Walk by Faith: “Serving Joyfully” – Who is Raising Their Hand? (Part V)
Sermon Title: Walk By Faith – Serving Joyfully: “Will You Serve?”
Good News Statement: Jesus invites his church to change lives
Summary: The Church has been called by Christ to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously.
Preached: Sunday, May 17th, 2026 at Dogwood Prairie UMC & Seed Chapel UMC
Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.
Scripture (NRSVUE): 1 Thessalonians 1:4-8 Today’s scripture passage comes from Paul’s epistle to the Thessalonians. In this epistle, Paul reminds us that we have been chosen to serve God and others. Our scripture reading comes from First Thessalonians, Chapter One, Verses Four thru Eight. May the hearing and understanding of this scripture add a blessing to your life.
1 Thessalonians 1:4-8
4 For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy from the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it.
Isaiah 43:10
10 You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.
Luke 4:18-19
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Mark 10:45
45 For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.”
1 Peter 4:8-11
8 Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaining. 10 Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. 11 Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
Exodus 17:8-13 – Amalek Attacks Israel and Is Defeated
8 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some men for us and go out; fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’s hands grew heavy, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on either side, so his hands were steady until the sun set. 13 And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the sword.
This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, “Thanks be to God.”
Introduction:
On May 1, 2025, The Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church announced the unveiling of a new vision statement for the United Methodist Church. According to the article published on the United Methodist Bishops website, “This vision reflects the Church’s deep commitment to embodying God’s dream for the world.”[1] This vision statement complements the Church’s longstanding mission statement, inspired by Matthew 28:1-20: “The mission of The United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” “This new vision is not simply a statement or a plan, it is a catalyst for transformation,” said Bishop Tracy Smith Malone, President of the Council of Bishops. “It is a vision that will help the Church embrace the opportunities before us, to follow where God is leading us, and to more fully engage in our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”[2]
The new vision statement is as follows: The United Methodist Church forms disciples of Jesus Christ who, empowered by the Holy Spirit, love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously in local communities and worldwide connections. The vision encourages United Methodists to embody the following principles: We are called to love boldly[3] which invites us to passionately love God and, like Jesus, embrace and include people of every age, nation, race, gender and walk of life; to serve joyfully[4] by serving with a Christ-like heart, journeying alongside the most vulnerable, and offering care and compassion with joy; and to lead courageously[5] by resisting and dismantling all systems of evil, injustice, and oppression, striving for peace, justice and reconciliation. Simply put, the vision of the United Methodist Church is to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously.
Did you know that the United Methodist denomination has a vision statement? Many of us are probably aware of the denomination’s mission statement—“to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world”—but did you know that we now have a vision statement that outlines goals, desired impacts, and lays forth the inspiration to better and more fully live out, by faith, the message—the Good News—of Jesus Christ? If you weren’t aware, you are not alone. Thousands of people weren’t aware; but as of today, millions are beginning to live these words out in their churches, in their communities, and in their lives. So, today, we are challenged to do the same! We are called to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously as we make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. What does this look like in your life?
Body:
Last week, while giving praise and recognition to the Mothers and Mother-like-figures in our life, we were reminded of how simply showing up for someone is an act of loving boldly, which is the first call of action found in the new vision statement of the United Methodist Church. Throughout scripture, we encounter numerous examples, just in Jesus’ ministry alone, of how showing up can remind someone they are loved.
For example, the blind beggar received sight because Jesus loved boldly. The paralytic man walked again because Jesus loved boldly. The demon possessed man living in the tombs outside the city walls and feeding off the food brought to honor the dead was released from sin and welcomed back home because Jesus loved boldly. The daughter of Jairus, the son of a widow, and Lazarus were brought back to life because Jesus loved boldly. The woman who had been bleeding for twelve long years—rejected by numerous doctors, spending most if not all of her money—was mended because Jesus loved her boldly. The disciples were called to follow Jesus, leaving their current situations behind, because Jesus loved them boldly. Peter became the rock after many failures because Jesus loved boldly. Paul, once a persecutor of Christians, was converted to save Christians because Jesus loved boldly. Your sins have been forgiven, your chains are no more, and your trials have been turned into triumphs because Jesus loves you boldly. You are here today, no matter how your past has been, no matter the setbacks, no matter the scars and fears, no matter the pain and struggle, no matter the doubt and uncertainty, because Jesus loved and loves you boldly. Jesus loves you boldly and all he had to do to prove that was to show up in your life just like he showed up for everyone he healed and saved. Church, loving boldly doesn’t have to be hard. Sometimes, it simply requires us to show up for those who need to feel loved.
