SESSION 4 STICK WITH SERVICE 118 SESSION LifeWay

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Abraham Lane
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1 SESSION 4 STICK WITH SERVICE 118 SESSION 4

2 When have you received stellar service? QUESTION #1 #BSFLservice BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 119

THE POINT Seize the opportunity to serve. THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE One time a man booked a last-minute trip on a well-known airline to see his dying grandson one last time.

3 THE POINT Seize the opportunity to serve. THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE One time a man booked a last-minute trip on a well-known airline to see his dying grandson one last time. Traffic and long lines at the Los Angeles airport caused him to arrive at the gate 12 minutes after the plane s scheduled departure, but the airline had been informed of this man s tragic situation. Imagine the man s surprise when the pilot himself was waiting for him. The pilot said: They can t go anywhere without me, and I wasn t going anywhere without you. Now relax. We ll get you there. And again, I m so sorry. Good customer service isn t about making a sale or even keeping a customer. It s about doing what s right and helping another person. We re not talking about customers and business in this study; we re talking about relationships. But the principle still applies: we strengthen our relationships when we help and serve those we care about. Serving is a tangible way to love others. 120 SESSION 4

4 WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? Galatians 5:13-15; 6:1-5,10 (NIV) 5:13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: Love your neighbor as yourself. 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. 6:1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. The flesh (5:13) This term can refer to the human body, but most often in Paul s writings it denotes the sin nature. The person who lives according to the flesh is living a life which is contrary to and opposed to God. The law of Christ (6:2) Shorthand for Jesus teaching that the whole law could be summed up in the commandments to love God and love your neighbor as yourself. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load. 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 121

5 THE POINT Seize the opportunity to serve. Galatians 5:13-15 I love the emphasis at the beginning of verse 13: we re called to be free! In Christ, the proclamation of freedom has been issued. We are free, but free to do what? Our freedom in Christ is not a license to go back to our old lifestyles to live like we did before we were saved. Notice the word flesh in verse 13. This refers to our sinful nature, the old person that continues to live inside us even after the moment of salvation. The flesh is the self-absorbed side of us that can grow like a cancer when let off its leash. It no longer owns us, but it likes to think it does. Paul knew firsthand about the continual pull of the old sin nature (see Rom. 7:14-24), and he regularly warned us to strive against it. The inward focus of our sin nature not only harms us, but also our relationships. If I m focused on myself, and you re focused on yourself, how can we ever connect on a deeper level? When we focus inwardly, sins like selfishness, greed, and negligence quickly follow and sour our relationships. As Paul warned: If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. Paul also knew that the only remedy for the flesh was found in an ongoing relationship with Christ (see Rom. 7:25). So, as we focus on Christ, we re also to focus on those He s brought into our lives. We should maximize our liberty in Christ by loving people through service. Serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: Love your neighbor as yourself (vv ). Jesus blazed a trail back to the beauty of community. While the ultimate result of Christ s death and resurrection is the forgiveness of sin and a relationship without God, it also alters the way we feel about ourselves (no more guilt!) and revolutionizes the way we feel about others. We can now love people, and we express that love through serving them. What is the connection between freedom in Christ and the command to serve? QUESTION #2 122 SESSION 4

6 WHAT S YOUR IDEAL SERVICE PROJECT? Use the prompts below to plan how you would serve your community if you had the necessary money, time, and manpower. What problem would you address? What would be your ultimate goal? What resources would you need? What steps would you take to accomplish your goal? BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 123

