HSS-2019-H3-EP13

♪ theme music ♪

(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,

an in-depth, interactive study

of the Word of God.

I'm so glad you're part

of our Hope Sabbath School family.

We have been on an amazing series:

"The Least of These,"

from the words of Jesus:

Ministering to Those in Need,

today: A Community of Servants.

I hope you have been blessed

by the series, by the way.

If you've missed any,

go to our website, hopetv.org/hopess;

you can watch the whole series.

I hope you've learned the theme song,

and I'm so glad that you write to us,

[e-mail],

because when you write, we're blessed.

Are you blessed to hear these emails

from around the world?

You know, we read them,

not to promote people's names,

but to honor the name of Jesus,

because lives are being changed.

And we are thankful

that you have written to us.

Here's one from Prince

in Zambia, "Thank you

for the interactive Bible studies.

Every time I watch the program,

I get more ideas to share

with my fellow Sabbath School members.

Keep on working for God.

You're really helping me!

God bless the team.

And guess what! My brothers and sisters

enjoy the program, too."

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) "We always look forward

to the next an in-depth,
interactive study."

Well, Prince, you are a witness

right there in Zambia,

because when you're watching

and listening to the Word,

your brothers and sisters are saying,

"I want to watch and learn
about God, too." Amen?

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) You might even want to think
about downloading our outline

and starting an an in-depth,
interactive Bible study

right there in your community.

That would be amazing.

Let us know what you do with that.

Here is a note...Oh, Puia,

someone from Burma, living in Norway.

(Puia) Wow.

(Derek) ...Let's have a wave from Puia

to someone by the name
of Za Thang, Za Thang.

(Puia) I know him.

(Derek) You know him; all right,

well, you can wave to him again.

Za Thang is a physician living in Norway.

He writes, "I'm so glad

about Hope Sabbath School.

I'm working in a private clinic.

Every morning I watch this program

before I start my work, and I'm filled

with the happiness and joy of God."

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) "I share it with a lot
of my patients,

about Hope Sabbath School,

and I get lovely, kind feedback
from every patient.

Pray for me and my patients;

I think we are close

to the end of the day.

May the Holy Spirit be with you all."

Well, I want to thank you

for writing to us, Za Thang,

and presenting a picture, too,

and we're praying for you and your family.

They're on a service

for Jesus there in Norway.

And we're glad you're part

of our Hope Sabbath School family.

Rose writes from Hawaii

in the United States,

"Greetings in the name

of the Lord and Savior Jesus."

(Team) Amen!

(Derek) "I love your interactive
Bible study.

I believe we know in part

and prophesy in part,"

quoting from the Scripture.

"It''s refreshing to hear

what the Lord is saying

through the body of Christ,

my brothers and sisters in the Lord.

I'm a Protestant, received Christ

under a Pentecostal fellowship,

serve currently in a Baptist church.

I plan to continue listening,

and I'll soon start donating.

Have life more abundantly in Jesus. Amen."

(Team) Amen!

(Derek) Rose, we're so thankful

to have Christian brothers and sisters

around the world who are learning

more about God's Word

through Hope Sabbath School.

Here's a note from a donor in Idaho

in the United States, "Dear Pastor Derek

and Sabbath School team,

God be with you all.

Our Lord and Savior should come soon

and free us from this sinful world.

Can't wait to give you a hug."

Well, it will have to be a big hug, Donor.

By the way, the donor sent

a donation of 100 dollars

to help Hope Sabbath School.

And it will have to be a big hug

because you have to hug

all 13 of us at the same time,

but we're glad you're part

of our Hope Sabbath School family.

And, you know, when we study
the Word together,

we feel like family, don't we?

We're glad you're with us.

Here is one last note,

from Felix in Kenya.

We have a few Kenyans on our team.

"May the grace and peace

of our Lord Jesus be with you all.

My name's Felix; I want to thank you

for the wonderful study.

I watch Hope Sabbath School from the app."

By the way, if you haven't downloaded it,

we have a brand new Hope Channel app.

You can get it for your iPhone

or for your Android phone.

And it's amazing; you can choose

different languages if you want to watch.

It will automatically open

in the language of the country

where you're located; isn't that amazing?

And then you can choose

Hope Sabbath School,

but you could also choose Cross Connection

or Go Healthy for Good,

a lot of other great interactive studies,

so I'm glad you've got the app.

It's free, by the way;

you can download it.

"Personally I've been blessed so much.

This program has helped me
to grow spiritually.

The outline," which you can

download from the website,

"is precise and easy to understand.

Continue the good work,

and may God bless you all."

Well, Felix, if you're

downloading the outline,

you ought to start a study group yourself.

In fact, where I go to a small church,

we give one of the outlines

to every person who comes
to Sabbath School,

so that we can follow

through the study together.

Today we're going to be studying

about A Community of Servants,

and we're glad you're with us,

but before we pray and study,

let's sing our theme song,

"Now may the Lord direct your hearts

into the love of God."

♪ music ♪

(Derek) This is the last study

in this series on Ministering

to "the Least of These," right,
to Those in Need,

but I don't think I'm going
to forget that song.

Maybe even when you're sleeping,

may the Lord direct your heart

into the love of God.

And as A Community of Servants,

it's not just about us, individually,

ministering to those in need,
but together,

because there are things

we can do together

that we could never do alone.

Let's pray as we study together.

Father in Heaven, we thank You

for the community of faith,

for the opportunity

to minister to those in need,

not only as individuals, but together.

