Trait # 6 A Vital Christian Exhibits Christ Like Servanthood

                                                   TEN TRAITS OF A VITAL CHRISTIAN

Trait # 6 Exhibits Christ-Like Servanthood  Matthew 20:17-28

 

            "Mama Nellie" Yarborough founded the Mt. Calvary Holy Church on Otisfield Street in Dorchester, MA, in 1962. She single-handedly created a tight-knit congregation that looked to her for moral, spiritual, and daily strength. Mama Nellie won't reveal her exact age, but at 70-something, her strength and energy have not waned despite inner city life's hardships," wrote Christina Wallace. This petite Southerner believed that one person can make a difference."

            She became a Bishop in her denomination, a school principal, and a community activist. To her colleagues and friends throughout greater Boston, she is known as a faithful servant of Jesus Christ, which she has been since she was fifteen."

            Mama Nellie has repeatedly proven her servanthood. Though she was a Bishop of her denomination, it only took a phone call for her to rush to the side of an ailing parishioner. She led a neighborhood watch group on Saturday nights, scolding prostitutes and trying to drive them out of the area. On Thursday nights and Saturday mornings, she served hot meals to dozens of homeless people from the basement of her church, organized health workshops for women, etc.[1]

            Mama Nellie exhibited Christlike servanthood toward all who crossed her path daily. From a very young age, she understood that the call of a disciple is to follow in the footsteps of their master. Her infectious heart of love and obedient life of servanthood touched many lives.   

             In our series, the Vital Christian Living, we have worked through the five traits of a Vital Christian. They are: 1. A Vital Christian experiences God's Empowering Presence. 2. Engages in God-Exalting worship. 3. Practices the Spiritual Disciplines. 4. Learns and Grows in the community. 5. Commits to Loving and Caring Relationships. Today, we will look at Trait # 6,  A Vital Christian Exhibits Christlike Servanthood. Matthew 20:17-28

I. Biblical Understanding of Servanthood.

            In a power-hungry and egocentric world, servants or serving are considered weak and demeaning. But that's not how God views it, and He showed the power of serving by sending Jesus Christ, His only begotten son, who became a humble servant of the people He created. The dictionary definition of servant is "a person ardently devoted to another or a cause.

            We often think of servants as people hired to do domestic duties or people as government servants hired to perform government duties. As Christians, we are God's servants. We are called to be devoted to God and to carry out His mission obediently. In the Bible, the words "servant," "service," and "serve," in various forms, occur well over 1,100 times in the NIV.

            Many persons in the Old Testament are called "servants," among them some well-known ones: Abraham, Jacob, Moses (40 times), Joshua, Samuel, and David (more than 50 times). Some heathen kings, like Nebuchadnezzar (Jer 25:9) and Cyrus (Is  45:1-25). Some prophets like Isaiah and Daniel. The Jewish elders saw themselves as servants of the God of heaven and earth ( Ez 5:11), and some women like Ruth, a foreigner(Ruth 3:9), and Hannah. Mary, Jesus' mother, saw herself as a humble servant of God (Lk 1:48). The Book of Isaiah contains the "servant Songs" ( Is 42:1-4, 53:12). In the Book of Acts, Jesus was referred to as God's servant four times (Acts 3:13, 26; 4:27, 30).

 

            When Jesus walked this earth, his devotion was to the cause of his heavenly Father, and his example was one of a faithful servant. He fulfilled his call with faithful consistency, showing his disciples the fullness of his love through many acts of servanthood. The prophet Isaiah prophesied Jesus as God's chosen servant in Isaiah 42:1-4.

In the N.T, Jesus quotes the same prophecy verbatim after healing a large crowd that came to him and said this was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah. Matt 12:18-21. You can check these passages at home.

            There is nothing to be ashamed of in calling ourselves God's servants. God calls all of us to be His servants in his vineyard whether we are in a full-time ministry, a 9 to 5 job, a stay-at-home parent, currently unemployed, retired, or not working at all. We all are recruited to serve God, which is the greatest privilege. Let's humbly display the badge of honor as God's Servants.

II. A Vital Christian Exhibits Christlike Servanthood

            A vital Christian practices God-honoring servanthood in every life and ministry relational context. Jesus exhibited such servanthood to everyone who crossed his path throughout his earthly ministry. Here are some acts of his service: He fed the hungry crowds, healed the sick, restored the dignity of women, reached out to social outcasts, and raised people from the dead.

