Saved to Serve

Saved to Serve
Words of Faith 10-20-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Mark 1
[29]As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. [30] Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. [31] So He went to her, took her hand, and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

The first healing of Jesus was a simple act motivated by compassion but it would soon start a revival in the little town of Capernaum. Jesus had shown authority over demons in the synagogue and now He was showing authority over sickness.
The first healing also set the stage for a sort of headquarters for Jesus. The gospel of Matthew says that this would now be called Jesus' "own town" (9:1). Jesus would spend a great deal of His ministry teaching and preaching around the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus would no longer call Nazareth home and the house of Peter's mother-in-law would be the closest thing that Jesus would have to a home.
The response of Peter's mother-in-law was simple but powerful. Her response to the healing of a debilitating fever was to get up and begin to serve. There was no pity party here and no prolonged rejoicing either. Peter's mother-in-law would immediately become a great support to the ministry hosting the disciples in her home. She was raised up from sickness not to be served, but to serve.
I recall an incident some years ago in which a young mother chastised one of our church volunteers because her young child's Sunday School class had been in the charge of several different teachers over four different weeks. And the truth is that we were having trouble getting a permanent teacher for that class and instead had several wonderful teachers had been filling in. The young mother announced curtly to the volunteer that she may well go to another church because her child's class had this discontinuity. I realized, of course, that we can always do better. We were definitely searching to get a regular teacher, but I didn't notice anyone volunteering in that conversation.
The truth is that we sometimes get so caught up in our modern "Christian Consumerism" that we miss what life with Christ is all about. We come to church (or to Jesus) to see how we will be served rather than to discover our place of service. Peter's mother-in-law knew the difference. She knew that Jesus raised her up because of His mercy. Now she would serve Him in any simple way that she could.
Has God done a work in your life? Has He raised you up? Are you looking for ways that He will serve you or for a place where you can serve?

Lord, make me a servant. Show me how I can facilitate the ministry You want to get done. I will do anything. Any background work or menial task will be my privilege. Just show me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2023 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.