So, you really want joy and freedom in life?
Our lesson says learning to serve is the answer!
Not This Way
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Our lesson says learning to serve is the answer!
Not This Way
Click Here
Let me tell you a little story about old Jack...
The man slowly looked up.
This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new. She looked like she had never missed a meal in her life.
His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before. "Leave me alone," he growled. To his amazement, the woman continued standing. She was smiling -- her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows. "Are you hungry?" she asked. "No," he answered sarcastically. "I've just come from dining with the president. Now go away." The woman's smile became even broader. Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm. "What are you doing, lady?" the man asked angrily. "I said to leave me alone. Just then a policeman came up. "Is there any problem, ma'am?" he asked.
"No problem here, officer," the woman answered. "I'm just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?" The officer scratched his head. "That's old Jack. He's been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?" "See that cafeteria over there?" she asked. "I'm going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile."
"Are you crazy, lady?" the homeless man resisted. "I don't want to go in there!"
Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up. "Let me go, officer. I didn't do anything." "This is a good deal for you, Jack," the officer answered. "Don't blow it." Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived.
This story might have ended sooner, but just then the manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his table. "What's going on here, officer?" he asked. "What is all this, is this man in trouble?" "This lady brought this man in here to be fed," the policeman answered. "Not in here!" the manager replied angrily. "Having a person like that here is bad for business." Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. "See, lady. I told you so. Now if you'll let me go. I didn't want to come here in the first place." The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled. "Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?" "Of course I am," the manager answered impatiently. "They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms." "And do you make a nice amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?" “Well, yes, what business is that of yours?"
“Oh, well I didn’t realize that.” The woman smiled again. "I thought that might make a difference." She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a giggle.. "Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?" "No thanks, ma'am," the officer replied. "I'm on duty." "Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?" "Yes, ma'am. That would be very nice." The cafeteria manager turned on his heel, "I'll get your coffee for you right away, officer." The officer watched him walk away. "You certainly put him in his place," he said. "That was not my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this." She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest. She stared at him intently.
Now, for the rest of the story…
Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes. "I think so -- I mean you do look familiar." "I'm a little older perhaps," she said. "Maybe I've even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry." "Ma'am?" the officer said questioningly. He couldn't believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry. "I was just out of college," the woman began. "I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn't find anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat." Jack lit up with a smile.
"I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company policy." "I know," the woman continued. "Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble. Then, when I looked over and saw you put the price of my food in the cash register, I knew then that everything would be all right.
"So you started your own business?" Old Jack said. "I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business that with God’s help, prospered." She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. "When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons; he's the human resources director of my company. I'll go talk to him now and I'm certain he'll find something for you to do around the office." She smiled. "I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet. If you ever need anything, my door is always opened to you."
There were tears in the old man's eyes. "How can I ever thank you?" he said. "Don't thank me," the woman answered. "God Did This by 1st Guiding Me to You. He Gets The Credit!" Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways. "Thank you for all your help, officer," she said. "On the contrary, Ms. Eddy," he answered. "Thank you. I saw a miracle today, something that I will never forget.
This story might have ended sooner, but just then the manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his table. "What's going on here, officer?" he asked. "What is all this, is this man in trouble?" "This lady brought this man in here to be fed," the policeman answered. "Not in here!" the manager replied angrily. "Having a person like that here is bad for business." Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. "See, lady. I told you so. Now if you'll let me go. I didn't want to come here in the first place." The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled. "Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?" "Of course I am," the manager answered impatiently. "They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms." "And do you make a nice amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?" “Well, yes, what business is that of yours?"
“I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, President and CEO of the company."
“Oh, well I didn’t realize that.” The woman smiled again. "I thought that might make a difference." She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a giggle.. "Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?" "No thanks, ma'am," the officer replied. "I'm on duty." "Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?" "Yes, ma'am. That would be very nice." The cafeteria manager turned on his heel, "I'll get your coffee for you right away, officer." The officer watched him walk away. "You certainly put him in his place," he said. "That was not my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this." She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest. She stared at him intently.
"Jack, do you remember me?"
Now, for the rest of the story…
Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes. "I think so -- I mean you do look familiar." "I'm a little older perhaps," she said. "Maybe I've even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry." "Ma'am?" the officer said questioningly. He couldn't believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry. "I was just out of college," the woman began. "I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn't find anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat." Jack lit up with a smile.
"Now I remember," he said.
"I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company policy." "I know," the woman continued. "Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble. Then, when I looked over and saw you put the price of my food in the cash register, I knew then that everything would be all right.
"So you started your own business?" Old Jack said. "I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business that with God’s help, prospered." She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. "When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons; he's the human resources director of my company. I'll go talk to him now and I'm certain he'll find something for you to do around the office." She smiled. "I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet. If you ever need anything, my door is always opened to you."