I left you last week to ponder these questions: 1) How are you willing to love boldly? Who are you willing to show up for? And 2) Church, can we be loving more boldly today? Are there people—outside and within our congregation—that need to feel loved? How can we continue being a small rural church with a big heart? Sometimes loving boldly means simply showing up and being present in someone’s life.
Today, we look at the second call to action listed in the new vision statement, which invites us to “serve joyfully.” To this, I would like to start with a simple illustration. “Old Tom Bombadil (bom-buh-dill) is a merry fellow. Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow. None has ever caught him yet, for Tom, he is the Master: His songs are stronger songs, and his feet are faster.” Tom Bombadil is a mystery in the book The Lord of the Rings. On the surface, he seems so simple, but he is complex. He is merry, full of joy. He delights in his wife and hills and home and food. He seems like he would be easily overcome. In the midst of his joy, he is happy to serve. He reminds me of an unfallen human being—a human being not tainted by sin. I think such a person would be very different than we imagine. That person would be open to the world yet clearly defined. They would be a slave to none but a servant to all. They would be content and joyful yet always willing to serve. They would be transparent and simple yet complex and deep. Tom Bombadil is the kind of character that reminds us that serving can be a joyful thing to do in life.
However, sometimes, we think that joy and service do not go together. To be real with you, sometimes being in service to someone brings more frustration and stress than joy: giving up your time, using your resources, rearranging your schedule to meet the needs of someone while thinking about all the things you need to get done, and the list goes on. Sometimes it’s hard to find joy in the act of serving. Some of us serve because we fear saying no. Some of us try to preserve ourselves but end being taken advantage of. How do we get to a place of joyful service? Well, that’s what the Thessalonians had found. They found joyful service to God and to their fellow human beings that made the world stand up and notice. How did it happen?
In today’s message, I want to talk about the source, the means, and the effect of joyful service by using Paul’s words to the Thessalonians to help think how the service that Jesus calls us to do is an act that brings joy to others while also filling our own spirit with joy. The question I encourage you to ponder this morning is, “How can the service we do as a church bring joy to others?”
Movement One: The Source of Joyful Service…
The first thing I want us to consider is the source of joyful service. Where does our willingness to serve come from? How did the Thessalonians (of 50-52 AD) become joyful servants of the God of Israel and the Lord Jesus Christ? How did these servants of Greek gods—such as Aphrodite, Zeus, and Apollo—become servants of the God of Israel? Before we get to those questions, I think it is important to highlight a few passages from scripture that talk about service.
The Prophet Isaiah noted, “You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me” (Isaiah 43:10). According to Isaiah, we have been called to be witnesses for the one true God and no one else. Additionally, we are witnesses who have been chosen to serve. God has chosen us to serve: to perform duties, work, or actions that benefit others, a cause, or an organization, often involving helpfulness. We have been chosen to serve, to help, others. Simply put, Isaiah is telling us that God created us to serve and to help others.
Peter, well versed in the words of Isaiah, uses Isaiah’s words as a means of influence for what he writes in 1 Peter 4:4-8, “Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.” With the gifts and talents that God has given each of us, we are called to be “good stewards” as we serve one another in hospitable ways, using the strengths that God supplies to help those in need. The gifts that God has given us are not meant to be used for personal gain but rather to be used to serve someone in need, just like Jesus did throughout his ministry.
Speaking of Jesus, Jesus also uses the words of Isaiah to influence his first public sermon recorded in Luke 4:18-19. Jesus tells those present, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (see Isaiah 61:1-2). In these words we hear of how Jesus came to serve. In service, he brought good news to the poor, he advocated for those who had become captives, performed healings for the blind, lame, and diseased, and sought to free those who were oppressed, neglected, forgotten, mistreated, and alone. The services that Jesus offered not only changed the world but it saved lives. This is probably why we read in the Gospel of Mark that “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Jesus came to serve those in need of help and he didn’t want or expect anything in return. Jesus served with joy in his heart.
