Encourage One Another; Hebrews 3:12-15 & 10:24-25

Text: Hebrews 3:12-15; 10:24-25                                           9/25/2011

Thesis: We are to encourage one another out of sin and into love and good works.

As we look into God’s word this morning I want you to think about bricks. When bricks are made they must be hardened. The two most common ways bricks are hardened are either by firing them in an oven or baking them in the sun. Now think about your soul. How is your soul hardened? In Hebrews chapter 3 we are told that the deceitfulness of sin hardens us. Bricks are hardened by the sun. Christians are hardened by sin.

God in his grace has warned us about the effects of sin on our souls. It is not good that any of us be insensitive toward the Holy Spirit or cold and unresponsive to the God who is worthy of all glory and honor and power. So God in his grace has given us the means of escaping the soul numbing effects of sin. I think at this point it will not surprise you that the phrase “one another” has something to do with the cure. Loving one another and serving one another naturally lead to encouraging one another. As you love and serve others you will come face to face with that person’s weaknesses and struggles. When it happens (and it will) you have a decision to make, will you faithfully encourage your loved one or will you quietly let the hardening effects of sin take over? Will you come with biblical helpful encouragement or will you in bitterness add to the hardening of the soul? Be self-controlled sober-minded and prayerful God is calling us to encourage one another.

We’ll read two passages this morning: Hebrews 3:12-15 and 10:24-25.

 

I. Christians care for one another’s hearts (3:12; 10:24)

1. We must come alongside one another’s faith

Let’s take verses twelve and thirteen together, “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

We must come alongside one another. The word ‘exhort’ in verse 13 literally means to call out to, appeal to, or beseech. The word in the original is parakaleo which sounds an awful lot like paraklete; a New Testament word for the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26). Paraklete describes the work of the Holy Spirit as he comes alongside the believer to comfort, guide, help, and encourage. And one of the ways the Holy Spirit acts as paraklete is through our faithfulness to exhort or parakaleo one another. The Spirit wants to exhort, comfort, help, encourage, and come alongside Christians through you.

Unfortunately we’ve defined “worthwhile ministry” as doing church stuff to the most people; the bigger the group the better the ministry must be. This error is precisely why it is easier to get someone to teach a Sunday school class than it is to get someone to come alongside and personally disciple an individual or couple; 10 people are worth the sacrifice but 2 are not. Let’s throw out this terrible mistake and define ministry in the church according to Scripture. Ministry is any opportunity you have to come alongside a brother or sister and encourage him/her to be more like Jesus.

In this sense everyone who claims the name of Jesus Christ is a minister. It is your responsibility and calling to find ways to help your faith family avoid unbelief and reject sin in all its deceitfulness. And we do this with words. Last week we looked at 1 Peter 4:11 and the speaking gifts, “whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God.” God has placed you in this church so that you will come alongside your brothers and sisters in order to call out the truth of God to them. Encourage one another’s faith.

Verses 12-15 are chalk full of the heart.

Protect one another from an unbelieving heart. Come alongside and encourage those struggling against sin; that’s heart work. Holding our original confidence firm to the end is all about clinging to and loving Christ our savior. Verse 15 warns us to obey and not harden our hearts against God. Our Father wants us to be concerned about what is going on inside of one another.

Let’s take stock for a moment. Of all the things that you and I have said over the last week what percentage would fall in the category of heart work? You see, as the Gospel decreases in our conversations then expect the deceitfulness of sin to increase. But, as Christ increases in our conversations expect faith and fruitfulness to increase. So how much Jesus was in your conversations with your spouse, your children, your church family, and your friends? Where there is sin let us repent and walk faithfully alongside one another.

What I want you to see in this passage is that Christians, plain ole followers of Christ care for one another’s hearts. The goal is that none of us is hardened by sin or refuses to obey God. Sharing Gospel truths with one another daily how we help one another. We come alongside and encourage one another’s faith with the truth of the Gospel. We exhort one another out of sin and into love and good works. And we should start small because

1. Unbelief always starts small

Israel’s unbelief in the wilderness started with the gathering of straw in Egypt. The moment God said, “let my people go” life became more difficult for his people. The temptation to complain and ultimately to believe God doesn’t care or isn’t going to change things always begins small. One author wrote, “How different might have been the story of the Israelites in the wilderness if only they had daily fostered among themselves a constant faith in God instead of mutually inciting a spirit of rebellion and unbelief!” (PE Hughes, 147) When faced with small things and little disappointments we will be tempted to complain and grumble to one another.

