SERVE ONE ANOTHER

Well it’s a week after Easter.  How are you doing with your walk of faith?  Over the weeks I’ve tried to encourage you in becoming others-minded Christ followers.  Again my hope today is to stimulate you to find value in caring for somebody else on the planet.  I feel compelled to tell you of this aspect of authentic Christianity because of the incredible rewards.  I know it’s dangerous living but the rewards are worth it.  

Now when I say care for others, I’m not just referring to the lost tribes deep in the rainforest but also the lost soul who works next to your cubical.  Remember that caring according to scripture is not a thought alone but it must be connected to an action.  I’ll start with an observation of my own flaws along with my fellow planet walkers that I’ve encountered in my 53 years.

It seems that everyplace we turn today we see people looking for someone to take a responsibility in life off their plate.  We want the doctor to keep us healthy even when we ingest unhealthy food products or refuse to exercise our bodies.  We want the school system to fix our child’s lack of respect and character because we refuse to take the time or effort to love and discipline our own kids.  We want the government to bail us out when we overextend ourselves and make poor decisions financially.  We want someone else to carry the load of feeding our hungry kids, housing our homeless kids and just plain being mom and dad to our rejected kids so we can live for ourselves.  We even want the church to take our children off our hands for an hour and make them, nice little Jesus followers, so we don’t have to do what we’ve been called to do.

In addition to this, many people have lost the desire to serve their country, serve their fellowman and serve their neighbor.  Our kids are involved in so much activity that when a call for help comes from those around us, we have nothing left to offer, because we are just to busy advancing our own lives and building our own little kingdoms.  Again I know this is true because I’m as susceptible to this as the next guy.  Let me introduce you to another gal who may not quite get the benefits of serving others.

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Sadly this thinking isn’t really very new.  Even in Jesus day people struggled with the same thing but Jesus gave them the answer they didn’t want to hear.  I know it’s “upstream” kind of thinking.  I know the culture is resistant to this approach but I can’t care, because the culture is not my GOD.  I need to muster the courage and tell you what Jesus wants us to hear even if Dr. Phil and Oprah disagree with it.

God makes it clear that the reason we struggle so much with serving others, is that we have yet to acquiesce to worship and serve Him.  We mostly want to be served and not be a servant.  We don’t want anyone to tell us what to do.  We wrestle with authority and we don’t like having to help others when there is nothing in it for us.  Jesus was offered the deal of a lifetime and I want you to hear what he said in response to it.

Again, the devil took him (Jesus) to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.  “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.  (Matthew 4:8-11)

Right out of the blocks Satan tried to sell his plan of self-living, even to Jesus.  He is the leader of the self-severs.  He has always tried to get anyone he could to focus on what’s in it for them.  He is the king of the selfish, the duke of it’s all about me.  Jesus weapon was serving God.  Listen to another example through the very closest followers of Jesus.

Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered.  Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”

When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.  Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  (Matthew 20:20-28)

What audacity, what nerve and yet we do the same thing when we think it’s ok to serve our purpose and our plans and neglect to serve those around us.  The Apostle Paul has some very poignant words for us on this subject.

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.  The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.  (Galatians 5:13-15)

Serving others is a command from God because He knows the joy, fulfillment and rewards are over the top.  Listen to the promise.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:23-24)

Serving is a joy and brings other amazing advantages to the kingdom of God.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  (John 13:34-35)

A number of the departments of Christ’s Family church have chosen to shift their efforts this year to one of introducing service as part of their ministry activity.  Are you retired or between jobs?  Then give your best gift, the gift of time and service.  Serve others as if you were serving Jesus himself and you will never go unfulfilled in your own life.

Examples of how we serve others:

Youth group:    made blankets for the homeless, made meals to feed children, picked up trash along the river, helped in the efforts to aide people after a storm.

Life groups are being encouraged to make service a valued part of their group activity.

Mission’s team is all about serving those who need a little assistance.

Maybe you could volunteer to read to kids at school, Help deliver meals on wheels, Visit an elderly person in a retirement center or Help out a single mom.  Serve one another.

Notes from Pastor Pasch’s April 19, 2009 message; to get a free CD of the complete message, contact Christ’s Family Church @ 651.437.2340.