Therefore, for us, the source of serving joyfully comes from the will to emulate the service of Jesus Christ—to give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, to welcome the stranger, to clothe the naked, to care for the sick, and to visit those less visited (Matthew 25:35-40). This is what the Thessalonians sought to do in their life. The first thing we notice in our text is that the Apostle Paul gave thanks to God for their response to the Gospel. This means that their response was due to the grace of God. The reason why they accepted the message about Jesus was due to God Himself. Paul says, “For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake” (1 Thessalonians. 1:4–5). In other words, it was God’s choice and the power of the Holy Spirit that enabled them to respond. Paul and Silas could preach the Gospel, but it was God who gave the response, and it’s the people that God chose to continue to live out the message of service.[6] This means that even though the Thessalonians had faith, hope, and love, the one who got the ultimate credit for it was God Himself. Even their good use of God’s gifts was a gift from God.
This has got me thinking: human beings have turned away from the joyful service of God that they were created for. Instead, they exalt themselves in their pride. This is what we all do unless God intervenes. This is why we all need God’s grace.[7] The source of our joyful service just doesn’t come from the gifts that God has given us but it also comes from God’s unmerited grace and love. When we perform acts of service—either as individuals or as a church—through grace and love, we serve not to satisfy our own pride but to satisfy the needs of those God has chosen for us to help. I know many of you have used your gifts to serve this church—going above and beyond to make sure our church stays alive. I’m not talking about your financial giving. I’m talking about your will to help each other. Through acts of service, you have donated to support organizations, you have signed get well cards and congratulation cards, you have attended meetings, you have shared ideas, you have delivered food to one another, you have gone out to eat with one another, some of you have done things for this church that no one knows you did, and you have done so many other things to prove your willingness to serve. And you served not to boost your ego, but to bring joy to those who need help, to those in this church.
As a church, what is our source of being able to serve and being able to help those in need? Do we serve to be recognized or do we serve to bring joy to those in need?
Movement Two: The Means to Joyful Service…
This leads to the second point of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians: the means—the why—to joyful service. Even though it was God’s Spirit—God’s unmerited grace and love—that empowered them for joyful service, this did not mean that God did not use things and people to bring the Thessalonians to that condition. He used a message to bring them back to Himself, and He used the messengers who brought that message. First, there was the message. They received what he will later call the “Word of God” because it came, as it were, from God’s mouth. In the next chapter, he will say, “when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God” (1 Thessalonians. 2:13). In the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition of the Bible, it says in verse 8 “the word of the Lord.” In other translations Paul uses the word “gospel.” The gospel in the ancient world was “news.” A messenger would proclaim a “gospel” when a king won a victory or a new king was crowned. Here, the “gospel” is that Jesus is crowned King and has won the victory over Satan, sin, and death.
The question we need to ask is “Why did God use the Word or the Gospel to transform the Thessalonian Christians?” Well, it makes complete sense. What keeps us from joy? It’s messages like, “You are unworthy”; “you can’t do anything right”; “things won’t ever work out”; and “I won’t ever get to enjoy good things.” These phrases keep us from joyful service because they make us feel like we can’t do anything. What leads us back to joyful service is God’s good message: “you are accepted”; “you are valued”; “you can do good things”; and “you will be blessed.”
So, the message has to be the right message, but the right message won’t be received rightly unless the Holy Spirit works in our hearts. We need the Word and the Spirit. That’s why Paul thanks God that it did not come to them only with words but also with the Spirit and power! Why? Because it is the Word, the gospel, the good news, that transforms us and that encourages us to perform acts of service in a joyful way. People sometimes think, we just need to get the word out there, and that’s all that matters. This idea fails to notice that God not only uses the message, He uses messengers to transform people.
How the messenger lives and how the messenger conveys the message is very important. “You know how we lived among you for your sake,” notes Paul (1 Thessalonians. 1:6). The Thessalonians’ conversion to joyful service was the work of people that they could imitate. They conformed themselves to the commandments of the message but also to the comportment of the messengers. “You became imitators of us” (1 Thessalonians. 1:6) Paul says.
Church, how we live and what we say matters in the work of transforming people. God uses the Word, and He uses His people who live out that Word to bring people to believe the Word. So, we need to ask, what are we teaching? What sort of message do our actions convey? Does what we say communicate the works of God and the love of Jesus Christ? Do we communicate joyful service in the ways we gather, in the organizations we support, in the individuals and families we assist, and in how we seek to keep the church alive?