            After predicting how he would be delivered to the chief priests and crucified for the third time, he established a road map to greatness through servanthood. Two of his disciples wanted to sit on the left and right sides of Jesus when He established His Kingdom.

            To them, he said, "You've observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It's not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage." Matthew 20:25-28 (The Message)

            One of the most dramatic expressions of Jesus's service to his disciples came during the Last Supper before his departure to the cross. Let's picture the posture of this Servant, King Jesus. He knew the Father had put everything under his power, so he got up from the meal, removed his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with a towel. John 13:1-5

            Exhibiting Christ-like servanthood begins at home. A word for Men: How are you serving your wives and children? As couples, we look for ways to lighten each other's load. Here are some ways at Hope Church for you to excel in Christlike servanthood. You can serve on the worship team, the media, as trustees and deacons in the hospitality ministry and missions. We can also take this Christlike servanthood outside the church into our communities and the world.

III. Evangelism Through Christlike Servanthood.

            Jesus exhibited his servanthood with a foot-washing ceremony before going to the cross and culminated His love for humanity with his crucifixion on the cross. We could draw some principles from Christ's death on the cross to guide our evangelistic efforts. We will learn how we should do ministry in the Apostle Paul's letter to the Christians in Philippi. Phil 2:5-10 (NIV)

            "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross! Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth." Let's observe some principles of Evangelism here.

            Paul exhorts us to have "the same mindset or attitude that Jesus had. What is this attitude? Christ made himself nothing. The Greek word kenosis used here connotes, "Jesus emptied himself." He emptied himself or voluntarily laid down his glory as God's Son and willingly entered into the human experience, being made in human likeness.

             In Evangelism and the Way of the Cross, author Andrew F. Bush notes, "In this act of joining us in our humanness, he affirmed the value of all humanity. Particularly, as we think of refugees and others in need, by laying aside his claims of power, Jesus identified with the weak and marginalized. In the crucifixion, he affirmed their value."[2] In Servanthood Evangelism, we see value in every person, whether native-born, immigrant, or refugee. If Christ loved them enough to die for them on the cross, what can we give up to share that love with others?

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

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[1] Stephen A. Machia, Becoming A Healthy Disciple, Pages 127-128

[2] Eugene Cho & Samira Izadi Page, “No Longer Strangers,” Page 24.

Trait # 5 Commits To Loving & Caring Relationships

                                            TEN TRAITS OF A VITAL CHRISTIAN

Trait # 5 Commits To Loving & Caring Relationships John 15:9-17

 

            What makes us a Healthy and fruitful Church? Lee Iacocca once asked legendary football coach Vince Lombardi what it took to create a winning team. The book Iacocca records Lombardi’s answer: “There are a lot of coaches with good ball clubs who know the fundamentals and have plenty of discipline but still don’t win the game. Then you come to the third ingredient: if you’re going to play together as a team, you’ve got to care for one another. You’ve got to love each other. Each player has to think about the next guy and say to himself:

            ‘If I don’t block that man, Paul is going to get his legs broken. I have to do my job well for him to do his.’ “The difference between mediocrity and greatness,” Lombardi said that night, “is the feeling these guys have for each other.” The same principles of love and care for each other also work in a Church community. In a healthy church, each Christian learns to care for others. As we take Jesus’ command to “love one another” seriously, we can make our Church healthy and effective witnesses in our communities, which would make us a winning team.”[1]

            We have been working through the Ten Vital Signs of a Christian in our Vital Christian series. We learned that a Vital Christian experiences God’s Empowering Presence daily. A Vital Christian engages both individually and corporately in God-exalting worship. Practicing the Spiritual Disciplines of Studying God’s Word, Prayer, and Works of Service would help us bear much fruit in God’s Kingdom. These disciplines are not worked out in a vacuum but are better practiced in a community. Last week, we examined the importance of being part of a local Church and how a vital Christian learns and grows in the community. Today, we will look at Trait # 5: A Vital Christian Commits to Loving and Caring Relationships.” John 15:9-17

 

II. Christ is the Head, and We are the Members of the Body of Christ.

             In Acts 2:47, the Greek word ekklesia was first used to differentiate the Christian Community from the Jewish Community. In the NT, the Church has twofold aspects: the Church worldwide, which includes all who Christ called in the fellowship of His salvation, and a local individual Church. A vital Christian learns and grows in a Church community.