7 THE POINT Seize the opportunity to serve. Galatians 6:1-5 When it comes to relationships, many people place all their eggs in one basket. That basket of choice is typically the one that brings about the most warm fuzzies and public pats on the back. In Galatians 6, Paul gave us a more effective way for using our energy and time: helping others along. One of the most important roles you play in the lives of others is to help them see their blind spots. Anyone who drives a car can grasp this idea. I remember being saved at the last second by my loving wife shouting, Honey, there s a car beside you! In a panic, I yanked the wheel and returned to my lane unscathed. As my heart rate slowly returned to normal, I offered thanks to my wife because her intent really had been to help me and not to throw me into cardiac arrest! Because of her, I had dodged a bullet. How can we help others see blind spots in a way that strengthens relationships? QUESTION #3 Paul challenged the church to gently, lovingly, and sensitively serve others by helping them see the way they wound themselves or others. This process requires much prayer, but it must be a part of healthy relationships. Paul also drove home the need for tangible forms of service: Carry each other s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ (v. 2). Strong relationships call for us to help carry loads. It s a lot easier to move a heavy piece of furniture when someone is there to help you carry it. It s still my load to carry, but by coming alongside and helping me carry it, you ease my strain. In a sense, my burden becomes your burden as we carry it together. Notice it goes both ways. You help carry my burdens, and I help carry your burdens. This, of course, requires appropriate self-disclosure and soul-bearing. After all, people cannot help you lift something they know nothing about. What actions and attitudes enable us to carry one another s burdens? QUESTION #4 124 SESSION 4

8 Galatians 6:10 Paul mentioned the need to demonstrate love to all, but he stressed the importance of Christians investing in other Christians. Relationships inside the church are held at the highest level. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers (v. 10). This certainly doesn t mean we ignore the needs of those outside the body of Christ. Sowing good seed in the lives of lost people is important, as well. But just as people care for their immediate family before they take care of their neighbors (see 1 Tim. 5:8), believers must be sure to take care of their brothers and sisters in Christ. This serves as a great witness to those outside the church. Jesus said: 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 (John 13:34-35). In his rich letter to the Romans, Paul made it evident that serving others is a huge part of offering our lives as a living sacrifice (see Rom. 12:1-8). While Christians should stand ready to serve in any way, the wisest way to serve others is by opening up your unique package of spiritual gifts. Consider how the Holy Spirit has hard wired you for ministry, and then use those gifts and abilities to serve and meet the needs that lie before you. All that remains for us to do is to open our hearts and eyes to see the needs and opportunities in front of us and then do something about them. What opportunities does our group have to work for the good of others? QUESTION #5 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 125

n a typical summer day at Summers are demanding.

It s a significant time of refueling for everyone, and it s one of the key times in which editing their job resumés and then heading out to clean a local park; 60 our family has the opportunity to do

kids are eating lunch in the children s My husband, Keith, and I and our three boys, ages park and getting ready for games and 4-9, have a range of personalities, but God has given us a Bible story;

vegetables in a raised bed, and teams of suburban teenagers are meeting elderly residents to help them with home projects while gaining life wisdom.

But on Wednesday night, they all come home for dinner at my house.

