http://bible.com/events/48941744
Church of the Nazarene Harrisonburg
Your Un-Churched Neighbor Part 3: Serving
God works as we serve.
Series Purpose:
To inform, inspire, equip and challenge us as the people of God to embrace our unique calling to be a counter-narrative people, to do His will and serve others, and to speak the truth in love, to those who are far from God, as we tell of what He has done in our lives and for the whole world.
Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
”The focus for today is: SERVING.
Week 1 we began with the focus of UNDERSTANDING. You can’t reach someone with whom you don’t empathize, and you won’t empathize until you understand.
Week 2 we focused on PRAYING. God works through our prayers, and at the same time, God works in us as we pray. Prayer is essential.
John 13:1-17
It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.“
Do you understand what I have done for you?”-Serving at the level that Jesus is asking us to serve is easy to misunderstand.-Jesus acknowledges that He is their leader, their teacher, the one in a position of authority over them and yet He serves anyways.
Many people are looking for an opportunity, even praying for an opportunity, but it’s the wrong one.
-Too often we may be looking for an opportunity to be right.
-Too often we may be looking for an opportunity to win an argument.
-But the truth is, the opportunity to reach someone will likely start with an opportunity to serve them.
Bottom Line:
God works as we serve.