She Began To Serve

She Began To Serve Mark 1:29-39 NRSV Most folks have a keychain with a bunch of keys on it, each designed to open a certain lock. Over the years, these keys add up, and it becomes pretty normal to have a bunch of keys. A key for your house, your car, your shed. Each key has been uniquely made to fit a certain lock in order to enter or gain access to a certain location. I have a bunch of keys that look the same. They're the same length and similar in shape, but they won't open the same things because each key was crafted from a different master key. From our perspective, think of God as the master key. God opens everything, but He has uniquely crafted every believer for a specific place in which He wants you to make a difference in the lives of others. If you've received God's grace, then He has crafted you to serve, but not because you're obligated to serve or because you owe something to God, but because you want to serve out of a grateful heart with the desire to tell others about the healing power of God's grace in Jesus Christ. Healing is where we left off last week, and it's where we begin this week. The synagogue service is now over, but the excitement about Jesus isn't. Jesus not only just cast out a demon, but what's interesting and refreshing about Jesus is He takes the love of God the Father with Him everywhere He goes. The Jewish people said you could only worship at the temple or in a synagogue if you can't make it to the temple. You had to worship in a sacred space because they separated themselves from anything "unclean," and they took God's Law everywhere they went. Jesus, on the other hand, instead of separating Himself from anything or anyone "unclean," He associated Himself with those people. Jesus also took God's Law with Him so people could see their sin, but He also took grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love. For Jesus, everything was sacred because there wasn't anywhere He wasn't willing to go. Jesus didn't separate Himself from others; He associated Himself with people, which left Him very busy. Scripture says, "As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Him about her at once." No rest for Jesus. Synagogue service, teaching, casting out a demon, and now when Jesus thinks He'll get some peaceful rest inside Simon's home, a sick mother-in-law. Now, you know the difference between in-laws and outlaws don't you? Outlaws are wanted. Well, that's not true here. Jesus wants everyone to come to Him (1 Timothy 2:4), and Simon's mother-in-law was definitely wanted because there was a real concern for her well-being. It sounds like nobody knew she was sick because once they found out, "they told Him about her at once." So what did Jesus do? "He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her." Now, I want to pause here for a minute to focus on the harmony of the Gospels. When Jesus healed Simon's mother-in-law, the Gospel writers had a slightly different perspective of what happened. Matthew says Jesus touched the women's hand. Mark says He helped her up. Luke said that Jesus spoke to the fever, and it left her. I mention this because I want you to understand that there's no contradictions within the Gospel accounts. For too long now there's been people trying to find error in the Bible. They see varying stories and say they've found a contradiction, which means the Bible can't be truthful. This is just one example of how there is no contradiction. When you compare all 3 accounts of Jesus healing Simon's mother-in-law, a beautiful picture emerges. Jesus touched her hand, spoke with authority, and gently helped her up. 3 accounts, 1 wonderful example of how Jesus reaches out to heal. Once healed, what did Simon's mother-in-law do. Scripture says, "she began to serve them." We don't know her name or how she served. We don't even know what she said. But we know one thing, "she began to serve them." "She began to serve" is one of the most powerful expressions we could have. You know, we're a detail people. We like details. We want details. But we don't always get details. And that's ok! There are plenty of things in your faith that are lacking in detail, but you know God can be trusted. What does Hebrews 11:1 say? "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." We don't "see" how Simon's mother-in-law served, but we know she did because we trust in the God who used Mark to record this wonderful example of how Jesus Christ came to heal the sick and sinful. I also want you to notice the difference between the healing in the synagogue and the healing in Simon's house. The demon who was cast out required confrontation; Simon's mother-in-law required the kindness of a touch. God will confront your sin; if not in this life in the next for sure. But by then, it'll be too late. So confront your sin with Christ today! When you do, you'll experience Jesus' graceful touch and be healed from all your unrighteousness. "She began to serve," not because she owed something for her healing. "She began to serve," not because she was trying to earn a gift. "She began to serve" not because she was a woman and it was her so-called job to serve the men. NO! "She began to serve" because gratitude and service are the correct response to God's goodness in your life. Her gratitude wasn't in words, but in action. And her action of serving included everyone. When you're blessed, that blessing spills out on those around you. You can't contain it; you don't want to contain it. You want everyone to hear and experience God's grace in Christ. You don't just bask in the blessing, in the healing. You get to work because you're responding to God's grace, thereby making all your service a response to what He has already given to you. Now all of this has happened on the Sabbath. The synagogue service, the casting out of a demon, and the healing of Simon's mother-in-law. All done on the Sabbath. But now look at what