And I pray that You would bless

each Hope Sabbath School member

wherever we are around the world,

as we open Your Word today,

that You would be our teacher

and bless each person,

each family, represented here.

And through us, may Your blessings flow.

In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) I want to begin

in the great Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus in this great sermon speaks a lot

about ministering to those in need,

but He also speaks

about our responsibility as His followers.

Evelyn, would you like

to begin our study today

in Matthew, chapter 5.

Some of you say, "Derek,

I think I've heard this

(verses 13 to 16) before,"

but someone's hearing it

for the first time,

and Jesus will challenge us that we're
not just supposed to stay out of trouble

until He comes back in glory,

but He's got something He wants us to do.

Let's see what Jesus says.

(Evelyn) I'll be reading

Matthew, chapter 5, verses 13 to 16,

from the New King James Version:

(Derek) So Jesus is saying,
"If you're My follower,

you are supposed to make a difference
where you are.

You're supposed to be an agent of change."

So let's talk about salt.

What does it mean, Gary,

that you're the salt of the earth?

(Gary) Salt had a preserving power,
if you will.

And it also savors your food.

You never have food and say,

"Oh, that salt tasted great."

It brings out the flavor

of whatever you're eating.

(Derek) Now, I'm told, in those days

that salt was quite valuable, right?

Some soldiers were even paid with salt.

We have the expression,

"You're worth your salt."

In other words, "You're worth

your price of hire."

So Christians are valuable in some way.

You say they add some flavor? Jonathan?

(Jonathan) I was thinking,

in the Philippines we would buy

fish that had been preserved in salt.

(Derek) Okay, so they wouldn't rot?

(Jonathan) Yeah, after it soaks...

(Derek) It preserves them from spoiling?

Anything else that salt can do,

or what might Jesus be referring to

as an agent of change,

that you're salt? Yes, Gladys?

(Gladys) They put salt on the roads

whenever there's snow,

so it changes, you know,

it creates some type of protection

for the road and also for the drivers.

(Derek) In those parts of the world

where they have it cold enough

for that to happen, right?

It can actually, if there is ice,

it could melt it, right, because it has

a different freezing point. Evelyn?

(Evelyn) I think God is calling us

to intermingle with people.

It's kind of like an evangelistic call.

He's saying, "You're light, you're salt,

bring flavor to those people;

go and do good unto them."

(Derek) That's an interesting point

because Gary talked about flavoring.

Salt's not supposed to stay all together.

"Let me just have a spoonful of salt."

You'd spit it out, right?

But where it mingles,

it can be a blessing.

What about light?

Those are two different images.

Puia, you're the light of the world,
Jesus says.

What does that mean

in terms of changing

or impacting your community?

(Puia) Well, light, when we shine it,
and it's dark,

everything changes because we
can see clearly.

I think, by bringing the Word of God,

through our lives, through our words,

and through our actions, to others,

we can bring the light of God
into their hearts.

Let them see clearly what is most
important for their lives as well.

(Derek) That's an interesting idea,

that we're allowing them to see clearly

what God's trying to show them? Jonathan?

(Jonathan) I was thinking

how both salt and light

bring out something that is already there

that you cannot see.

Maybe He's appealing

to that kind of perspective,

for us to, by our demonstrating love,

by having peace and forgiveness, we are...

(Derek) Certainly you would agree

that we are doing something useful, right?

You know, I don't know about you,

but some people, it seems,

have the idea, "I'm a follower of Jesus,

and I'm just trying to stay

out of trouble until Jesus comes."

You know, "I'm going to sit

in a corner somewhere."

By the way, you will get

into trouble with that attitude.

We're supposed to make
a difference. Nancy?

(Nancy) Another thing that light does,

is if there's a messy, dirty room,

when you turn on the lights,
you can see it.

So, if you're surrounded by darkness,

you're not necessarily going to know

that you're surrounded

by darkness and a mess.

But when Jesus comes in,

He's saying, "You need some change here."

(Derek) We need some cleaning. Pedro?

(Pedro) And I believe,

as we look into salt and light,

the right amount is important, too,

because if we give too little,

we've got no flavor,

or we can't see much.

But if we give too much,

we might blind someone,

or we might become too overpowering.

So the right amount is important.

(Derek) The right amount. Patricia?

(Patricia) In John, chapter 1,

we are told that Jesus
is the light of the world,

and I like the verse that we read here

that says when we let our light shine,

people see our good works,

but then they glorify God.

So we are actually letting His light

shine through us; it's not our own.

(Derek) Beautiful, and, of course,

the same Gospel writer, John,

who speaks about being light
in chapter 1,

will record where Jesus says,

"I am the light of the world."

So here in Matthew,

the light that's shining through us

is not us, right? It's Jesus.

But we ought to make a difference.

Let's look in Philippians, chapter 2.

Adison, if you could read

some words that Paul writes

to Christians in Philippi.

He's saying, "I want you

to make a difference where you are."

Let's see what it says,

Philippians 2, verses 14 and 15.

(Adison) I'm reading

from the King James Version:

(Derek) Shining like lights in the world,

in the midst of what kind of generation?

(Team) Crooked and perverse.

(Derek) You say, "That sounds like

it was written yesterday,

or maybe today." Jonathan?

(Jonathan) I hadn't seen that before,

that it seems like it's saying

we are a bright light

because we aren't complaining.

It's an inverse; it's like,

because you're not complaining,

you're not doing these things,
then you're a light.