Church, the services we perform and the means to which we perform those services matter. Jesus didn’t serve others to be recognized; he didn’t heal people to get paid; he didn’t give sight to the blind so that they could only see him; he didn’t make the lame walk so that they could only follow him; he didn’t cast out demons to cause a scene; and he didn’t die on the cross only to take away our sins. Jesus healed people to give them hope. Jesus gave sight to the blind so that they could see God’s creation. He allowed the lame to walk so that they could share the good news and serve others. He cast out demons to give people a second chance. And he didn’t just die on the cross to take away our sins but to give us salvation and a chance to live again. Jesus did all of this because he realized that the means of his service was to transform lives and help those in need. And every time he performed an act of service he did so joyfully knowing that the help he offered allowed that person to be loved.
Why do you serve others? Why do you choose to be in service to others? Why do you decide to help others? Do you serve others to gain recognition, fame, and glory? Or do you serve others because that is what Jesus did and needs you to do? The next time you decide to extend a means of joyful service, ask yourself “Why am I doing this?” And I hope and pray that your answer is something like this: “I am serving joyfully—without anger or frustration or regret in my heart—because I simply want to bring joy and love to whomever I am helping because that is what Jesus does in my life every day.”
Movement Three: The Effect of Joyful Service…
This is leads to our final point: the effect of joyful service. What does serving joyfully do? The Thessalonians changed. They were followers of idols and the Greek gods of Aphrodite, Zeus, and Apollo. They believed these gods gave them the strength to serve joyfully, so when Paul gave them a new message that basically was “think again” it radically changed them. This radical message was rooted in joy: not just a joy that promised laughter but a joy that was deep down in their heart. (Where?) This joy was “good medicine” for a cheerful heart to quote Proverbs 17:22 and it changed their life. It changed their life so much they welcomed the message, but this was not a mere intellectual acceptance. It moved their hearts and it changed their hearts–metanoia. Paul tells the people in Thessalonians, “You welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 1:7). They welcomed this message with joy. It caused their hearts to rise up as they heard the good news about Jesus Christ.[8] As John Wesley would say, their hearts were “strangely warmed.”
Notice also this important point: they welcomed the message with joy in suffering. To enable us to live joyfully, we must have a foundation for joy that can last through suffering. The Gospel enables us to reinterpret our experiences of suffering in a way that preserves our joy. Even unbelievers can reinterpret suffering in this way to a limited degree, but we can do it in an ultimate way because Christ has experienced our sufferings and triumphed over them. Christ’s resurrection powerfully demonstrates that suffering is temporary but God’s love and power are forever for all His loved ones. The suffering is a refiner’s fire that brings out the pure gold of our faith more clearly and leads us to joy.
So, they had joy. What did they do with it? They served. Paul tells us, “For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. For they report about us what kind of welcome we had among you and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God… (1 Thessalonians 1:8-9).This is joyful service! Those in Thessalonica had so much joy in their heart that those chose to share it with others through their acts of service. I know for a fact that some of you have experienced something similar in your life. You have received so much joy that you can’t wait to share it with others. You have so much joy that you can’t wait to help others experience something similar. You have so much joy that you can’t but help shout it from the mountaintops. The joy that the people experienced changed their life so much so that they went beyond Macedonia and Achaia to serve those in need. In doing so they realized three things.
First, this joy allowed them to better serve God Himself. In one sense, we all serve something. However, the true service that we are made for is service of the living God. Second, joyful service means serving God’s interests in the world. Joyful service means serving God in the everyday events of life. It means always and everywhere seeking to advance His kingdom and His interests in the world. Third, joyful service means serving God’s people, His created people and His redeemed people. The Thessalonians served the people around them, and so their faith became known throughout the world. Our faith commitment is known by the love we have. It is always, “work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love” (1 Thessalonians. 1:3). God is recreating people to be the joyful servants He intended them to be.
So, what is the effect of joyful service? Well, personally, think about how your willingness to serve others has impacted their life in some way. Consider how what you did brought them joy. Consider how you simply offered help in a time of need. Now, as a church, think about how our willingness to offer help has changed someone’s life, how our service brought aid during a time of need, how our ability to set aside our own goals to be in the presence of others brought joy and relief to your situation. The effect of our service is seen in the joy and transformation of others.
