Friday Micro-Group
Moments
Hebrews 13:15-21
Do Everything Without Grumbling
15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
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.
18 Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. 19 I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.
Benediction and Final Greetings
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.
• In Christ, I am a steward of God’s grace, seeking to use whatever gift I have received to serve others. To God be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
Pondering Point
In this scripture, we are encouraged to – through Jesus – live sacrificially in three ways:
- Continually offer a sacrifice of praise as we profess Jesus' name in our lives (always ready to give a reason for the hope that we have -- 1 Peter 3:15);
- Not forget to do good– because (I guess) some of us just forget to be this way.
- Share with others. Points two and three sound like instructions for preschoolers. But maybe simple is good. Share. Be good to each other. And of course – tell people why: Because of Jesus.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, help us be like little children when it comes to faith in God, and like godly children when it comes to actions of being kind and sharing. Amen.
Micro-Group (MG) Moment
Considering the benefits of service to others
in the name of God
In relation to God, your serving assists in building the kingdom and pleases your Heavenly Father. In relation to fellow Christians, your serving builds up the body of Christ and expresses love. In relation to those outside the church, your serving becomes a testimony to the grace of God in your life. In relation to yourself, your serving puts God and others first and helps you fulfill your calling as an
administrator of God’s grace (see Ephesians 4:7).
Ephesians 4:7
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.
1 Peter 2:5
“you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
God assigned priests with different roles in the Old Testament, but those roles generally fell into two categories:
- Representing God to mankind and
- Representing man to God, either individually or as a group.
In short, we represent God to the world, and the world to God – representing both God and men (just like Jesus). It is a divine act.
Divine service, in some Christian circles, is a title heading for a worship service. The idea behind the title is that service is occurring in worship. The primary service is being done by God Himself through Word and sacraments – hence “Divine” service. Those who are serving in that worship venue (pastor, musicians, communion assistants) are vessels for the God who is serving, making them “Divine servants.” Similarly, wherever we go, we are agents of God in the world – representatives, disciples, ambassadors for God – all titles for divine servants as we live and serve in Jesus’ name.
Prayer for the Day
Father God, I am grateful to have been a recipient of Your divine service through Jesus. I pray that I can also be a conduit of Your divine service to others. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.