It's not so much we're blasting it;

it's that we're having that peace

and that character of God.

(Derek) So, what is the most
important change

that God calls us to effect?

We're a community of servants,

ministering even to the least of these.

What's the most important change

that God wants to see? Anybody?

Is it cleaning up the room?
What is it? Patricia?

(Patricia) I think it is to reveal

His character to the world,
to be like Jesus.

(Derek) That's the first half
of it, right?

To reveal His character
to the world, so...

Well, let's look, shall we,
in 2 Corinthians 5?

Stephanie, do you have that,

would read verses 18 through 20?

Patricia is absolutely right.

To reveal His character to the world

so that...let's see what Paul tells us.

(Stephanie) And I'll be reading

from the King James Version:

(Derek) So, back to what Patricia said,

we're revealing the character
of God so that...?

(Evelyn) Reconcile.

(Derek) So that people might know

how they can be reconciled to God.

What does the word
"reconciled" mean? Gary?

(Gary) To be brought back to.

(Derek) To be brought back into...?

(Team) Harmony...To make it right...

(Derek) To make it right?

(Treva) To restore that relationship.

(Derek) To restore

the relationship, right?

Maybe people didn't even know
that was possible,

and as ambassadors we're telling them,

"It is possible for you

to be reconciled to God.

One other text, and then I'm asking,

how is this possible

for frail people like us?

Second Corinthians, chapter 2,

verses 14 through 16.

Gladys, if you'd read that for us.

(Gladys) Yes, I'm reading

from the New International Version,

2 Corinthians, chapter 2,

verses 14 to 16, and it reads:

(Derek) And what's the answer?

Who of us is equal to such a task,

to bring an aroma of life

to the perishing? Stephanie?

(Stephanie) None of us

without Jesus in our lives.

(Derek) It's impossible.

I like the text that was

mentioned earlier in a previous study,

With man it's impossible, but with God...?

(Derek, Team) All things are possible.

(Derek) So God could take us and use us,

that people say, "You know,

from what I see in your life,

I want to know more about God,

and I actually would like

a relationship with Him."

Versus saying, "Wow, if that's

what a relationship with God looks like,

I don't want anything

to do with it," right?

So God calls us to be

that kind of witness.

I want to ask you a personal question,

and maybe it feels a little awkward

because you say it sounds like

I'm bragging, and I don't want us to brag;

I want us to give glory to God.

But God sometimes puts us

in a situation in a community

and says, "I want you

to make a difference in that community."

And I want you to share a testimony

of how God gave you

an opportunity to do that.

Puia, I want to ask you

because you just spent

some significant time

back in your home country,

and there are lots of needs there.

Were you sightseeing, taking pictures?

You know, you could go back

and just, you know, meet old friends.

What were you doing there?

How did you see God using you

to bring salt and light,

and I don't normally think of ourselves

as this nice smell,

but you know what I mean,

a witness for Christ.

(Puia) Well, as you mentioned,

I went back to my home country,

spent about four months

traveling to different parts
of the country

doing public evangelism.

First we have to make friends,
so we make friends

through community service.

So we looked at the community,

and we asked them what they need.

An example, one community

where we did evangelism,

they needed to build the community hall.

So we raised some funds,

and they already had a basic structure,

but the stage didn't have

any floor to stand upon.

So it's like an empty stage, you know,

you could fall in between.

So we raised some funds, and we donated

the money for the community.

And so we built the community hall

to be much better.

We closed the back

and put a nice stage in.

Now the community is loving it,

and the people, one of the youth leaders

of that community

called all the young people

for their first meeting

after we rebuilt that.

And so, now that small community

in a little corner of Burma

has a nice community hall

as a result of praying

and asking God to use us.

So it was a blessing to see

how God can use us as a group,

reaching out to the people.

(Derek) Now, I'm waiting for you to say,

"And then I stood on that platform

and told them some Good News,"
did you do that?

(Puia) Yes, I did, and people came

to learn about God's love,

and eventually that was

the ultimate goal, so, yes, we did.

(Derek) We're going to talk a little later

about Christ's method,

but He came alongside people

as Someone who desired their good.

But eventually He says, "By the way,

God loves you, and follow Me," right,

"because I'm going to lead you

to the eternal Kingdom."

But it's interesting that...

Did that sound a little strange to anyone?

Why are you wasting time

building a community center

when you need to tell people

about the love of God? Stephanie?

(Stephanie) They were telling people

about the love of God;

they just weren't preaching it;
they were living it.

(Derek) They weren't preaching it yet.

They were living it? Treva?

(Treva) Living it, for sure.

I mean, in a previous lesson,

we talked about, you want

to show the love of Christ,

and the best way to do that

is through your actions,

and, again, meeting people where they are.

(Derek) So I'm going to ask you

a challenging question now.

If we're a community of servants,
right, together,

what are some changes

that Jesus would like to see

in the community where you live?

And the next question is:

How do we do that, right?

What are some changes

in the community where you live,

that Jesus would like to see?

Treva, you live in Arizona.

What are some changes

in the place where you live

that you think Jesus would like to see?

(Treva) In the very small community
that I live in,

we are surrounded

with a diverse population.

We have Native Americans,

we have African Americans, HIspanic,

and I think for us,

and we talked about this earlier,

it's building relationships.

I believe that is the change

He wants to see in us.

Getting to know your neighbor,

going door-to-door and just talking,

just having a conversation, you know?

And so I think it's about building

those personal relationships.

