Deeper fellowship through Serving.

SonOfGodAlmighty said:

hey great post! it hasnt received much attention but its really worth taking a look at. Its been made clear to me recentley that we MUST serve others...thanks for the post

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irenemcg said:

Some good points in the opening post, just adding a little. It has to come out of relationship with Him, the relationship comes first.

To the rich young ruler He gave this command, "Come, take up the cross, and follow me"
Mark 10: 21.

We might connect this to the call of the disciples when He said, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Let us put a period after the "you" and let the two passages read, "Come, take, follow, and I will make you."

Christ-made men are Christ-surrendered men and Christ-transformed men.

Consider the three verbs-words of action:

1. Come -- We have to make a change of place

Come always means leave. Leave the old life, leave the old places, leave the old habits, leave the old companions, leave the old ideals, leave the old pleasures, leave the old sins. Before one can come one must leave. That is step number one.

2. Take -- We have to take up something new

Instead of pleasure and comfort take up the cross. There are duties and responsibilities in the world as well as rights and pleasures. There is a task to be done that requires sacrifice and toil, but with it come the greatest of satisfaction and the thrill of achievement.

3. Follow -- A Change of Allegiance

Before the call my loyalties are to self and Satan. When Christ taps me on the shoulder and I turn around and follow Him, my loyalties are shifted and my allegiance is given to a new Leader and a new life. One is never the same after that tap on the shoulder. It is life's supreme moment. If one rejects, life becomes miserable. If one accepts, life becomes happy. If one spurns the call of Christ, he becomes disloyal to the truth and murders his own best self. If he responds to the call a new day dawns, a new life comes, a new inspiration thrills.

4. The fourth verb is make. "I will make you." Jesus will change you so that your old environment will not be attractive any more.

He'll change you so that the habits of old will not control you any more.

He'll change you so that your old companions will not be in a dominating factor in your life any more.

He'll change you so that your old ideals will no longer be able to govern you any more.

He'll change you so that your old loyalties will not bind you any more.

This is where our hearts should be

Psa 27:8 When You said, "Seek My face,"
My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek."

When we seek His face we can truly be empowered for service, and then effective service begins out of relationship as we go forth empowered by the Spirit.

Joh 14:12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
Joh 14:13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Joh 14:14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
Joh 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--
Joh 14:17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
Joh 14:18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

We are empowered by the Holy Spirit for service.

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Bartimaeus said:

The thing that strikes me here is the idea that we're called, often, to serve outside our comfort zone. In my case, it was a somewhat unique situation as I am totally blind, and I served as an adult chaperone at a mission trip called Group Work Camps. So, a group of teens got to see a totally blind adult male hammering nails, painting a shack, digging up roots in very thick, clay-like mud to help fix a brick walkway, and other things. For me, this was different because of working around the teens and hanging with them, doing devotionals and eating lunch, etc. It was a learning experience for all involved. I praise God for it, and hope to volunteer at a GWC this summer!

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