9 n a typical summer day at Summers are demanding. Staff members sustain not The Boston Project Ministries, just the physical exhaustion of running a program, but a lot happens: 25 local teenagers are also emotional fatigue. It s a significant time of refueling for everyone, and it s one of the key times in which editing their job resumés and then heading out to clean a local park; 60 our family has the opportunity to do ministry together. kids are eating lunch in the children s My husband, Keith, and I and our three boys, ages park and getting ready for games and 4-9, have a range of personalities, but God has given us a Bible story; 18 local junior high kids are planting a common gift of hospitality; we value personal engagement and desire that everyone feels at home. vegetables in a raised bed, and teams of suburban teenagers are meeting elderly residents to help them with home projects while gaining life wisdom. All of this is planned and supervised by our staff smiling, leading, teaching, and showing God s love all week long in the heat of the city. But on Wednesday night, they all come home for dinner at my house. Staff dinners on Wednesday nights are a time of rest, a time to put a stake in the ground, a time to pause and reflect on what God is doing. The more than 30 young adults on summer staff, plus our year-round staff families come together to regroup, eat, relax, play, and be encouraged. 48 HOMELIFE JULY 2014 is my boys favorite night of the week. Around 4:00 p.m. each Wednesday, their friends begin to arrive. The three of them wait in the yard, casually playing but keeping a sharp lookout. They bolt the moment they spy a familiar face coming down the street. Timothy, our herald, begins screaming others names in welcome. Staff may be sweaty, tired, and stressed from their work, but they can t help but run after him when Timothy runs up and yells Tag! You re it! Joseph drags staff to the trampoline or hands them a Frisbee. Aaron lures them into a pretend game like polar bears (I still have no idea what this is). The boys greet each staff member with hugs and high-fives, completely oblivious to the busy day those staffers have had. All my sons know is that Wednesday evening is their time to play with all their Boston Project friends. In a matter of minutes, more than 30 people are in our yard, setting up tables, lounging on the swing, playing basketball, and running after the kids. When it s finally time for dinner, we sit at one long family, banquet table and feast. God uses our kids to minister as much as he uses Keith and me. After we eat, Keith leads the staff in sharing about their week and praying as a group. As we clean up, I check in to see how each person s week is going. But when our 4-yearold wraps his arms around a leg and smiles up to say, I m so glad you re here today, it s a whole other kind of encouragement. My children are the best bridge-builders I know. The majority of New England s population (75 percent) and most of its major cities are concentrated in its three southernmost states: Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The most populous state is Massachusetts, and the most populous city is Boston. The majority of New Englanders are spiritually lost. On any given weekend, less than three percent of the 14.3 million people will attend an evangelical church. Statistically, 97 out of every 100 people living in New England do not know Jesus. It s estimated that there are at least 1,000 towns and villages in New England that have no evangelical presence of any kind. At least 150 languages and people groups exist in New England. Nearly half of Southern Baptist Convention churches in New England worship in a language other than English. Source: bcne.net/who-we-are/about-the-bcne They re bold, filled with wonder, and generous in their love. They reflect who God is to our staff. The ways they draw people in and love with abandon make our exhausted staff feel encouraged and valuable. In the first chapter of the Bible, God refers to man and woman as His image-bearers. We reflect Jesus in what we do and how we treat others. One excellent example of how God uses my kids to bear His image comes through my son, Joseph. For example, Percy, who runs all of our children s programming in the park, had not seen his wife, Katie, at all last August 8 their anniversary. When Joseph found out that it was their anniversary, he ran for the house. I was a bit confused. He returned, arms laden with a tablecloth, candles, and a lighter. He proceeded to meticulously set a special table for two at the end of the banquet table. He knew it was JULY 2014 HOMELIFE 49 THE POINT Seize the opportunity to serve. LIVE IT OUT Where is God leading you to serve? Consider the following opportunities this week: Family. Be intentional about blessing your family members this week. Make an extra effort to serve the people you love the most. Church Search for a specific way you can minister to your brothers and sisters in Christ. Start a service project or engage a long-term ministry. Community. Think through your gifts and resources, then find a need in your neighborhood or community that corresponds with those gifts and resources. Take action. To follow Jesus is to represent Him as a member of God s kingdom. Therefore, live your life in such a way that people can t help but connect the name of Jesus with humble and loving acts of service. Summer in Beantown Summer in Beantown O A wife and mother serves Boston with her four handsome partners in ministry. by Sarah Riddle Joseph, Timothy, and Aaron have been uniquely created by God to complete our ministry. Ready to Play Wednesday night Lost in New England istockphoto.com On a typical summer day at The Boston Project Ministries, a lot happens: 25 local teenagers edit their job resumés and then head out to clean a local park; 60 kids eat lunch in the children s park and get ready for games and a Bible story; 18 local junior high kids plant vegetables in a raised bed, and teams of suburban teenagers meet elderly residents to help them with home projects while gaining life wisdom. To continue reading Summer in Beantown from HomeLife magazine, visit BibleStudiesforLife.com/articles. 126 SESSION 4

10 My g roup's prayer requests My thoughts BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 127

SESSION 12 STICK WITH SERVICE. 142 Session LifeWay

SESSION 12 STICK WITH SERVICE. 142 Session LifeWay SESSION 12 STICK WITH SERVICE 142 Session 12 GET INTO THE STUDY The Point Seize the opportunity to serve. The Bible Meets Life Many people consider themselves self-made people, but the truth is no one