Transcript How the Bible Came to Us: Its Writing, Use, and Authority

SESSION 1:
SERVING THROUGH WORSHIP
BIBLICAL IMAGES
SERVE
RLC’s theme for the coming year
We continue to CONNECT and GROW through
reflection on what it means to be a Christian
servant.
As God’s baptized children we experience the
new FREEDOM we have in Christ to love and
serve all of God’s children and all of God’s
creation.
Overview of Sessions
Session 1: September 22: “Serving Through Worship”
In worship we respond to God’s love & forgiveness with prayer, praise, and
thanksgiving
Session 2: September 29: “Jesus the Servant”
Jesus’ example empowers our lives for service
Session 3: October 6: “Loving God and our Neighbor”
Our serving is guided by Jesus’ double commandment of love
Session 4: October 13: “Called to Serve: Getting Practical”
Responsible service tests our creativity and faithfulness in our use of God’s gifts
Session 5: October 20: “I have Other Sheep: the Broader Horizons
of Service
God calls us to expand our horizons in the service of love and mercy in the world
A Journey of Faithful Companionship with
the Scriptures: We Grow in Understanding
The Bible is our Norm because of what it does.
We read as ones called into being by the Word of God
We read expecting that God will continue to do so again
The Bible is a book that does what God wants it to do: a book
that affects us, that transforms us, because it reveals Christ to
us and draws us into a living relationship with Jesus Christ
who is risen from the dead….The Bible opens the very heart of
God to us. It shows us what God has done for us—what God
still does for us—what God always will do for us.” (Powell,
Opening the Book of Faith)
“
• God's Word is never abstract truths, but
addressed to specific situations
• Authority and Interpretation: Dynamic not
Static: Read/Study-Listen/Understand
• Living with Ambiguity
• Living with Diversity
• Hearing new Word for new occasions
Thinking about Serving
1. Serving is about God, even when it’s most visibly
directed toward your neighbor.
2. Serving is about your neighbor, and it is
something that we choose to do or not to do.
3. Serving is not works righteousness.
4. Serving is an act of worship, and it does not
cease:
5. Serving is not separate from Connecting,
Growing, and Going
BIBLICAL IMAGES OF SERVICE
Service:
Diverse Images
NRSV: “serve” or “servant” 1453 times
Translates a variety of different words
latreuo – worship, serve: the performing/carrying out of
religious duties by humans
doulos – slave/servant: action in total service to another;
performing the duties of a slave; serve, obey; especially
where God is thought of as “lord” and the human being as a
“slave” or “master.”
"No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate
the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and
despise the other. You cannot serve God and
wealth.(Matthew 6:24)
For such people do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own
appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the
hearts of the simple-minded. (Romans 16:18)
proskyneo – prostrate onself, serve: to express in attitude or
gesture one’s complete dependence on or submission to a high
authority figure, (fall down and) worship, do obeisance to,
prostrate oneself before, do reverence to, welcome respectfully
therapeuo – heal, serve: to render service or homage, serve a
divinity; heal, restore
For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the
objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the
inscription, 'To an unknown god.' What therefore you worship
as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the
world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and
earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, 25 nor is
he served by human hands, as though he needed anything,
since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all
things. (Acts 17:23-25)
leitourgia work, serve: to render special formal service,
serve, render service, of cultic or ritual responsibilities
(liturgy)
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the
Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for
the work to which I have called them." (Acts 13:2)
hyperetes – assistant, servant : to render service or to be
helpful in any capacity as an assistant
You know for yourselves that I worked with my own
hands to support myself and my companions.(Acts 20:34)
diakonia – minister, serve: perform various duties
of assistance; to wait on someone; to help support;
or to carry out official duties
For the Son of Man came not to be served but to
serve, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Mark
10:45)
Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God,
serve one another with whatever gift each of you has
received. (1 Peter 4:10)
WORSHIP AS SERVICE
Service begins with, lives by, and remains
centered in the worship of God as gracious
creator and sustainer of all that exists.
And the LORD charged me at that time to teach you statutes and
ordinances for you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into
and occupy. 15 Since you saw no form when the LORD spoke to you at
Horeb out of the fire, take care and watch yourselves closely, 16 so that you
do not act corruptly by making an idol for yourselves, in the form of any
figure-- the likeness of male or female, 17 the likeness of any animal that is
on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, 18 the
likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that
is in the water under the earth. 19 And when you look up to the heavens
and see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, do not be
led astray and bow down to them and serve them, things that the LORD
your God has allotted to all the peoples everywhere under heaven. 20 But
the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron-smelter, out of
Egypt, to become a people of his very own possession, as you are now.
