The Purpose of Serving Others
Philippians 2:3-8, NLT
1. READ THE INTRODUCTION
One of the greatest moments in scripture is found in John 13:1-5 when Jesus demonstrates servanthood. He is hours away from the cross and He and the disciples are sharing a meal. Suddenly, Jesus stands up and pours a basin of water and begins to wash and dry the feet of the disciples. In Jewish custom, this would have been the duty of a house servant; yet here we find the Son of God showing what it means to truly love others, by selflessly serving.
Serving others isn’t always easy. Sometimes people are rude or mean. Other times they are unappreciative. Serving others can also be done for the wrong reason or the wrong motive. Yet, when we get it right and serve with a pure heart, there’s nothing more rewarding or fulfilling.
I’ll never forget when we took our youngest daughter on her first mission trip. We went to the Dominican Republic to serve Haitian villages by sharing the gospel, providing medical care and constructing orphanages. Our daughter was only 12 years old. One day, while working in the village, one of the Haitian women invited our daughter to join her in shelling beans. She reluctantly said yes and went to work. We kept an eye on her throughout the day and noticed that she seemed to enjoy it. At the end of the day, her heart was full. She couldn’t believe the joy she saw in the people, who possessed very little in the way of material things, but were so happy and gracious. On one side, it looked like our daughter was serving them; but the reality was, they were serving our daughter. They made a life long impact that she’ll never forget.
Belonging to something (like the body of Christ, a.k.a. the church), requires a level of servanthood. As we journey through this passage, let’s be sure to lean into the power of serving with the right heart.
TELL THE STORY IN YOUR OWN WORDS 3 READ THE STORY
“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” Philippians 2:3-8 NLT
LIFE QUESTIONS
A. Describe a time in your life where you served in order to meet a real need. What made it special for the person(s) you served? What made it special for you?
B. What is it about serving that you find hard to do? What has prevented you from serving in the past?
C. How does the attitude of selflessness and humility empower serving? What does serving look like when these things are absent?
D. We know what it means to “think of others better than ourselves” but what does that look like? Can you share a real-life example?
E. Paul said Jesus gave up his divine privileges [to become a servant of all]. What’s are some things you have or should give up that would make you a better servant?
F. In what way(s) are you or could you serve people at our church each weekend? What seems like a good fit for you?
G. There are serving roles that are never seen on Sunday (prayer partners, community service, large donors, etc). What “non- Sunday” serving action have you seen or participated in? How does this scripture help guide us as we serve in those opportunities?
H. Is it possible to belong to a people group, church or organization and not serve and still find fulfillment? Why or why not?
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