Serving (2)

The To do list. They’ve been around for many years. They are supposed to help you plan your day, week, month, year, your life, to make certain keep that what needs to get done will be done.

To do lists come in all kinds of colors, shapes and forms.

On paper… and

Electronic versions…

Here is my favorite app for our family to do lists and shopping. We use it all the time. The best part, it’s free. Cozi.com

You might need some kind of an organizer if you’re desktop looks like this.

Or even this,

But Life is more than just checking the boxes.

We were made for more than simply to complete a daily to do list.

We were re-created in the image of Christ, to be just like Jesus. When that re-creation took place in our baptism and when faith was born in our hearts, WE became the children of God.

Upon whom the Father has lavished His GREAT LOVE!

1 John 3:1 (NIV) 1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Paul’s reminds the Galatians, that when we were baptized,

Galatians 2:20 (NIV) 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

God’s love, then, is evidenced IN US that we are alive in Christ and living by faith in the Son of God. Now,

Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) “…we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Re-created in Christ, to imitate Jesus living a life of love. Ephesians 5:1-2

Ephesians 5:1-2 (NIV) 1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

The RED Letter Challenge is all about living this new life in Christ. It is about being with Jesus and experiencing his forgiveness and unconditional love, and then, being compelled by His love to love him back by serving others.

Here’s our first Red Letter for today:

John 13:35 (NIV) 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

When it comes to serving God,

Why we serve is more important than the actual service we provide.

Mark 9:41 (NIV) 41 I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.

Did you notice that our services does not go unnoticed and unrewarded? Our motivation for serving Jesus is not for reward, although we will receive it, and it is not for our glory, but we want to serve Jesus because He has served us.

Matthew 20:28 (ESV) 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

One day, early on in the ministry of Jesus, Luke records,

Luke 5:1-5 (NIV) “…Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God…He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." 5 Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

BYSSIW - because you say so, I will

WOW! When faith and obedience to Christ’s Word combine here is what can happen:

Luke 5:6-7 (NIV) 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

Living a Red Letter life in faith and obedience to Christ can transform our lives that begins when like Peter we say,

Because you, Jesus, say so, I will.

Watch how this plays out in our lives.

Because you say so, Jesus, I will love others as you love me.

John 13:34 (NIV) Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Because you say so, Jesus, I will forgive others.

Mark 11:25 (NIV) if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him,

Because you say so, I will, Jesus, even when its hard. Even when we don’t understand by. Even when it is uncomfortable. BYSSIW!

We need to be praying for the Holy Spirit to give us a BYSSIW heart and attitude. Lord Jesus, give me a BYSSIW heart and will every place I go, to everyone I meet.

Oh, how such a Christ-like attitude and heart can change everything. Envision what can happen when everyone in your home, marriage, friendships, classroom, workplace, and church all display and live out this Christ-like attitude?

Red Letter number 4, Jesus said,

Matthew 20:16 (NIV) 16 "So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

Jesus put you first because your sin placed you last before God. Jesus put you first, before His own pleasure, sacrifice and suffering so that you would have a first place in the Kingdom of God.

This, BYSSIW attitude is the Red Letter Life that Christ calls us to live, following His example. Paul writes,

Philippians 2:5-8 (NIV) 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!

Jesus calls us to put ourselves last, and others first.

That’s and attitude you won’t hear of in the world. Our world today doesn’t promotes putting the needs of other before our own needs. If that were the case, every automakers could remove the horn from every car ever made. Slogans like these would never hit the marketplace.

“Have it your way.”

You deserve a break today…

“I’m worth it.”

We live in a world that doesn’t encourage BEING concerned for others. We live in a world that says, Put yourself first…

Everyone who is alive today raise your hand. Here is a harsh reality. You have a mother to thank that she put your first.

The cross that hangs before us high is a vivid reminder that Jesus put you first when He served you and gave His life on the cross for you.

Nothing fulfills our lives more than serving others because serving others invites you into a life that is bigger than yourselves.

One day, Jesus was asked, “who is my neighbor?” He responded by telling the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Luke 10:30-37 (NIV) "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' 36 "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" 37 The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

Who is your neighbor? Everyone who needs you to show the mercy of Christ.

Who do you need to show Christ’s mercy to? It’s your children, struggling to learn to tie their shoes or brush their teeth. It is the coworker who is having a hard time doing their job. It’s the selfish neighbor who will never see Christ, unless he sees it in you. Here is the last red letter thought for today.

Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV) "You are the salt of the earth….14 "You are the light of the world. …let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

It’s time to shake our salt and cast the light of Christ upon a hungry world living in the dark. Who knows? Is it possible that by the way we live our lives we may point someone to believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior!