Philippians 2:1 “Therefore if you have…any affection and mercy,…”

It’s easy to ignore that phrase and so I compared it to other translations, and here is what I found: “..if any affection and compassionate sympathy…” Another translation: “…you are concerned for others…” or “…are your hearts tender and sympathetic…” or “…if you have a heart, if you care…” or “…do you have any love and care for others?”

This is the result of the previous blogs “litmus tests.” “If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you….” then serving others will follow. You will want to serve Jesus first, and then others. That service will begin in your family first and spread to your church family, your neighbors, and people you have never had the privilege of meeting. As you do practice these things you will come face to face with your weaknesses. You will realize you need to the Power of the Spirit. You will realize that your words, and acts of love and kindness are not enough. That you need the gifts of His Spirit. You will recognize and realize that everyday you cannot neglect seeking to be connected to Jesus; to abide, live, and remain in Him. You will not want your efforts to be in vain and you will desire to see the fruits and evidences of that connection manifesting in others.

Over the years I have heard people say, “Well, pastor, that’s not my gift.” Others have said, “I have done my part now it’s time to let someone else have a chance to serve.” Henry Blackaby, author of Experiencing God writes, “When you believe nothing significant can happen through you, you have said more about your belief in God than you have declared about yourself. You have said that God is incapable of doing anything significant through you. The truth is, He is able to do anything He pleases with one ordinary person who is fully consecrated to Him.”

1 Jn. 3:14 We know that we have passed over out of death into Life by the fact that we love the brethren (our fellow Christians). He who does not love abides (remains, is held and kept continually) in [spiritual] death. Love, true love, God’s love, is expressed not in words alone, but in actions. Those actions will manifest in service to others, especially Jesus, and His body. You can’t have one without the other. You can’t say I love Jesus and then ignore the body of Christ. People will say, “I can worship God at home. I watch a service on TV.” First of all, Jesus defines love and worship as obedience, and surrender. If you are not an active member of a church – you don’t love Him and you sure aren’t worshipping Him through disobedience. You are ignoring Him. You are rejecting Him. Second, if anyone is living like this they have failed to take the “litmus tests” of Scripture. Paul said in 2 Cor. 13:5 “Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves [not Christ]. Do you not yourselves realize and know [thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you are [counterfeits] disapproved on trial and rejected?” To not serve Jesus and others – especially in the Body of Christ is quite simply unbelief. You are not passing the test of faith – you are failing it.

The true follower of Jesus, is not sentimental about Jesus. What does that word sentimental mean? It can be a “view of or attitude toward a situation or event; an opinion; exaggerated and SELF-indulgent feelings of tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia.” Followers of Jesus do not base their actions or inactivity on opinions. They base them upon the Word of God. They pick up their cross, deny self-indulgent feelings, sacrificing their all for the Reward of the Lamb and for His suffering. True followers of Jesus practice doing what Jesus said, and taught. They practice doing the things Jesus did. They practice over and over the commands of the Word of God. They are always practicing His Word. Are you? Are you passing the tests?

Chuck Swindoll penned an appropriate analogy regarding serving Jesus and others: “This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There was an important job to do and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody would do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.” Are a somebody or are you a member of Jesus’ Body? His body?