1Co 11:33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.
1Co 11:34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.
When you come together to eat, tarry one for another.
Interesting thought here. When it is time to eat at the church do you see who you might be able to help? Those that are infirm, old, unable to help themselves?
Do you wait on others before taking care of yourself?
Or are you more interested in getting the food before it runs out? or before the others can get to it and take your seat?
1Co 11:20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.
1Co 11:21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
1Co 11:22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
The fellowship meal is no more.
Everyone is too worried about their plate, their time.
They do not give up of their own freely.
The Apostle Paul had the same issue in his day.
What happened to fellowship over a meal? What happened to a church family spending time over the dinner table, talking and moving as a group?
What happened to good old fashioned courtesy in the one place that courtesy and humility should be most pronounced?
I know what happens we get too comfortable, we start seeing other people taking care of these things and we learn to start caring for ourselves because someone else always takes care of it.
But what about those that always take care of it? Who takes care of them?
What about the infirm that you always see with a plate but you never know how they get it? Well someone gets it for them sure but do you ever stop and see if there is someone you can serve before you serve yourself?
What if those who can't serve themselves are too proud to ask for help, they don't want to put anyone out so they sit there and maybe go without, maybe someone finally notices them and helps them, thereby getting leftovers and your conscience is clean.
The church is no longer the bastion of care compassion and concern.
You say but I see people taking care of things, but are you? what happens when there is no one else to do it?
The biggest problem is that it is always the same 3 or 4 doing the organizing, set-up, serving and clean up.
What are you doing? Are you just showing up to eat and go home? Are you waiting for someone to ask you?
There is no longer a servant attitude in the church. I do not speak of the few I speak of the many. A servant attitude, what can I do for others. Is everyone enjoying and eating well?
Or are we so worried about us, and ours that we forget them?
I see so many who serve to be seen serving. I see so many serving to be looked at, to be noticed. They sacrifice but only so their sacrifice can be noticed.
Jas_1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2Pe_1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
Jud_1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
Rev_1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
In the four verses I just put here you can see that all 4 of the Apostles who walked with Christ, talked with Him all called themselves His servant.
If any could glory in their statues it would be Peter, James, John, Jude or Paul.
Yet they called themselves His servants.
When you sing do you sing for the Glory of God?
When you serve in the nursery do you do so that others may feed on the Word in the service?
When you teach do you do so to spread the Word of God, to enrich the minds of those you have been given charge over for that time period?
When you drive the van do you do so for His Glory?
Christ in His day railed against the Pharisees who did things that they might be thought well of.
That is a horrible mindset to have, for those folks will have their respect and reward given here on earth.
They shall have the praise of man here on earth.
I get it, many times we look around and see that very few are actually serving and it gets tiring.
we have our lives and our cares and our troubles outside of the church and we start to look and see who could do what we do so we might have a break.
Gal_6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
We must not be weary. We must not fail. For if we do we may not have someone who will step in or step up.
We may very well be the only ones who can do what we do.
When you sing lift your voice to the Lord and let all else fade.
When you drive the van bring one smile to the face of a child and see that their world and yours will change.
When there is a fellowship meal, eat at home then go to the dinner full and see who you can help to have a better fellowship time.
When there is an event, see who you can help get involved that may not without you.
We are here for others, not ourselves.
We are here to serve.
We are here to exemplify Christ in everything we do.
Christ washed the feet of His disciples. He served the multitudes with food and with the Words of Life.He healed many, He forgave many. Yet He never once asked what's in it for me.
He never once tried to make someone say thank you. Now He did ask where are the others when only 2 came to thank Him of the group that was healed.
He Served, He gave, He never grew weary in well doing.
He knew He was here for His Father.
We are here to lift them up.
We are here to enrich them.
We are here to Serve.
Be the one that makes a difference and shows Christ rather than the one who turns someone off to the Christ that we know and serve.
1Co 11:34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.
When you come together to eat, tarry one for another.
Interesting thought here. When it is time to eat at the church do you see who you might be able to help? Those that are infirm, old, unable to help themselves?
Do you wait on others before taking care of yourself?
Or are you more interested in getting the food before it runs out? or before the others can get to it and take your seat?
1Co 11:20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.
1Co 11:21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
1Co 11:22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
The fellowship meal is no more.
Everyone is too worried about their plate, their time.
They do not give up of their own freely.
The Apostle Paul had the same issue in his day.
What happened to fellowship over a meal? What happened to a church family spending time over the dinner table, talking and moving as a group?
What happened to good old fashioned courtesy in the one place that courtesy and humility should be most pronounced?
I know what happens we get too comfortable, we start seeing other people taking care of these things and we learn to start caring for ourselves because someone else always takes care of it.
But what about those that always take care of it? Who takes care of them?
What about the infirm that you always see with a plate but you never know how they get it? Well someone gets it for them sure but do you ever stop and see if there is someone you can serve before you serve yourself?
What if those who can't serve themselves are too proud to ask for help, they don't want to put anyone out so they sit there and maybe go without, maybe someone finally notices them and helps them, thereby getting leftovers and your conscience is clean.
The church is no longer the bastion of care compassion and concern.
You say but I see people taking care of things, but are you? what happens when there is no one else to do it?
The biggest problem is that it is always the same 3 or 4 doing the organizing, set-up, serving and clean up.
What are you doing? Are you just showing up to eat and go home? Are you waiting for someone to ask you?
There is no longer a servant attitude in the church. I do not speak of the few I speak of the many. A servant attitude, what can I do for others. Is everyone enjoying and eating well?
Or are we so worried about us, and ours that we forget them?
I see so many who serve to be seen serving. I see so many serving to be looked at, to be noticed. They sacrifice but only so their sacrifice can be noticed.
Jas_1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2Pe_1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
Jud_1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
Rev_1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
In the four verses I just put here you can see that all 4 of the Apostles who walked with Christ, talked with Him all called themselves His servant.
If any could glory in their statues it would be Peter, James, John, Jude or Paul.
Yet they called themselves His servants.
When you sing do you sing for the Glory of God?
When you serve in the nursery do you do so that others may feed on the Word in the service?
When you teach do you do so to spread the Word of God, to enrich the minds of those you have been given charge over for that time period?
When you drive the van do you do so for His Glory?
Christ in His day railed against the Pharisees who did things that they might be thought well of.
That is a horrible mindset to have, for those folks will have their respect and reward given here on earth.
They shall have the praise of man here on earth.
I get it, many times we look around and see that very few are actually serving and it gets tiring.
we have our lives and our cares and our troubles outside of the church and we start to look and see who could do what we do so we might have a break.
Gal_6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
We must not be weary. We must not fail. For if we do we may not have someone who will step in or step up.
We may very well be the only ones who can do what we do.
When you sing lift your voice to the Lord and let all else fade.
When you drive the van bring one smile to the face of a child and see that their world and yours will change.
When there is a fellowship meal, eat at home then go to the dinner full and see who you can help to have a better fellowship time.
When there is an event, see who you can help get involved that may not without you.
We are here for others, not ourselves.
We are here to serve.
We are here to exemplify Christ in everything we do.
Christ washed the feet of His disciples. He served the multitudes with food and with the Words of Life.He healed many, He forgave many. Yet He never once asked what's in it for me.
He never once tried to make someone say thank you. Now He did ask where are the others when only 2 came to thank Him of the group that was healed.
He Served, He gave, He never grew weary in well doing.
He knew He was here for His Father.
We are here to lift them up.
We are here to enrich them.
We are here to Serve.
Be the one that makes a difference and shows Christ rather than the one who turns someone off to the Christ that we know and serve.
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