“THE SERVING CHURCH” Matt. 25:31-46
INTRO – Read “Too Full to Eat” (p. 118-121, A Call to Die, David Nasser)
“So, are you saying we’ve got to go to India if we want to serve others?” No, but I am saying that we’ve got to pay attention to and obey the Word of God if we are going to serve others.
Your church’s purpose statement says that we will “Seek God, Share Christ, and Serve Others.” Let me remind you that the only way that the church will fulfill those purposes is when the members of the church are fulfilling those purposes in their individual lives. While this is a corporate purpose statement, it hinges on each of us as Christ-followers committing to and carrying out these Scriptural purposes in our own lives.
David Nasser – “Jeremiah had one other insight about ‘eating God’s Word.’ He realized that it only made sense for him to eat it b/c he bore God’s name. We are God’s. We call ourselves, ‘Christians.’ We call Him Lord, Savior, Father, and Friend.” B/c you and I belong to God, we are to consume God’s Word and let it permeate every facet of our lives. This is our guidebook for life, the owner’s manual of our lives. And Matthew 25 contains some important stuff that is necessary for every Christian to live out in their lives.
Today, I want to share with you 2 simple points:
One thing that is not taught in Matthew 25:31-46: These paragraphs do not teach that salvation is based on doing good works. You could casually read these verses and possibly come away with the thought that helping others is sufficient to earn your salvation and go to heaven. But this is not the message of these words of Jesus. No one has ever been saved by doing good works. Eph. 2:8-9 clearly teaches us that it is “…by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (ESV)
Don’t be confused into thinking that if you’ll just do a bunch of good things that you’ll make it into heaven. Don’t be deceived into believing that good deeds are sufficient for your salvation. Look at Matt. 7:21-23: "Not everyone who says to me, ’Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ’Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ’I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
In a world and society that is driven by Oprah Winfrey–style spirituality, it’s really easy to fall prey to the thinking that we are all good, decent people and all we’ve got to do is find that good within us. In an interview with New Age author Gary Zukav, Oprah stated, "I believe that life is eternal," she has said. "I believe that it takes on other forms." She told Zukav, "I am creation’s daughter. I am more than my physical self. I am more than the job I do. I am more than the external definitions that I have given myself…Those are all extensions of who I define myself to be, but ultimately I am Spirit come from the greatest Spirit. I am Spirit." (“The Church of O.” http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/april1/1.38.html)
While this type of talk sounds right, it is wrapped in a cloak of deceit and error that many people fall into. “Find the good within yourself…Find your inner power… Just believe in yourself…Do good to your fellow man and help him find the good within himself.” Oprah once said, “…stand still inside yourself and know the truth, and let it set you free.” All of this sound so right! But 2 Cor. 11:14 states, “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” Oprah also once said, “One of the biggest mistakes humans make is to believe there is only one way. Actually, there are many diverse paths leading to what you call God." (http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/april1/1.38.html)
The point here is not to bash Oprah. The point is that many, many people strongly believe that doing good deeds for others is the ticket to heaven. All you’ve got to do is find that good that is down inside of you and let it come out. Matthew 25 does not teach this, nor will you find that taught anywhere else in the one, true living Word of God.
One thing that is taught in Matthew 25:31-46: By “one thing,” I do not mean the ONLY thing that is taught in these verses. But one thing that Jesus makes abundantly clear is that those who know Him, the “sheep on His right” in He refers to in verse 33, will be known by the fact that they spent their lives serving others in a variety of ways. Read verses 34-36 with me again.
Jesus draws our attention to the least of this world. Most of us wish He wouldn’t draw our attention to them. Like when I read the account of Chris Heurtz’s ministry in India, we cringed and didn’t want to think about that kind of stuff. But our response to those who have no one else to turn to shows just how real our relationship to Jesus really is. Our ministry and service to those who are unable to help themselves truly indicates the depth of our love of God.
Listen to these comments that one commentator made about these verses: “God will separate His obedient followers from pretenders and unbelievers. The real evidence of our belief is the way we act. To treat all persons we encounter as if they were Jesus is no easy task. What we do for others demonstrates what we really think about Jesus’ words to us: Feed the hungry, give the homeless a place to stay, look after the sick. How well do your actions separate you from pretenders and unbelievers?” (Life Application Study Bible, p. 1839)
Listen to what the Bible says about serving those who are in need:
Dt. 15:7-8, 10-11 – “If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs. Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. 11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.”
Lk. 9:12-13 – “Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here. 13 He replied, "You give them something to eat."
Isa. 10:1-2 – “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.”
Dt. 10:17-19 – “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. 18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien (homeless, the outsider), giving him food and clothing. 19 And you are to love those who are aliens (homeless, the outsider), for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt.”
CONCLUSION – 2 things you have the opportunity to respond to today:
First, if you are depending on your good works to get you to heaven, I want to invite you today to respond to God’s free offer of salvation based solely on what Jesus Christ has done for you through His death, burial, and resurrection. Acts 4:12 – “Salvation is to be found through him alone; in all the world there is no one else whom God has given who can save us." (TEV) Today, if God has revealed to you that you are depending on your good works for your salvation and not on Him, you need to respond to this invitation.
Secondly, if we are to be the serving church that God desires for us to be, it is going to take ALL of us who belong to Him working together to serve others and minister the love of God to those in need. We must feed the hungry, clothe those who need clothes, minister to the sick and to those in jail, reach out to those who’ve been abused and neglected, be a friend to the friendless, comfort those who are grieving. If you’ve not been serving others as you should, you need to respond to this invitation.
