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August 31st Sermon – Serving the Kingdom – Acts 2:42-47
Introduction:
“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?” (Jm 2:14). This is the question raised by the brother of our Lord in the second chapter of his epistle, and it relates directly to the passage of focus in Acts. Works alone are not salvific, but a living faith will produce good works. We see this in action among the first Christian adherents; burning with the Spirit, those brought into the fold immediately looked to take care of each other, “selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need” (Ac 2:45).
Now, the sermon today will establish how serving others–good works–is fundamental to the Christian faith, and how we should live this out. Just as Christ served (and continues to serve) His disciples, we should look to serve those around us.
What is Service?
What constitutes serving others? This is an important question, and I will posit three modes of service before you today.
Providing for others by giving them our time and emotional or physical energy is the most direct and straightforward way to do this. It is also the easiest to see in action and the easiest to conceptualize. We see it biblically in the example of the Good Samaritan, and reflected in our culture today with the cliche of helping an old lady across the street.
In practice, this mode of service can be done in far more ways than either of those two examples. Be willing to talk to people, and to listen. Mental health has been something our eyes have been opened to in recent years, and you can lend your emotional energy to helping people through that, often by just being a shoulder to lean on. Give a hand to those around you as they struggle, even if it is as simple as shoveling an elderly neighbour’s steps, or something as out of your comfort zone as volunteering to help with crisis mitigation at a party-night.
We can also help others materially, by providing food or money to those in need. We see this in Acts with how the believers are distributing their resources to those in need. This distribution of alms has been a function of the local church through time and to this day. The diaconate (that is, the office and role of deacons) was established to this end in Acts 6, and the tradition continues to this day, including in this very church. Filling the community fridge and giving out grocery hampers is our way of staying in continuity with the early church. By tithing here, as many of us do, you are a part of this collective service.
We can engage in this on the personal level as well, by giving or loaning money to those around us as they have need. Just don’t look at it in a usurious way, so as to profit from them, as would Money Mart or Cash Money.
Finally, our “Serve” value can be embodied in a mundane yet important way, by approaching our various jobs and roles in the world in a good and Christian way. Honestly earn your wage, don’t slack off and cheat your employer. Take with you the fruits of the Spirit when you clock in–do not leave them at the door. Similarly, employers and managers should incorporate Christian truths into how they deal with their employees and inferiors. In so doing, we serve society at large, fulfilling our end of the social contract. Martin Luther’s
Small Catechism points towards this truth, referencing the following passage in Ephesians:
“Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.” (Eph 6:5-9)
For additional support, we can look to John the Baptist’s instructions to the tax collectors and soldiers who wish to have forgiveness:
“Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, ‘Teacher, what shall we do?’ And he said to them, ‘Collect no more than you are authorized to do.’ Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what shall we do?’ And he said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.’” (Lk 3:12-14)
This is to say that, with a few exceptions, any vocation can be a godly one (for example, I would feel it wise to tell a convert to leave sex work or drug dealing behind). Broadly speaking, then, it is not what you do, but the spirit you take to it: from running a company to pumping gas.
The Point: There are multiple ways we as Christians can serve others. We ought to recognise these and carry them out as we are able.
A Continuity of God’s Will:
Now, let us turn back to the Old Testament. A basic foundation of the Christian hermeneutic (that is, how we interpret the Bible) is that the Old Testament points forward to the New, and the New refers back to the Old. Therefore, we should expect to see a continuity of God’s will in regard to serving others.
The principles of charity are highlighted in Deuteronomy, where charity is constructed as a system of non-usurious loans where remaining debts would be forgiven every seventh year. This was a practice of charity outlined for the nation of Israel, acting alongside the system of tithes that supported the Levites and the unprivileged (see Deuteronomy 14:22-29 for statutes on tithing).
“If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be . . . You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.” (Dt 15:7-10)
You see, God’s perfect will does not change. His guidelines for how we should act within society have been a constant thing, and just as the Israelites were called to look after their brethren, so are we in the Church. Because the Lord tells us that “there will never cease to be poor in the land” (Dt 15:11), we, party to His promise, must always look out for the orphans, the widows, and the sojourners among us. That is our Christian duty.
The Point: God’s expectations are perfect, and do not change over time. To help each other in a principled manner has and will always be highly viewed in the eyes of the Lord.
A Caution Against Hypocrisy:
Having covered the basic types of service and established the continuity of this tenet throughout the Bible, it is time to put up the guardrails, looking to the scripture for how we ought to go about serving those around us as Christians.
It is most helpful here to turn to the ministry of Christ. His condemnation of hypocrites is a fixture of this ministry. One instance of this can be found in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew:
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others.” (Mt 6:1-2)
From this, we have our first caution: do not boast of your contributions, whether monetary or physical. But also refrain from playing into this from the other side, and viewing those who give the most with more favour. This error is in a similar vein to that which James denounces in the second chapter of his epistle, namely giving the rich man a seat of privilege while letting the poor man stand.
