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

SESSION 3:
CALLED TO SERVE:
LOVING GOD AND OUR NEIGHBOR
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
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
Christ as Servant – Model for Christian Community
Philippians 2:1-13
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in
humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each
of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of
others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ
Jesus,
6 Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard
equality with God as something to be exploited, 7 but
emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being
born in human likeness. And being found in human form,
8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point
of death-- even death on a cross.
…Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13
for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to
will and to work for his good pleasure.
But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see-- I am bringing
you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day
in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:10-11
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5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him,
"Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house
today." 6 So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. 7 All
who saw it began to grumble and said, "He has gone to be the guest of
one who is a sinner.“
8 Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Look, half of my
possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded
anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much."
9 Then Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house,
because he too is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to
seek out and to save the lost." Luke 19:1-10
“CALLED TO SERVE:
LOVING GOD AND LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR”
Modeled on the Example and Command of
the Lord…
Our serving is guided by the Double
Commandment to Love God, and our
Neighbor as Ourselves
At The Heart of the Tradition
You shall not murder. 18 Neither shall you commit
adultery. 19 Neither shall you steal. 20 Neither shall
you bear false witness against your neighbor. 21
Neither shall you covet your neighbor's wife. Neither
shall you desire your neighbor's house, or field, or
male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything
that belongs to your neighbor.
Deuteronomy 5:17-21;
cf. Exodus 20:16-19
Now this is the commandment-- the statutes and the
ordinances-- that the LORD your God charged me to teach
you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and
occupy, 2 so that you and your children and your children's
children may fear the LORD your God all the days of your life,
and keep all his decrees and his commandments that I am
commanding you, so that your days may be long. 3 Hear
therefore, O Israel, and observe them diligently, so that it
may go well with you, and so that you may multiply greatly in
a land flowing with milk and honey, as the LORD, the God of
your ancestors, has promised you. 4 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.
Deuteronomy 6:1-6
Remember Who You Are….
When the LORD your God has blessed you, as he promised you,
you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; you will
rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you. 7 If there
is among you anyone in need, a member of your community in
any of your towns within the land that the LORD your God is
giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your
needy neighbor. 8 You should rather open your hand, willingly
lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be. 9 Be
careful that you do not entertain a mean thought, thinking,
"The seventh year, the year of remission, is near," and therefore
view your needy neighbor with hostility and give nothing; your
neighbor might cry to the LORD against you, and you would
incur guilt. 10 Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so,
for on this account the LORD your God will bless you in all your
work and in all that you undertake….
Remember Who You Are….
…11 Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth,
I therefore command you, "Open your hand to the poor and
needy neighbor in your land." 12 If a member of your
community, whether a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold
to you and works for you six years, in the seventh year you shall
set that person free. 13 And when you send a male slave out from
you a free person, you shall not send him out empty-handed. 14
Provide liberally out of your flock, your threshing floor, and
your wine press, thus giving to him some of the bounty with
which the LORD your God has blessed you. 15 Remember that
you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God
redeemed you; for this reason I lay this command upon you
today.
Deuteronomy 15:6-15
Love your neighbor as yourself…
You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be
partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you
shall judge your neighbor. 16 You shall not go around as a
slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by
the blood of your neighbor: I am the LORD. 17 You shall
not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall
reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. 18
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any
of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as
yourself: I am the LORD.
Leviticus 19:15-18
Love = Justice for the Neighbor…
I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in
your solemn assemblies. 22 Even though you offer me
your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept
them; and the offerings of well-being of your fatted
animals I will not look upon. 23 Take away from me the
noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your
harps. 24 But let justice roll down like waters, and
righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Amos 5:21-24
Forgive your neighbor…
Forgive your neighbor the wrong he has done, and then
your sins will be pardoned when you pray. 3 Does anyone
harbor anger against another, and expect healing from the
Lord? 4 If one has no mercy toward another like himself,
can he then seek pardon for his own sins? 5 If a mere
mortal harbors wrath, who will make an atoning sacrifice
for his sins? 6 Remember the end of your life, and set
enmity aside; remember corruption and death, and be
true to the commandments. 7 Remember the
commandments, and do not be angry with your neighbor;
remember the covenant of the Most High, and overlook
faults.
