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Improving Your Serve

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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?

Invitation To Friendship

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In the book, The Insanity of Obedience, its author, Nick Ripken writes: Betrayal within the faith community is a special concern, and it is important enough to demand specific attention. Consider this scenario: Expectations were high. After years of struggle and prayer, a house church was emerging among a resistant Muslim people group. Lives had been spent with this precious moment in view. Seeds had been sown and those seeds were now bearing fruit. Fervent prayers were being answered. Bold witness was being blessed. It was an exciting time. A church was being born. Almost immediately, it seemed, a Judas arose from within the group, exposing the inner circle of leaders. The small core of believers fled in disarray and fear. In an instant, the infant church seemed to disappear. Now, years later, these believers still wait in hiding for the birth of the first house church among their people. Nik Ripkin goes on to state, In light of the Biblical record and in light of Jesus’ response to His own Judas, let us consider some truths about Judas and let us consider what our response might mean for the growth and health of the Gospel. (1) We can expect to find Judas within our inner circle. (2) We can expect Judas to grow up within the movement and not to be imported from the outside. (3) With God’s help, we can choose to deal with Judas ourselves and choose not to export him to others. (4) We can learn to recognize Judas quickly. (5) We can be aware that Judas often has money issues. Regarding this last point Nik offers the testimony of a Muslim believer: When a seeker after Jesus comes to me, I ask them, What is it that you want: a car, a house, a wife, or to go to America? I tell them that I cannot even give them an aspirin. All I have is a cross. Do you want to pick up your cross and follow Jesus? That is all I can offer you. He then continued, “Everyone who followed Jesus in the New Testament gave up something. Everyone who comes to Jesus through a Westerner is trying to get something.“

There’s an interesting detail that Western readers often overlook when reading about the night of Jesus’ betrayal by Judas. John 13:26-27 Jesus answered, It is the one to whom I am going to give this morsel (bit) of food after I have dipped it. So when He had dipped the morsel of bread [into the dish], He gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son. 27 Then after [he had taken] the bit of food, Satan entered into and took possession of [Judas]. Jesus said to him, What you are going to do, do more swiftly than you seem to intend and make quick work of it. We know from Scripture that John, the Beloved disciple, sat to Jesus’ right at the table and that Judas sat to His left. In Jewish culture the seat of honor was on the left side of the one who headed up the meal. Jesus had given the seat of honor to Judas – who was going to betray him; to the one who stole money from Jesus and the other disciples. Jesus honored him. But it get’s much worse, or should I say, more convicting. When Jesus handed the morsel of matzah to Judas that also had symbolic, and cultural ramifications. What was its message? Through that one action Jesus was offering to Judas a lifetime of friendship and love. He was saying to Judas, Will you be my true and close friend?

As we celebrate Passover, and draw closer to the events of Christ’s crucifixion, we need to take the time to ask, Have we betrayed Jesus for protection, provision, spouses, family, cars, houses, or material gain? I am often haunted by a realization I had years ago, that Jesus has many acquaintances but very few friends. We all want Him for something. But in the words of Henry Blackaby, If you knew all you had was a relationship with God, would you be totally and completely satisfied? In other words, If you didn’t have any of the material wealth, or family and friends – would your relationship with Jesus keep you totally and completely satisfied? What are you living for?