The Parables of 4 Lost Prodigals      Luke 15:1-32

The Third and Fourth Prodigals: the Two Lost Sons. (continued)

To serve God is to serve others, and it finds its greatest fulfillment in us in the form of charity; the pure love of Christ! Jesus Christ said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34).

Let me suggest 14 ways that we are to serve God by serving others.

1. We serve God through serving our family.

Our service begins at home. We work, clean, love, support, listen to, teach, and give ourselves to every member of our family. And at times this can seem to be overwhelming. But with God’s help, with His blessing we can know our own capabilities and limitations and pace ourselves, knowing when and where to focus our attention, resources to help each other. Let us give ourselves to our family and serve each other with full hearts of love, and the Lord will bless us in our service.

2. We serve God in our giving of our time and resources in the church.

Another way that we serve is by helping our children, our brothers and sisters to give of the things that He has blessed us with. Although we do not believe that the old law covenant of tithing is required, we certainly do believe that “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Parents should set the pace in contributing of their time and financial support of the church and the ministry. To help the hungry, thirsty, naked stranger, and those that are afflicted as Jesus said in Matthew 25:34-36 “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: Naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.”

3. We serve God by being a volunteer in our community.

We sometimes mistakenly believe that we only serve God when we come to church. But the truth is that there are countless way in which we serve God by serving others; beginning first as we said in our home and amount our own family members. Second, serving others in the church as God blesses us. For example even such things as donating blood or volunteering at your local blood bank, adopting a highway is serving God. We do all things unto the Lord! The truth is that our communities are in dire need of our time and efforts.

Speaking to His disciples Jesus mentioned the fact that we are to serve our community, and especially caring for the poor, in Mark 14:7 “For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.”

And James the “Lord’s brother” (Galatians 1:19) wrote to the churches regarding caring for the poor in James 2:14-17 “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”

In fact caring for the needs of the poor widows and orphans is a vital part of our religion and our worship:

James 1:27 “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

1 John 3:17 “But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”

Jude 1:21-23 “Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”

When we make the choice to lovingly devote ourselves individually and collectively of our time, treasures and talents to such godly endeavors; not in an effort to be seen and praised by men, but in the quiet places of our heart; “thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly” (Matthew 6:4).

4. We serve God as we visit others in their homes.

I’m not talking about an establishment of worldly missions, but as we read about in Acts 2:44-47 “And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”

Visiting each other in our homes has almost become extinct in our so-called modern society. But it is vital to the health of the churches and our families, not to mention of nation as a whole that we serve God by caring for one another!

To take advantage of each and every opportunity God provides us to fellowship and teach the truth of God’s word serves to encourage, instruct, support, comfort and to build character in those to whom we are called upon to minister. This is exactly what Paul was saying to young Titus in Titus 2:1-8 “But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.” In so doing we become more and more like the Saviour that we serve.

The apostle Peter reminded believers in 2 Peter 3:10, 11 that “the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” And because we know that this is true and that “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness?”

As we give of ourselves in the service of God and others we will be greatly blessed.

5. We serve God by donate our unused clothing and other goods.

There is no doubt that this is what Paul had in mind when he wrote the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 9:7 saying “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

From my own experience in giving to others I have gained great blessing and comfort in giving to such causes as Good Will, Salvation Army Thrift Stores knowing that such items that were no longer needed by my family would be made available to others who had need.

I have also received much blessing in labouring in the little church that I am member as the collect articles of clothing, and every month they make them available to the poor in our community.

In Acts 20:35 Paul tells us something that Jesus had told him as he was talking to “elders” of the church at Ephesus, “I have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

The truth is that we sometimes tend to cling to the things in our lives, so much so that they become a hindrance to us in our service to God. And there is great blessing when we let go of such things that hinder us to donate them as we de-clutter our homes and our lives and focus our attention on Jesus Christ and His kingdom church.

6. We serve by being a friend. One of the simplest and easiest ways to serve God and others is by befriending one another.

Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” As we take the time to serve and be friendly, we’ll not only support others but also build a network of support for ourselves.

I have heard many say “I just don’t feel at home in my church.” One problem as I see it is the lack of being friendly on our part. Again Solomon wisely said in Proverbs 18:24 “A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” The truth is that the more we undertake to make others feel at home, in our homes and in our churches, the more we will feel at home!

