Tag Archives: serve

THE GOSPEL IN HEBREWS – CONCLUSION

April 10, 2025Bible Studyremember, serve, worshipLuella Campbell

Hebrews 13:1-3 NIV
[1] “Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. [2] Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. [3] Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”

Having concluded his masterful explanation of the gospel of Jesus in the Old Covenant, our writer dumps his readers into the middle of New Covenant living…loving one another because God loves us! There is no better way to show the world that we are citizens of another realm than to love one another.

When we identify with each other and stretch out a helping hand in the worst of circumstances, we are echoing what God did in Christ for us. We demonstrate, in this way of life, that we understand what grace is and what grace does. Instead of running from faith in Jesus because of the cost, we dig in there and stand together in our suffering because we believe in a great future.

Hebrews 13:4-6 NIV
[4] Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. [5] Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” [6] So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

Not only are we, as believers, characterised by our love for one another but also for our faithfulness to God’s standards.

Marriage and money…two requirements that separate God’s people from the world. The world has made a mockery of sex and marriage. From the world’s point of views, sex is for entertainment and marriage a noose! When things go wrong and the consequences bite, it’s all God’s fault!

And as for money…it’s a good servant but a terrible master. Fascinating that Jesus made a significant point. It’s not that we love we serve but that we serve what we love. Just like marriage! The world says, “Marry the one you love (and get out when you don’t love her any more).” The Bible says, “Love the one you marry. You’ll stay faithful if you do.”

When we keep these two requirements in their correct perspective, remembering that God had promised grace to obey, we build our lives on a solid foundation…confidence in the promise of God’s presence. This should be enough to steady us no matter what happens.

Hebrews 13:5-6 NLT
[5] “Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” [6] So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”

So, if stuff happens, and stuff did happen to these readers, (and stuff will happen to us), God is still there. The Roman government imposed impossible restructions on them to force them to quit their faith. For example, Rome demanded that they confess that Caesar was Lord before they could buy or sell at the markets. They stood firm and took the consequences.

As Father, God was committed to their care over and above anything humans could do to them. All they had to do was to remain in that realm of faith and obedience. God would take care of the rest.

So, how would they remain in God’s realm of promise and care?

Hebrews 13:7-14 NIV
[7] “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. [8] Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. [9] Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who do so. [10] We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat. [11] The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. [12] And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. [13] Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. [14] For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

Remember! How easy it is to go astray when we forget the things that hold us steady and on track!

Remember your leaders. Sheep are in danger without a shepherd. People get lost without leaders. Some leaders take their followers to hell, others are worth following because their destination is heaven. Follow and imitate those who are leading you in the right direction.

Remember Jesus. He never changes. If you stick with Him, you’ll be okay.

Remember what Jesus did. Animals didn’t take away sin, Jesus did. By offering His own blood, He did what no animal could do. Although He was disgraced and died outside the city like an outcast, He is the one who made atonement for our sins. Let’s go to Him because He is the only one who can save. No matter what the world does to us, our eternal destiny is safe if we hold onto Jesus even in suffering.

Remember our destiny. Jesus promised to take us to the Father. When we follow Him, we can be sure we’ll reach the city of God, the heavenly Jerusalem, the home of the Father.

How do we say on track?

Worship!

Hebrews 13:15-17 NIV
[15] “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name….”

There is only one we are to worship. Praise, thanksgiving, and gratitude keep us focused on the object of our true worship.

Serve!

[16]”And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased…”

Serving God’s family is serving the Lord Himself.

Follow!

[17] “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.”

Spiritual leaders have great responsibility. They are the earthly representatives of our heavenly model, Jesus.

Our writer concludes with miscellaneous instructions and greetings and a magnificent benediction which wraps up the gospel in a great prayer…

Hebrews 13:20-21 NIV
[20] Now, may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, [21] equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

That’s is, dear readers! God has done it all for us and He will keep doing in us whatever we need in this life to take us to our eternal destination.

Fear, gone! Sin, gone! Judgment, gone! Only hope, promise, and joyful celebration for what is past, is now, and is yet to come!

LOVE SERVES

July 26, 2024Christian Lifeserve, slaveLuella Campbell

John 13:1, 3-4 NIV
[1] “It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
[3] Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; [4] so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.”

Is God humble?

A strange question, yet we must answer it because humility is high on God’s list of priorities. Turns out that the question is irrelevant but for one exception. Jesus!