            The best functional expression of the Church is the “Body Of Christ.” When Christ saves us, he makes us members of his body. Writing to the Corinthian local Church, the Apostle Paul explains how the body of Christ functions in this world. “A body has many parts, and all these parts form one body, so it is with Christ. Each body part needs the other part to be healthy.

            Each part must recognize its placement and function to its optimum for the good of the rest of the body. But God has put the body together so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now, you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” I Cor 12:12-27

            In Ephesians, Paul writes about how each part of the body of Christ interrelates with the other part and their relation to the head of the body, the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 4:15-16, “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him, the whole body joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love as each part does its work.”

            The principles of love, support, care, hygiene, health, and unity that apply to the physical body also apply to the body of Christ. How does this work out in Hope Church? Christ is the head of our Church, and we are members of his body. The health and effectiveness of Hope Church depends on all of its members working together in love and and the unity of Spirit.

II. Loving and Caring Relationships are a gift from God.

            Steve Machai has this to say about loving and caring relationships: “Expressing thanks to God for the gift of his relationship with us leads naturally into thanking the Lord for all of our relationships. The quality of our relationships with family, friends, work associates, Church, and community should reflect our extravagant love for Jesus. Be sure to tell God how grateful you are for these people, and take the time to express gratitude to those within your relational web of connections. It’s the relationally healthy thing to do, even when some relationships are stressed and strained!”[2] Many are lonely without loving relationships.

            When we first moved to the US in 2005, as an immigrant family, we experienced the pain of being uprooted from our family and friends and living in a strange country. I don’t know where we would be today without a small local church that welcomed us, embraced us, and made us feel at home. That is why it is so vital that we belong to a local Church.

            This past week, I celebrated my 60^th birthday. I was grateful to God for the gift of life, salvation, and a family where I am loved and cared for. I thanked God for my extended family, Hope church family, friends, brothers, and sisters in the body of Christ. It made me realize that I am not alone but connected with others. We all enjoy loving and caring relationships. Yet those relationships will not happen automatically, and they take effort and management. We will examine why we must love one another and how we cultivate and enjoy loving relationships.

III. A Vital Christian Commits to Loving and Caring Relationships.

            The phrase “one another” occurs 100 times in the NT. Approximately 59 of those are specific commands teaching us how (and how not) to relate to one another. Obedience to those commands is imperative, as they form the basis for Christian communities and their witness.

            Two such direct commands from Jesus are mentioned in the Gospel of John. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” Jn 13:34-35.

            Jesus reaffirms the same command but explains how it should be practiced. “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Jn 15:12-17. Jesus showed us how we are to love one another.

            Christ’s love was generous; he gave his whole life. It was sacrificial. He willingly died on the cross. It was unconditional. He died for us while we were still sinners. It was forgiving. He asked the Father to forgive those who were persecuting Him. How is our love for others?

            Expressing a commitment to loving and caring relationships in the body of Christ begins with knowing and speaking the language of love. I Corinthians 13 talks all about love. How do 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. 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? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." I John 3:16-18

            What hinders us from cultivating and enjoying loving and caring relationships? Unresolved conflicts and strained relationships are demoralizing emotionally and physically. If you have an unresolved conflict and lack of forgiveness in your heart, it calls for you to sit with that person, maybe with the help of another believer, and sort it out.

            Trying to resolve a conflict may not always end up in reconciliation. Sometimes, we may have to end a toxic relationship. God understands that. Therefore, he said, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18). What matters is whether we are committed to loving and caring relationships, which makes us a healthy Church.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

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[1] Source: Christopher Stinnett, Wailed Lake, Michigan. Leadership, Vol. 15, no. 3.

[2] Stephen A. Macchia, “Becoming A Healthy Disciple,” Page 110

Trait # 4 A Vital Christian Learns and Grows in Community

 

Trait # 4. Learns And Grows in Community Hebrews 10:19-25

 

            My understanding of a Christian Community was primarily shaped and developed during my six-month Discipleship Training School in YWAM India in 1985. It was an international and multicultural community of men and women. All those in that Community voluntarily left their homes, families, and countries and came together to learn and grow in a Missional Community.