You must decide if you are going to be a grumbler who hurts the hearts of others or an encourager who guards the hearts of others. And I guarantee that if you don’t commit yourself to being an encourager you will be a complainer. We need encouragers. I need encouragers.

1. We need daily encouragers

What is the prescription for encouragement in Hebrews 3:13? Exhort one another daily. Church we are so blessed to have home phones, cell phones, text messaging, email, the real post office mail, facebook, something called google plus, and the like. Opportunities to encourage one another every day have never been easier. But with all of these advances has come a deceptive “busy-ness”. We’re too busy reading and listening to the mundane and meaningless to encourage someone with the magnificent and meaningful. Join me this week in a commitment to encourage one person a day with the hope of Christ. You might share a verse. You might share a phrase. You might point them to a helpful sermon or audio clip online. You might share something beneficial from this sermon. The point is that the people around you need daily encouragement from you.

Hebrews 10:24 puts it this way, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.”

God wants you to put some energy and thought into how you are going to help others along. Think about how you can help that person you’re mad at or frustrated with love and do God-things. Pray about it. Dig into the Word for it. Intentionally say something that is going to help that person love more and serve more. Dream with me about what this church will be like when husbands and wives are considering how to daily stir one another up and then we actually do it. What about when teenagers stop dreaming about the best come back line to slam someone and instead speak the gospel truth for the good of others? What about when grandparents are used by God to reverse the hardening effects of sin on their children and grandchildren? Church we need to get together and stick together

1. Hebrews 10:25 warns against unexcused absences

“Let us consider how to stir up on another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

Jesus is coming soon. In the mean time this world will go from bad to worse. You are not meant to make it through on your own. You were saved to encourage. The weaknesses in each of us cry out for gospel exhortations. Simply put, you cannot give what others need and you cannot receive what you need outside of the church. And I don’t mean just Sunday morning 11am worship. Hebrews 3 prescribes daily exhortation. Don’t neglect daily meeting together for encouragement around the Word.

The temptation here is to think that the problem is we are all too busy; too busy to give time daily to one another. But that’s just deceit. The problem isn’t that we’re too busy. The problem is a small unbiblical view of sin. We have downplayed the power of the world, the flesh, and the devil to distract and destroy us so we do not seek out daily encouragement. We have downplayed the power of the Holy Spirit working through us so we leave the real ministry for the big boys and girls. You have an enemy who wants to devour you and you have the Holy Spirit you wants to use you to keep others from being devoured. Meet together and encourage one another with the truth. I need it. You need it. We need it.

In 2 Corinthians 2:10 Paul tells the church not to be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. Did you know that Satan’s plan is to keep you away from access to gospel-centered encouragement? He wants to get you off by yourself and deceive you. You and I need the church. Here’s why:

1. We often don’t see our sin that’s why it’s called deceitful

I begin to think that what I’m doing or saying is actually good or appropriate when it is not. I convince myself that I should be angry about what was said when I should not. I agree with my heart that what I’m going to do really isn’t all that bad when it is. The humble Christian who listens to the exhortations of his/her church will be well equipped to reject the deceitfulness of sin. The fragmented self-centered church will see its family members hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Think about oatmeal. I cook my oatmeal in the microwave which is incredibly quick and easy but potentially dangerous. If I don’t pay attention that oatmeal will boil over and make a big mess. If I don’t take care of that oatmeal, watching it, it will turn out badly for me. I will have a big hot mess. It’s not smart to touch boiling oatmeal so you have to let it cool. And here is the greater danger: forgetting or avoiding that spill. If you let that oatmeal harden in the microwave you are in for a big job.

Being the church is like cooking oatmeal in a microwave. We are to take heed of or watch one another. We are to stay close by one another daily helping one another along. We do this because we love and long to serve one another. We know what can happen when the oatmeal of life boils over and hardens so we exhort one another. And it’s a marathon.

