Service in Love

I know it has been a life time since I have written here but I wanted to let you know my intentions are to be updating... its just hard without access to a computer most of the time.

This weekend I was one of five speakers at a retreat and I thought I would post my talk since it is already finished and I have very little time to write something else out. Hope it is an encouragement.

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Before I begin, I would like to warn you that I was hoping to get a bit more of a discussion out of my talk than to simply speak to you. I know for a fact that I have a lot to learn from every woman here and so I hoped to get some of those things out of you today.

As I read John 15 I found that what really hit me was Christ's command to us to love each other:

 ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other.

I'm not sure why God placed this section on my heart except that perhaps He wanted to show me (as he has) where I fall short. But before I get to that, I thought a good place to start would be to look at some examples of Christ's love. How did he love us? What are his examples?

I'm telling you now I have not taken note- or even studied- every example of his love. I only have a very small helping to serve you but would encourage you to look for other examples as you study on your own- or as we break into discussion groups.

1. My first example of Christ's love to his people was how he physically fed people. Can anyone think of some examples of when Christ did this? And with what emotion did he do it?

 In all 4 of the gospels we learn of how Christ fed a crowd of 5000 from only 5 loaves of bread and two fish (Matthew 6:34-44). Again we see him do the same thing for a crowd of 4000 with 7 loaves and a few small fish (Matthew 8:1-10). Can you guess what emotion led him to this service? COMPASSION! These crowds of people were un escapable. They followed Christ where he went because they wanted to hear him and see him. When he saw they were hungry, he took care of them instead of sending them away where they could faint from hunger and exhaustion. Please don't forget that the crowd of 5000 was fed after Christ tried to go somewhere quiet to rest!

2. My second example of how he loved his people was that he fed them spiritually. He spent time sitting, eating and standing teaching individuals and crowds what they needed to know. Matthew 4:23 says: ^"  Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people." Not everyone loved his message, as we well know, but because of his love, he needed them to know the truth. What examples can you come up with here- there are so many I know we won't touch even half of them?

One huge truth I thought of him teaching was cleanliness:

Mark 7:17-23

¹⁷ After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. ¹⁸ “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? ¹⁹ For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)

²⁰ He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. ²¹ For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, ²² adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. ²³ All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

I don't know if we can even fathom how difficult this teaching would have been. For a people so steeped in tradition and law regarding what food to eat and touch, and then to suddenly be told that nothing is unclean to eat... it would be a shock to say the least.

Secondly, I thought of him teaching us how to pray.

Luke 11:1-12

11 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

² He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“‘Father,^[a]
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.^[b]
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
⁴ Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.^[c]
And lead us not into temptation.^[d]’”

⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; ⁶ a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ ⁷ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ ⁸ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity^[e] he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

⁹ “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

¹¹ “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for^[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?

He lovingly came away from his time in prayer to teach his disciples how to pray properly. I find this example really makes me think of a father to his small children, patiently taking time to show them how to  speak to God.

3.The third way of Christ's love I thought of was how he healed people. What examples of this kind of love can you remember?

Jesus healed illness such as the man with leprosy in Matthew 8:3- not only did he heal him but he touched him to show his love.

He healed people's hearts: We read in Luke 19:

Luke 19:1-9

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. ² A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. ³ He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

⁵ When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” ⁶ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

⁷ All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

⁸ But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

⁹ Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Zacchaeus had a broken heart. He knew he had done wrong and wanted desperately to have Christ see his repentance and accept him. And not only was he accepted but he was told he had salvation. In the eyes of the Jewish people, Zacchaeus was a horrible man working for the Romans but Jesus saw his heart.

Christ healed people from death. Matthew 9: 23-26 describes how he brought back to life a young girl who had died and was being mourned. An even better example is in John 11 when he brought Lazarus back from death. We learn  that Jesus was going to return to a place where people had just tried to kill him, just for Lazarus. Why? because " the one you love is sick.” We also read that he wept for Lazarus in his death. In his love he brought him back to life. A foreshadowing of his triumph over death before we would truly understand.

Finally, he healed the spiritually oppressed. In Matthew 8:32 we see one example of him casting out demons.

4. The Fourth example of Christ's love I thought of was how he defended people. Can you think of who he defended?

In Mark 10: 13-16 he defends the children. When the disciples thought they were in Christ's way and didn't deserve his time, Christ defended them and loved them. He opened his arms to them and explained his kingdom. 