Let this be something pastors and church leadership is held accountable for as well: do not allow the highest givers to be afforded a higher status than the rest, whether by means as extravagant as throwing them special dinners, or as simple as more readily affording them time or an ear on important manners. Such errors display a bias against those with less means, one that should not be accepted in the Church. Remember, I tell you, remember that the amount given does not tell the whole story. Christ addresses this bias directly:
“Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those [rich men] who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mk 12:43-44)
The Point: We serve others for God, not ourselves: don’t seek earthly reward for your service, and don’t corruptly reward others for theirs.
Stewardship of Our Wealth:
Let us remember also the principle of stewardship, that we are to look after our wealth in a way that honours God, both by giving it generously away, and by making sure we can provide adequately for our household. Let us remember Christ’s dialogue with the Pharisees:
“But you say, ‘If a man tells his father and mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)– then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down.” (Mk 7:11-13)
Corban, mind you, was a practice of setting aside money or material good for the use of the temple. Once devoted, that which was corban could not be used for any other purpose, even in fulfilling duties deemed desirable to the Lord. Let us take this to heart: husbands, neglect not your wives or children in favour of committing all to the church; sons and daughters, do not neglect your duties to your parents in favour, your chores or responsibilities, in favour of the church; and homeowners, do not neglect your mortgage to give in overabundance. Be wise with your resources, and remember service of the third kind: acting out your everyday duties in accordance with the Christian faith. Give for the glory of God, not favour among men.
Finally, another element of stewardship is who you give to, something that requires no small amount of wisdom, so when in doubt, do not be afraid to pray. The Didache, a second century summary of Christian teachings, warns against providing for idle (non-working) vagrants who claim the benefits of Christian hospitality without giving back (see “Chapter 12. Reception of Christians”). According to the directions of the early Church, they ought only be provisioned for two or three days without showing a willingness to work and integrate in your community. This reflects the wisdom of 2 Thessalonians 3: “For even when we were with you, we would give this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (v. 10).
Paul goes further with this in 1 Timothy 5, when he cautions against providing for younger widows on a long-term basis, lest they become slothful and draw away from Christ. Indeed, he recommends the following: “So I would have the younger widows marry, bear children, manage their own households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander” (v. 14).
The thing to remember here is that those who would receive our alms have their own duties to fulfill, an obligation to be gainfully employed or otherwise contribute to society and their own household. The Christian worldview is in essence a communal one, where there is give and take: a social contract that must be honoured. This is not to say that we shouldn’t support those who can’t support themselves: it is widely accepted that infants cannot meaningfully pay their own way. As with those young members of our community, we have a duty to provide for the old and infirm– those who cannot be expected to fully pull their own weight.
Looking back to that Old Testament example earlier given, we can also say that it is a good thing to look after a brother embroiled in a season of misfortune, by lending money or providing sustenance. Hard times, however, pass, so do not create for yourself a burden out of someone who ought to be contributing. Such is at the crux of properly stewarding your resources.
Remember the wisdom of the Lord in this:
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be as wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Mt 10:16)
The Point: Make good use of the gifts God gives you, not failing to fulfill your responsibilities, and not wasting those gifts on unworthy recipients.
Christ Our Example:
As we wrap things up here and start gearing up for Communion, I must admit that this has been a Law heavy sermon. Let us face reality head on: we will never do this all perfectly. We will make mistakes as individuals, and we will make mistakes as the Church. We will fail at properly stewarding our wealth, and we will fail at serving others to the extent that the Lord our God desires. Remember, dear ones, Christ’s body broken for us, and His blood spilt for us. Accept the perfect forgiveness of the Lord and bask in His lovingkindness.
But remember also that we have a perfect example in our Lord and Saviour. Remember that the King of Kings stooped down to wash His disciples’ feet just before the Passion that redeemed all believers. Take that serving heart and make it yours in all you do.
And dear ones, remember also that you need to be redeemed, to have your feet washed by Christ and to have Him die for you. At some point in your life, you too will need help. Do not be too proud to accept that. Do not suffer in silence. Don’t take the service of others lightly; be not the vagrant who fleeces believers of their money, but avoid also the hubris of thinking that you are above being served.
The Point: Above all, remember that we have our salvation and example in Christ Jesus.
Conclusion:
We have covered here today the modes of service, and the guidelines for how we must serve in light of God’s eternal Law. We can serve through act or deed and through the provision of resources, but also by fulfilling our obligations to the community and our own household. The principle of stewardship is key here that we might glorify God and not ourselves. That we might glorify God and not waste the gifts He has afforded us in our life.
This is a fixture of Christian living. Let us all challenge ourselves to better serve in the ways we can, taking a serving heart to the workplace and our home lives. Let us carry with us a serving heart in all that we do. Lift your candles high and bring the light of Christ to the whole world. In thought, deed and action, serve the Kingdom of our Lord.
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