The Importance of Serving – Week 8 of HHBC 3D
Weekend of October 4-5
I. Review:
We are in WEEK 8 of our “3D” series. In WEEK 1 we discussed the church’s Mission, Vision, and Values and
introduced “3D” (three-dimensional) church membership of consistently participating in weekend services, doing
life together through Community Groups, and serving in and/or through one of the ministries of the church.
In WEEK 2 and WEEK 3 we explored the relationship between our Mission, Vision, and Values and “3D” based on
the desires God gives believers in •Romans 12:9-11 and the foundation of our Values in •Acts 2:42-47.
In WEEK 4 we looked at the Importance of Corporate Worship in Our Spiritual Renewal in •Joel 2:12-19.
In WEEK 5 we talked of the Importance of Community Groups in Living Life Together from •Romans 15:1-7.
In WEEK 6 we focused on the Importance of Serving through Spiritual Gifts from •I Corinthians 12:4-26
And last week – WEEK 7 – we walked through the story of Moses and Aaron, and their willingness to use their
God-given natural abilities, experiences, and passions to serve God from a story found in •Exodus 4:10-17.
Today we will be talking about the Ways we can serve the Kingdom Internally, Locally, and Globally.
II. Discussion and Application:
As we have discussed previously, the Holy Spirit bestows spiritual gifts upon all believers, and exercising these
spiritual gifts through serving is as an act of worship to God as well as an avenue to building up others.
But, God also gives people natural abilities, experiences, and passions as they pursue opportunities to serve Him.
Thus, in every way, serving God is a reflection of the Holy Spirit’s leading in our lives.
With that in mind, let’s transition from WHY we should serve God and His Kingdom to looking at a text of Scripture
that clearly identifies HOW we can serve our church, our community, and our world.
Serving God within the Church, in our Community, and Around the World
READ •Acts 1:4-11
The crux of the passage we are looking at today is in verse 8. But to understand that verse, it is helpful to study the
verses around it and gain insight from them regarding the far-reaching implications of the promises Jesus made.
1. The Initial Instructions Jesus Gave the Apostles – READ •Acts 1:4-5
This section of Acts begins in verses 4 and 5 as the author, Luke, quotes Jesus speaking to His disciples before the
Ascension. Jesus literally told these men to do 2 things: To not depart from Jerusalem and to wait for God to
give them the Holy Spirit before they did anything or ministered to anyone in His name.
How do Jesus’ two instructions in this part of the passage foreshadow the promises He would make in verse 8?
Jesus knew it was essential that they not leave Jerusalem and that they wait on the Holy Spirit to come upon them.
In Jesus’ promise to them that they would be His witnesses, their task was to be far too great to accomplish it alone.
2. The Misguided Follow Up Question of the Apostles – READ •Acts 1:6-7
Then in verse 6 Luke tells us that when the Apostles came together while Jesus as still among them after his
resurrection, they asked Him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Jesus’ response clearly
communicated they would never be told exactly when the kingdom was going to be restored to Israel.
But the next words out of His mouth made it clear they would be very involved in the building of God’s Kingdom.
3. The Four Promises Jesus makes to the Apostles – READ •Acts 1:8
First, within this verse Jesus promises the Apostles that they would receive power through the Holy Spirit.
Second, Jesus also promises the Apostles that the Holy Spirit would actually come upon each of them.
Third, Jesus promises the Apostles that they would be His witnesses.
Fourth, Jesus also promises the Apostles that they would be His witnesses wherever they went – in Jerusalem,
in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
How do we know that each of these promises still apply to modern believers just as much as they did to the original
apostles when Jesus spoke them thousands of years ago?
We would hopefully all agree that God is still fulfilling these promises today, but we might question how. For
example, we might easily confess our belief that the Holy Spirit resides within us if we are believers in Christ.
However, how does it look in our lives to have the power of the Holy Spirit? Why might we have a harder time truly
believing that promise has been fulfilled in our lives as we serve God?
Likewise, when have you truly experienced being His witness? When has God fulfilled that promise in your life?
And lastly, what is the implication in our lives that the apostles would be witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the ends of the earth? How can that promise be fulfilled through the people in this room?
If we simply look at our church, there are many places we can serve within the body, within the community
through the Local Kingdom ministry, and around the world through our Global Kingdom ministry.
4. The Encouragement Given to the Apostles – READ •Acts 1:9-11
Lastly, we read that after Jesus had said these things, He ascended to heaven. The apostles were gazing up at this
sight as two angels ask, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you
into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
In essence, what are the angels saying to the disciples as they stand there with their mouths agape at this sight?
However, what is the implication – to both these men and to us as modern believers – behind the question of why they
were standing around and the statement they make about Jesus eventually returning to earth?
Our prayer is that would use the power of the Holy Spirit within us, stop standing around, and be His witnesses
within the church, in our community, and around the world – just as His apostles did before us.
Next week we wrap up our series by celebrating the opportunities we have to serve our God!