11.26.23 Willisburg Bulletin
Which Sea Are You?
Last week we talked about having a servants heart and how that involved changing your mindset. In conjunction with that idea, is the fact that we must use what we have to serve. Serving is not defined by one certain action or just giving of money. Service is the act of helping/ assisting someone; there are so many different ways to serve. However, there is another side of service and that is allowing yourself and your family to be served. It’s not all about being the only one serving in Christ. When someone else offers to help you, let them. We must tear down our idols of pride, self reliance, and self righteousness to become humble to say yes when service is offered to you. There is a clear distinction in the two seas in how our service should be defined. Let us look at which one we need to be.
Sea of Galilee vs. Dead Sea
The Sea of Galilee is a body of water full of life that has fresh water flowing into the sea and flowing out into the Jordan River. While the Dead Sea is a small body of water full of salt water, where nothing lives in it, and nothing flows out of it. We must learn to be more like the Sea of Galilee; we need to allow blessings to flow in and out of our lives, which involves allowing people to serve you and allowing people to serve along side you. The Dead Sea doesn’t allow anything to leave, the water is evaporated. This would be us, allowing the world to grab us and drain us. Do we let people aid us in serving some in need of help? Do we say yes when someone says can I do this for you or is it always no I’m okay thanks anyway? Do we give the excuse of being so busy, we don’t have time to serve? Do we find ways not to help someone? Service takes practice and practice takes time. It won’t happen overnight, but it will be the difference between a church full of service minded folks and a church full of excuse makers and world devoured pew warmers.
Idol Removal
When we think of idols, we think of the Old Testament, wood, golden image type idols. BUT now days idols look more like self righteousness, self reliance, and pride. Part of serving with generosity includes giving other Christians the opportunity to serve WITH you/ along side you. When we have these idols in our lives, we still might be serving, but we want to do it all, and in the back or our minds we are seeking praise for it and we want to be known or paid back for the act. Instead, we need to have the mindset talked about
in Ephesians 4:2 of bearing with one another in love, meaning you are patience to share in the opportunity to serve in love.
We all know of things that need to be done, but let someone else serve with you. If you know someone needs a Bible or needs a meal, ask another Christian to chip in or make a side with your side. Don’t be so self reliant when it comes to service in the Lord, which remember… encompasses our whole lives because we do it all as if to the Lord. Don’t get caught up in the idea that you can do it all by yourself. That develops a prideful and self righteous mindset. Soon, you’ll start thinking you don’t need God, maybe without even realizing it. And don’t go to the other extreme of self pity where you think you can’t do anything, because that is just as wrong. The whole point is that with God is the place we want to be. Self pity is too far one way and self righteousness is too far the other way. We want to be in the middle with the mindset that with God we can do anything.
What Have You Been Given?
Have you ever sat down and thought about all the things God has given you? And taken it further by thinking about what and how you can serve with those things? We have all been given some talent from God to use. Joanna and Susanna in Luke 8:3 gave out if their own. Dorcas in Acts 9 used a needle and thread to serve. Phoebe in Romans 16:1-2 was a helper of many. Euodia and Syntyche in Phil 4:3 labored in the gospel. Esther used her diplomat and title of wife to help the nation. Ruth used physical labor to serve Naomi. Deborah in Judges 4 used her rule. There are so many ways to serve, which is evident just in these examples. We are called to serve too just like these Christians were. Older women in Titus 2 are called to use thei wisdom to help younger women. Every Christian is called to serve those around you by laboring for the gospel in Matt 28. Fathers in Eph 6 are called to use God’s word as a guide and use their rule to serve their children. service is required by everyone.