Worship That Serves One Another

This sermon begins by appreciating the order of God's creation through the natural scenery of the outdoor service and the changing of the seasons. Drawing on the Greek roots of the word, it explains that the essence of worship is not simply the act of bowing down, but carries two meanings that include serving and ministry. It emphasizes that worship is true when adoring God and believers serving one another are not separated but in harmony.

Comparing the peace offering of the Old Testament with the Lord's Supper in the New Testament, it shows that both hold together the restoration of our relationship with God and fellowship among believers. In particular, it points out that the Lord's Supper is not a mere ritual but a community of sacrifice in which believers remember Christ's death, wait for his return, and share with one another. While acknowledging that conflicts can arise in the church, it urges that believers are people who must lay down their own interests and work together.

It says that serving always involves sacrifice, and that in this process we must not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good. It leads us to look back on whether our service comes from a sincere heart rather than a desire for reward, and makes clear that love for our neighbors is the result of salvation. The sermon presents a life in which worship toward God and service toward our neighbors are woven into one as living worship. It asks how believers should fill their lives on this earth through a worship of sacrifice that offers their whole selves, and how they should devote themselves to one another.