You are never more like Jesus than when you are serving other people.
It’s impossible to live a Godly life that looks like Jesus unless you are serving within the church & within the community because that is what Jesus did every day.
If you are a follower of Jesus, you are a piece of the church puzzle. God has a specific role for you to play, and if you don’t – it’s like a part of the puzzle is missing. There should be a hole if you ever had to leave.
Luke 9:1-6 Jesus called together his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases. 2 Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 “Take nothing for your journey,” he instructed them. “Don’t take a walking stick, a traveler’s bag, food, money, or even a change of clothes. 4 Wherever you go, stay in the same house until you leave town. 5 And if a town refuses to welcome you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.” 6 So they began their circuit of the villages, preaching the Good News and healing the sick.
God saves us to send us.
Saying Jesus to Jesus means getting a jersey because he wants you in the game.
1 Corinthians 12:12-14 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. (The church – everyone plays a part) 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. 14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.
You have been uniquely gifted for your role.
1 Cor. 12:18-21 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it.19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”
God’s fingerprints all over your passions.
Leverage your passions into serving.
Romans 12:7-8 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
God has given you strengths, even advantages for specific areas that you can excel in.
Use your advantage to God’s advantage.
Use your strengths, your gifts to serve God and serve the church. Those strengths can be used by God to serve other people.
So ask yourself: What are my strengths? How can God use them to help others?
What have I gone through that could allow me to help someone else?
Luke 8:38-39 The man who had been freed from the demons begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him home, saying, 39 “No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.” So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him.
Tell people what you’ve been through and how God helped you overcome it.
Our experiences can play a huge part in helping us find ways to serve God in a meaningful way.
Sometimes God just wants you to show up and serve and he will do the rest.
Matthew 22:36-40 36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” 37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
Who can I encourage today?
If you pray that God will give you opportunities to encourage people today, opportunities will arise all around you. So ask that each morning.
Where do I need to be present today?
One of the most significant ways we can serve and love the people around us is by being present with them. So where do you need to be present? On that windy September day a few years ago, I needed to be present at that Bridgewater State committee meeting. What about you?
How can I strengthen our church family this week?
As a part of the body of Christ, you have the ability to make us stronger. To make the church healthier. So what can you do to help strengthen us? How can you use your passions, your gifts, and your experiences? How does that translate into love?
You are never more like Jesus than when you are serving other people.
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Application Questions
1. What stood out to you from this message and why?
2. What is one thing God is telling you to START doing because of this message?
3. What is one thing God is telling you to STOP doing because of this message?
4. How will this message change how you act at home, work and in the your relationships?