            Our only goal was to "Know God and Make Him known." In that Christian Community, I learned about the core discipleship teachings, such as Quiet time, reading and studying the Bible, Intercession, Praise & Worship, Spiritual Warfare, Generosity, Hospitality, Submission to Authority, Servanthood, Forgiveness, Living by Faith, and Evangelism. I felt valued, recognized, and loved. It was a loving Christian community committed to making a difference.

            However, YWAM was not a Church, so I sought a Church community. I visited one Church that was too legalistic, and the other was too traditional. Finally, I found a Spirit-filled, Christ-centered, and Missional Assemblies of God. I felt at home in that Church. In the beginning, what started as a six-month stay ended up being twenty years of doing Life together with YWAM and the Assemblies of God Church. All our three daughters were dedicated to the Lord in that Church. We only left that Church when we came to the US.

            We want Hope Church to be a loving and welcoming Church. We want members to know God and be committed to making Him known to others. We want Hope Church to be a safe and trusted community where we will learn and grow together to become all God wants us to be.

            In our series on Vital Christian Living, we learned that a vital christian experiences God's Empowering Presence, engages in God-Exalted Worship, and practices the Spiritual Disciplines of studying God's Word, Praying, and Works of Service. Today, we will examine Trait # 4,  A Vital Christian Learns and Grows in Community. Hebrews 10:19-25

I. Why do we need a Community?

            While driving with Keith to the homeless ministry a few Saturdays ago, we saw several Jewish people, families, and children walking to their Sabbath services. I told Keith that our Jewish brothers and sisters understand the need to belong to a community. That need for a community is not only for the Jewish people but a universal and fundamental human instinct.

            The famous saying, "No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. "Taken from a devotional by John Donne, a 17th-century English poet."[1] Humans cannot live independently, and they need others. During the pandemic, we learned about the need for Community and felt sad and depressed when we felt its absence.

            In her book The Amen Effect, Sharon Brous, a Jewish Rabbi, notes, "In the past twenty years, there's been groundbreaking work on the impact of loneliness and social disconnection on our spirits but also on our bodies and society." The former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy describes loneliness as "the subjective feeling that we're lacking the social connections we need." Loneliness is more an inner state than an external reality; it is about feeling alone, not being alone.[2] Biologists, neurologists, psychologists, and clergy attest that human beings need connection. Bren'e Brown puts it this way: "We are psychologically, emotionally, cognitively, and spiritually hardwired for connection, love, and belonging.

            These are irreducible needs for all. It's what gives purpose and meaning to our lives. The absence of love, belonging, and connection always leads to suffering."[3] The Lord knew our need for a community. After creating the man, he said, "It is not good for the man to be alone, so he made the woman and placed them in the Garden of Eden (Community) to serve and to survive.

II. We are blessed when we can live in a Church Community

            Since its creation, God's best intention for humanity has been that they do not live in isolation but in communities. We saw that pattern of living in the nomadic communities of ancient Israel. God made a nation of people out of one man named Abraham and called them His own. God blessed Israel and, in return, wanted them to be a blessing to the nations of the Earth.

            Mark Dever, the Executive Director of 9Marks, is known to begin his remarks while addressing college students this way: "If you call yourself a Christian but you are not a member of the church you regularly attend, I worry that you might be going to hell." It is pretty shocking. Why would he start with such a kind of warning? Was he going for shock value? Or was he trying to scare them into church membership? Not really! "He wanted them to see the urgency of the need for a healthy local church in the Christian's life and to begin sharing the passion for the Church that characterizes Christ and his followers."[4]

            When we give our lives to the Lord, we are adopted into God's Worldwide family, the Church. But we still need to belong to a local church. There are many examples in the New Testament of believers living in Christian communities and worshiping in local churches. Paul wrote letters to local churches, such as the Believers in Rome, the Churches in Corinth, Ephesus, Colossae, Thessalonica, and Galatia. In the book of Revelation, we see seven local churches.

            A Christian without a local church family is like a person who says, "I want to play in the NBA, but I don't want to be a part of any local team. Would that work? No! Similarly, it is not enough to say that you belong to the Universal Church; you must be committed to a local church. For quite some time, you have been attending Hope Church. By far, we are not a perfect Church. Because within the context of a local Church, we can exercise and grow in our Faith.   

