One Another: Greet and Serve
Romans 16:3-16; 1 Peter 4:7-11
We continue our One Another Series to build up the body of Christ, to mature the family of God. So far we’ve looked together at Connect (or be members of one another), Love one another, Unite (or be of the same mind with one another), Honor one another, Accept one another and Admonish one another. This morning we’ll look together at Greet one another and Serve one another.
Let me pause here and introduce an activity. You’ll have to stand for this activity. There’s one restriction in this activity, and it is that you cannot talk to or touch anyone. Ready? Set. Greet one another.
If you were able to do the activity, you did it wrong. If you were confused and unable to do the activity, you understood the instruction correctly. Greet one another is only one of 40 One Another commands given in the Bible. And we need others to live out these commands. God grows His family members with the help of His family members.
I thought I was a loving and patient person until I got married. Then children came, and I discovered how far I had to grow in being a loving and patient person. Dan Allender’s book, How Children Raise Parents.
When alone, we can fool ourselves. With family members, we see and hear the truth about ourselves. God put us together in a family to help each other grow and mature.
This morning we will grow to greet one another and serve one another. We’ll first look at greet one another. We find this command in 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:26, 1 Peter 5:14, and Romans 16:3-16. (READ)
The young singles among us are thinking, “I would be more obedient to God’s commands if I knew about this one sooner.” Others of us are recalling the playground tease: Billy and Betty, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in a baby carriage.
Now I’m not trying to make light of the biblical command to greet one another. I also know this is more than the self-help instruction for a firm handshake to make a good first impression. We are called to build up God’s family through greeting one another.
Greeting people is hard, especially if you’re introverted or have had a negative experience. But I believe God’s Word gives sufficient motivation and spiritual power to help. Let’s look at Romans 16:3-16 more closely.
First, we see that Paul valued individuals he greeted. Paul greeted 26 people by name. He was not name-dropping. Paul learned and used people’s name to show they matter. They were more than a face in the crowd, a body in the congregation.
In John 10, Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd who leads his sheep by name. He is the God who knows us by name. Because we matter to God.
Some of us don’t greet one another because we have a hard time remembering names. Not that we don’t care or that you don’t matter. We just don’t want to ask your name for the fifth or sixth time. So here’s what I suggest: Help each other out by repeating your name each time you greet one another.
Let’s try this: “Hi, I’m Dana (your name).” Hi, I’m Pat. Hi, I’m Linda.
Learning and using people’s names in greeting is just one way to show you value people. Listening and giving eye contact after you’ve asked how they are doing is another way to show you value people. I’m sure you can think of other ways to say “you matter.”
Second, we see that Paul praised individuals he greeted. Most of us greet others out of unthinking habit. Paul greets with a purpose. As with all the One Another commands, greeting one another is for the purpose of building up the body of Christ.
Paul praised individuals for their love for Christ. For their hard work. For their faithfulness. Praise builds up the person and inspires the body of Christ.
Try it. Greet your Sunday school teacher with purpose. “Hi, Ron / Norman / Christine / Gary; thanks for preparing the lesson.” Greet worship team members, trustees, welcome team, AV team, ushers or one another with praise / thanks.
Third, we see that Paul loved individuals he greeted. We see this in his call to greet one another with a holy kiss. A kiss is a symbol of affection. 1 Peter 5:14 confirms this: Greet one another with a kiss of love.
I don’t think the emphasis is on the form, a kiss, but on the function, communicating holy love. I don’t mean to disappoint anyone, but we could probably communicate holy love with a big smile or a bear hug. In short, show the love of Jesus to those you greet.
Anti-climactic; I know. But we’re not done. The second One Another command is serve.
One of the first observations I made 5 years ago when I came to BACBC was that many volunteers in the church served in three or four ministries while others were not serving in any ministries. One extreme to another.
Let me read our Bible texts for this command: Galatians 5:13 and 1 Peter 4:7-11 (READ)
Peter was talking to ordinary Christians, men and women who followed Jesus. Peter identifies what ordinary Christians are capable of and responsible for: Serving one another.
First, serving one another involves prayer. We see this in verse 7.
I was on the phone with a campus minister this week. She was discouraged by the gradual decline in her support-raising over the past couple of years. She wondered if she should leave the ministry. I closed our call in prayer, asking God to either confirm her calling or to release her from her calling.
Half an hour later, this campus minister called me back with renewed excitement. She reported, "A church that was setting their budget just called me to ask how they could help!" Praise God!
When we serve, we work; when we pray, God works. When God calls us to serve one another, He’s not calling us to serve without Him but to serve with Him through prayer.
Billy Graham wrote, “Every man or woman whose life has counted for the church and the Kingdom of God has been a person of prayer. You cannot afford to be too busy to pray. Jesus spent many hours in prayer. If He felt he had to pray, how much more do we need to pray?”
Pray for people you serve. Pray for people you serve with. Pray for people who serve you.
Second, serving one another requires love. We see this in verse 8.
We are not perfect people serving grateful people. We are sinners serving sinners. I believe that’s why Peter says we are to love deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.
And the only way we can love deeply is if we know we are deeply loved. And as children of the radically loving God, we have been loved deeply. Romans 5:6-8 reminds us, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Third, serving one another gives freely what God has given. We see this in verses 9-11.
God has given to us food and shelter. So, we can share with others in hospitality. God has given to us talents and abilities. So, we can help others in need. God has given to us His Word, the Bible. So, we can give to others words of wisdom and encouragement.
Last Sunday, we had 11 individuals in obedience to Christ received baptism. Four from Cantonese, five from English and two from Mandarin. They were all, as we were all, once outside the family of God.
But with your prayer, love, care, teaching and encouragement, they have become growing members of God’s family. This is just one example of serving one another freely with what God has given. The result is the building up the body of Christ.
Let me close with two quotes:
In Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life, he writes, “If you’re not involved in any service or ministry, what excuse have you been using? Abraham was old, Jacob was insecure, …, Joseph was abused, Moses stuttered, Gideon was poor, Samson was codependent, Rahab was immoral, David had an affair and all kinds of family problems, Elijah was suicidal, Jeremiah was depressed, Jonah was reluctant, Naomi was a widow, …, Peter was impulsive and hot-tempered, Martha worried a lot, …, Thomas had doubts, Paul had poor health, and Timothy was timid. That is quite a variety of misfits, but God used each of them in his service. He will use you, too, if you stop making excuses.”
Bob Jones Sr. said, “I have known God to use people who never had a chance, but I have never known God to use a person who has had a chance and will not take it.”
Take a moment to reflect on 1 Peter 4:7-11. Ask God how He would want to use you to serve others. Then take the chance.
