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A Church @ Work – The Fulfillment of Serving One Another

10 Jan

Heart HandsI am blessed to be given the opportunity to minister with the Keller church of Christ.  Our church family is one who deeply loves the Lord and cares about one another.  Recently, I began to consider the ways we as a church have grown more into the image of Christ.  There seems to be one major focus occurring organically which reveals our heart for others.

I feel we are developing more of a heart for benevolence.  Why do I feel that way?  Because I have seen firsthand a very large group of our families, roll up their sleeves and begin assisting others.  We have a group of single ladies organizing a ministry, overseen by our eldership, for those who attend our congregation.  This ministry will provide food, financial assistance, and counseling services for those among our church family.  We have some of our F4 fellowship teams who have “adopted” a few families from the community who are in need and provide them with food and gifts.  I also have seen families come together to aid those in need of help moving, by boxing up belonging, loading those boxes in moving trailers in order to help those members moving into other locations.  These are only a few examples of which I am personally aware, yet realizing there are many more examples which are kept low-key or even private.

As I consider the great work of our church family, I am reminded of the great work of the church in Antioch.  Acts 11:27-30 reads as follows, “Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). So the disciples determined, everyone according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.”

Here we find were the prophet Agabus predicted a great famine during the days of Claudius.  Claudius was the Roman Emperor from A.D. 41-54. History records the severe crop failures and famines in various parts of the empire during his reign.  The Christians in Antioch believed the prophet’s prediction and each of them determined to send relief to Judaea even before the famine occurred.  These church family members sent the money by personal couriers, Barnabas and Saul to the elders.  This is the way it should be done as the elders are the overseers of the local congregation.

Jesus stated, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.”(John 13:14-15)

James shared, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” (James 1:27)

Paul shares, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:10)

Here in the book of Acts, we read about a church which practiced benevolence.  However, have you taken the time to consider the blessings received from these hearts of sacrifice and deep concern?

The church was edified

This was a church @ work.  They were actively ministering and caring for one another.  As a result everyone was edified.  When we, as the Lord’s people, assemble together with a mind to work, great things occur.  Nehemiah states, “So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work” (Nehemiah 4:6).  We must be people of deep concern for one another and have the compassion of Christ.  The church in Antioch worked and as a result they had peace and prosperity.

The Gospel was preached

All throughout the book of Acts we read of preachers who PREACHED.  In Acts 6:2 we find the emphasis maintained by the apostles to keep their daily schedules open so they could tell others about the good news of Jesus Christ. “And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.”  A few verses later we find, “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (vs. 4) and as a result “The word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” (vs. 7).  Soon after these followers of “The Way” and many others began to face continual persecution for the message of the Messiah they preached.  Yet, these men loved the message of the gospel and its power so much; they gave their lives for it.

When the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) is preached, mankind is able to understand its greatest need; the forgiveness of sin (Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:6-10) and the only remedy for that sin is Jesus Christ (John 14:6, Acts 4:12; Romans 8:1).

For Deeper Study

For your personal devotional time, I strongly recommend you set aside the time to carefully examine the following passages and the meditate on them as your prayerfully consider ways you may live them out within your personal life.

  • Fellowship with one another – 1 John 1:7
  • Love one another – John 13:34-35
  • Members of one another – Romans 12:5
  • Devoted to one another – Romans 12:10
  • Honor one another – Romans 12:10
  • Rejoice with one another – Romans 12:15
  • Weep with one another – Romans 12:15
  • Same mind toward one another – Romans 12:16
  • Not judge one another – Romans 14:13
  • Accept one another – Romans 15:7
  • Counsel one another – Romans 15:14
  • Greet one another – Romans 16:16
  • Wait for one another – 1 Cor.11:33
  • Care for one another – 1 Cor. 12:25
  • Serve one another – Galatians 5:13
  • Bear one another’s burdens – Galatians 6:2
  • Be kind to one another – Ephesians 4:32
  • Forgive one another – Ephesians 4:32
  • Submit to one another – Ephesians 5:21
  • Bearing with one another – Colossians 3:13
  • Encourage one another – 1 Thess.5:11
  • Build up one another – 1 Thess.5:11
  • Stir up one another – Hebrews 10:21
  • Be hospitable to one another – 1 Peter 4:9
  • Minister gifts to one another – 1 Peter 1:10
  • Minister with humility to one another – 1 Peter 4:10
  • Speak no evil against one another – James 4:11
  • Not grumble against one another – James 5:9

May we each consider the impact of service to one another and power of the gospel.  Our Savior was sent to this earth to bring us the message of the gospel and to die as part of that message.  May the Lord bless each of us as we humble serve one another thus, serving the Lord.

If this post served as a source of encouragement to you, please take a moment and share it with others. Thank you.