1. We must come alongside one another to the end

Verse 14 is pretty much straight forward, “For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” Take care of one another and come alongside one another for the long haul. Those who do not remain in the faith, those who do not hold their original confidence firm to the end, do so because they never came to share in Christ. Look at verse 14. We have come to share in Christ IF we hold our original confidence firm to the end. Holding onto the Gospel to the end is the product of being joined to and sharing in Christ. Many people start well and make bold professions of faith but it is only those who cling to the Gospel and fight the hardening effects of sin and lean on their church and let people care for their hearts that have come to share in Christ. Anyone can start well but the pressures of life overtime will reveal if you have an evil unbelieving heart or if you have been made new in Christ (See Mark 4:1-20).

Being the church isn’t something we do for a couple of hours a week on a quarterly basis. Being the church means we see our need for brothers and sisters to come alongside of us and guard our hearts until death or Jesus returns. Being the church means we see the need of our brothers and sisters to have us come alongside their faith until death or Jesus returns.

Here is where it all begins

II. Listen to God

Look with me at verse 15, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

1. Do what God is leading you to do

If God is telling you right now that your faith is weak or you’ve been deceived by sin do what God is leading you to do. If years of sin have hardened you toward God and others then listen to his voice. Right now I want to offer you the chance to do what God is telling you to do.

If God is telling you right now to go and pray with someone or go encourage someone then do not harden your heart. There is great joy for us as we abide in Jesus’ love and obey his commands.

This is what we’ll do. Charlotte is going to play one verse of that great hymn Only Trust Him. As she does I want you to pray and ask God what he wants you to do. Weigh your thoughts against Scripture to be sure it’s not your sinful flesh speaking and do what God tells you; do not harden your heart. As we listen, pray that your faith family seated around you will do what God tells them to do.

 

Serve One Another; 1 Peter 4:7-11

***I did not use this manuscript for preaching***

Serve One Another

Text: 1 Peter 4:7-11                                                                9/18/2011

Thesis: A church is a family that serves one another.

 

1 Peter 4:7-11 gives us a helpful pattern for living life. I want us to walk through the passage together and when we get to verse 10 we’ll camp out on what it means to serve one another. Last week we began a sermon series focusing on the “One Another” passages in the New Testament. These passages give us clear instructions concerning how to be the church with one another.

Unfortunately we live in a day that looks at the church like room service. The two main attractions of room service are privacy and selection. When you order room service you don’t have to interact with anyone. We’re tempted to think the church should offer us the same: I’ll leave you alone and you leave me alone. I want to keep my meal private and I want what I want. I want to choose what will make me happy and if I don’t find what will make me happy I’ll call the front desk and get them to find what will make me happy. The majority opinion of the church is that it is an institution that exists to give me what I want while expecting little to nothing of me; the church as room service.

But thankfully the Bible creates something different. Obviously from last week’s sermon and the command to love one another privacy is thrown out the window. The love someone the more you will desire to get to know him/her; when love increases in a relationship privacy decreases. This is true in marriage, family, friendships, and in the church. So the biblical church isn’t room service where you get served. A biblical church is more like a home-cooked meal where you serve the ones you love.

With the idea of a serving one another in our minds lets read 1 Peter 4:7-11.

 

I. Live with the end in sight (v7)

Anytime we hear that the end is near the desire is to go a little crazy. Tell a kid they have 2 more minutes to play in the Chic-Fila playground and you better be ready to do some damage control. That kid, not my kid mind you, just might knock other kids down in order to make one more run down the slide. When we hear that the end is near we are tempted to go a little bezerk. Instead 1 Peter 4:7 tells us

1. Be self-controlled and sober-minded

The word translated [self-controlled or] sane means ‘having a sound mind, thinking about and evaluating situations maturely and correctly’ (Grudem, 1 Peter TNTC, 173). Being sober-minded means having a clear head so you can accurately think about your daily situations. God does not want you to live in a state of crazy. God wants you to engage the needs around you according to insight not according to what’s on fire. If a firefighter is out of control because of all the excitement or if he’s drunk he can make things worse by accidently adding more fuel to the fire. If you and I do not live life with self-control chances are we’ll add more fuel to the fire.

The obvious question is “How do I become self-controlled and sober-minded.” Now the answer is simple but it’s not always easy. Romans 12:1: reject the plethora of ways the world wants to shape your thinking and read your Bible committing to change the way you think to match the truth. As your mind is transformed by the word, as you think more like Jesus, you will be better equipped to evaluate the situation correctly. Hebrews 5:14 talks about those Christians who dig deeply into the word and feed on the meaty truths found there. Those people have their “powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good and evil.” They are self-controlled and sober minded. Those people think about and evaluate the situations of life correctly. Those people pray really well.