III. A Vital Christian Learns and Grows in a Christian Community

            Being part of a Church community is not a privilege but a blessing of God. You will only know its value and its need if you live in countries where Christians are being persecuted for their Faith. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, wrote "Life Together, during the II World War, has this to say about a Christian community, "In the period between the death of Christ and the Day of judgment, when Christians are allowed to live here in the visible Community with other Christians, we have merely a gracious anticipation of the end time.

            By God's grace, a congregation is permitted to gather visibly around God's word and sacrament in this world. Not all Christians partake of this grace. The imprisoned, the sick, the lonely who live in the diaspora, the proclaimers of the gospel in heathen lands stand alone."[5] We thank God for Sharon Hope Church, a Christian community and a family where we belong. We gather every Sunday to learn and grow through Worship, studying God's word, and Fellowship.

            The Apostle Paul gives seven truths that all Christians must believe and live by when they come together for worship in a local Church, in Hebrews 10:19-25. First, we are sinners saved by grace by believing in Christ's redemptive work. (Vs.19). Second, we are called to a new way of living in Christ. (Vs. 20). Third, when we sin, Jesus, our great high priest, understands us and forgives our sins each time we confess them. (Heb 10:21, I Jn 1:9).

            Fourth, we are called to draw near to Jesus with sincere hearts and clear consciences. (Vs.22). Fifth, we are to hold without wavering the hope we profess because God who has promised is faithful. (Vs.23). Sixth, when we come together, let us excel in encouraging one another toward love and good works. ( Vs.24). Seven, since the Day of our Lord's return is fast approaching, let us not neglect the assembling together. Let's make it a regular habit. 

 

 

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[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Donne

[2] Sharon Brous, “The Amen Effect,” Page 33

[3] Ibid,. Page 37

[4] Mark Dever, What is A  Healthy Church? Page, 21

[5] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “Life Together Prayer Book Of the Bible,” Page28

Trait # 3 Practices The Spiritual Disciplines

                                             TEN TRAITS OF A VITAL CHRISTIAN

Trait #3 Practices The Spiritual Disciplines John 15:1-8

 

            I was on a Zoom call with a retired pastor friend Stan with whom I have been meeting in person monthly from his time in Quincy for the past fifteen years. Now, he lives in Indianapolis, hence the Zoom. These moments of connection have been mutually encouraging. I asked Stan how his wife Mary was doing, and he said, "She had gone to attend a Bible study group from Bible Study Fellowship, with 600 women and 200 children attending. There are four such classes in Indianapolis, plus a men's class, which meets on Saturdays.

            When I heard about the staggering numbers of men, women, and children studying the Bible, I  said out loud, "Wow!" I was amazed at the believers' Christian Vitality and Spiritual Discipline in the Midwest. We don't see such vitality in the New England areas. Have we become cold like our region in loving God and practicing the Spiritual Disciplines?

            Some might think the spiritual disciplines are only for spiritual giants and not for me. This is not true, and God wants these disciplines to be practiced by all of his children: those who have jobs, care for children, clean homes, school teachers, cab drivers, etc. Some others might think they are for beginners and new believers, but not for me; I am a seasoned Christian.

            In Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster says, "I am a beginner, especially after several years of practicing every discipline discussed in this book. As Thomas Merton says, "We do not want to be beginners. But let us be convinced of the fact that we will never be anything else but beginners all our lives."[1] In our series on Vital Christian Living, we learned that a vital christian experiences God's Empowering Presence daily and engages in God-Exalted Worship personally and publically with other believers in the Church. Today, we will examine Trait # 3,  A Vital Christian Practices the Spiritual Disciplines. John 15:1-8.

I. The Significance of Spiritual Disciplines.

            Before examining some core spiritual disciplines, we want to understand what spiritual disciplines are, their purpose, and why Christians need to practice them. The spiritual disciplines are teachings taught and practiced by Jesus, his disciples, and the early Church. They are recorded in the scriptures for all believers to follow for all generations. What is their purpose?

            Richard Foster explains the purpose of the Spiritual Disciplines: "The Bible called people to such disciplines as fasting, Prayer, worship, and celebration but gave almost no instructions on how to do them. They are an inward and spiritual reality, and the heart's inner attitude is more crucial than the mechanics for coming into the reality of the spiritual life.

