CALLED TO SERVE:BIBLICAL INSIGHTS FOR

CHRISTIAN SERVICE

SESSION 1:SERVING THROUGH WORSHIP

BIBLICAL IMAGES 

SERVERLC’s theme for the coming year

We continue to CONNECT and GROW through reflection on what it means to be a Christian servant.

As God’s baptized children we experience the new FREEDOM we have in Christ to love and serve all of God’s children and all of God’s creation.

Session 1: September 22: “Serving Through Worship”In worship we respond to God’s love & forgiveness with prayer, praise, and thanksgiving

Session 2: September 29: “Jesus the Servant”Jesus’ example empowers our lives for service

Session 3: October 6: “Loving God and our Neighbor”Our serving is guided by Jesus’ double commandment of love

Session 4: October 13: “Called to Serve: Getting Practical”Responsible service tests our creativity and faithfulness in our use of God’s gifts

Session 5: October 20: “I have Other Sheep: the Broader Horizons of Service

God calls us to expand our horizons in the service of love and mercy in the world

Overview of Sessions

A Journey of Faithful Companionship with the Scriptures: We Grow in UnderstandingThe Bible is our Norm because of what it does.

We read as ones called into being by the Word of God

We read expecting that God will continue to do so again“The Bible is a book that does what God wants it to

do: a book that affects us, that transforms us, because it reveals Christ to us and draws us into a living relationship with Jesus Christ who is risen from the dead….The Bible opens the very heart of God to us. It shows us what God has done for us—what God still does for us—what God always will do for us.” (Powell, Opening the Book of Faith)

• God's Word is never abstract truths, but addressed to specific situations

• Authority and Interpretation: Dynamic not Static: Read/Study-Listen/Understand

• Living with Ambiguity

• Living with Diversity

• Hearing new Word for new occasions

Thinking about Serving1. Serving is about God, even when it’s

most visibly directed toward your neighbor.2. Serving is about your neighbor, and it is something that we choose to do or not to do. 3. Serving is not works righteousness.4. Serving is an act of worship, and it does not cease:5. Serving is not separate from Connecting, Growing, and Going

BIBLICAL IMAGES OF SERVICEService:

Diverse Images 

NRSV: “serve” or “servant” 1453 times

Translates a variety of different words

latreuo – worship, serve: the performing/carrying out of religious duties by humans

doulos – slave/servant: action in total service to another; performing the duties of a slave; serve, obey; especially where God is thought of as “lord” and the human being as a “slave” or “master.”

"No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.(Matthew 6:24)For such people do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the simple-minded. (Romans 16:18)

proskyneo – prostrate onself, serve: to express in attitude or gesture one’s complete dependence on or submission to a high authority figure, (fall down and) worship, do obeisance to, prostrate oneself before, do reverence to, welcome respectfully therapeuo – heal, serve: to render service or homage, serve a divinity; heal, restore

For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, 'To an unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. (Acts 17:23-25)

leitourgia work, serve: to render special formal service, serve, render service, of cultic or ritual responsibilities (liturgy)

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." (Acts 13:2)

hyperetes – assistant, servant : to render service or to be helpful in any capacity as an assistant

You know for yourselves that I worked with my own hands to support myself and my companions.(Acts 20:34)

diakonia – minister, serve: perform various duties of assistance; to wait on someone; to help support; or to carry out official duties

For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)

Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. (1 Peter 4:10)

WORSHIP AS SERVICE

Service begins with, lives by, and remains centered in the worship of God as gracious creator and sustainer of all that exists.

And the LORD charged me at that time to teach you statutes and ordinances for you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy. 15 Since you saw no form when the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire, take care and watch yourselves closely, 16 so that you do not act corruptly by making an idol for yourselves, in the form of any figure-- the likeness of male or female, 17 the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, 18 the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth. 19 And when you look up to the heavens and see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, do not be led astray and bow down to them and serve them, things that the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples everywhere under heaven. 20 But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron-smelter, out of Egypt, to become a people of his very own possession, as you are now.

(Deuteronomy 4:14-20) (latreuo-worship, serve)

Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 6 Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. 7 Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, 9 and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. 10 When the LORD your God has brought you into the land that he swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you-- a land with fine, large cities that you did not build, 11 houses filled with all sorts of goods that you did not fill, hewn cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant-- and when you have eaten your fill, 12 take care that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 13 The LORD your God you shall fear; him you shall serve, and by his name alone you shall swear. 14 Do not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who are all around you, 15 because the LORD your God, who is present with you, is a jealous God. The anger of the LORD your God would be kindled against you and he would destroy you from the face of the earth. 16 Do not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah

17 You must diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his decrees, and his statutes that he has commanded you. 18 Do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may go in and occupy the good land that the LORD swore to your ancestors to give you, 19 thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has promised. 20 When your children ask you in time to come, "What is the meaning of the decrees and the statutes and the ordinances that the LORD our God has commanded you?" 21 then you shall say to your children, "We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 The LORD displayed before our eyes great and awesome signs and wonders against Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his household. 23 He brought us out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land that he promised on oath to our ancestors. 24 Then the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our lasting good, so as to keep us alive, as is now the case. 25 If we diligently observe this entire commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, we will be in the right.“

(Deuteronomy 6:4-25)(latreuo-worship, serve)

I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and towns that you had not built, and you live in them; you eat the fruit of vineyards and oliveyards that you did not plant. 14 "Now therefore revere the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 Now if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." 16 Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods; 17 for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; 18 and the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God." (Joshua 24:13-18) (latreuo-worship, serve)

Joshua Calls People to Serve the Lord

I will tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." 10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear, with trembling (Psalm 2:7-11)(doulos-slave, serve) Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come into his presence with singing. 3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name. 5 For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. (Psalm 100)(doulos-slave, serve; King James: “serve”)

In Worship Israel “Serves” the Lord

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 3 The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." 4 But he answered, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'" 7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 9 and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." 10 Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'" 11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

(Matthew 4:1-11)(proskyneo-prostrate, serve; latreuo-worship, serve)

Jesus Temptation: It’s About Worship

"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them. 69 He has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David, 70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71 that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. 72 Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant, 73 the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us 74 that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

(Luke 1:68-75)(latreuo-worship, serve)

Zacchariah Imagines a New Service of Worship

“Benedictus”

"No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

(Matthew 6:24) (doulos-slave, serve)

Jesus’ Teaching Calls Disciples to True Service (Worship) of God

For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead-- Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming. (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10)(doulos-slave, serve) How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God! (Hebrews 9:14) (latreuo-worship, serve)

Worship (Service) at Heart of Early Christian Preaching

For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. (Revelation 7:15)(latreuo-worship, serve) Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; 4 they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.(Revelation 22:1-5)(latreuo-worship, serve)(King James Version: “serve”)

Worship Inspires Christian Hope

Explanation to the Apostles’ Creed, First Article (ELW, p. 1162)

 

I believe that God has created me together with all that exists. God has given me and still preserves my body and soul: eyes, ears, and all limbs and senses; reasons and all mental faculties….God protects me from all danger and shields and preserves me from all evil. And all this is done out of pure, fatherly, and divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness of mine at all! For all this I owe it to God to thank and praise, serve and obey him.

MARTIN LUTHER, SMALL CATECHISM

Give Thanks and Sing God’s PraisesEncourage and Support One AnotherPray for one another and our WorldShare community in joys and sorrowsAre Inspired for service to our neighbor and world

In Worship We:Hear God’s Story of Gracious LoveExperience Confession and Forgiveness

What is the most important thing about Worship for you?What do you expect?

Recall a memorable worship experience?Why?