(Deuteronomy 4:14-20) (latreuo-worship, serve)
Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. 5 You shall love the
LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all
your might. 6 Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your
heart. 7 Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at
home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. 8
Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your
forehead, 9 and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your
gates. 10 When the LORD your God has brought you into the land that he
swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you-- a
land with fine, large cities that you did not build, 11 houses filled with all
sorts of goods that you did not fill, hewn cisterns that you did not hew,
vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant-- and when you have
eaten your fill, 12 take care that you do not forget the LORD, who brought
you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 13 The LORD your
God you shall fear; him you shall serve, and by his name alone you shall
swear. 14 Do not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who are
all around you, 15 because the LORD your God, who is present with you, is
a jealous God. The anger of the LORD your God would be kindled against
you and he would destroy you from the face of the earth. 16 Do not put the
LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah
17 You must diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God,
and his decrees, and his statutes that he has commanded you. 18 Do what
is right and good in the sight of the LORD, so that it may go well with
you, and so that you may go in and occupy the good land that the LORD
swore to your ancestors to give you, 19 thrusting out all your enemies
from before you, as the LORD has promised. 20 When your children ask
you in time to come, "What is the meaning of the decrees and the
statutes and the ordinances that the LORD our God has commanded
you?" 21 then you shall say to your children, "We were Pharaoh's slaves in
Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 The
LORD displayed before our eyes great and awesome signs and wonders
against Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his household. 23 He brought us
out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land that he
promised on oath to our ancestors. 24 Then the LORD commanded us to
observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our lasting good,
so as to keep us alive, as is now the case. 25 If we diligently observe this
entire commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded
us, we will be in the right.“
(Deuteronomy 6:4-25)(latreuo-worship, serve)
Joshua Calls People to Serve the Lord
I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and towns that you had
not built, and you live in them; you eat the fruit of vineyards and
oliveyards that you did not plant. 14 "Now therefore revere the LORD,
and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that
your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the
LORD. 15 Now if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day
whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the
region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you
are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." 16
Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the
LORD to serve other gods; 17 for it is the LORD our God who brought us
and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery,
and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the
way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed;
18 and the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who
lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our
God."
(Joshua 24:13-18) (latreuo-worship, serve)
In Worship Israel “Serves” the Lord
I will tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my son;
today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your
heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You shall break
them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." 10
Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11
Serve the LORD with fear, with trembling
(Psalm 2:7-11)(doulos-slave, serve)
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Worship the LORD
with gladness; come into his presence with singing. 3 Know that the
LORD is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and
the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his
courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name. 5 For the LORD is
good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all
generations.
(Psalm 100)(doulos-slave, serve; King James: “serve”)
Jesus Temptation: It’s About Worship
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the
devil. 2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was
famished. 3 The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God,
command these stones to become loaves of bread." 4 But he answered, "It is
written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes
from the mouth of God.'" 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and
placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 saying to him, "If you are the
Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, 'He will command his
angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that
you will not dash your foot against a stone.'" 7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is
written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" 8 Again, the devil took
him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world
and their splendor; 9 and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you
will fall down and worship me." 10 Jesus said to him, "Away with you,
Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'" 11
Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
(Matthew 4:1-11)(proskyneo-prostrate, serve; latreuo-worship, serve)
Zacchariah Imagines a New Service of Worship
“Benedictus”
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably
on his people and redeemed them. 69 He has raised up a
mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David, 70 as he
spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71
that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of
all who hate us. 72 Thus he has shown the mercy promised to
our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant, 73 the
oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us 74 that
we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve
him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness before him
all our days.
(Luke 1:68-75)(latreuo-worship, serve)
Jesus’ Teaching Calls Disciples to True Service
(Worship) of God
"No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the
one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise
the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
(Matthew 6:24) (doulos-slave, serve)
Worship (Service) at Heart of Early Christian
Preaching
For the people of those regions report about us what kind of
welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from
idols, to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son
from heaven, whom he raised from the dead-- Jesus, who
rescues us from the wrath that is coming.
(1 Thessalonians 1:9-10)(doulos-slave, serve)
How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the
eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify
our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!
(Hebrews 9:14) (latreuo-worship, serve)
Worship Inspires Christian Hope
For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day
and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne
will shelter them. (Revelation 7:15)(latreuo-worship, serve)
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as
crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the
middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of
life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and
the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 Nothing
accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of
the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; 4 they will
see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will be
no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will
be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
(Revelation 22:1-5)(latreuo-worship, serve)(King James Version: “serve”)
MARTIN LUTHER, SMALL CATECHISM
Explanation to the Apostles’ Creed, First Article (ELW, p. 1162)
I believe that God has created me together with all that exists.
God has given me and still preserves my body and soul: eyes, ears,
and all limbs and senses; reasons and all mental faculties….God
protects me from all danger and shields and preserves me from
all evil. And all this is done out of pure, fatherly, and divine
goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness of mine at
all! For all this I owe it to God to thank and praise, serve and obey
him.
Give Thanks and Sing
God’s Praises
Encourage and Support
One Another
In Worship We:
Hear God’s Story of
Gracious Love
Experience Confession
and Forgiveness
Pray for one another and
our World
Share community in joys
and sorrows
Are Inspired for service to
our neighbor and world
What is the most important
thing about Worship for you?
What do you expect?
Recall a memorable worship
experience?
Why?