1. Your way effects your pray

The way you think about a situation effects the way you will pray about that situation. We must be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of our prayers. “Christians should evaluate events correctly in order to be able to pray more intelligently, effectively, and appropriately” (Grudem, 173). As we read our bibles and pray we will find ourselves thinking more like Jesus, acting more like Jesus, and doing even greater things than Jesus. There is a direct connection between bible reading and prayer. God wants to shape your thinking concerning every aspect of your life so you can pray according to his will and bear much fruit.

Jesus said, ““If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31). And, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7).

If you feel trapped, out of control, or like you are in a fog concerning issues in your life then let someone know. Come pray with me during our invitation hymn. Talk to a mature Christian friend or send me an email. God puts people in his church who he has gifted to help you think through your situation. Use the gifts God has provided. Let someone know.

And don’t let your fears rule you. We are church committed to loving one another. We are commanded to do so.

II. Keep on loving one another (v8)

1 Peter 4:7 says plainly, “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”

1. Loving one another is a priority

‘Above all’ Peter says, “keep loving one another earnestly.” Love is vitally important in the church. Look up the word ‘love’ in the concordance in the back of your bible for a host of examples. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13 that you can preach great sermons, share the gospel clearly, understand life, think clearly about your circumstances, possess all faith, give away everything you have, even die as a martyr but if you don’t love you are and you gain nothing (1 Cor 13:1-3). Loving one another is a priority. Above all be sure that you love.

1. Loving one another is a marathon

Should we or can we stop loving one another? No, 1 Peter 4:8 tells us to “keep loving”. You are to “have love” as an abiding possession. As you go through life with your church there will regularly come up situations that demand continual love. You will be sin against and misunderstood. You will be forgotten and neglected. You will be hurt. What should you do? Abide in Jesus’ love and keep loving it is a marathon.

1. Loving one another is intense

Can we have an Eeyore attitude toward love? Should we be content with a little bit of love toward one another? What does 1 Peter 4:8 say? Love one another earnestly. Love one another deeply and fervently. We are to love with the intensity of a sprinter competing at full speed. There is no room for loafers when it comes to being a lover in the church. This is the word translated ‘fervently’ or ‘earnestly’ is used to describe Jesus’ earnest praying in the Garden of Gethsemane when his sweat became like drops of blood (Luke 22:44). We are to love one another as earnestly as Jesus prayed.

If this type of love does not describe your experience as a part of Mambrino Baptist Church let me challenge you to be the one who improves the church. You be the one who abides in Jesus’ love and from that depth go and love others earnestly. Don’t wait to be loved. Love one another fervently. And here is why.

1. Loving one another makes life better

1 Peter 4:8 gives us the reason for love do you see it? “Keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”

Who is easier to forgive, someone you love or someone you hate? It’s easier to forgive the people we love. So we are to love one another so that reconciliation comes easier. Striving to love someone and be willing to overlook an offense go hand in hand. Here Peter is quoting from Proverbs 10:12, “Hatred stirs up strife but love covers all offenses.”

I believe this is an axiom; a self-evident truth. It can refer to God who loves us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. It can refer to the person sinned against who in glorious ways overlooks that offense by forgetting that offense (Prov 19:11). It can refer to the strong believer who though wronged doesn’t take the sin personally but instead loves and restores the sinner.

Let me ask you a simple question, Why does the church need 1 Peter 4:8? Why is this verse in the Bible?

God gave us this verse because he foresaw the pain that one member would cause another. God gave us this verse because he knew that potentially divisive sin who occur in his church. Be a part of any church long enough and you will find plenty of opportunities to keep loving people who aren’t easy to love. Be a part of this church long enough and you will be sinned against and your faith will be challenged; because of love will you cover that sin?

There are a host of issues that come up with this verse that must be worked out by each believer and each church. What we must keep in mind is the repeated call to holiness throughout 1 Peter (1:15-16; 2:5-9). So love covers sin in order to secure greater holiness. A self-controlled sober prayer filled life will guide you as you decide to overlook or rebuke (Luke 17:3) when sinned against. What this verse does is make our default setting to overlook an offense out of a deep love for one another.