I think God wants to see us
do more of that

because we can become very passionate
about the gospel,

which is great, which is wonderful,

but do you know your neighbor?

Do you know their children?

Do you know your neighbor's name?

(Derek) So building relationships.

Someone else. Adison?

(Adison) I think friendship evangelism

is probably the key

to making evangelism successful

because you are, you're
building relationships,

you're connecting with people.

I remember, not in my community
in Canada,

but when I went down

to Peru for a couple of weeks,

I was able to create this community

along with my classmates

of just drawing people together,

and not necessarily preaching
about the Word,

but through good deeds,

through Vacation Bible Schools,

through construction projects,

putting roofs on houses and siding,

we were able to make a difference,

and it was great to see

the smiles on their faces

and see what a blessing

we were able to bring into their lives.

(Derek) I don't know if you can notice,

those in the front row didn't see,
but he was smiling

when he talked about Peru

because when we give,

it's given back to us, right?

Now, getting involved

as a community of servants

in ministering to those in need

involves sacrifice. It does.

Sacrifice of time, money, energy, right?

So, who stands out,

as you think about the Bible -

do a scan through the Bible,

of someone, you say, "This person

inspired me as a person

who was willing to sacrifice

for the cause of God"? Jonathan?

(Jonathan) To me, Paul is just on top

as far as, I mean, who is willing

to go through being stoned

three times, was it, shipwrecked...?

(Derek) Shipwrecked, beaten...

(Jonathan) Yeah.

(Derek) And actually there was

something else that he lost.

He walked away from an astonishing career

in the religious establishment, didn't he?

So you'd say he was a model

of sacrificial service? Travis?

(Travis) I'm thinking

of the least of these,

so the widow of Zarephath.

She gave up all her food, everything.

(Derek) This is a story

where Elijah the prophet

has said there is going to be a famine,

and God sends him to a widow,

and she has very little food left.

So you would say she was
an example of sacrificial service

by making the last meal for the prophet.

And, by the way, you say,

"Well, that wasn't very kind;
what happened?"

Anybody know what happened

after she did that?

(Stephanie) Her oil and all the goods

that she needed to make the food

never failed; she always had it.

(Derek) Through the entire famine, right?

The flour and the oil, you know,

and she kept looking, like, you know.

And not only did she live,

her son lived as well,

and, of course, Elijah lived.

Sacrificial service. Anyone else?

Someone that inspires you, Pedro?

(Pedro) Abraham, as he moved

out of his own land,

he came to this new land,

and he helped his neighbors.

You can see that he was relating to them

even the Sodomites, when they were

fighting with each other.

He went there and fought for them

because of his nephew Lot

and the whole community.

(Derek) So he left a very nice estate
in Ur

and camped for the rest

of his life, right?

But it was all about being available

to be used by God. Yes, Gladys.

(Gladys) Even though the Bible

doesn't spend a lot of time on her life,

but I think that the widow

with the two mites that she brought.

Jesus said that she brought
everything she had,

and if you think about the widows
in that time,

if they didn't have a husband,

if they didn't have children,

they were basically destitute
of everything.

And for her to bring everything
she had to God,

I think that is a very good example
of giving everything.

(Derek) In the original text,

a lepton was the smallest copper coin,

I mean, in the Roman currency,

and she had two of those.

And she gave both of them,

so, sacrificial service.

Well, that's quite a contrast

to a story that's found

in Mark, chapter 10.

And I'm going to ask Patricia

if you'd read the story for us.

And I wish it only happened

2,000 years ago, Patricia,

but Mark 10:42-45 could be a description

of some gatherings today.

Let's see what the challenge was

back in the time of Jesus,

Mark 10, beginning with verse 42.

(Patricia) And this is the New
King James Version; it reads:

(Derek) So, why did Jesus say that?

Why did He tell them,

"Don't be like this," anybody?
Yes, Travis?

(Travis) He wanted to show them

that greatness came

by actually being the servant.

(Derek) You're right,

but why did He tell them that? Nancy?

(Nancy) They were fighting

over who was going to be the greatest
in His Kingdom.

(Derek) That's what they were
all arguing about,

who's going to be first, who's
going to be second,

who's going to have

the most important place.

And Jesus is saying, "We are not

a community of position seekers,

of competitive position seekers.

If we're followers of Jesus,

we're a community of servants,

for Jesus Himself came,

not to be served, but to serve.

So, why is it helpful

for us to align ourselves...

How many of you have

ever been on a mission trip? Okay.

Were there other people, Stephanie,

on the mission trip you went to?

I think you went...Did you go to Malawi?

(Stephanie) I did.

(Derek) Were there other people

that were genuinely there
wanting to serve?

(Stephanie) Yes.

(Derek) How large was your group?

(Stephanie) We had about 30.

(Derek) Okay, now,

you could have gone by yourself.

What were some advantages

of going with a community

of servants, do you think,

from your reflection on your experience?

(Stephanie) We were repairing roofs,

and I know that getting the equipment

up on top of the roof, and, you know,

you can't do that by yourself necessarily.

You could try, but I probably wouldn't

have gotten very far if I tried that.

(Derek) So, one benefit

of a community of servants

is you can do some things

you couldn't do by yourself.

What else? Anyone else
been on a mission trip?

Anybody raising their hand? Evelyn?

What are some other benefits

besides, you know, you're lifting this

four by eight sheet of corrugated tin,

you couldn't do that by yourself?

