Start With the Necessary

29 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. 31 So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she

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them. —Mark 1:29-31

So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she

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and served them. —Matthew 8:15

And

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she arose and served them. —Luke 8:39
When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. —Luke 8:40

• Francis of Assisi said, “Start by doing what’s

, and then what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the

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.”

• Doing what’s “necessary” means doing what’s

. Meeting a need.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. —Ephesians 2:10

• We are not saved

good works, but

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good works.
• Her serving set a tone and created an

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of multiplication. One where many others could experience what she experienced.
• Serving starts an

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of what Jesus has done in your life. “Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8)

ARISE

There was a choice that she made before she started serving.

• Mark: Jesus lifted her by the hand. His part.
• Matthew: – she

– her part/choice.
• Arise: to

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or rouse (literally - from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, or from death; or figuratively, from obscurity, inactivity, ruins); to stir up.
• We learn by

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, but only to a certain point. The rest we learn by

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.

• To arise is to put yourself in a

for God to use you.

Arise, my love, my beautiful companion,
and run with me to the higher place.
For now is the time to arise and come away with me. —Song of Songs 2:10, 13

• Arise – get ready for action; get ready for

.

For a righteous man falls seven times, and

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again, But the wicked stumble in time of disaster and collapse. —Proverbs 24:16

18 And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work. —Nehemiah 2:18

The Message of Haggai

2 “Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the LORD’s house should be built.” ’ ” 3 Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” 5 Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your ways!” —Haggai 1:2-5

• “The time has not come” was a phrase that expressed a

.

• When the King and His Kingdom are not first, it leads to an emptiness and a sense of futility, because we’ve stopped living with purpose.

1) Haggai 1:7 – “

yours ways”

7 Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your ways! 8 Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the LORD. 9 “You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the LORD of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. —Haggai 1:7-10

Consider your ways they all did, and shifted, and obeyed!

2) Hagggai 1:13 - “I am

you.”

• The Lord stirred up the spirit of the leaders, and the people, and they came and worked.

3) Haggai 2:4 – **“Be

and work, for I am with you.

• Don’t quit! Don’t Stop! Be Strong! Don’t grow weary in well-doing. (Gal 6)

a. Strong - to strengthen, prevail, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute. Daniel 11:32
b. Work – to labor; to work about anything, or on anything.

4) Haggai 2:15, 19 – Consider again from this day forward – that you started the work (not finished). From this day I will

you.

• Jesus is building His house, His Church, and He’s calling us to

it with him.

Your people shall be

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in the day of Your power. —Psalm 110:3

Serve Others - Values:

1) Serving is a value

inside and outside of the church. It’s a kingdom value.
2) Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve (minister). Mark 10:45. Let this

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(attitude) be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. (Phil 2:5)
3) Serve the Lord with

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! With joy, rejoicing, and a cheerful disposition. Carry joy! Psalm 100:2