Sirach 28:2-7
The Tradition for a New Time
The Teaching of Jesus
“You Have Heard…But I say!!”
"You have heard that it was said, 'An
eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'
39 But I say to you,
Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone
strikes you on the right cheek, turn the
other also; 40 and if anyone wants to
sue you and take your coat, give your
cloak as well; 41 and if anyone forces
you to go one mile, go also the second
mile. 42 Give to everyone who begs
from you, and do not refuse anyone
who wants to borrow from you…
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your
neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you,
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven;
for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and
sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you
have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And
if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are
you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the
same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is
perfect.
Matthew 5:38-48
Neighbor? Getting the question right
Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he said,
"what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 He said to him,
"What is written in the law? What do you read there?" 27 He
answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and
with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." 28 And he
said to him, "You have given the right answer; do this, and you
will live." 29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus,
"And who is my neighbor?" 30 Jesus replied, "A man was going
down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of
robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving
him half dead…. 36 Which of these three, do you think, was a
neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?"
37 He said, "The one who showed him mercy." Jesus said to
him, "Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:25-37
Early Christian Instruction
And now faith,
hope, and love
abide, these three;
and the greatest of
these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13
The commandments, "You shall not commit
adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal;
You shall not covet"; and any other commandment,
are summed up in this word, "Love your neighbor as
yourself."
10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love
is the fulfilling of the law.
Romans 13:9-10
We who are strong ought to put up with the failings
of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us
must please our neighbor for the good purpose of
building up the neighbor. 3 For Christ did not please
himself; but, as it is written, "The insults of those
who insult you have fallen on me." 4 For whatever
was written in former days was written for our
instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the
encouragement of the scriptures we might have
hope. 5 May the God of steadfastness and
encouragement grant you to live in harmony with
one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus,
Romans 15:1-5
Baptized…and Free to Love
For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only
do not use your freedom as an opportunity for selfindulgence, but through love become slaves to one another.
14 For the whole law is summed up in a single
commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
15 If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care
that you are not consumed by one another. 16 Live by the
Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Galatians 5:13-16
You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to
the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.“
James 2:8
We love because he first loved us. 20 Those who say, "I love
God," and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those
who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen,
cannot love God whom they have not seen. 21 The
commandment we have from him is this: those who love
God must love their brothers and sisters also.
1 John 4:19-21
MARTIN LUTHER
On Christian Freedom, 1520
The whole of the Christian life in a brief form:
A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all subject to none.
A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.
Although the Christian is thus free from all works, he ought
in this liberty to empty himself, take upon himself the form
of a servant, be made in the likeness of men, be found in
human form, and to serve, help, and in every way deal with
his neighbor as he sees that God through Christ has dealt
and still deals with him. This he should do freely, having
regard for nothing but divine approval.
The Inner Person
lives by Faith….
The Outer Person
lives in the neighbor
The incomparable benefit of faith is that it unites the soul
with Christ as a bride with her bridegroom. It follows that
everything they have they hold in common... the believing
soul can boast of and glory in whatever Christ has as though
it were its own, and whatever the soul has Christ claims as
his own... Christ is full of grace, life and salvation. The soul is
full of sins, death, and damnation. Now let faith come and
sins, death and damnation will be Christ's, while grace, life,
and salvation will be the soul's…
The inner person, who by faith is created in the image
of God, is both joyful and happy because of Christ in
whom so many benefits are conferred; and therefore it
is this person's one occupation to serve God joyfully
and without thought of gain, in love that is not
constrained.
So Christians who are consecrated by faith do
good works, but the works do not make them holier or
more Christian, for that is the work of faith alone…
“Good works do not make a good person, but a good
person does good works."
Servants...Bearing the Name of Christ
Surely we are named after Christ, not because he is
absent from us, but because he dwells in us, that is,
because we believe in him and are Christs one to
another and do to our neighbors as Christ does to us.
Here then, faith is truly active in love, finds
expression in works of the freest service, cheerfully
and lovingly done...
We conclude, therefore, that Christians live not in
themselves, but in Christ and in their neighbor.
Otherwise they are not Christians. They live in Christ
through faith, in their neighbor through love.