Serve One
Another
Introduction: Jesus and his apostles
were traveling to Jerusalem, where he would ultimately offer his
life on the cross. An opportunity arises for him to impart a
much-needed lesson on service. Consider Matthew 20:25-28.
Spiritual greatness is not determined by the number of people
who serve us but rather by the amount of service we give.
Shortly before his death, he taught another profound lesson on
service in Matthew 25:34-40. When we serve others, we are, in
essence, serving the Lord. While God's word informs us of many
ways to serve one another, let us focus primarily on two: being
hospitable and visiting each other.
Be Hospitable. In
describing Christian behavior, Paul, by inspiration, used these
words (Romans 12:10, 13): “seeking after, striving for.” The
word “hospitality” conveys the idea of welcoming others into
your home and showing them love and generosity. This includes
people you may not know very well. The attitude with which one
extends hospitality is also very important (1 Peter 4:8-10).
Many biblical examples have been provided for us
in God's word to learn from.
a) In 2 Kings 4:8-11, a woman showed hospitality
to Elijah, the prophet. Years later, the kindness she had
extended to him was repaid many times over when Elijah raised
her son from the dead.
b) In 3 John 5-8, the recipient is known for
assisting both brethren and strangers. He welcomes them and then
sends them on their journey. Some of these individuals are
missionaries who “went forth for his name's sake." By welcoming
and supporting them during their mission to spread the gospel,
he becomes a fellow worker for the truth.
c) In Luke 10:38-42, we find a familiar account
of two sisters, Mary and Martha, who lived in Bethany, just east
of Jerusalem. Jesus was welcomed into Martha's house. Mary,
Martha, and their brother Lazarus were close friends of Jesus.
However, Martha became overwhelmed with the tasks of serving and
was “worried and troubled with many things.”
From this account, we can learn important lessons
about hospitality. Martha may have been trying to do too much; a
simple meal is often preferable to a grand feast. It seems that
she was overly focused on the details and wanted everything to
be perfect. Our home does not need to look as though it came
from the cover of a magazine, nor does it require immaculate
cleanliness. Martha's preoccupation with serving caused her to
miss the opportunity to spend time with Jesus. We should
prioritize time with our guests over excessive preparation, for
that is what truly matters.
2. Visit One Another.
A key component of pure and undefiled
(acceptable) religion is to visit orphans and widows (James
1:27). A visit includes activities such as showing interest,
cheering, comforting, strengthening, encouraging, and providing
assistance. Throughout time, God has desired for His people to
care for those in need, as emphasized in Psalm 146:5-9.
Those who need visiting include widows (Acts 6
and 1 Timothy 5), the sick and afflicted (Matthew 25), and
individuals who are elderly or shut-in at home (Proverbs 16:31).
Let us remember the psalmist’s words in Psalm 41:1-3: “Blessed
is he who considers the poor.”
Conclusion/invitation:
Have you been lacking in your Christian service lately?
February, 2025
Sermon prepared
by Bobby Stafford
Prepared by
Bobby Stafford
The church of
Christ at Granby, MO
Located at
516 East Pine St.
P.O. Box 664
Granby, Mo. 64844
(417) 472-7109
For more
lessons and Sermons, please visit
https://granbychurchofchrist.org/
https://granbychurchofchrist.com/
The
church of Christ