In the church we are called to keep on loving one another because the one another’s sins will demand it.

As we continue to work through our passage the temptation is to think verses 8&9 are unrelated but verses 8&9 are connected. The more fervently you love someone the more time you will spend with that person. The more time you spend with that person the more opportunities to serve them will arise. And the more you love and serve the more likely you are to be sinned against thus providing more opportunities to lovingly cover those sins. So in your mind keep these verses together.

III. Serve one another through hospitality (v9)

1. Hospitality is other-love

Hospitality is literally made up of two words: love and stranger/foreigner/guest. But unlike Hebrews 13:2 which commands us to show hospitality to strangers we are instructed in 1 Peter 4:9 to show hospitality to one another. There is to be a tangible meaningful inclusive concern for one another in the church. It is not enough just to care for one another. We are to take care of one another. And I think we are to give special attention to showing hospitality to those whose sins we are overlooking. You don’t cover sins by avoiding people and thus avoiding awkward situations and feelings. You cover sins by actively loving and serving them.

The most basic form of hospitality is opening up your home. In the first century this meant offering a bed to traveling Christians. Inns were apparently little more than places to find easy access to sin. So if you were traveling you were dependent upon the hospitality of your fellow Christian; often Christians you had never met. Things are a little different today and safe hotels are easily found. What hasn’t changed about society is the desire to be known and loved. Hospitality is a means of providing a safe place but it’s also the means of building relationships.

It is much more effective to make a disciple over a meal, a cup of coffee, or a common task than it is in a classroom. Why do you think doctors and teachers are required to do an internship before being cleared to work? Haven’t they learned it all in the classroom? No, there is much to be learned in the actual doing. It is much more effective to teach someone as you go through life together than when you live separately and come together only briefly for teaching.  When you and I are hospitable it will provide the blessing of loving one another and teaching one another in the normal course of life. I think we need to look no further than Jesus and the Apostle Paul for evidence. Both men taught large groups but the deepest most lasting investment was made one on one or in small groups no larger than four.

Just look at Jesus in John 21 cooking a meal for the disciples and talking one on one with Peter and John. Hospitality, actively loving and serving others, provides opportunities for discipleship. Hospitality also provides opportunities to complain.

Verse nine says, “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.”

1. Serve others but don’t use wine

Start opening your home in order to love, serve, and disciple and you will find ample reason to grumble. People will make demands and view your hospitality like it’s something they’re entitled to. People will be ungrateful and never invite you to their home. People will tear up your stuff. People will show up early and stay late. People whom you serve and sacrifice for will sin against you and God will have the audacity to tell you to love them and cover that sin.

Hospitality is not a catered dinner party. Hospitality is the opening up of your home for the purpose of taking care of and building relationships with sinners like yourself. So how do we do it? You must serve other dependent upon God.

IV. Serve one another with your gift (vs10-11)

Verses 10 and 11 paint a picture of serving that is born out of God’s equipping grace. We are to do what we do for one another so that God’s supply is glorified. Let’s look more closely.

1. You have received a gift

Verse 10 says, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” Every Christian has been gifted by God. Paul said the same thing. Glenn read it during our Scripture reading this morning. We all have a gift from the common good. Since you have a gift use it to serve. The person who believes he/she has nothing to offer is the person who believes God has nothing to give. God has gifted you so that you will use that gift to serve who? What does verse 10 say? “Use it to serve one another.” God has gifted you in order to take care of his church.

What we must be clear on is that fact that the gift and its use both depend upon grace. That you have the gift is because of God and not because of you. The fruitfulness of that gift is because of God and not because of you. If your gift involves words then remember those words are God’s words. If your gift involves deeds then remember that those deeds were done because God supplied the strength. It’s all of grace.

So what is a spiritual gift? A spiritual gift is any talent or ability which is empowered by the Holy Spirit and able to be used in the ministry of the church (Grudem, 175).

The next question is how do I discover my gift?

1. Find your gift by serving one another

Start inviting people into your home and see what comes of it. Do people easily open up to you and as you listen does your mind move quickly to the word of God? Do you perceives the needs in people’s lives? Do you foresee ways of helping? You are not going to find your gift by taking a test no more than you are going to find your career by answering a few questions in a counselor’s office. Instead of trying to find your gift let me give you two suggestions. One, find someone who needs to be served and see what God does. Or two, find someone who is mature and spend time with them doing what they do. In a Christian relationship of loving and serving that mature Christian will help discern your gift. Stop waiting to be asked.