Movement Four: Arms that Remained Raised…
Using the words of Paul and highlighting the service of Jesus, I believe, is enough to want us to serve joyfully knowing that our service transforms lives, but I also believe that embracing a call-to-action is also needed to see how being chosen to serve does require us, the body of Christ, to be there for others in need.
Let me explain, while being lost in the wilderness and right after Moses is instructed by the LORD to “strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink” (Exodus 17:6), there is a moment where Moses serves the people who in turn come to his aid. During the attack on Israel by the Amaleks, Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some men for us and go out; fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand” (Exodus 17:9). So Joshua did as Moses told him and fought with Amalek. When Moses got to the top of the hill, he began to help Joshua. You see, whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. So on top of this hill, Moses is essentially in control of the battle happening below him. As long as he keeps his hand raised, Israel prevails; but if Moses lowers his hand, Amalek begins to win. From a distance, Moses is serving his people during their greatest hour of need and as long as his hand remains in the air, there is joy coming from the people.
But then, like many of us, Moses grew tired. Exodus 17:12-13 states, “But Moses’s hands grew heavy, so they—Aaron and Hur—took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on either side, so his hands were steady until the sun set. And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the sword.” Did you catch what happened here? Moses was getting tired, his hands were getting heavy, and his strength was weakening. As Moses was doing his best to serve the people, he became worn out. It was at that moment that Aaron and Hur offered their service to Moses. They grabbed a rock for him to sit on and they held up Moses’ hands, one on either side. Aaron and Hur decided to serve Moses and in doing so helped aid with defeating Amalek.
There are three takeaways I want us to consider from this story. First, even those who serve need help once in a while. There are people who are constantly going above and beyond to help others which is wonderful; but at some point, they are going to get worn out. For those of us that have been chosen to serve, it is our responsibility to help those who serve. Even Moses needed help. Second, our ability to serve impacts more than the people we directly serve. Aaron and Hur decided to help Moses and in turn of helping Moses, the Israelites were able to prevail over Amalek and his men. Even though you may find yourself helping one person, in the grand scheme of things, you are actually helping more than that person.
Lastly, this world is filled with people who are raising their hands. What I mean by this is that there are thousands, millions, of people around the world that need our help to keep their hands raised. There hundreds of people just within our own community that have their hands raised. What are we doing about it? For example, did you know that the Food Pantry hands out anywhere from 20 to 30 boxes of food each month which equates to 20 to 70 people living with food insecurity? (I know there is more than that.) About once a week, I get phone calls from people needing help with paying bills, needing food, or needing a place to stay. During the school year and during the summer, free lunches are put together by the NOW Program and given to students who need a nutritious meal over the weekend. Did you know that 10% of those living in Oblong (about 163.40 people) live in poverty?[9] And of those 163.4 people about 25% of them are children 18 and younger. In each of these examples are people with their arms raised but slowing coming down.
As I was thinking about these statistics, a song came to mind. On his 1969 album From Elvis in Memphis, the late Elvis Presley has a song that was number three on the charts in the United States and number two in the United Kingdom. The title of the song is “In the Ghetto.” Listen to these lyrics: “As the snow flies/ On a cold and gray Chicago mornin’/ A poor little baby child is born. In the ghetto./ And his mama cries/ ‘Cause if there’s one thing that she don’t need/ It is another hungry mouth to feed. In the ghetto./ People, don’t you understand/ The child needs a helping hand/ Or he’ll grow to be an angry young man someday/ Take a look at you and me/ Are we too blind to see?/ Do we simply turn our heads/ And look the other way/ Well, the world turns/ And a hungry little boy with a runny nose/ Plays in the street as the cold wind blows. In the ghetto./ And his hunger burns/ So he starts to roam the streets at night/ And he learns how to steal/ And he learns how to fight. In the ghetto./ Then one night in desperation/ The young man breaks away/ He buys a gun, steals a car/ Tries to run, but he don’t get far. And his mama cries/ As a crowd gathers ’round an angry young man/ Face down on the street with a gun in his hand. In the ghetto./ And as her young man dies/ On a cold and gray Chicago mornin’/ Another little baby child is born. In the ghetto.”[10]
Church, I’m not sharing this information and this song to make you feel as if we need to do something right now to solve every single need around us; rather, I’m sharing this to let you know that there are people within our community, in ghettos, and beyond that need help keeping their arms raised. As a church, what can we do? We have done so much already—and you all should feel joyful about the service you have offered so far; I’m proud of being a pastor of a church that is willing to serve and help others in need—but is there more we can be doing? Are their people we could be helping? Are there mamas that are crying? Are there organizations that need our support? Maybe there is someone in our own congregation with their arms raised that needs our help but we haven’t noticed or we’ve put our own agenda’s first, even knowing that our stuff can wait. Are we too blind to see the hands being raised? Jesus saw every hand that was raised… can we see at least one?