The key here is kindness. Being kind involves the simple act of being friendly, generous, and considerate to others. Kindness is equal to good will, which is exercised cheerfully in supply the needs of other over our own needs. Kindness always is accompanied by love. Kindness is our passport that opens the door and makes friend. It softens hearts and molds relationships that can last lifetimes. Who does not love and need friends? Let us make a new friend today.

7. We serve God by serving children.

I have heard it said in the church that “children are the church of tomorrow.” Although I understand the sentiment I would beg to disagree, children are not the “church of tomorrow,” they are the church of today.

Many years ago my wife’s aunt told me “You know the Old Line churches do not have anything for the children.” I know what she meant by that, she was of the more liberal progressive brethren among the old Baptist, and she was saying that the churches needed to have more Sunday schools to teach the youth.

The truth is that the churches don’t need any Sunday schools, but they do need more of God people; parents, pastors, deacons, and all members of the church to love one another as they are commanded to do by Jesus:

John 13:34, 35 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

Many times children are overlooked by the adults at home and in the churches. The old saying that “children are to be seen and not heard” has had a damaging effect on our families and our churches of the past decades. Children are to be taught to be courteous, but not ignored.

I have known of instances where children have asked for a home in the church and have been told by some, “No not now, just wait until their older.” Jesus had something to say about this in Mark 10:11-13 when mothers brought their childen to Him so that He might bless them with His touch; “And they brought young children to Him, that He should touch them: and His disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.”

So serious was Jesus about His love for children that He said in Matthew 18:3-6 “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth Me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

No we certainly don’t need a Sunday school, but we do need to love our children in our homes and in our churches. So many children and teenagers need our love and we can give it! Let us also serve to the needs of our children. Let us love and teach them to love and serve Jesus and others as His young disciples. Children belong to all of us.

8. We serve God by mourning with those who mourn.

If we are to be the true disciples of Christ, and be willing to be called by His name, then we must be willing to “Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). We must be willing to mourn with those that mourn, and yea, and to comfort those who are in need of comfort. One of the easiest ways to do this is to visit and listen to those who are suffering. Where do we find these people? Sometimes they are in our own homes. They can be found in our churches, in nursing homes, and in hospitals, and yes they are scattered all though our communities.

One real problem that has caused great damage in our homes, churches and communities has been government involvement. Too many have taken it for granted that the government will take care of those in need, and they use that as an excuse to not get involved in other people distresses.

God’s people, like their Lord Jesus Christ, need to exercise a little less sympathy, and more empathy. What’s the difference between sympathy and empathy? Sympathy involves feelings between people for their troubles, while empathy involves actually being able to identify and share in someone’s troubles because you have been through the same. Sympathy expresses sorrow, which in and of itself is a good thing, but empathy moves forward into action to comfort the troubled soul.

Empathy asks the appropriate questions, and follows the leading of the Spirit as guide for them to help to know what to say or what needs to be done in any situation.

9. We serve God as we follow after the inspiration of the Spirit.

The apostle Paul admonishes us to “Quench not the Spirit” in 1 Thessalonians 5:19. To quench the spirit does not refer to the third person of the Trinity, God the Holy Spirit, instead it refers to the blessings of grace, the light that is within us, the fire and enthusiasm and motivation to express the truth of the gospel of Christ and His kingdom church.

We quench the spirit when we hesitate to step out in faith when we are called to share the gospel with others, especially in the face of opposition. The Apostle Peter says in 1 Peter 3:15-16 that we are to “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.”

We, like the great Apostle Paul in Romans 1:16-17 are to not be “ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”

10. We serve god as we strive to share the talents that God has given us.

This can be something as small as bringing food to church for lunch after services. Cleaning the church house, cutting the grass, caring for the needs of the overall upkeep of the building. And going beyond that to be open and available when called upon to help someone in need in the church or even in the community.

The Lord has given each of us our own particular talents. It are called upon to know what they are, to develop and use each of them in service to God and our brothers and sisters, and our neighbours.

But Brother Thomas I don’t know what my talents are? Or even if I have any talents at all? To which I would say pray and ask the Lord to show you? Examine yourself and ask yourself “What am I good at?” Are you good at listening, then perhaps you might have the talent of calling people and letting them know that you care about them.

Are you a good cook? Well then what about that lunch at church? Or what about cooking for a brother or sister how has been in poor health?

Do you enjoy making cards? Then use that talent to encourage those who have been absent. Remember to send out a birthday card. And to comfort those who have lost a loved one.