            The Spiritual Disciplines are grace-giving. They allow us to place ourselves before God so that he can transform us. God has ordained the Disciplines as the means by which we place ourselves where He can bless us. We should not think of them as some dull drudgery aimed at exterminating laughter from the face of the earth. Joy is the keynote of all the Disciplines."[2] Therefore, we Christians should celebrate those disciplines rather than resent them.

            In his book Becoming A Healthy Disciple, Steve Macchia writes, "I have discovered over the years that practicing the spiritual disciplines is not to know more data about God, more facts about his Word, or more information about the Christian life. Instead, the disciplines are for the purpose of knowing and experiencing the richness and vitality of a relationship with God.        This relationship begins with the Lord expressing his intimate love for us."[3] In essence, the spiritual disciplines are essential to living a vital Christian life in this troubled World where we are called to be the light and the salt and share God's love and his plan for humanity. Among several spiritual disciplines, we will examine three disciplines a Vital Christian must practice.

II. Practicing the three Core Spiritual Disciplines:

             These three core disciplines are fundamental yet essential for our Christian Vitality. In the New Testament, Jesus, his disciples, and the Early Church practiced them, leaving an example for us to follow. They are Studying the Scriptures, Praying, and the Works of Service.

            In I Timothy 4:1-8, the Apostle Paul warns how Christians will turn away to conspiracies and be deceived in the later days. Then he implores Timothy, as a good minister, to entrust the scriptural truths of faith and the good teaching he had followed to the believers. Then he says, "Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

            Athletes discipline themselves in daily training their bodies to win a prize or succeed in what they want to accomplish in life. Similarly, Christians are called to strengthen their spiritual muscles to be vital and bear much fruit in God's Kingdom. These spiritual disciplines, or intellectually knowing them, will not benefit us spiritually, But practicing them will make us spiritually vital and fruitful in God's Kingdom. Keeping the training concept in mind, let's explore these spiritual disciplines.

A. Practicing the Spiritual Discipline of Studying God's Word.

            When we are born again, we are like spiritual infants who crave spiritual milk, God's Word, for our spiritual growth (I Pet 2:2). I can not emphasize how important it is to eat the daily spiritual bread for our spiritual nourishment. Without this, we will be weak in our Christian faith and be easily deceived and led astray by the devil and his false teachers. If we sincerely believe and follow this teaching of Jesus, "But seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will also be given you." Matt 6:33. I guarantee that we will be blessed beyond belief.            Jesus told the believing Jews, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32. In John 15:1-8, Jesus points out that we will become fruit-bearing Christians by remaining in Him and his words in us. Hope Church encourages everyone who attends to read, study, and obey God's Word regularly.

B. Practicing the Spiritual Discipline of Praying

            How can we first seek God's Kingdom and righteousness? By practicing the following two disciplines: Prayer and Service. Jesus taught his disciples principles for vital Christian living through what we know as the Lord's Prayer. If we pray sincerely, we will know God as our Heavenly Father. Many people in the World do not understand this loving and redeeming Truth.

            We honor God and pray for His Kingdom to come. We pray for our needs. We forgive others because we want God's forgiveness. And we also ask for God's protection 6:9-14 6:9-14. At Hope Church, we regularly practice this spiritual discipline of Prayer. For some of you, the spiritual muscle of Prayer may be weak. Your prayer life will only grow by praying regularly. I encourage you to join the Wednesday prayer group to practice this spiritual discipline of Prayer.

C. Practicing the Spiritual Discipline of the Works of Service.

            The spiritual discipline of studying God's Word and Praying will motivate us to serve God and the people in God's beautiful World. We follow a servant King who came not to be served but to serve. Jesus commands us to love one another as he has loved us. Everyone will know that we are His disciples by our love for one another. John 13:34-35. The unbelievers in the World do good works, hoping their good works will save them. But we, the believers, do good to others because we are saved. Let us excel in doing good to as many people as possible, and as long as we can, people will glorify our Father in Heaven by seeing our good works. Let us practice these three spiritual disciplines: Studying God's Word, Praying, and Serving. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[1] Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline, Page 2.

[2]Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline, Pages 2,3,7

[3] Stephen A. Macchia, Becoming a Healthy Disciple, page 66.