Serving All

Introduction

Three weeks ago we began a series entitled The Church. On Purpose. As we talked about that we began looking at different kinds of tools and that some had a purpose for one thing or another. Well the church is meant for something. We do not just get together and look at each other.

Week one we discussed that the church is meant for Connecting people to God. We are meant to personally and individually invest in every friendship, family member and even acquaintance for the purpose of connecting people to the Lord. We are responsible to reach them for the gospel sake.

Week two we dealt with the reality that a Godly Christians Grow and Growing Christians build each other up.

Today I would like for us to finish up with the third major purpose of the church. You see the church can be summed up in the process of these three purposes. All our programs, all our efforts fit into these categories. Today, as we formally send one of our own off, lets talk together about Serving All.

Work of Faith

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letters to the Thessalonians II. “We Always Thank God for All of You”—The Coming of the Gospel and Its Reception (1.2–10)

The Roman and Greek understanding of fides/pistis(faith) can help clarify the close association between faith and works in these verses. In the relationship between patrons and clients, the client was said to be in the fides/pistis of the patron, for their part clients owed fides/pistis or loyalty to their patron, and this was shown in their actions. The type of work that flowed out of the Thessalonians’ faith is not specified. The word used for work could refer to manual labor (1 Thess. 2:9; 4:11; 2 Thess. 3:8, 10; 1 Cor. 4:12; 9:6) and elsewhere described the ministerial labors of ecclesiastical leaders

Faith in the Lord produces a physical outward work based on the object of that faith. As a servant, I am to have such a faith in God’s provision that it produces in me a passion to serve Him in serving others.

John 13:14–17 AV 1873

If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

Labour of love

“of” prompted or by means of love

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letters to the Thessalonians II. “We Always Thank God for All of You”—The Coming of the Gospel and Its Reception (1.2–10)

As in the previous clause, Paul does not explain what type of labor the Thessalonians undertook. He frequently used the term to refer either to his ministerial labors (e.g., 1 Cor. 3:8; 15:58; 2 Cor. 6:5; 11:23, 27; 1 Thess. 3:5) or to manual labor (1 Thess. 2:9; 2 Thess. 3:8). But here the word most likely refers to any kind of self-sacrificing labor the believers engaged in as they served those both inside and outside the community. Both their faith and love generated labors that were for the benefit of others.

1 Corinthians 3:8 AV 1873

Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

I Cor. 3:8

1 Thessalonians 3:5 AV 1873

For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.

Endurance/patience

The spirit of service is not those who see, but the One who sees. It is inspired by a hope and expectation of Christ.

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letters to the Thessalonians II. “We Always Thank God for All of You”—The Coming of the Gospel and Its Reception (1.2–10)

The hope they held was not some vague expectation about a better future but rather solid confidence rooted in the expectation of Christ’s coming. This was the strong foundation that gave the Thessalonians the power to endure and persevere in the face of the tremendous hostility leveled against them.

The hope or expectation is finds its ultimate end as eternal glory in the kingdom of God. There maybe one or more people here today that you are not sure where you will be for all eternity. You do not know for sure that there is an eternity and if there is, where will you spend it?

The Christian finds his hope, joy and strength in the fact that he is by faith in Christ Alone given grace by God through redemptive power of Christ’s sacrificial death burial and resurrection. Have you ever had a one time moment where you trusted wholly in Christ as your substitute for sin’s payment? Today could be that time, where you trust Christ.