 

 
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Posted by on January 10, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

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Everyone Needs Compassion; The Kindness of the Savior

08 Feb
Everyone Needs Compassion; The Kindness of the Savior

If you follow college sports, it is easy to get caught up in all the negatives and controversies surrounding the game.  Currently, there is quite a ruckus in regards to certain teams “over signing” players one year, only to cut other players on the team before the next season begins.  However; this past Wednesday (National Signing Day) I read of an event which shed a positive light amidst all the political drama.

Laith Harlow, who had been committed to the University of Oklahoma since May, isn’t likely to ever play football again.  Harlow, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound tight end from Tallahassee, Florida, had back surgery during the season, and recent reports surfaced that Harlow would receive a medical hardship. The hardship would keep Harlow on scholarship, which wouldn’t count against the NCAA’s limit of 85 per team. Once Harlow goes on medical hardship, though, his eligibility is over.

I have tried to imagine the level of stress and anxiety this young man and his family have endured.  Laith once had a promising career as a collegiate TE, only to find himself in the realm of uncertainty.  I have been moved by the willingness of Bob Stoops and the University of Oklahoma for fulfilling their commitment to this young man’s educational future regardless if he is able to ever suit up for the Crimson and Cream.

“And of some have compassion, making a difference.” (Jude 22)

Simple acts of compassion make a difference in every area of life.  When our children run through the house and fall down, they need a hug or a kiss to make everything all right.  When a friend finds themselves in a tough situation, a listening ear makes all the difference in the world.  When someone is sick, a call or a card can brighten their day.

What does the Bible teach us about compassion?

  • Genesis 19:16 -  The Lord showed compassion on Lot.
  • Deut. 13:17 – Compassion is promised for repentance.
  • Deut. 32:26 -  The Lord has compassion on the weak.
  • 2 Kings 13:23 – God’s shows special compassion with covenant people.
  • Neh. 9:19 – God delivered Israel from Egypt because of His compassion.
  • Psalm 40:11 – David begs God to show him compassion.
  • Psalm 72:13 – God shows compassion on the poor and needy.
  • Psalm 135:14 – The Lord has compassion on His servants.
  • Matthew 9:13 – The Lord wants us to show compassion.
  • Matthew 9:36 – Jesus felt compassion for the multitude because they were lost.
  • Matthew 14:14 -  Jesus felt compassion on them and healed their sick.
  • Matthew 15:32 -  Jesus felt compassion on the 5,000 and fed them.
  • Matthew 20:34 – Jesus felt compassion and healed the blind men.
  • James 5:11 – The Lord is full of compassion.
  • Jonah 4:11 – God had compassion on Nineveh.

If you think about it; we have all experienced the compassion of Jesus in one way or another.  Our God is a just God who must punish us for our sinfulness.  However; our God is also a gracious, compassionate God who sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins so that we wouldn’t have to be lost for all eternity.

God wants us to have a heart of compassion for others.  Compassion involves feeling, but it involves so much more. If we only feel, then we are sympathetic. If our sympathy motivates us to act, then it becomes compassion. True compassion feels and it acts! Notice that compassion begins with feeling. Without feeling, there is no compassion. Feeling is not enough, but it is a place to begin. If we do not weep for those who are hurting, how can we minister to them? How can we tell the lost about a Savior if we are not broken that they will spend an eternity in hell? We cannot simply be concerned about our religious progress or the number of people filling our church. We must be about the Savior’s preoccupation with people. I believe that if we serve hurting people, encourage those in despair, help those in need, and hurt with those in pain, we will have more people than we can stand. People don’t go where the action is, people go where the love is!

  • 1 Peter 2:8 – “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.”
  • 1 John 3:17 – “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”

Kindness is part of the wardrobe of a Christian’s soul.  We are called to cloth ourselves with mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering, forbearance, and forgiveness (Colossians 3:12; 2 Peter 1:5-7; 2 Corinthians 6:6).

How what can I do to become more compassionate?

First, we should see persons as individuals, not as member of a disliked group. Individuals are usually much more likable than a group we view with distorted prejudice. Someone said, “Make no judgments where you have no compassion.”

Second, we can recall times when we needed compassion. Jesus became a man and felt the things we feel (Philippians 2:1-5).

Third, we can imagine what we would need under similar circumstances—then apply the Golden Rule: “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12). Abraham Lincoln said, “He has the right to criticize who has the heart to help.”

Fourth, we cannot expect too much at once   Ecclesiastes 7:8 states, “Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” Sometimes olives branches are knocked from our hands the first time we extend them. But if we’ll pick them up, shake off the dust, and extend them again with a smile, they may be taken. Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965) wrote, “Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.”

Fifth, we can remember that we will one day be judged according to how we have helped others (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Corinthians 5:10). William Penn wrote, “If there is any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not deter or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”

May God bless you richly as we learn to develop a heart of compassion for others.