(Evelyn) Yes, the mission trip I went to,

we all worked together for an eye clinic.

So, somebody was taking people's pressure;

other people were testing
people for glasses.

And I just think...I remember

the long lines of people that were there

waiting to get their eyes tested.

And if it was just person, I mean,

they would be there all day;

they would serve less people

if there weren't more helpers,

more servants, per se,

to help others get their eyes checked.

(Derek) What country did you go to?

(Evelyn) That was Roatan, Honduras.

(Derek) Oh, in Honduras, okay.

Now, Travis, I know you've been somewhere

where there were thousands of people

lined up for a "Your Best Pathway
to Health."

I forget which city; was it in Phoenix?

(Travis) Yes, it was in Phoenix.

(Derek) In Phoenix. You were involved

in, kind of, logistics and crowd control.

What did you learn about the blessing

of community of servants

through that experience?

(Travis) Wow, I learned

many things during that time.

First, I learned that ministering
to people,

reaching their needs first,

really is a blessing to them.

And many hearts are won to Jesus
through that effort.

But I learned that if we

didn't have all the hands,

thousands - I mean, there were

thousands of people served there -

that thousands would have been left aside.

And it took everybody;

we could have used more.

And also the prayer,

coming together and praying together.

When people were discouraged,

we could pray for them,

and, you know, lift each other up

because, when you're faced

with some of those tough decisions,

it takes prayer warriors.

(Derek) Anybody else?

We're talking here about, being part

of the love of Jesus requires sacrifice,

the benefit of being a community together.

Someone else, an experience you had? Gary?

(Gary) There are many different talents

and spiritual gifts that could be used

because we can't all do everything.

So we see that as a body

we could work together

to effectively minister to that community,

whatever their needs are.

We could have folks building houses,

but there are folks

who have to cook to feed people,

folks who are doing studies and lessons
or just outreach.

I mean, it takes everyone.

(Derek) In the place

where you were in Phoenix,

there were some people doing surgery.

They wouldn't have asked

Travis to do that, right?

Travis is good at construction.

So, we have different gifts. Treva?

(Treva) On that same mission trip

with Travis in Arizona, it was beautiful.

So another benefit is the family.

I got very close to Travis

and other pastors that I met.

So I think it helps us,

as a family of believers, grow closer.

(Derek) Isn't that interesting

because Jesus, when He

sent out His disciples,

He didn't send them out by themselves,
did He?

He sent them out two by two.

So at least two; that's a little bit

of a community. Puia?

(Puia) It think we can also

encourage each other

and carry each other's burden.

That's something that you can't
do alone.

But when we go through problems

and hardships on this journey,

by being a part of a community, we can

help other go through difficult times.

(Derek) I want to tie into that;

hold some of those thoughts
for just a moment.

Sometimes we can get,

what they call, mission fatigue?

Is that what it's...compassion fatigue.

There is so much need, isn't there?

Look at what Paul says

to the Christians in Galatia
in Galatians 6:9.

How can we avoid that?

Gladys, could you read that

for us in Galatians 6:9?

Maybe it was just back then,

but maybe we could experience it today.

How can we encourage

each other with that?

(Gladys) Yes, I'm reading

from the New International Version,
Galatians 6:9:

(Derek) "Let us not

grow weary in doing good."

Now, I think he's saying that

because it is possible.

Has anyone here ever

kind of got weary? Compassion fatigue?

And he's saying, hold in there;

you know, we'll reap a reward.

What can we do to help someone

who's experiencing that...

Do you understand what I mean

by compassion fatigue?

What might we do, Travis,

to help someone in that situation?

(Travis) First, just probably
relieve them,

just give them a break.

(Derek) Okay, you know, let's not say,

"Well, if you prayed more, Adison."

"If only you loved Jesus more, Gladys."

No, how about give them a rest?

You remember in Mark's Gospel

where they're coming, in Mark 6,

and they didn't even have time to eat?

And Jesus says, "Why don't you

go and rest awhile."

So you'd say, give them some break.

What else could we do to help someone

who's experiencing compassion
fatigue? Jonathan?

(Jonathan) I think sometimes

getting them in an environment

where they get to experience

the results of their work,

where they see the inspirational...

I mean, like, Pathway to Health

is one where you see

all these amazing things happening.

You see the beauty of this community

interacting and loving people,

and people experiencing it.

(Derek) Having time, then,

to celebrate what God is doing, right?

Because there is always

the next assignment,

the next cataract surgery,

the next house to rebuild.

Sometimes we need to pause and say,

"We don't have anything

to fear for the future

as long as we don't forget

what God has already done," right,

and His teachings.

That can help us, too. Gladys?

(Gladys) Yes, a youth pastor that I

used to go on mission trips with a lot,

what he would do is,

like you were trying to say,

just rotate the groups.

You know, somebody will be giving

the lesson this day,

or help building the roof.

I will always be translating, mainly.

but I would like to go and visit

the clinic or the Bible study,

and like that, each time, to celebrate

and get to see what God is doing

through somebody else

and at some time, get a rest.

(Derek) I want to share with you

a wonderful insight about how Christ

ministered to people,

because, as a community of servants,

Jesus is our Leader, right?

We don't have a human leader;

Jesus is our Leader.

Let me read this quotation;

It's from a book called

Ministry of Healing.

As you listen to it,

see what jumps out at you.

We kind of referred to some

of these principles in our study.

"Christ's method alone will give

true success in reaching people,"
the author writes.

