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Volume 2 Number 18

ENGAGEDMay 1 - 7

Day 5

You are writing a Gospel,A chapter each day,By the deeds that you doAnd the words that you say.Men read what you write,Whether faithful or true:Just what is the GospelAccording to you?

--- Author unknownTake a moment to write out yesterday and todayschapter of the Gospel according to you:

The English playwright, Sir John Vanbrughsaid, Virtue is its own reward; theres pleasure indoing good which sufficiently pays itself. Does thischaracterize your attitude in relationships, or do youonly perform with the expectation of receiving thesame treatment in return? Perhaps this is why Paulpoints out to servants, as they serve their mastersthat their reward comes from God. The servantexpected nothing, for his master expected servicefrom him as duty. But Paul calls us to serve from theheart, a heart of virtue that goes beyond duty, to a

joyful pursuit of excellence. Good grows from a goodheart, and finds joy in it; any other source ofsupposed good is selfish. What is the source ofkindness, goodness and acts of charity, in your life?

In all that we do, we are to serve because thatis the command of the Lord. He sees all. Herewards all. Why should that change our attitudesabout service?

Day 4

The principle of rewards is brought out inmany verses in the New Testament. Paul states thatif we render service with good will we will get servicewith good will. Do not be deceived, God is notmocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will alsoreap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shallfrom the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sowsto the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in duetime we shall reap if we do not grow weary. So then,while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men,and especially to those who are of the household ofthe faith. (Galatians 6:7-10) This definitely does notmean we perform service with good will so that wewill be treated fairly, but we do so regardless of howwe will be treated, because our service is to theLord.

Do you give your best to your employer andplace of business? If you are self-employed, do yougive your best to your customers? What is yourmotivation for service in your work? Is it yourpaycheck or your relationship to Christ? Today,work and give and relate to others in the work place,as a testimony of what Christ has done for you.

The Lord knows. Serving Him with all yourheart does not depend on your circumstances. Howdo we know that from this verse?

Ephesians 6:7-8

with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not tomen, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he willreceive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave orfree.

Mission Focus: Pray for the success of the Youth Group Golf

Tournament on May 7. This provides funds for the Japan and

Nashville Mission tri s.

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8/7/2019 Ephesians 6.7-8

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Day 1

These verses are written to employees(well, slaves). Paul clearly commands thateverything we do, in some way, shows how wefeel toward Christ. He shows us here how to liveexcellently. Also, to the church of Corinth hewrites, Whether, then, you eat or drink orwhatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

(1 Corinthians 10:31)Not only does Paul tell us what to do, but how todo it. Follow the context from earlier in theprevious chapter:Wives Respect as to ChristHusbands Love as to ChristChildren Honor as to ChristWorkers Good Will as to ChristDo you see a pattern forming here? It seems asif we are to treat others as if we are treatingChrist. How well do you process this truth withyour relationships? What about with strangers?

This weeks passage is a difficult one formost of us to fathom. Paul is giving instruction toservants as they work for their masters. Now, tobe sure, the passage comes closer to us if weconsider our employer/employee relationships.But the point could just as well be taken if wecontinue in the servant/master mode. The

question as we begin this weeks study is this:can you humble yourself to be in service toanother, or must you assert your rights as anequal? Answer this question honestly before youmove beyond today into the rest of the week.

What is the one chore that you hate todo? What if you thought of it as serving the Lordinstead of doing the chore? Would that make adifference?

Day 2

Good Will is the Greek word eunoia. Itdescribes an eagerness that does not wait to becompelled. In other words, good will that flows out ofyou and does not have to be coerced or forced orfaked. You know, like when parents make childrensmile at each other when they are fighting. You cantell when someone is trying to be a schmoozer and

render service that is not from the heart. If you canread through that, dont you think others can read itfrom you? The best way to convince people yourservice (work) is genuine is to sincerely do it as to theLord. So then, we want to do good will service forthose around us so that we might earn theopportunity to share our hope and joy with them. Inyour daily life, do you look for opportunities to shareChrist with your employer, co-workers, cashiers atthe store or anyone else you might be able to rendergood will to?

In a society that emphasizes egalitarianism,the Scriptures still call us to be like Christ, who madeHimself of no reputation, and took upon Himself theform of a servant (Philippians 2). Do you find thethought of intentionally placing yourself in a lesserposition difficult? Does it help to remember whatChrist did in placing Himself in your place as a sinner

and a lawbreaker, taking your punishment? Today,read what He says in Luke 22:24-26.

When was the last time that you didsomething half-heartedly? What happened? Whywould doing that thing wholeheartedly have beenbetter for you and everyone else?

Day 3

Render service in Greek is one word,douleuo. It simply means servant. We are toperform service to others as if we are indebted tothem. WHAT? We go through life and act as ifeveryone is indebted to us. This is not Godsway. I can think of two ways in which a personcan come to be in debt. The first is to borrow

something from someone. For instance, I mightgo to a friend and borrow $100. I would beindebted to them because I had taken from themsomething that belonged to them. Another way Icould be indebted to another person is ifsomeone handed me $100 and asked me to givethe money to a specific person. If I take the $100from the first person, I am now under obligationand indebted to deliver the money to that specificperson to whom I owe the $100. Such is thecase Paul speaks of in Romans 1:14-15. He hadreceived the Gospel from God and God has now

entrusted Paul (and us) to deliver the Gospel tothe rest of the world. Do not act surprised thatwe are indebted to the world, just render servicewith good will. How well do you do inaccomplishing your delivery of the Gospel to theWorld?

Notice what this weeks verses say aboutthe rewards of living in excellence, and service.When do these rewards come? From whom dothey come? Have you ever practiced relating tosomeone based upon your relationship to Christ?How can this attitude help in relating to difficultpeople, especially if you have to humble yourselfto do it?

Are you surprised that Paul tells theslaves to serve as if serving the Lord, and not theslave owners to free them? What is going on

here?