Scripture says, "That evening, at sundown, they brought to Him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew Him." In case you didn't know, the Jewish Sabbath is the last day of the week, but it goes from sundown Friday until sundown Saturday. The Bible says, "That evening, at sundown," people came to be healed. "News about Jesus spread quickly," but most everyone still waited until after the Sabbath before they came to Jesus because Jewish law said there could be no traveling or healing on the Sabbath, and the people didn't want to break the law. Compare this to the disciples who, when they first heard Simon's mother-in-law was sick with fever, didn't care about the man-made laws regarding the Sabbath but went straight to Jesus. Knowing Jesus is knowing freedom. Sinners are bound by the law, but those who know Christ, who've placed saving faith in Him, are not bound by the law but free because of God's grace. Are you bound by anything? Something you can't seem to escape? Something holding you back? Those who wanted to "try on" Jesus for size waited until after the Sabbath when it was dark, but those who know Christ are children of the light (1 Thessalonians 5:5). After this busy day of teaching and healing, the Bible says that Jesus, "In the morning, while it was still dark, He got up and went out to a deserted place, and there He prayed." Up until now, we've been talking about Jesus's healing ministry, but we can't just end there because Jesus was all about prayer. Jesus lived a life of prayer, and if Jesus, who is God, finds it necessary to pray, how much more should we find it necessary to pray? Prayer is essential to everything Jesus did, and it's essential for everything we do. For Jesus, prayer was the first thing He did. Prayer is not an afterthought for Jesus, and it shouldn't be for us either. You are to put God first and give God the first of everything. Give God the first part of your day. Give God the first words that come outta your mouth in the morning. Give God the first part of each week. Give God the first part of your income. If God is not first in your life, then it means you've placed something above God, which is idolatry, which is breaking the first two of the 10 Commandments, which is a sin, which means if you're finding it hard to follow Jesus, then you better look to see who you have Jesus following. Prayer was vital to Jesus' ministry. It's vital for the church's ministry and your ministry as well. In everything you do, in all your service, in all of your plans, in absolutely everything, you need to pray first. You need to get with God first. You need to discuss it with God first. You need direction from God first. I'm sure there's people out there who have a great track record of Christian service, and you're like, "Man, they really go the distance to serve others. They're one fire for the Lord!" Some people approach the extra mile with an attitude that makes you wonder if they just accidentally missed the previous exit. But they didn't miss anything because they took the exit of prayer, which led to the onramp of Christian service. Jesus was praying, but when His disciples found Him, "They said to Him, 'Everyone is searching for You.'" Other translations, like the NIV, say, "They exclaimed: 'Everyone is looking for You!'" They exclaimed! They yelled! Why were the disciples so impatient? How would you have responded if you found Jesus praying alone when so much needed to be done? It's easy to neglect prayer before doing something, but it's also easy to neglect prayer while doing something. When so much is happening and your busy and prayer slips your mind. Your ministry can become so fast-paced, exciting or tiring, that you neglect times of solitude, worship, and prayer with God. If you find yourself not praying, then you're not doing it God's way, and you're putting too much strain upon yourself. True service begins with prayer, continues in prayer, and endures because of prayer. To take the Good News of Jesus Christ to others, you must pray first and learn patience because things will get done according to God's timetable, not yours. After the disciples yelled at Jesus, His timetable said it was time to go. Jesus told His disciples, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do." Jesus can heal every hurt, but He didn't come to please the masses with miracles; He came to preach the Good News and prepare people for God's Kingdom. Your service is done in more than one place. Your service isn't just worshipping here on Sunday, nor is it about one particular ministry. Your service includes supporting the ministry of the church, making disciples, equipping disciples, following God, going where He goes, and using the gifts God's given you. Make disciples even as you're being made disciples. It's been said that the best ability is availability. Jesus went to where the need was. He made Himself available, and Jesus is available to you now. Make yourself available to Him. Cry out to God. Yell at Him if you have to. He's a big God; He can handle it. And He'll comfort and guide you. Make Jesus your master key, and let Him continually form you into His image. The Good News of Jesus Christ is a message of healing. Share your testimony. Tell about God's healing and how He healed you from sin. Pray, follow, serve. Still unsure about what your key is? Well, a young boy sat in church and watched as the offering plate was being passed around. Wanting to give something, he reached inside his pocket for something to put in. To his dismay, he had nothing inside. As the plate was passed down the row and came to him, he put the plate on the ground and stepped inside. He had nothing monetary to give, but he gave the most important thing he had-himself. Like Simon's mother-in-law, when we serve Him, we serve them. All of them. Our neighbors, everyone. There is no other key in God's kingdom like you. Give God yourself, and follow Him. AMEN 2