And here are the strategies:

"He mingled with them as One

who desired their good;

He showed sympathy for them;

He ministered to their needs;

He won their confidence;

and then He invited them to follow Him."

That was Christ's method.

Mingle with them as One

who desired their good,

showed sympathy for them,

ministered to their needs,

won their confidence,

invited them to follow Him.

What impacts you as you think

about Christ's method of reaching out,

especially, to the least of these? Treva?

(Treva) Looking at the order

of how you read that,

He mingled with them as One

that desired their good.

People want to know that they are useful,

that they are valuable.

And I mentioned working with the food bank

at my church previously,

and I can't tell you the delight

that people have when they can

come to our table and say,

"Please, take this and allow this
to bless others."

And at the same time, again,

we're having those conversations,

and we're mingling, and we're

building valuable friendships.

I think that first one you read
is so powerful.

Relationships are so important.

(Derek) "Mingling as One who
desires their good."

As we were reading that,

Puia, I thought of you and the team

building that little community center

for that village where you were working.

Anybody else, what jumps out at you

from this strategy of Jesus? Gladys?

(Gladys) Yes, as [Theodore Roosevelt]
has said

people will not care how much you know

until they know how much you care,

so that is important.

It is what I see in the steps,

to show them first, "I'm interested
in you."

(Derek) He came near them;

He showed sympathy, but then

He ministered to their needs, right?

I've heard that repeated here
in our studies.

Don't just say, "Well, God bless you;

let's pray together that God

will care for you," when God is saying,

"Could you care for her?"

You know, what could you do? Right? Puia?

(Puia) I think oftentimes it's very easy

for us to think that we know
what people need,

instead of asking what they need.

Oftentimes we make the mistake

of providing, just giving them out,

or just handing out some tokens

of things or gifts.

But it's helpful to ask or to investigate

and to learn what they actually need.

You know, imagine going to a restaurant,

and the waitress or the waiter

coming to you and just giving you

any food that the waiter wants

before you even order what you wanted.

(Derek) But it was the waiter's
favorite food.

(Puia) So the point is, we need to ask,

we need to learn what people need,

instead of simply giving them

what we think they need.

(Derek) Now, you went to one community;

they needed this community center
finished.

Did you find different needs

in different communities you went to

during those four months?

(Puia) Yes, some communities

need health education, you know,

giving them health talks

and teaching them how to live well,
health principles,

as simple as washing our hands

every time we go to the restroom

or every time we play in the dirt,

simple, basic education.

The needs are always different

from one community to another.

(Derek) But you're telling us

that we ought to ask,

"What are your needs?"

"How can we serve you," right?

(Team Member) Communicate.

(Derek) Communicate with them, listen.

(Puia) That's what Jesus did.

(Derek) That's what Jesus did. Pedro?

(Pedro) Looking at this list of things,

I always like the part

of ministering to their needs.

I'm a servant, myself;
I like to do things;

I'm task oriented, but I noticed

that I cannot help people

if they don't know me.

I see they have a need.

If I just approach and say,

"Can I do this for you?"

They're going to back up and say,

"No, don't worry, I don't want

to bother you for this."

But if you mingle with them,

build that relationship,

or build that connection,

you show the sympathy

that you have for them,

they'll be saying, "Yes, please.

You can help me," because you have

built that relationship with that person.

(Derek) All right. Travis?

(Travis) As I'm listening to everybody

and listening to the words you read,

as a businessman, I can

sum this up in one word: He says "invest."

(Derek) Invest.

(Travis) Invest, because each one of these

He's investing, investing, investing.

He's calling us to be investors.

(Derek) Mingling, showing sympathy,

ministering to needs, winning confidence,

and then telling them

about spiritual things, right?

This is Christ's method. Stephanie?

(Stephanie) I hear Him truly caring

about the person, truly caring,

not looking for what He can get in return

but truly caring about everything.

(Derek) So how would you respond

to someone who says,

"I don't have time for all of that;

I just need to tell them

that Jesus is coming soon"?

By the way, they need to hear that, right?

(Team) Yes.

(Derek) Pedro?

(Pedro) I saw this happen in my life

in my conversion story.

I saw people...When I came to Christ,

people were interested in me.

They desired to share much more.

I was shocked that they were not

looking to share Christ

with me at the beginning.

They built up that relationship

before they offered Christ in my life.

And I believe we ought to do the same,

that that will bring us closer

to each other in community, as we see,

but also we'll share Christ

in a greater light in the relationship.

(Derek) And I'm smiling because they

probably had no idea of the work

you would do today.

What do you do now?

(Pedro) I'm a pastor.

(Derek) You're a pastor.

But when they came to you,

they first came and...?

(Pedro) I was child, 7 years old.

(Derek) Seven years old,

and what were some of your needs

at 7 years of age?

(Pedro) Well, I needed parenting.

My parents were divorced at that time,

and as soon as I came to church,

they had been divorced,

and I had a family that took me in,

made me friends with their kids.

They invited me to their home.

They were friends with me.

They took interest and listened to me

and taught me things

that I didn't know before.

(Derek) Is that beautiful?

(Team) Yes.

(Derek) You say, "That sounds like Jesus."

(Team) Yes!

(Derek) You say, "But no Bible study yet,"

or maybe there was.

It was a Bible study in action, right?

That's beautiful. Patricia?

By the way, thank you

for sharing that, Pedro.

Isn't that beautiful what God did?

Does that family live in the U.S.

or in another country?

(Pedro) They live in Brazil.

