The others-centered life can be easier to define within our immediate circle. We can think of specific Christians, like we did yesterday, and intentionally invest in them. But as we’ve seen throughout 1 Corinthians, however, the risky life shouldn’t be confined to our circle of Christian friends. It applies to our entire lives. It applies to the entire church.
Take a look at 1 Corinthians 16:1–4. Summarize what Paul’s asking the Corinthian church to do in a sentence or two.
1 Now regarding your question about the money being collected for God’s people in Jerusalem. You should follow the same procedure I gave to the churches in Galatia. 2 On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once. 3 When I come, I will write letters of recommendation for the messengers you choose to deliver your gift to Jerusalem. 4 And if it seems appropriate for me to go along, they can travel with me.
1 Corinthians 16 (NLT)
All of Paul’s church plants were collecting funds for the church in Jerusalem. While the money was partially for the impoverished members of the church there, it also had a symbolic purpose.
The early church suffered from the tension between Jewish and Gentile (non-Jewish) believers. It took many debates and eyewitness accounts to convince the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem that the Gentiles also fully believed in Jesus. The apostles had already affirmed Gentile Christians, but the two groups still had trouble unifying.
So Paul decided to prompt his primarily Gentile-populated churches to ease the tension. That’s why he asks the Corinthians to collect an offering for the church in Jerusalem. He’s asking them to put the Jewish believers first—to put unity first.
We’re back to the risk involved in an others-centered life. It has the potential to affect all Christians—especially those we don’t necessarily get along with. What could it look like to be so others-centered that you put your own feelings aside to serve another Christian?
From the list of your social contacts (even on your social media feed), who would be the Christians that you have a problem serving them? Why? What could you do to change your attitude to serve them?
Text your response to the above prompting questions to your group and/or share it as a comment below
One of my friends is someone I have a hard time serving. I often give him information or advice and he always ignores it then comes back with the same issues so it gets hard to just feel empathy toward him over and over again. I think I need to check myself when I judge him and realize that I have done that in the past and that I should a patient heart towards him.
I think the group of Christians I would have a problem serving would probably be the ones I would deem to be more cultural Christians than actual Christians. I think it would be harder for me to serve them because I would believe them to be disingenuous in their faith. I think one thing that could change my attitude is the fact that Paul said that nothing we do to serve God is in vain. So if I am serving Christians who I believe are cultural Christians then it should not matter because by serving them I am serving God. I think sometimes the act of serving is more important than the actual outcome or result. But it is hard because we are a result oriented culture. I pray that I can serve whoever God puts into my life.