He defends a prostitute in Luke 7:36-50. She came to him with a broken heart, fully repentant of her sin and as she washed his feet with her tears and hair and then generously poured perfume on his feet the men scorned both of them for their actions. Christ defended her by showing her his love and by speaking truth to the men:

“Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷ Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

⁴⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

⁴⁹ The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

⁵⁰ Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

In Matthew 9:14-17 we see Christ defend his disciples. When others were fasting frequently, they jealously asked Jesus why his disciples did not fast, but feasted instead. In answering them, he taught them who he was while lovingly protecting his disciples from judgement.

My final example of Christ love is one that covers pretty much everything he did but I felt needed to be its own category. Can anyone guess what I might be thinking of? SERVING! Every example I have given thus far- and the ones you have come up with are how Jesus served. He gained nothing from what he did other than bringing glory to his Father. John 13 is a beautiful summary of his service to his people:

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.

² The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ 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.

⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

⁷ Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

⁸ “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

⁹ “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

¹⁰ 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.” ¹¹ For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone was clean.

¹² 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. ¹³ “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶ Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

This is the last peaceful time he has with his disciples and what he really desired them to know and see was what it was to serve. To see how he had done it for them so that they could do it to others.

I'd like to dwell on the topic of service now since it is where this passage lead me most of all. When I think of loving the way Christ loved me I see it as an active love. Not an emotion or feeling but a demonstration. 1 John says:

1 John 3:11-20

"¹¹ For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. ¹² Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. ¹³ Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,^[a] if the world hates you. ¹⁴ We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. ¹⁵ Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.

¹⁶ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

¹⁹ This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: ²⁰ If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything."

 I have been showered with love by so many loving people. I have had meals made for me simply because they knew I was a tired mama. I have had people offer to take my children for a night or two because they knew I was struggling emotionally and physically. I have had people silently listen to my fears and concerns (and yes, even complaints) and received loving council and rebuke when needed. I have even had people go to great lengths to figure out a way to fit watching my children into their crazy schedules so that I could go on a date with my husband. There is no way anyone would be able to do these amazing services for me without love. Then I look at myself.

There are great barriers that can stand in the way of service. Can anyone think of some?

I'm about to be vulnerable so please have a kind heart. These are some of my barriers.

First, selfishness. Sometimes I just find it too much work. I'm tired, I don't have everything I need to get it all done just right, I haven't finished things I want for myself so how can I get things done for others??? Ever had any of those thoughts?

Second, fear! This is a big one. I find I am afraid to serve. What if my service is rejected? What is I put myself out on a limb, offer to help and hear someone say they don't need me? I've always struggled with needing to be needed and hearing 'no' can hurt.  Sometimes I am just to afraid of the commitment as well. What if something else comes along? How will I fit it all into my schedule? Will I be able to balance one more thing?

Finally, and I think this is the biggest, and unfortunately the worst. I just feel unappreciated. Sometimes I wonder if I should just throw in the towel because no one seems to care. I want someone to look at what has been done and thank me profusely. Rediculous, I know. Matthew 6:1-4 clearly puts me back in my place. Service, as Christ served, is never about being thanked or noticed. It is about giving of ourselves from what God has given us. From Him, through us, to others. I like how Jesus put it in Luke 17:

Luke 17:5-10

⁵ The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

⁶ He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

⁷ “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? ⁸ Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? ⁹ Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? ¹⁰ So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”

We are to do our duty which is to serve with love, without expecting anything back. It is so contrary to my sinful self. I constantly struggle to come back to the truth that service isn't an option, it's a command and I am to do it in God's strength and for Him.

Here are a few examples I try to remember:

Philippians 2:5-11

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature^[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature^[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

And in Matthew 20:26-28:

 "whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

If everyone were to serve as Christ served, I don't believe anyone would ever feel unappreciated.  And I believe that our service is urgent. Our brothers and sisters always need a willing person to be served by. It brings encouragement in times when people feel hopeless or lost. It strengthens others to serve and it places Christ back in focus in lives that sometimes are clouded over with craziness and difficulty. 1 Peter says:

1 Peter 4:7-11

⁷ The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. ⁸ Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ⁹ Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

I plan on keeping these papers close to me because while I wrote this out and prayed on it and searched the word I found encouragement and convictions that took my barriers and whispered back at me that there are no excuses. Loving and serving go hand in hand and I don't see anywhere in scripture where it tells me I have a choice in the matter.  I want to thank everyone in this room for their service. Be encouraged that whoever you serve, it does impact their lives. Even if you don't hear a thank you, remember you have pleased the One who matters. "Love each other as I have loved you."