Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Serve Others – The Vault

October 26, 2022/in Bible Study, Week 3

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Where do you want to spend eternity?

If eternity with Jesus is your choice, we should imitate his ministry by graciously caring for the needs of others. It can be as simple as sharing a meal with someone in need. This is not to say that acts of service are the way to eternal life. Salvation is not based on our actions; it is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Because we have been given this gift, we should follow Jesus’ example.

Matthew 25:37-40

37 “Then these righteous ones reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” (Emphasis added.)

These verses are very straight forward, unlike the parables Jesus often taught. Jesus is encouraging us to provide for those who are unable to provide for themselves, just as he cared for others throughout his ministry.

If someone is hungry … feed them.

If someone is thirsty … give them a drink.

If you meet a stranger … invite them into your life.

If someone needs clothes … give them clothing.

If someone is sick … help them.

If someone is in prison … don’t abandon them.

Jesus is trying to help us understand what it means to serve others in need, and by doing so, we are serving him.

When we serve others, we serve Jesus.

We do not know the day or the hour when Jesus will return, so we need to look for opportunities to glorify his name and expand his Kingdom. Ask yourself: What breaks my heart? Once you figure that out, put your time, talent, and resources there. One of the most important decisions you can make is to serve others in God’s name.

Our actions reveal what we believe about God.

When Jesus does return, we want to hear the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).

Questions:

What breaks your heart? Are you gifted at creating the solution? If so, when can you start making a difference? If not, what is holding you back?

Next Steps:

Increase your awareness of the promises of God in your life. This can be done by spending time with other Jesus followers, reading his Word, or by reflecting on your own life to see where God has shown up.

Increase your awareness of others’ needs, and seek out opportunities to help them by volunteering your time or resources. Consider checking in on an elderly friend or family member or donating to a worthy cause.

Prayer:

Dear Father in heaven, open my eyes to opportunities where I can serve others. Thank you for gifting me with talents to help those in need. Increase my awareness to see as you see. Thank you for sending Jesus to this world to be a shining example of how to express love and serve others. It’s in his name I pray, amen.