(Derek) Oh, I hope they watch

Hope Sabbath School someday

and hear how their lives

impacted your life. Yes, Patricia.

(Patricia) I was just thinking

about the religious leaders

back in Jesus' day.

They couldn't understand

what Jesus was doing,

and they were telling Him, "How come You

sit with tax collectors and sinners?

What are You doing?"

You know, they just couldn't understand.

(Derek) And even beyond not understanding,

they criticized Him, didn't they,

that they kind of implied,

"Well, You must be one of them."

You know, "You eat with sinners,"

when actually He was drawing close to them

to build a relationship

with them, right? Pedro?

(Pedro) He was being the salt
and the light.

(Derek) Back to what we said earlier.

No wonder He told us to do that.

Well, as we continue on in our study,

as a community of servants,

we not only need each other

to lift the sheet through the roof

or to knock down the old building

and build something new,

but we do need to encourage each other.

And let's take a look at some admonition

the author of the book of Hebrews gives

in chapter 10, verses 23 to 25.

And, Gary, I'm going to ask you

if you'd read that for us,

beginning in Hebrews 10, verse 23.

(Gary) Okay, I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Derek) Now, I have a confession to make.

I grew up thinking "not forsaking

the assembling of yourselves"

was saying, "Don't skip church."

You know, "You're supposed to go."

That's not what this is actually saying,

at least, it's not the motivation
for saying it,

like, "You're supposed to go;

you didn't go; you're bad."

What's the message here,

"Don't forsake the assembling

of yourselves together," Puia?

(Puia) I think the challenge for people

throughout the ages has been

to stand up for Jesus.

Jesus calls us to be different,

especially in our day and age,

the society and the culture

that we live in is drawing us

to focus on ourselves, you know.

This whole series, we've been studying

to focus on others,

so, when we actually apply this,

it means that we are standing up,

and we're standing out,

and we are different.

And it's really difficult

and challenging to be different.

For example, with the whole technology,

with all of this influence,

people are buying iPhones, iPad, iMac,

and the focus is on possessions.

And so, when we say that, "Nope,

Jesus is calling me to be different

and to focus on others,"

and when I see other believers

doing the same thing, following Jesus,

that gives me a feeling,

that, "Hey, I'm not alone.

I'm not alone in this.

It's okay to be different for Jesus

and to help others."

(Derek) You talk about being different
from culture.

I was traveling in an Asian country,

and there was a billboard.

I had to get it translated,

but it was a man with his car,

and it said, "You ask how I'm doing,

and I show you my car."

It should be, "You ask how I'm doing,

and I show you the people

I have a privilege to serve," right?

So you're saying the reason we ought not

to forsake assembling together is,

in a world where these values
that Jesus taught

are not held by many people,

we need to be encouraged

by others who have accepted

that same mission. Travis?

(Travis) I had the privilege

over the last month to spend

quite a few days and hours

with a friend of mine from Malawi

who's just sold out for Jesus.

And so, coming together and praying,

it has inspired me.

And I know that I've done things

in the mission field and in the community

that others have said,

"You've inspired me."

And I know people from my church
have inspired me.

So, coming together, we can

tell each other how God's working
in our lives.

We're inspired to fall in love with Jesus,

to go out and share the gospel together,

and we build off of each other.

And we could become a community
of servants.

(Derek) Evelyn?

(Evelyn) The Bible tells us

that we are members of the body of Christ.

And the way our bodies work,

our hands have their own function;

our legs function a different way.

And so, if we are to put it
into this context,

everyone, a community of people,

a church of people that assemble together,

each of them have a specific role.

Their specific ministry together

enhances the ministry as a whole,
for others.

(Derek) Sure. You know, just today

I heard a powerful testimony from someone

who basically grew up on the street

and was abused and damaged

in unimaginable ways,

who now is a new creation in Jesus.

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) I'm encouraged by that.

I would not have heard that, just going

to a popular television network, right?

I would not have heard that.

But when we come together,

we're encouraged by
each other's testimony.

And that's what I appreciate
about you sharing.

What about the stirring one another up

to love and good works?

Why do we need that?

What does that mean, even, Jonathan?

(Jonathan) I think there's something

about hearing someone else's passion

for sharing the love of God

that challenges us and stirs it up
in ourselves.

I remember when I was working

as a student missionary

in the Philippines,

I was living in a grass hut

and living with these two other young men,

and they were sold out for missions.

And one of them wanted

to go live in Tibet and work,

you know, up in the mountains

up in the middle of nowhere

and live, like, with the sheep and goats.

He had all the plans on how he
was going to do it.

And the other one had been there
for five years

and is now married to the person

who started the work in Mongolia.

And they were just...following these guys

and listening to these guys

stirred up the passion

of missions in my heart...

(Derek) I'm smiling as I'm looking
at Jonathan

because he's an IT specialist,

but he's talking about living

in a grass hut in the Philippines.

(Jonathan) That's where I was called

to come back and use IT skills
to support the church...

(Derek) Isn't that amazing?

He could have been out

just making money for himself

and saying, "How am I doing?
Look at my car."

Instead, he's excited

to connect with other people.

He used the expression "sold out,"

"on fire," right, on fire for God.

And when we're around those people,

it does something for us,
doesn't it? Patricia?

(Patricia) I think this tells us

that this is the type of thing
that's contagious,

when we see somebody

who is passionate about ministry.

We feel like we need to do something, too.

(Derek) Come with me

to Galatians 6 and verse 10.

