smiles, expressive gestures, inward leaning, and intimate self-disclosures during conversations.

So there you have it.

The bottom line is, relationships require significant time spent with others, therefore discipleship will not happen outside relationship.

So a serving community will be a Community of Radical Hospitality. Next. A serving community will be...

b. A Community of Burden Bearers

Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

A serving community doesn’t let people suffer in silence. It shows up. It brings meals. It prays. It gives. It weeps with those who weep.

A serving community will also be marked as...

c. A Community That Shares Resources

Acts 2 tells us the early church had “everything in common.” No one claimed that any of their possessions were their own. This wasn’t communism—it was love. It was a response to grace.

A serving community is generous. It sees needs and meets them.

And the fourth mark of a serving community would be...

d. A Community of Mutual Submission

Ephesians 5:21 says, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

In a serving community, no one is clawing for power or status. Leaders lead by serving. Members defer to one another. The cross shapes the culture.

So a serving community is

A Community of Radical Hospitality

A Community of Burden Bearers

A Community that shares resources

A Community of mutual submission to one another.

So, what are the things that can keep us from serving in love and how do we overcome them?

6. Barriers to Serving Love—and How to Overcome Them

The first and maybe the greatest barrier would be...

a. Pride

Pride says, “I’m too important for that.” It’s the attitude that says, “Let someone else do the dirty work.”

But Christ shows us a better way. He took up the towel and washed feet. Pride dies when we remember the humility of Jesus.

Next would be...

b. Fear

Sometimes we don’t serve because we’re afraid—Afraid of being taken advantage of, Afraid of being stretched too thin, Afraid of not being appreciated.

Remember earlier I said the the very foundation of Christ- Like service is love.

1 John 4:18 says, “Perfect love drives out fear.”

When we serve in love, we trust that God will meet our needs even as we meet the needs of others.

Another obstacle to serving, especially these days when we are ll overextended with our time is...

c. Burnout

Some resist service because they’ve been burned before. They’ve poured out without being refilled.

That’s why love-driven service must begin with abiding in Christ. We serve from the overflow of His love, not from our own strength.

So let me offer you some ...

7. Practical Ways in which we might begin to Cultivate a Serving Community here at LFB

First I would say...

a. Start Small

Serving doesn't always mean starting a ministry or going overseas. It can mean making a meal, writing a card, watching someone’s kids, listening without being distracted or being in a hurry.

Start small—but start. next...

b. Practice Presence

Don’t underestimate the power of simply being there. In a world of distraction, attention is a gift. Be fully present with people. The only life we really have folks is this very moment together. Yesterday is dead. Too Late. Tomorrow, the next 5 minuteseven. Not here yet. Too early. Right now is right on time. Cherish the moment you are in and the ones you are in it with.

So, start small, practice presence and next I would say...

c. Create Systems of Care

Healthy communities build rhythms and structures that support service—benevolence funds, meal trains, visitation teams. Systems don't replace love, but they channel it.

d. Celebrate Stories of Service

Highlight and honor those who serve—not to exalt them, but to inspire others. Tell the stories that show the beauty of a life poured out in love. (recognize those in the church doing the work of Deacons)

What I have been talking about for the past 30 minutes or so is...

A New Way to Be Human

The world says, “Live for yourself.” Jesus says, “Lay down your life.”

The world says, “Your needs matter most.” Jesus says, “Love one another as I have loved you.”

The world says, “Climb higher.” Jesus says, “Go lower. Stay humble”

This is not just a better way to live. It is the only way to truly live.

When we become a serving community, rooted in the love of Christ, we become a living witness to the world. We show a different way of being human. We show the kingdom come.

Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus, who “being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage, but made himself nothing…” And let us, with His mind, serve one another in love.

How about it church? Amen? Okay Let’s pray.

Father,

I just want to thank You for the love You’ve shown us through Jesus—the Servant King who gave His life so we might live. Teach us to follow in His footsteps. Break the grip of self-centeredness in our hearts, and replace it with the humility and love of Christ.

Forgive us for the times we’ve made our comfort more important than others’ needs. Fill us with Your Spirit so we can serve with joy, not out of duty, but from the overflow of Your love.

Make us a community that truly reflects You—a people who carry one another’s burdens, who give generously, who love deeply, and who serve faithfully. May our lives and our love point others to Jesus.

Shape us into a serving community for Your glory and the good of others.

In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.