Humility is an attribute of humanity. Therefore, pride, the attitude of self importance that elevates the proud above his fellow beings, can never apply to God as there is no one higher than He.

By contrast, the humble person accepts and fully occupies the space God intended for him or her, in partnership with the Holy Spirit, without intruding in attitude or action into the space of others.

The Father sent Jesus to occupy His space as the God-man during His time on earth. In His humanity, Jesus accepted and functioned fully in that space. His union with the Father, through the Holy Spirit, enabled Him to carry out the Father’s will in perfect submission and obedience to Him. Therefore, He could both claim…

Matthew 11:29 NIV
[29] “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

…and act in humility.

John 13:5 NIV
[5] “After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”

What was the space the Father prepared for Jesus to occupy?

Mark 10:45 NIV
[45] “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

He came as a servant to serve both God and man.

A servant can only serve, first, when he accepts his position and role as a servant.

John 13:3 NLT
[3]”Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God.”

Jesus was fully aware of His position in the heavenly realm. He was God with all the authority and power of His divine nature. His humanity did not take away His attributes of deity, only veiled them for a season.

To fulfil His role as the ‘Ebed Yahweh’ of Isaiah’s messianic prophecies, the servant of the Lord, Jesus had to choose to be a servant. There was no resistance or reluctance in His attitude towards the Father. He was a servant who fully embraced and carried out His role.

Philippians 2:6-7 NLT
[6] “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. [7] Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being…”

Although Jesus was a servant…a slave in fact, the meaning of ‘doulos’…He never acted from a slave mentality. He knew who He was, in every sense of the word. He was God Himelf, veiled in a human being. However, He chose to be a Son, completely subject to His Father, during His time on earth.

As Charles Wesley so ably wrote,

“Let heaven and earth combine,
Angels and men agree,
To praise in songs divine
Th’incarnate Deity,
Our God contracted to a span,
Incomprehensibly made man.

“He laid His glory by,
He wrapped Him in our clay;
Unmarked by human eye,
The latent Godhead lay;
Infant of days He here became,
And bore the loved Immanuel’s name.”
(Words: Charles Wesley, Hymns for the Nativity of Our Lord (London: William Strahan, 1745), number 5.)

Jesus’ commitment to be a faithful servant of the Father coloured His every thought and action. Being a servant of God both humbled Him to serve sinful humans and elevated Him to the high office of an atoning sacrifice.

The Apostle Paul adopted the same attitude as Jesus in his life of serving and suffering. He accepted his role as Christ’s slave with unswerving loyalty and obedience, together with the authority his role gave him to act for Jesus.

Philippians 1:1 NLT
[1] “This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. I am writing to all of God’s holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the church leaders and deacons.”

Paul viewed his suffering as an offering of worship and a badge of office. He rejoiced in the privilege of pouring out his life of service to others as a sacrifice to God.

Philippians 2:17 NLT
[17]”But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy.”

He knew who he was but he never lorded his position as an apostle over those he served. He used his authority at times but only to stamp the authority of Jesus on the behaviour of God’s people. His authority lay in the anointing of the Holy Spirit for his office as an apostle. He had no authority of his own. Before God, he was an empty vessel bearing the glory of God’s presence in him.

2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT
[7] “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.”

Even the Apostle John wrote, “As He was in the world, so are we.”

And so, Jesus could take up a towel and water, and wash His disciples filthy, smelly feet and lose nothing of His person, His position, His dignity, or His authority. His love for the Father called from Him His unique response…and example.

John 13:14-15 NLT
[14]”And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. [15] I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.”

John 13:16-17 NLT
[16]”I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. [17] Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.”

We are stamped with the image of God, redeemed and recreated in the likeness of His Son. We have His name, His power of attorney, and His Spirit in us. We are holy and beloved, God’s own children, elevated to co-heirs with Jesus, seated with Him in the heavenly realm…

…but we are His slaves, ‘douloi’

For love of the Father, He calls us to serve.

SPIRITUAL GIFTS – FOR WHAT?

May 10, 2021Bible Studygifts, prophesy, serve, teachLuella Campbell

SPIRITUAL GIFTS – FOR WHAT?

“We have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil, cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord.” Romans 12:6-11.

Have you noticed how Paul focuses on the non-spectacular functions in the church here? Are these any less gifts of the Spirit than, say, speaking in tongues or healing? What makes us think that it takes the power of the Holy Spirit to do a miracle but not to be generous or to show mercy? The one reveals God’s power through you, the other, in you, otherwise the old natural selfish nature will still be controlling you attitudes.