There were tears in the old man's eyes. "How can I ever thank you?" he said. "Don't thank me," the woman answered. "God Did This by 1st Guiding Me to You. He Gets The Credit!" Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways. "Thank you for all your help, officer," she said. "On the contrary, Ms. Eddy," he answered. "Thank you. I saw a miracle today, something that I will never forget.
And thank you for the coffee."
Love Begets Love And We Love Him Because He First Loved Us!
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I listened to what the Good Book said
And it made good sense to me
Talkin' 'bout reapin' what you're sowin'
People tryin' to be free
Now we got new names and faces
This time around
Gospel changes, Lord
Still goin' down
What’s the big deal with getting everyone to serve others? Why not just have everyone serve themselves? After all, that would cut out the trouble of figuring out what other people want.
I. STOP BITING – GALATIANS 5:13-15
For you are called to freedom, brothers; only don't use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the entire law is fulfilled in one statement: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.
Do people view you as more likely to serve or to fight? Do they think you are more interested in winning arguments or winning friends through love?
How do believers sometimes abuse their spiritual freedoms today? What do you think Paul means by biting and devouring one another?
What did the Galatians use their freedom to do? What does God call us to and how do we show it?
Would You Be Willing To Ask This before You Make Your Next Decision
1. Which option would selfishly serve me and which would selflessly serve someone else?
2. Which option would lead me to use people, and which would lead me to benefit people?
3. Which choice would demonstrate I love others as much as I love myself?
4. If somebody else was making this choice and it was going to affect me, what choice would I want them to make?
You have a choice today: Will you love others as you love yourself and prove it with service or will you look out for yourself?
II. CHOOSE THESE ACTIONS – GALATIANS 5:16, 22-26
I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit. We must not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
What does it mean to “walk” with someone? What does it mean to walk with God’s Spirit?
Review Paul’s list of the qualities that make up the fruit of the Spirit in 5:22-23. Which qualities seem to come more naturally to you? Check the qualities that come more natural to you:
How have you learned to do these qualities? How can you make that happen?
5 Steps to Walk by the Spirit
- Acknowledge - we must acknowledge from our hearts that we are helpless to do good apart from the enablement of the Holy Spirit. As Paul says in Romans 7:18, "I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing." Jesus said in John 15:5, "Without me you can do nothing"? We cannot do anything pleasing to God without the constant enablement of the Spirit.
- Pray - it is promised in Ezekiel 36:27 that God will put his Spirit within us and cause us to walk in His statutes, so we should pray that He do it by His almighty power. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach us how to pray – Jesus’ closing point in the prayer example was “not my will but Thine be done.” This shows that we are exercising our freedom in a responsible Christ center way. We make a choice for God’s Will not ours.
- Trust - walking by the Spirit is trusting in God for all things, it’s our faith. We must believe that since we have come under the grace of God, "sin will no longer have dominion over us" (Romans 6:14). One word of caution: do not prejudge the timing of the Holy Spirit's work. Why He liberates one person overnight but brings another to freedom through months of struggle is a mystery concealed for now from our eyes. We only know in part. Man’s mystery is sometimes God’s means of teaching. Proverbs 3:5-6
- Act - after you have acknowledged your helplessness without Him, prayed for His enablement, and trusted in His deliverance, then you should act the way you know is right. Notice: this is not step number one. If this were step number one, all our actions would be works of the flesh, not fruit of the Spirit. Only after we have appealed for the Spirit's enablement and thrown ourselves confidently on His promise and power to work in us, do we now work with all our might.
- Give Thanks - The final step in walking by the Spirit is to thank God for any virtue attained or any good deed performed. What does Paul do? He thanks God. Thanks be to God who puts love in our hearts! "If we live by the Spirit, then let us also walk by the Spirit." Let us acknowledge from our heart that we are unable to please God without the Spirit's constant enablement. Let us pray for that enablement. Let us trust confidently in the Spirit's power and promise to give that enablement. Then let us do what we know is right. And having done this, let us turn and say with all the saints, "Not I, but the Spirit of Christ within me." Thanks be to God! To Him be glory forever and ever! Ephesians 3:20-21; Philippians 4:6-9 (Billy & Ruth Grahams favorite verses)
III. STUBBORNLY KEEP AT IT – GALATIANS 6:7-10
Don't be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don't give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, we must work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.
In what ways do you think God is mocked today? Is this happening more in the culture or the church? Which is more serious? Why?
When has someone sown seeds of righteousness in your direction? What kind of seeds have you been sowing toward others?
How do Paul’s words encourage you to think about the way you treat people?
Prayer of Commitment
Lord, help me use my freedom in Christ to glorify You by helping others. Amen.
I hope this week has been a blessed one for you. Have you blessed someone else this week? This is our closing lesson on Freedom: Make It Personal - I hope God's Word has touched you during these 5-lessons. What a statement Jesus makes in this weeks' lesson on service when He says, For the entire law is fulfilled in one statement: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Wow...I wouldn't want to miss that!
Hope to see you on Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
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