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This is the audio from the January 21, 2024 sermon, “Immeasurably More: SERVE!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: 1 Peter 4:7-11, Galatians 5:13-15

This morning’s message continued a sermon series designed to help us look at some of the immeasurably more God desires to do in us, through us, and for us.  Often when we think about immeasurably more, it focuses on what we want to receive.  God, on the other hand, is more concerned about what He will do to make the good news of the kingdom grow.  In the first message of this series we considered what it looks like to experience immeasurably more in our prayer life.  Last week we addressed the immeasurably more love that God has for us and expects us to share with others.  This led us to today’s topic of serving in immeasurably more ways because of what we experience through our increased prayers and love.  When we communicate with God through prayer and put His love into practice in our daily life, our appropriate response is to grow in the way we . . .

• Share: — Romans 12:13, 1 Timothy 6:18

  • We serve others when we choose to share with them according to their need.  I suspect that the most difficult thing for anyone to share is whatever it is that they value the most.  Many cringe at the topic of sharing because they equate it with someone wanting them to give away some of their money.  While Biblical sharing can, and often does, include our financial resources, the responsibility to share goes well beyond that.  In fact, Paul says that the reason Christians could share financially beyond what looked possible was because they had first given themselves to God.  We learn the immeasurably more of serving that God desires for us to practice when we share of our finances, our time, our ability, and our self.

• Equip: —  2 Timothy 3:16-17

  • While we may be reluctant at times to share of our finances, many times people relent in doing so because it is easier than being involved in equipping people for the immeasurably more God desires to do in and through them.  And our reluctance to equip others can often be based in our not doing the work necessary for us to be equipped.  God says that His Word is designed to do its work in the lives of people in such a way that we become equipped for every good work.  We learn the immeasurably more of serving that God desires for us to practice when we grow in being equipped to equip others.

• Rebuke/Repent: — Luke 17:3, Romans 2:4

  • Rebuke and repent is a combination of actions that we tend to like one side of more so than the other, but often would prefer to avoid both.  The serving that God desires for us to do will always call for us to be made right with one another and with God.  The only way that happens consistently is when we allow the wrong to be pointed out (rebuke) and then deal with it appropriately (repent).  We learn the immeasurably more of serving that God desires for us when we learn the godly practice of rebuking and repenting.

• Visit: — Matthew 25:34-40

  • I suppose growing in the way we visit could be a subset of sharing as it involves the sharing of our time and of our self.  When Jesus tells a story regarding the return of the Son of Man (Himself), He applauds and welcomes a group that had given of themselves to serve Him in the practical ways of feeding, clothing, caring, and visiting.  The ironic part is none of the ones who had done so (and none of the ones who didn’t) could think of any time they had seen Jesus in any of those situations, let alone responded to it.  The answer of the King is that we do those things to Him when we do them for others, even for “the least of these”.  We learn the immeasurably more of serving that God desires for us when we learn the practical ways we can visit those who need someone to care.

• Encourage — Hebrews 10:25

  • If you’ve reached this point and you are thinking sharing, equipping, rebuking/repenting, and visiting are difficult, then you should understand the necessity of encouragement as part of serving.  God says that we ought to be deliberate in meeting together for a variety of reasons, but one of those important reasons is so we can encourage one another.  Serving is difficult and learning to serve immeasurably more simply increases the difficulty and the temptation to simply not serve.  We put ourselves into position to see God do in us and through us immeasurably more than we can think or ask when we choose to be involved in encouraging others as they encourage us.

Today, how will you SERVE?