The use of spiritual gifts is not so much the issue but the motive for which they are used to benefit others. If you use your spiritual gift as a platform to gain anything for yourself, be it visibility, popularity, admiration, accolades or any other personal glory, there will be consequences in the end. Ananias and Sapphira are a case in point. They sold property, gave some money to the church as if it were all, wanting to appear generous in competition with Barnabas; but they were quickly exposed by the Holy Spirit through Peter and put to death!

Is not this the reason that Paul warned his Roman readers (and us) not to be conceited but to think realistically about ourselves, and not suppose that we are indispensable or have to do everything. It takes humility to admit that we can do one thing well but not something else, and to be content to be who we are. When we can take responsibility for our part, and not try to do what we cannot do, we fit in comfortably with the other members of the body and, in partnership with one another, we can accomplish what Jesus wants His body to do.

Once again, it’s not about us – it’s about Him. Our task, in harmony with one another, is to bring restoration to each member through the use of our gifts and, in this way, to mirror Him to the world around us. The gifts He gives us are His, not ours, and are for the benefit of others, not ourselves. But, like everything God does, the blessing always boomerangs back on us!

We do what we are gifted to do through His grace, but it our attitude that determines whether we are blessed in return, or whether we stand in line for judgment as did Ananias and Sapphira. Behind the attitude with which we use our gifts lies another attitude – our attitude to God. The Bible calls it “the fear of the Lord”. When we have the right attitude towards Him, it will regulate the motives and attitudes we have towards ourselves and the ones we serve.

Solomon summed it up aptly in Proverbs 9:10. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Wisdom is, very simply, doing the right thing. When we have a reverential awe of God, remembering who He is, and hating anything that infringes on His glory, we will not take what He says lightly or treat Him with contempt because, as Solomon concluded in Ecclesiastes 12:14, “For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil.” In the end, God is inescapable.

Every thought, attitude and motive will one day be exposed in His light. I am sure none of us would like to see our selfish and self-seeking motives in neon lights for everyone to see! How can we prevent our old corrupted nature from intruding into our ministry and service in the body of Christ?

Paul gives us some simple but effective steps:

1. Give God your body for His use and change the way you think – from your thoughts to His thoughts. That comes about as we spend time in His Word.

2. Put yourself in the right perspective. You are not the whole – only a small part. You cannot be and do everything.

3. Do what you are gifted to do and do it faithfully with zeal and fervour.

4. Keep the bigger picture in mind and fit into it with joy. It’s not about competition but about harmony, working towards a greater goal, the health of the whole body.

5. Wrap it up in a blanket of love – for Jesus and for His body. Put Jesus and others before yourself Meet the needs of others at your expense.

Imagine what the church would look like if we all did that!

Acknowledgement

Faithful Stewards Of God’s Grace

February 5, 2015Bible Studyfaithful steward, gifts, God's grace, serveLuella Campbell

FAITHFUL STEWARDS OF GOD’S GRACE

Each of your should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4: 10, 11)

Get a hold of that!

Spiritual gifts – what are they? In many people’s book, they are the reason to put themselves a cut above other believers. ‘I have the gift of . . . ‘ Tongues? Word of knowledge? Discerning of spirits? Healing? Faith? Wisdom? These all have levels of superiority. If you have this gift, or that gift, you are a very spiritual Christian – in fact, if you can speak in tongues, you have the evidence that you are ‘Spirit-filled’! Really? Is that how Paul classified a true believer?

In my Bible the evidence of a child of God is clear:

For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit are the children of God. (Rom. 8: 13, 14)

What is the purpose of spiritual gifts, then? Whose gifts are they? Some of us act as though they are our gifts – as though we earned them and we have them to enhance our prestige in the Christian world. God forbid! Spiritual gifts are gifts of the Spirit and they are lent to us for only one purpose – to serve the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit channels His power through ordinary human beings who are obedient to Him to minister to the needs of Jesus’s body.

We cannot claim to own any gift. The Holy Spirit gives them according to His will. He is free to give or withdraw His gifts as He chooses according to our availability and obedience. As always, we are to stewards of God’s grace, not owners or dispensers as though we were handing out sweets to little children. God’s gifts are a sacred trust. We cannot use them according to our whims but in obedience to His will.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them it is the same God at work. (1 Cor. 12: 4-6)

Spiritual gifts are not a title or an office but a function. Even functions like apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher are not offices or titles which give us a position in the church; they are functions which serve Jesus’s body.

