FIVE VITAL SIGNS OF A HEALTHY CHRISTIAN PART III
Serving One Another With Joy
We have been looking at five vital signs of a healthy
Christian. We defined a healthy Christian as a follower of Christ who grows in
the knowledge of God and aspires to be more like Jesus by following his
teachings. We learned that Church is not a building or a denomination.
The word "church" is a translation of the
Greek word ekklesia, which is defined as "an assembly" or "called-out
ones." The root meaning of the Church is not that of a building but of
people who believe in Christ. We belong to the family of God, the universal
Church, but locally we are Hope Church which gathers in this building at 152
South Main Street Sharon.
We recognized that healthy Christians make up healthy
churches. Looking into Acts 2:42-47, we derive five vital signs of a healthy
Christian and a Church. 1. Worship (Vs. 46-47) 2. Fellowship Vs.46. 3. Service
(Ministry) Vs. 44-45. 4. Discipleship, Vs.42. 5. Evangelism. Vs. 47.
We learned that a healthy Christian grows in
worshipping God, maintaining his vertical and horizontal fellowship with God
and others. Today we will learn that a healthy Christian knows the Joy of
serving others as Jesus did. Vs. 44-45, "And all the believers met
together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their
property and possessions and shared the money with those in need." Let me
unpack these verses.
To give us the background, the early Church was
birthed when the Holy Spirit came upon and filled a group of 120 disciples. As
Peter spoke to the onlookers, the Holy Spirit convicted 3000 people, who later
were baptized and joined the rest of the believers, forming a community.
As the Holy Spirit led them, this small but vibrant
community grew in their worship of God, in the vertical and horizontal
fellowship with God and one another. Whatever they did, whether gathering in
the temple, sharing their meals in their homes, or selling their properties to meet
each other's needs, they did it with exuberant Joy, which is the fruit of the
Holy Spirit.
II
God calls His people to serve Him only.
Before we learn how the early Church served one
another, let's look at what motivated them in their servanthood. It was their
call to serve God. We are familiar with God calling us to love, follow, praise,
and worship Him, but how about a call to serve Him? Is this call for only a few
chosen ones or to all Christ's followers? What does it mean to serve God?
Serving God means doing his will and what pleases Him.
To a newly liberated nation of Israel after living in 400 years of slavery, God
gave several commandments, one of which was to serve Him. Exodus 23:25, "You
must serve only the Lord your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and
water and protect you from illness. There will be no miscarriages or
infertility in your land, and I will give you long, full lives."
This tells us serving God is not optional, but a
command, and it is for our good. After reaching the promised land, God
reinstated this call to serve Him through Joshua to a young generation born
during the wilderness who had no idea of serving God. Joshua urged them to put
away the idols their ancestors worshiped and to wholeheartedly fear and serve
the Lord alone. He challenged them to choose whom they would serve. Whether
people served God or not, he and his family resolved to serve the Lord alone.
Joshua 24:14-15,
The same call to serve God is coming to us today. Who will you serve, God or Satan? The choice you will make determines your future. Very early in my life, I decided to serve Christ all the days of my life. Though at times it was difficult and challenging to serve Him with Joy, as I pressed on to keep that commitment, I found it fulfilling and rewarding.
II.
A healthy Christian knows the Joy of serving others as Christ did.
The early Church modeled servanthood as they followed Jesus,
who talked about the importance of serving God and demonstrated it by getting
his hands dirty in serving others.
If we are followers of Christ, then we are servants of
Christ. John 12:26, "Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me because
my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor Anyone who serves me."
When we serve Christ, we are honored by our Father in heaven. No one better
understood and practiced what it is to serve than the Catholic Church.
According to the Institute for Catholic Educational
Leadership, "The church is a servant community in which those who hunger
are to be filled; the ignorant are to be taught; the homeless to receive
shelter; the sick cared for; the distressed consoled; the oppressed set
free."[1]
One of their highly regarded daughters, Mother Teresa,
who knew what it was to serve the dying destitute, had this to say, "Being
happy with [God] now means: Loving as he loves, Helping as he helps, Giving as
he gives, Serving as he serves, Rescuing as he rescues, Being with him 24
hours, Touching him in his distressing disguise."[2]
How is serving people equates to serving God? Hebrews
13:2, "Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don't forget to
show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained
angels without realizing it!" Perhaps this was borrowed by Hindus, who
believe in "Atithi Devo Bhava" in Sanskrit, meaning "Guest
is God."
Our love for God and people is better expressed when
we are kind to the poor and the needy, especially to those in the family of
God. We see this vital sign of service in the early Church. In chapter 4:32-37,
we read how they worked this out. They were united in heart and mind. They felt
that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.
They sold their lands and houses, brought money, gave to the Apostles, and they
distributed to those in need. There were no needy people among them. All this
was done organically and voluntarily. As the Holy Spirit enabled them, they
joyfully served God and one another.
III
Serving One Another With Joy
God commands us not only to serve Him but serve Him
with gladness. That is how He wants us to serve one another, with Joy. Serving
God is not a chore or duty but a joyful privilege. Consider these scriptures:
We must determine to serve God wholeheartedly. Matthew 6:24, "No one can
serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be
devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to
money."
Second, the wholehearted service of God brings Joy to
our hearts. Psalm 119:1-2, "Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the
instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him
with all their hearts." Thirdly, we serve God with jubilation. Psalm
100:1-2, "Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with
jubilation."
How can we serve God and one another with Joy? Romans
1-2, "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your
bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy
sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him."
Our service to others flows from our love, service, and worship of God.
The apostle Peter gives us a clue about how to show
our love for God and one another. It is by using our God-given gifts to serve
others. I Peter 4:10-11, "God has given each of you a gift from his great
variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another."
We all are given a unique gift, and some are given
more than one. We are called to serve one another in love. We are blessed at
Hope Church by many of us exercising our God-given gifts in serving one another
with Joy. What is our reward for serving God? Col 3:23-24, "Work willingly
at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for
people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward and
that the Master you serve is Christ." Let us continue to use our God-given
gifts to serve one another with Joy.