Let’s drill down even more

1. There are two categories of gifts: speaking and serving

Verse 11 talks about people speaking and people serving. Whoever speaks has been called upon to serve others by speaking the oracles of God. This isn’t like God gives you new revelation. This is God giving wisdom to apply biblical revelation. I love and need common sense. I appreciate and enjoy people’s stories but as I read the bible I see a God who is not very interested in working according to man’s common sense and man’s past victories. God speaks and he intends us to listen. God also puts people in our lives who he intends to use to help us think with a more sober mind about our situation.

When you open your home to serve and when you are called upon to address some situation or sin speak God’s truth. One category of gifting involves speaking. Ephesians 4:11 lists apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers just to name a few. The speaking gift also includes encouraging, rebuking, and exhorting. We need them all in the church.

The other category of gifts are those that involves serving. Think along the lines of saying something (the speaking gifts) and doing something (the serving gifts). Both are to be done by God’s grace and for the good of others. 1 Corinthians 12:28 lists healing, helping, and administrating. Romans 12:5-8 mention service, making contributions generously, giving aid, and doing acts of mercy.

The key to a service gift is relying on God’s strength. The speaking gifts rely on God’s word. When you start exercising the gift God has given you it will require a God-power supply. God’s not interested in exalting us. God’s not impressed by us. God gifts and empowers us to display his glory.

1. When we serve by grace God gets the glory

When we speak God’s words and serve by his strength then this is what happens, middle of verse 11, we do it so that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. I’m about to let you in on a little secret that many pastors won’t tell you. God is going to put you in situations that you can’t handle. He’s going to gift you and propel you into situations that cause you to say, “I can’t do this.” That’s the point. He wants to show you that he can do it. He wants you to see how amazingly wise and strong and sufficient he is. He wants us to see how amazingly foolish and week and insufficient we are.

Does all the glory and fame and esteem and praise belong to you for all your love and service and hospitality? No all glory belongs to God. Do all dominion and rule and power belong to you because you are so special? No all dominion belongs to God. All power and strength and rule are the property of our great God.

V. How to begin serving one another

1. Put off the desire to be served

The opposite of serving others is demanding that others serve you. Its leaving a church because you’re needs aren’t being met. In the context of this passage God is not interested in meeting your needs God is interested in gifting you so that you will meet other’s needs. Beware of the desire and then demand that you get what you want.

1. Abide in Christ

Verse 11 says that we are to speak and serve in ways that God gets the glory through Jesus Christ. Abide in Christ, prayerfully and faithfully listening to him through his Word and he will lead you to do God glorifying Christ-centered acts of service. Look at Christ. Listen to Christ. Follow Christ. These commitments will lead you to serve others.

1. Serve alongside one another

Last week I said that we don’t love one another because we don’t know one another. So how do we get to know each other so that we begin to love and serve one another? The best way is to do something together. I for one enjoy shooting guns with others but as fun as this is it’s not as beneficial as serving others with someone. A group of people serving themselves misses the point. A group of people serving others consistently and with Christ at the center will become a group that has opportunities to get to know each other.

1. As you serve alongside one another you will find opportunities to serve one another

You’ll see things you can do to help. You’ll find struggles that you can encourage with the word of God. You’ll be able to readily open your home and serve through hospitality. Look for something to do and as you do it look for ways to serve. Get your eyes off of yourself and your situation.

1. Serve so that God gets the glory

Don’t serve looking for a selfish return. How crazy would it be if we as a church began looking for ways to serve that demanded God’s wisdom and strength? What if we stopped looking for ways to serve that we were comfortable with or felt capable for? Look at the text. Do you think God wants to use your gift in uncomfortable sacrificial demanding ways? Obviously God wants to do great things in you. God wants to do amazing thing through you. But as Johnny Huffman said, “God can do great things through you but you’ve got to get off the couch.” Let’s pray and ask God to give us clear minds so we can follow his lead. And where is he leading? He’s leading us to love and serve and be hospitable in sacrificial God-glorifying Christ-centered ways. God has great things for you.