 
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Posted by on February 8, 2012 in Uncategorized

 

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Let’s Change Our Tune

08 Nov

One of the file folders in my desk drawer is full of notes and cards which I have received other the years.  They are reminders of things from the past which serve as a source of encouragement to me for the future.  There are times in which life can get the best of us.  We find ourselves rolling out of bed each morning awaiting what the world has to offer.  I find that the world mostly enjoys using me as its barf bag as it is continually tosses various forms of negativity and criticism my way.

I recently came across an old letter written to me by a mother who has children in our youth group.  She was transparent with her thoughts and emotions and allowed me to get a glimpse into this mother’s heart.  She shared some of her frustrations of striving to raise her children to be grounded children of God.  As her words unfolded on the page, she began to express her gratitude to Susan and I for some of the simple ways that we had be a source of help and strength to her.  When I had finished reading that letter I walked away so encouraged.  It felt good to know that we are appreciated.  It was great to know that we had truly made a difference in this family.

As we open up our New Testaments we find many different men and women who are known for being encouragers but perhaps none of them are more noted than Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus.  You may recognize him as the young man whom the apostles renamed Barnabas due to his actions which served as a source of encouragement to all who knew him.  A survey of his life and ministry illustrates how he was an encourager.

Barnabas helped needy saints. The early Jerusalem church had many poor people. Some were widows. Some were working men who could not secure or hold employment after confessing Christ. Others were pilgrims from other nations who were converted on Pentecost and stayed there for fellowship and teaching. Local believers had to help these poor. Barnabas responded by selling property, probably on his native island of Cyprus, and bringing the proceeds to the apostles to be used for the poor (Acts 4:37). His act went beyond encouragement to showing mercy. Barnabas, in other words, practiced what he preached. He not only talked encouragement but he also did concrete encouraging acts.

Barnabas endorsed an unwelcome convert. Picture, if you will the reaction to Paul’s conversion. Paul’s former friends in the Sanhedrin thought of him as a renegade and rejected him. The Christians were suspicious of his motives because Paul had recently persecuted them. Even the disciples were leery.

The situation was touchy. Paul was rejected by all and accepted by none. What could he do? How could he gain the confidence of the church and carry out the Lord’s mission to the Gentiles?

It was Barnabas who cleared the way. Barnabas took Paul and brought him to the apostles and explained that Paul had seen the Lord, that the Lord had spoken to Paul, and that in Damascus Paul had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus (Acts 9:27). Barnabas was so successful in promoting Paul that Paul “stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem” (Acts 9:28).

Barnabas accepted Gentile believers. Some believers, scattered by persecution, witnessed to Gentiles in Antioch. The Lord blessed this witness, and a large number of Gentiles believed. The Jerusalem Church sent Barnabas to investigate.

 “When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. (24) He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.” (Acts 11:23-24)

Barnabas threw all his energies into the work, staying over a year. It was here that believers were first called Christians. It was also the Antioch Church which first sent missionaries to Europe.

Barnabas enlisted Paul in his work. The growing work at Antioch needed teachers and preachers. Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Paul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch (Acts 11:25). It was because of Barnabas that Paul finally began the great missionary work the Lord had called him to do.

Barnabas restored a youthful deserter. When Barnabas and Paul set out on their first missionary journey they took John Mark with them as their helper (Acts 12:25; 13:5). For whatever reason, Mark defected before the journey was half over (Acts 13:13). Perhaps he was homesick, afraid, or ill.

When the time came to start the next missionary tour, strong disagreement arose between Paul and Barnabas over taking John Mark with them. Paul didn’t want to take John Mark because he had deserted them once before; Barnabas wanted to give John Mark another chance because he wanted to encourage the young man. The disagreement became so sharp that Paul and Barnabas parted ways.

Paul later recognized the error of his ways when he wrote to Timothy: “Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:11

Think, for a moment, of how much the church owes to Barnabas, the Son of Encouragement. Because Barnabas was an encourager, Paul was able to go out and preach to the Gentiles and write 13 letters. Also, through Barnabas’ encouragement of Mark we gained the second Gospel. Here is something remarkable. Barnabas never wrote a book that found its way into the Bible, but he encouraged two men who wrote over half of the New Testament.

After spending much time in studying the contributions of Barnabas, I came to realize that I need to work on having a more encouraging and uplifting spirit.  I truly believe that if I can be more like this man then I will be able to leave those I encounter feeling better about themselves and life in general.  My challenge for you and I to consider ways we can “change our tunes” by encouraging others so that they can pay it forward.

I came across this website http://powertochange.com/experience/life/encourage/?section_id=32 with some very practical ways we can be a source of strength and encouragement to others.  I hope you will check it out.

May God bless us richly!

 
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Posted by on November 8, 2011 in Uncategorized

 

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