Conclusion:
In conclusion, I draw us back to Tom Bombadil. Remember, Tom “is a merry fellow. Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow. None has ever caught him yet, for Tom, he is the Master: His songs are stronger songs, and his feet are faster.” He is merry, full of joy. In the midst of his joy, he is happy to serve. Are you happy to serve? Are you happy to lend a hand? Are you willing to serve joyfully knowing that what you are doing is simply making someone’s life a little easier? To serve joyfully means to extend the service of Christ in all that you do for those around you. It means to serve with grace and love. It means to serve with understanding. It means to serve with compassion. It means to serve in ways that Jesus would serve.
All over the world, there are people like the Thessalonians, people who have left their previous way of life to serve God. Are you one of them? Are you willing to serve joyfully? There is a world and community that surrounds us every day that are raising their hands in need of help. Church, it’s time to be the support they need. It’s time to be the ones who help others keep their hands held high so that victory is won. Can we make that happen? Are we the church to see a need and fulfill and need? Are we the ones that God has chosen to serve joyfully? If so, what comes next…
Let It Be So…
Closing Prayer:
Let us Pray… Dear Jesus, we thank you for demonstrating to us what it means to serve and not be served. We ask today that you open our eyes to see the many before us who are raising their hands in desperate need of help. Guide us this week to be the chosen ones who devote their life to serving joyfully. Amen.
Benediction:
To serve joyfully doesn’t have to be complicated: all it requires is your willingness to want to serve. How will you serve those in your life? How will you bring joy to others through the help you offer? Jesus transformed our life through his willingness to serve and not be served. Can we do the same for someone else? May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit go forth serving joyfully in all that you do. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.
[1] Ministries, The United Methodist Church Unveils New Guiding Vision Statement, Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church, May 1, 2025: https://www.unitedmethodistbishops.org/newsdetail/umc-unveils-new-vision-statement-19057587 Accessed April 12, 2026.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Inspired by Matthew 22:37-39 and John 13:34-35.
[4] Inspired by Psalm 100:1, Nehemiah 8:10, John 13:14-15 and 1 Peter 4:10
[5] Inspired by Joshua 1:9 and Ephesians 6:10
[6] This is what we see elsewhere in the Bible. It is God who makes our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh to respond to His Word (Ez. 36:26–27). The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:14). No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3).
[7] It’s only God that turns this around, and so it is only the Holy Spirit that begets joy. Paul tells the Thessalonians, “You welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians. 1:6). This was evidence of God’s special love and the choice that He made of the Thessalonians. Their response was not due to their merit or their works but to God’s electing, eternal, gracious love. This is something that all who believes can say: “I believe because of the unmerited love and choice of God Himself.” That’s a rock on which we can rest our hearts and lives.
[8] Christianity has a negative message. It says that all are sinners and that God’s wrath is coming against all sin, the pride of the theologian as well as the perfidy of the thief. Christianity also has a Gospel, a positive message that answers the negative one. We are delivered from the wrath to come by faith in Jesus Christ. Recently, I read again the Heidelberg Catechism Q/A 60. It asks: “How are you righteous before God?” It answers: Only by true faith in Jesus Christ. Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God’s commandments, of never having kept any of them, and of still being inclined toward all evil, nevertheless, without any merit of my own, out of sheer grace, God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, and as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me. All I need to do is accept this gift with a believing heart.
[9] https://www.illinois-demographics.com/oblong-demographics
[10] Elvis Presley, “In the Ghetto”, From Elvis in Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee: Gladys Music, Inc., 1969.