Colossians 4 Lesson

SERVING OTHERS

As we mature in our faith and understanding of the Bible, we will come to the realization that our time on earth is meant to be focused on doing two things:

1. Glorifying God,
2. Serving others. 

Christians should always be thinking about ways they can serve others and share the Gospel.

In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he instructed them to:

• “Conduct yourselves with wisdomtoward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.  Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” – Colossians 4:5-6.

Notice how Paul considered interactions with outsiders to be “opportunities.”

Not opportunities for them to do something for him, but opportunities for him to do something for them! 

As children of God, we are not supposed to be selfish or overly concerned with ourselves.  

Instead, we are to follow the example of Jesus and put others' needs ahead of our own.

When new people enter our lives, we should be thankful for the opportunity to serve them.  

That is what we are commanded to do.

BIBLE VERSES ABOUT SERVING OTHERS

The Bible is full of scriptures that talk about the importance of serving others. For today’s lesson, we have highlighted the following five verses:

1. “In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” -Acts 20:35,
2. “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” - 1 Peter 4:10,
3. “Through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” - Galatians 5:13-14,
4. “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant,and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” -Mathew 20:28.
5. Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” - Mark 9:35.

SHARING THE GOSPEL

In Virtual Bible Study’s lesson on The Great Commission, we looked at the following case study:

“ There once was a Christian conference where the speaker was giving a lesson on the importance of being active in our communities.  

He taught that serving others was a fantastic way to share the Gospel.

He also pointed out that the early disciples were frequently out in their communities interacting with one another and that they were engaged in each other’s lives.

It was the speakers’ experience that the time that was spent being active in their communities opened future doors to talk about Jesus.

What the speaker learned was that others noticed his hard work and genuine care for the well-being of others.

This brings glory to God as Jesus taught us in His Sermon on the Mount:

• ‘Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.’ -Mathew 5:16.

As the speaker went about doing good deeds and serving others, the people in his community began to be curious about him. Sometimes, they would inquire about why he was doing the things that he did.

And here is the key!

He always responded with scripture and gave thanks to God.

That is how he evangelized!

He worked hard in his community and showed a genuine interest in the people that he met.

Sounds easy, right?

In today’s high-tech world, it takes effort to form relationships. 

That is what we are called to do, and it is a wonderful way to share the good news of Jesus with others.”

Here is how the speaker explained the idea ofevangelizingthrough community involvement:

1. Disciples actively work in their communities,
2. The Holy Spirit works in their lives,
3. The people who are the recipients of the disciple’s work eventually ask questions,
4. The answer to their questions always comes from the Gospel.

God’s children are to intentionally, and with purpose, look for opportunities to serve the people in our communities. 

This is one of the greatest ways to share the Gospel and bring glory to God.”

CONCLUSION

Serving others is a fundamental part of being a Christian, and one of the best ways to glorify God and spread the Gospel. 

As Christians, we need to take the focus off ourselves and look for ways that we can serve others. 

Our time on earth should be spent doing two things:

1. Glorifying God,
2. Serving others. 

The greatest example of this is Jesus, who selflessly laid down His life to pay the price for the sins of the world.

We will end today’s lesson with the following scripture taken from the Gospel of Mathew. In this scripture, Jesus highlights the importance of serving others:

• “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ -Mathew 25:35-40.