I think, Pedro, you mentioned earlier,

you know, it's good to care

for everyone in need,

but don't forget the people

maybe in your own community of faith?

We're a community of servants.

Is it possible there are servants

who need some help?

Servants who need a little encouragement?

Let's take a look; Evelyn, are you there

in Galatians, chapter 6, verse 10?

(Evelyn) Galatians 6, verse 10,
I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Derek) Now, it doesn't exclude
anyone, right?

It says, "Let's do good to..."?

(Team) All.

(Derek) That's right, that includes
even the...?

(Derek, Team) Least of these.

(Derek) But "especially," why do you think

Paul says that, "especially those

of the household of faith"?

This is early Christianity, right?
What's it like?

(Travis) It's rough.

(Derek) It's hard, persecution, martyrdom.

Don't forget to say...

And how do I find out what needs

people in the household of faith have?

(Team) Ask.

(Derek) I ask them.

(Adison) We're to follow that method,

Christ's method alone.

We're working with people,

not just in the world,

but in the church, the household of faith.

(Derek) So, I want to ask

some questions as we close.

Who has been an encouragement to you

as you serve others in Jesus' name?

It may have a name and a face

attached to it, right?

Someone who's been

an encouragement to you, Treva?

As you serve others,

we're a community of servants,

who has been an encouragement to you?

(Treva) There are two, Pastor.

There is one sitting behind me.

Travis, meeting him has been

an inspiration to me.

He's living this life,

and it's so encouraging,

his selfless service...

(Derek) And, by the way, you met him
at a ministry event.

(Treva) Yes, at a ministry event.

(Derek) At one of these health...

(Treva) Pathway to Health, yes.

And so, it's just been

a wonderful experience.

I do call him my mentor.

The other individual
is in my local church.

Her name is "Ulitzi,"

and five years ago,

I rededicated my life to Christ.

And it's been a wonderful journey,

but it's been also tough.

And "Ulitzi" has been there

for me through all of it,

a good listener, wise counsel.

When I had no one to go

door-to-door with to evangelize,
she was there.

We do Bible work together,

and I just appreciate her.

And she's one of those people,

that, she just keeps going and going.

And so it's just been an encouragement.

I think everyone needs a "Ulitzi"

in their local church,

and she's just been

a powerful blessing to me.

(Derek) I hope she watches

Hope Sabbath School, right;
she'll be blessed.

Someone else, who's been

an encouragement to you

as you've served others

in Jesus' name? Puia?

(Puia) For me, throughout my
ministry travels,

people who encouraged me

are local church members

who are living faithfully for Jesus.

As I look at them, as I watch their lives,

I'm very encouraged.

I can't name them all; there are too many.

(Derek) That's interesting.

Of course, Puia's father is a pastor,

and I'm sure he's been an inspiration.

And maybe the local church members

would say, "Well, it

wouldn't be me," right?

"Puia wouldn't mention me," but he is.

He's saying, "Those faithful women of God,

those faithful men of God,

they encourage me on the journey."

Travis, who's been an encouragement
to you?

(Travis) Well, if you had to ask me,

and so I'm going to have to say

it's been you, Derek.

You've been a super mentor to me.

(Derek) We met about five years ago,

and God has turned your life around.

And I've just had the privilege

of seeing the miracle happen,

and studying to be a pastor now,

and praise God, you know.

We're encouraged as we see

what God does, right?

Anybody else, someone who's been

an encouragement to you. Gladys?

(Gladys) I have a band of ladies.

(Derek) A band!

(Gladys) A band because they are...

(Derek) That sounds like a holy gang.

(Gladys) Yes, a holy gang of ladies

that are my prayer warriors.

We may not see each other every week,

but we're always connected through prayer,

and we connect through text messages.

And whenever we have an issue,

we just know that we
can lean on each other,

and they have been a source

of inspiration for me

for the last seven years.

(Derek) So I have one last question,

which I'm not going to ask you to answer,

and I'm asking you, too, where you are,
the same question:

Who do you know who needs
encouragement today?

I'm talking about someone

in the community of servants,

someone who's serving others
in Jesus' name.

Who do you know who needs
encouragement today?

A text message, a phone call.

Some people even still
write letters, right?

You know someone, and the Spirit of God

says, "Send her a note

of encouragement today."

"Make a phone call to him today."

Let's not forsake encouraging each other

as a community of servants as we prepare

for the soon coming of Jesus.

Well, you know who that is,

write that down after we pray.

Say, "Lord, I'm going to do that,

and I'm praying right now, God,

show me who that is for me,"

because we need to press together as we

come to the close of Earth's history.

We're a community of servants,

caring for the least of these,

ministering to those in need.

We are blessed, but sometimes
the road is hard.

We need to pray for each other,

encourage each other,

lift each other up when we feel weak.

Most of all, press to Jesus,

the Author and the Finisher of our faith.

Let's pray together.

Father in Heaven, what a privilege

it is to be part of the family of Heaven.

We thank You for Your saving grace

through Jesus, Your Son.

We thank You for the ministry

of the Holy Spirit.

We thank You for the privilege

of joining You in extending Your love,

of aligning our hearts with Yours.

And may blessings come

and encouragement come

to the community of faith

as we serve in Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) Thanks for joining us

for this series, life-changing.

Stay with us as we study

in-depth, interactive studies

of the Word of God,

but don't keep it to yourself.

Go out and be a blessing

to those around you.

♪ theme music ♪