So Christ Himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. (Eph. 4: 11, 12)

How tragic that people who are supposed to serve in these functions have taken them to be titles and used them to elevate themselves over their fellow believers as the authority in the church! Even people who have had theological training think that they are a cut above unlearned believers, as though head knowledge makes them superior to everyone else.

As for you, the anointing you have received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit – just as it has taught you, remain in Him. (1 John 2:27)

Jesus chose relatively uneducated men to be His disciples so that He could teach them His truth and send them out to replicate Him in the world.

Spiritual gifts are a trust from God to us as His sons and daughters, not a reward for good behaviour, to be used to serve His people, not to enrich ourselves or to enhance our reputation. They will always remain His gifts, not ours. We are accountable to Him for what we do with them. We are to be stewards of His grace as faithful servants, always keeping the mind-set of a servant.

God’s grace is multi-faceted, ministering healing, deliverance and hope to the broken and helpless. He apportions His gifts of grace to reliable stewards who will use and not prostitute His gifts for the enrichment of others. In that spirit let us give freely to the needy of that which He has given us.

Live For Others

February 4, 2015Bible Studyalert, gift, love, pray, serve, soberLuella Campbell

LIVE FOR OTHERS

The end of all things is near, Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4: 7-10)

Peter and Paul must have shared many hours together and many thoughts about their understanding of what the Christian journey was all about. Peter echoed Paul’s instructions about prayer which we have already studied in Col. 4. In fact, what he wrote is almost word-for-word Paul’s words.

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. (Col. 4: 2)

Prayer is a pivotal part of our lives as followers of Jesus. Prayer is the unique activity of a son. Jesus’s role on earth was to take us to the Father so that we can interact with Him as His sons and daughters. For what purpose? To get to know the Father, to listen to Him and to submit to His authority and His will. Our task is to reproduce Jesus on earth so that His will and purposes will overtake and replace the rebellious designs of mankind. We are here for Him, not Him for us. To listen to Him is our greatest privilege and responsibility and that happens, among other things, through prayer.

And for the rest, our lives are to be lived for others. Jesus came to earth both as a son and a servant. By serving people He served the Father. Strange as it may seem, a child’s primary responsibility is to learn submission and obedience and in so doing to serve his father. How else will the family unit be established? Unless God’s authority structures are followed, the unity He envisages in the family cannot happen.

The pattern for unity is the Godhead; each one serving the other for the mutual benefit of all. When unity is disturbed, the entire universe descends into chaos and disintegration. The way to establish and maintain unity is through mutual submission and loving service.

That brings me to another thought. Power in the kingdoms of men and in the kingdom of God are in direct opposition. In the world, power is exerted by one person over another. Power is about controlling other people for one’s own ends. If people do not reciprocate, the next step is force. Make them do what I want by whatever means works – intimidation, manipulation, domination. That is Satan’s way.

Power God’s way is through self-control. Part of the miracle of the new birth is the infusion of God’s nature into the believer. He has given us His nature – mirrored in Jesus so that real power begins to operate when we respond as Jesus did to sin. Jesus showed us how it is done. Submission to the Father motivated Him to take everything that was thrown at Him without retaliating. By not participating in the sin of those who crucified Him (and that includes you and me), Jesus put an end to it right there, in His body, when they nailed Him to the cross.

Our way is to react, retaliate, take revenge or allow our anger and hatred to fester inside. Sooner or later we will take it out on someone close to us, and so the sin of others is perpetuated in us and through us. The good news is that God is the just judge. We can leave it to Him to fight for us. How much better to let it go when we have been wronged, knowing full well that we can, like Jesus, entrust ourselves to Him who judges justly (1 Peter. 2: 23)

So, Peter said, instead of spending your time fighting your own cause, let God do it for you. It is better to spend your time serving others because, in this way you’ll be spreading goodwill around you instead of fomenting hatred and bitterness. This is the way of the kingdom. By serving others, we confirm our relationship to God as His children. We resemble Jesus, our elder brother, by acting the way He did and we, in the end, earn the right to have authority in God’s kingdom.

By investing our time and abilities in the wellbeing of others, at our own expense, we will grow in the likeness of God, whose nature is in us, and we will put to death the old selfish nature that leads to death.

Ebenezer Family Church

HE IS RISEN!