WHY WE
SERVE THE CHURCH

Before the Passover
celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return
to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now
he loved them to the very end. It was time for supper, and the devil had already
prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him
authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to
God. So he got up from the table, took off his
robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began
to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. When Jesus came to Simon Peter,
Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You don’t
understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” “No,” Peter protested, “you will
never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong
to me.”

Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well,
Lord, not just my feet!” Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not
need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are
clean, but not all of you.” For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is
what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.” After washing their feet, he put
on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are
right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have
washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I
have done to you. 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. Now that you know these things, God will bless
you for doing them. JOHN 13:1-17 NLT

The Christian is…

Ministered to
by service

When
Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you
will.” “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus
replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” JOHN 13:6-8 NLT

Gifted for
service

God
has given each of you a gift from
his great variety of spiritual gifts.
Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking
through you. Do you have the gift of
helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then
everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. 1 PETER 4:10-11 NLT

We figure out being real on the
weekends, we work it out in groups during the week and we live it out
through service on teams

Filled by God
through serving

But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of
food you know nothing about.” “Did someone bring him food while we
were gone?” the disciples asked each other. Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who
sent me, and from finishing his work.” JOHN
4:32-34 NLT

Commanded by Jesus to serve

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

When I refuse to serve God by serving
his church, I have made myself the Lord and made it my church.

Explore the Why We Series

Why We Gather

Why We Gather in Groups

Why We Serve the Church