Awakened through Service Sermon (10)

Introduction

Last week, we briefly discovered that we can awaken to God’s grace through fasting that precedes clarity, calling and commissioning. This week we will reflect together on awakening to God’s grace through service. In the Gospel of John, Jesus was humble, kind, and perfectly loving. In his last days, Jesus said to his disciple in John 13:12-15, “Do you know what I have done for you. You call me Teacher and Lord and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also out to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you”. Jesus is inviting us to love and serve one another during the messiest, chaotic, most humiliating, and challenging times of our lives. Jesus actions reminds us true service has no limits and none are too high or too low for us to handle. Lending a helping hand can changes lives, one person at time.

CHAPTER 22 called in many books, Judgment Against Evil Kings (22:1–30). Verses 1–5 In this chapter , Jeremiah gives a series of messages from the Lord concerning the various kings of Judah to perhaps Zedekiah who was the last king of Judah during whose reigns Jeremiah ministered . The prophetic messages delivered by Jeremiah in Book IV are particularly focused on the impending judgment and destruction against the poeple of Judah and their leaders due to their unfaithfulness to God. Jeremiah contrasts the righteous reign of King Josiah with the evil deeds of his son Jehoiakim, emphasizing that true knowledge of God is linked to righteous actions. Jeremeiah is instructed to convey God’s commands to the king and the people, emphasizing the importance of Justice, righteousness and care for the oppressed. The text highlights the consequesnces of idolatory and injustice warning that failure to heed God’s words will leed to desolation and destruction. The metaphor of the potter and the clay represents the sourvergnity of God and the potential for repentance, while the imagery of broken vessels signifies the irreversible fate awaiting those who persist in their evil ways. Considering the block of passages from chapter 18 to the end of the 23 chapter, we see the historical context of Jerusalem’s themes of divine judgement, mercy and the necessity of genuiine repentance for salvation. Ultimately this book underscores the continuing and common threads of divine judgement, mercy, and the necessity of genuine repentance for salvation.

The author of Jeremiah 22:1–5 urges the reigning king to serve God by practicing justice as a means of continuity of the Davidic convenant while warning the King that if such justice does not come to fuition, the palace will become a ruin and therefore all of Juda to become desolate. This text reframes an earlier passage by referiing to specific breaches of social justice which may be underestood as test cases demonstrating the king’s serious commitment to presideing over a just community.

The maintenance of justice functioned as a major duty in ancient Near Eastern kingship, and in Judah this law was intrinsic to both the Davidic and Mosaic Convenants and with proper execution it would preserve the stability and continuity of the covenant community. This text calls out in no uncertain terms that the king must practice justice and righteousness, deliver the oppressed from the corrupt and protect the vulnerable— which were widows, orphans, and aliens while preventing harm through negligence rather than merely avoiding direct wrongdoing.

The passage functions as a conditional promise: If the king and his officials obey God’s covenant, God promises that there would always be someone from the line of David on the throne that reaffirms the covenant made with David himself. Ultimately

Jeremiah 22:1–5 NRSV

Thus says the Lord: Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word, and say: Hear the word of the Lord, O King of Judah sitting on the throne of David—you, and your servants, and your people who enter these gates. Thus says the Lord: Act with justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor anyone who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the alien, the orphan, and the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place. For if you will indeed obey this word, then through the gates of this house shall enter kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their servants, and their people. But if you will not heed these words, I swear by myself, says the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation.

Have you asked yourself this year, where has Jesus called me to serve to 2026 that maybe that may call me to compassion, justice and righteousness. Where has he challenged me to showup with all our baggage and problem asking “how can I serve someone else to the glory of Jesus Christ today?” Becasuse serving even when you don’t feel like it, serving is a personal choice that can never be void of love or God. But Jeremiah reminds us that service may mean enacting justice, delivering the oppressed sometimes means taking up the cause of the most vulnerable. Therefore the best service is not offered and given when things are easy but when serving feels costly and challenging to oneself.

No matter how much we help a neighbor, mentor a child, help an elderly person get to their car or appointments, or simply offer a ministry of presence, we embody God’s love in tangible ways. Faith comes alive when it moves from words into an act of service. How have you lend an ear, extended a hand to and up for a neighbor, friend, or even a stranger? In every act, no matter its size, we usher in God’s Kingdom and reveal the transformative power of love in the world. So look around and seek one opportunity this week where ou can step in and heal hurts, mend hearts, and reconcile relationships. Consider joining a local service project or outreach opportunity, volunteer your time or support an initiative that brings real hope and care to our community. Because Church when we make service about how we live, we take the heart of discipleship farther than we could ever imagine.

Service tansforms not only the heart of others but our very own heart that draws us into a closer and deeper relationship with our Savior. When love turns into service, and service calls out in compassion and justice, life begins to manifest the kingdom of God. So how can we turn our faith into a practical acts of service and love today?

We are invited to serve the misrepresented, the marginalized, and the mistreated. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9-7-8, “And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. “True joy in service springs from a heart alighned with God’s love, willing to step into the needs of others” says McEntire.

Service is not only about meeting immediate needs but about promoting justice and fairness. As you reflect on the places in our community that something needs to be said or done, ask yourself, “where can you advocate, mentor or stand with those who need courageous support? McEnntire points to one group doing this type of service and thaht is the Florida Immigration Law and Justice Center. Thhey are committed to welcoming immigrants by providing affordable, high- quality immigration legal services. They advocate both a national and global level for immigrant rights Even offering an empathic ear, gentile smile, or a moment of encouragement can be so meaningful and bring people closer to God’s kingdom.

Molly McEntire, FLUmC’s Director of Connectional and Missions Ministries, declares “service is cental to the way we follow Jesus, who model humilty by washing his disciples’ feet and by caring for the most vulnerable. In the Continuing UmC, we believe , now more than ever, our faith must be lived out through God and neighbor. We seek to transform lives and communities through our God given gifts and the works of our hands. Service is where we put our beliefs into action, whether we are meeting the needs of our neighbors through global partnership like Feeding Tampa Bay or other churches like Community of Faith, Lamb of God, or Trinity Church. By loving through service, we bring God’s love to the community everyday.

Ultimately, Jeremiah’s role as a prophet during this tumultuous period showcases his courage and committmentent to speaking out against evil while also offering hope for a better future under divine leadership. This chapter foreshadows the coming of Jesus Christ, who will fulfill God’s promises of an eternal kingdom.

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300 Illustrations for Preachers Children under a Year Old Recognize Right and Wrong

Paul Bloom, an author and professor who took part in a study attempting to distinguish if “Children under a Year Old Recognize Right and Wrong” said, “Humans are born with a hard-wired morality, a sense of good and evil is bred in the bone.

John Wesley

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