“Set Free to Serve” 

By:   Pastor Milton Coats

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Galatians 5:13 reads “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another”.  According to the above verse we have been set free to serve.  I believe the average person would rather be served than serve.  Even in the body of Christ, serving is too often viewed as demeaning and derogatory.  That’s not God’s viewpoint.  Jesus, the son of God said in Mark 10:45 “For even the son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many”.  We as Christians must be willing to serve.

In Luke 10:30-37 Jesus set forth the parable of the Good Samaritan.  A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves.  The thieves stripped him of his raiment, wounded him and left him half dead.  And by chance there came down a priest, who when he saw him passed by on one side.  The priest represented religion, however, he did not want to be made ceremonially unclean, and so he didn’t help.  Then there came a Levite who represented the church.  He, like the priest didn’t want to be made unclean, looked on and passed on the other side.  But a Samaritan as he journeyed, came where he was and had compassion on him.  That’s divine love!  He bound up his wounds, poured in oil and wine, set him on his own beast, brought him to an inn and took care of him.  That’s practical love!  The next day when he departed he gave the innkeeper additional money to care for him.  That’s unselfish love!  Unlike the priest and the Levite who represented religion, and the church respectively, the Samaritan represented Christianity and the kingdom of God.  When Jesus asked the lawyer who was neighbor unto him that fell among thieves, the lawyer responded by saying he that showed mercy.  Having answered correctly Jesus told him to go and do likewise.  This wounded man was not in the church, but on the Jericho road.  Jesus said the least we do unto the brethren we have done unto him.  Serving touches the heart of God.  We serve God by serving people.  Remember, Jesus said the greatest among us is the servant of all.  Beloved we are set free to serve. 

Happy 4^th of July!