Are you good at working with your hands? There’s always something that needs attention at church, or in helping a brother or sister or a neighbour. Maybe you can offer to help with children? You can help others with your skills by praying for help to develop yours and the talents of others. There’s no limit to the good things that you can do!

11. We serve God in Little Acts of Service.

This is exactly what Jesus is talking about in Matthew 5:13-16 “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

God has not called us to set idly by in a pew at the church house. As true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ we are to be “salt” and “light” to those that we come into contact with.

As “salt” we are to represent the pleasant and savory aspect of the gospel and the doctrines of Christ that are preached. Jesus is calling us to the work of an evangelist. In 2 Timothy 4:5 Paul calls on young Timothy to “watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, 2 Tim 4:5 "But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”

What is an evangelist? And as primitive Baptist how can we do “do the work of an evangelist?” Strictly speaking an evangelist is anyone who announces the “good news” or “preaches the gospel.” This would refer not only to the gospel minister, but to all who are called to “give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” as Peter said in 1 Peter 3:15.

Let’s expand on his a little bit. As I said the word evangelist is used in a general sense of anyone who proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And let’s not confuse this word with the more modern and unscriptural term “missionary.” What’s the difference? And does it really matter which term is used? Yes, it certainly does matter. The difference is between right and wrong, or day and night. The term “evangelist” is taken directly from scriptural truth, and only applies to a disciple of Christ Jesus who “one who travels and preaches the gospel,” while the second, “missionary” is a manmade term created by those who are not satisfied with the government of Christ and His church. The term “missionary” is defined as “one who travels and teaches a religious doctrine” (not necessarily Christian). Hence someone who preaches the Hindu religion is a Hindu “missionary.”

Now in Ephesians 4:11 Paul speaks concerning a particular class of "elders" or gospel ministers as evangelist. But in a broader sense anyone who is called to service to tell others of the good news of the finished work of Jesus Christ to those who had not heard the message before is an evangelist.

All of this brings us back to the little acts of service. God watches over us, and He notices the things we do. Have you ever noticed that usually when God provides for us in our need, it is usually through another that He meet that’s need?

James reminds of the necessity of meeting the need of others with those little acts of kindness in James 2:14-18 “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.”

Therefore it is vital brothers and sisters that we serve each other in the kingdom! So often, our acts of service consist of simple encouragement or of giving mundane help with mundane tasks, but what glorious consequences can flow from mundane acts and from small but deliberate deeds! The truth is that sometimes all it takes to serve God is to give a smile, hug, prayer, or a friendly phone call to someone in need.

12. We serve God as we fulfill our callings.

Put simply this means that when we are called upon to serve we eagerly roll up their sleeves and go to work, to do whatever that work might be. To faithfully and patiently perform our work; we serve the Lord by serving others, with each member standing together to work where they stand.

When we seek to serve others, we are motivated not by selfishness but by charity. Charity is love, but not love in word, but love in action! This is how Jesus lived His life, He didn’t just say He loved us, He loved us so much that He suffered, bled, and died in our place in order that we might live with Him forever in heaven! Faithfully serving in our callings is to faithfully serve God.

13. We serve God when we use our creativity: it’s a gift from God.

The Lord will bless and help us as we creatively and compassionately serve one another. Don’t wait for someone to come along who needs help. Pray to the Lord and look to the good of others in need. What a blessing is to be found in immersing ourselves in the work of our Father, as we labor in the beauty and compassion to others. In so doing God encircles us in the arms of His love.

The simple truth is that discouragement, inadequacy, and weariness of soul will all give way to a life of meaning, grace, and fulfillment. The Lord will bless us with the needed strength, guidance, patience, charity, and love to serve His children.

14. We serve God by humbling ourselves to Him and to others.

I believe it is impossible to truly serve God and His children if we, ourselves, are full of pride. Developing humility does not come naturally. Being humble is a choice that takes effort on our part, but we will come to understand the reason that we should be humble makes it easier for us to become humble.

Notice that the Lord says in 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

As we humble ourselves before the Lord our desire to serve God will greatly increase as will our capacity to be able to give of ourselves in the service of all our brothers and sisters.

Our heavenly Father loves us much more than we could ever possible imagine! We are only able to truly humble ourselves as we follow the Saviour’s command to “love one another; as I have loved you” (John 13:34; 15:12).

May we find simple, yet profound ways to daily serve God as we serve each other.