Back to the Basics of Service<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pastor Don Carpenter<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Back to the Basics \/ 2 Corinthians 9:6\u20138; Matthew 20:28<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A first grade teacher asked her students, “What do you do to help at home?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One little girl said, “I dry the dishes.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the boys said, “I sweep the floor.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another one said, “I feed and water the dog.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every student in the class had something to contribute except for one boy sitting in the back. The teacher looked qt him asked, “What do you do to help out at home?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said, “I stay out of the way.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s a problem in the church. Too many church members just stay out of the way. A Gallup poll discovered that only 10% of church members are active in any kind of personal ministry in their church. 50% said that they have no desire or interest in serving in any ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(From a sermon by Michael Luke, The Demonstration Factor, 5\/5\/2011)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s hard to believe this is our last week together in our Back to the Basics sermon series. So far we\u2019ve covered prayer, scripture, confession, and today we\u2019ll be talking about service. Or said another way, serving others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Truth be told, we could probably do a \u201cbasics\u201d series for another 3 months as there are so many good and profitable practices and rhythms that we as followers of Jesus can commit to. I pray our time together over the past few weeks will serve as a springboard to you and that you will spend future time exploring other topics like sabbath, giving, communion, and so many others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One thing I know for sure, spending time with Jesus is profitable. As we\u2019ve already discussed, prayer and scripture are things we should be committing ourselves to on a daily basis. And not because we need to check some ambiguous religious box off our righteous to-do list. But because that\u2019s where Jesus is, that\u2019s where we reconnect with our Savior and King. That\u2019s where we get the fuel necessary to go and do good deeds in service to others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And serving others, trading our time and treasure so that others may experience the love of Christ, this is the topic today\u2026 Kingdom minded service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How many of you remember or even had one of those WWJD bracelets? And if you have no idea what I\u2019m talking about, just hang in with me for a few minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The phrase itself actually goes back hundreds of years and was even employed in sermons by the great preacher Charles Spurgeon. So, it\u2019s not exactly a new idea, but going back to the bracelets for a moment\u2026 The bracelets began as a grassroots movement in the 1990\u2019s out of a youth group in Holland, Michigan. The youth pastor was trying to figure out a simple way for her students to remember the phrase. Little did she know that the bracelets would become a worldwide phenomenon and spark an entire generation to consider, What Would Jesus Do?[1]<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As I re-consider the phrase today, and how it pertains to serving others, I want to invite you all to turn with me to Matthew 20;<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022\t[1] WWJD information here: https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/What_would_Jesus_do%3F<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Matthew 20:28<\/em> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The son of man did not come to be served, but to serve others. Christ came to trade His life, His energy, His time, everything He had so that others like you and I could have life. And in our case, eternal life. As we follow Him and learn to live like Him, we are called to give our lives, like He did, so that others may experience life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Serve Believers In The Assembly<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Hebrews 10:24\u201325<\/em> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022\tWhen you go to church, follow Jesus\u2019 example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022\tDo not go to church primarily to be ministered to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022\tGo to church primarily to minister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Serve Strangers In The World<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Helpless<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n James 1:27<\/em> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Outcast<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Luke 10:25\u201337<\/em> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Enemy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Matthew 5:44<\/em> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Serve Generously Everywhere<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 2 Corinthians 9:6\u20138<\/em> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Full disclosure on this passage: Paul is definitely talking about money. So I don\u2019t want to mislead you and make this all about money. I think this principle applies to serving others too. I believe sowing and reaping are Godly principles that play out in many different areas of our lives. And I know for a fact, God loves a cheerful giver. I know He will give us all we need so that in every situation we can abound in every good work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s the economy of the Kingdom, it\u2019s bountiful. It\u2019s plentiful. And even when you don\u2019t feel like you are enough or have enough, God works through you as you offer yourself a living sacrifice into His service. (Romans 12:2)<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, What Would Jesus Do? He would, and He did, offer Himself for others. He gave himself, full stop, to the work the Father sent Him to. And we are called to follow His example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you ever have this feeling you were made for more than a mediocre life you daydream escaping from? What if this feeling were real? What if it was something deep inside you, planted there by the divine creator of the cosmos?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ephesians 2:10<\/em> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n There you go, created in Christ to do good work. Work that God the Father prepared in advance. You are created for more than mediocrity. You are created for good works, divine works, kingdom works. And there is so much of the kingdom life to experience on the other side of serving others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You have to, like the gospel of Luke says, \u201cPut your hand to the plow and don\u2019t look back.\u201d (Luke 9:62) You have to get into it and try. Start small, start with a donation, or a message. Start by donating some food to a local food bank. Start by serving in the kids ministry once a month. Just start somewhere. You were created for more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let me say it this way\u2026 I love how easy this is to remember. You weren\u2019t saved by good works, you were saved to good works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You were actually in fact, made for more than mediocrity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conclusion<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve covered a lot of ground in the past few weeks. And again, I hope and pray it\u2019s a springboard for you. At the very least, I hope you will find regular time to pray and read the word every day or week. I pray you will feel confident and empowered in confessing your sins and praying with other believers. And finally, I hope you will find a meaningful place to serve others. And, I trust in serving others, you will experience in new ways, in fuller ways, the love of God made available through Christ and the fellowship of believers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Christ has loved, we are to love\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 John 3:16<\/em> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The life of faith is a marathon not a journey. You don\u2019t have to do everything all at once, start small and build. Just make sure you start somewhere today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Exported from Logos Bible Software, 9:10 PM January 27, 2022.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Back to the Basics of Service Pastor Don Carpenter Back to the Basics \/ 2 Corinthians 9:6\u20138; Matthew 20:28 A first grade teacher asked her students, “What do you do to help at home?” One little girl said, “I dry the dishes.” One of the boys said, “I sweep the floor.” Another one said, “I … Continue reading Back to the Basics of Service<\/span>