Inspiration for Health Ministry, by LEM

Following After the Lamb

 Making a Personal Commitment to Ministry Committing to Follow in Christ’s Footsteps

(For this study, read also: Ministry of Healing Chapter 40)


1. Hearing the Savior’s call 

   Christ asked Peter 3 times “Do you love Me? Feed my lambs,”  Only the service of love is of value in God’s sight.

   Christ is asking each one of us “Do you love me?”  He asks us “Feed my sheep.”

   So many people in the world need our care and kindness. It is a work that is not easy, but worth it because working for people is the most fulfilling type of work, and it will bring us joy to have those we have worked for with us in heaven, it will be a treasure for eternity.

2. Growing up into Christ
   When we follow Jesus it will help us to grow and mature spiritually, becoming like him. The reason many people do not grow up in Christ is because they do not go on to do the work for souls.

   Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.  He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  John 12: 24-25

   Christ taught us to learn self-sacrificing love:

    A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. Jn 13:34

 

 Christ’s New Commandment – it is different from “Love God supremely” and “Love your neighbor” because those were not new- Jesus quoted them from the old testament and said they were like a summary of the old testament, in a way. Let’s look at the verse;

 

   "One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him,  "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law ?" And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' (Deuteronomy 6:5)  "This is the great and foremost commandment.  "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' (Leviticus 19:18)  "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." Matthew 22:35-40

 

   What was different about this new one?? 

 

   It is to love as He loved us.  His love is more than loving others as we love our selves, it is loving sacrificially, or giving ones lives for others. 

 

   In the Christian life we go through a maturity process.  1) First we fear and love God, 2) then we learn to do service to others as an expression of our faith, and finally 3) we become more and more filled with Christ love until we are willing to serve others because of a heart full of love, even to the point that we are willing to make sacrifices.


   It is like Christ fulfilled (Matthew 5:17), or finished the law in this way- by putting the penacle on this pyramid (new covenant goal is to have law written in our hearts, to become like Christ- to become mature in our faith!).  Just as it says in Romans 10:4, Christ is the “end” or “telos” of the law- that means goal. This is the highest state of maturity we may reach, when we come to love others in the way that Christ loved them.

 

   This process is seen also in the old and new testaments.  In the old testament the people were just barely out of Egypt, and kept God’s laws perhaps out of fear of punishment – more like a child perhaps.  But, God hopes that as we mature in Him we will learn to love from our hearts- love that overcomes selfishness and is self-sacrificing. Then we will be like Christ.


3. Following in Christ’s footsteps

   "If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also ; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.” John 12:24.

   Some hardship, difficulty, brings in us the transformation into Christ’s image.

  The Road to Emmaus experience; HAVE YOU HAD IT? – (Luke 24:13-35) Having your heart burn within you, becoming inspired with the kind of holy excitement from knowing Christ?  That’s what made them run all the way back to Jerusalem!


4. Changing the World

    Upper Room Experience- Christ’s disciples after the Holy Spirit came on them, after that they “turned the world upside down,” really spread the gospel to the whole world in their generation Paul, Peter, and others who evangelized the world. Catching the vision of the apostles- desire to finish the end time work. 

  ”The Heartbeat of our Mission” Steve Green (Mission Song)

  We listened to this song over and over on the way to the airport when I was going on a mission trip to Honduras with a group of enthusiastic young people.  There’s nothing like the joy of serving the Lord and knowing he is with you.

  Circle prayer, inviting Christ to be among you and allowing the Holy Spirit to inspire you.

  But it doesn’t take a group.  Even just one person can change the world.  Jesus proved that, he was only one person and faced constant opposition in his work.

  Think about your own life- What can you do for God, with God?  Ask yourself…

… How can I make this world a better place?


   I invite you to make a commitment, pray in your heart and ask God to help you make a difference in this world.  


   Through seeking to bless others we ourselves will receive the greatest blessing and benefit.  While others spend their lives chasing glitter and glory but end up empty and in despair, we can always have a deep sense of satisfaction and joy in living connected to God and serving man.


  May God be with you!


Ellen White Quotes; 

Who was Ellen White? ; Ellen White named by Smithsonian among the 100 most significant Americans of all time ,EGW Link 2

What, then, is the example that we are to set to the world? We are to do the same work that the great Medical Missionary undertook in our behalf. We are to follow the path of self-sacrifice trodden by Christ. {MM 20.3}


Follow the Master
God's servants who are doing genuine medical missionary work have a most solemn, sacred responsibility resting upon them to keep in view Christ's life of unselfish service. They should turn their eyes from everything else, and look unto Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of their faith. He is the Source of all light, the Fountain of all heaven's blessings. To every medical missionary worker I am instructed to say, Follow your Leader. His is the way, the truth, the light, the life. He is the One whose example we as true medical missionaries must follow. {MM 21.4}

In this age of diseased piety and perverted principle, those who are converted in life and practice will reveal a healthy and influential spirituality. Those who have a knowledge of the truth as it is revealed in God's word must now come to the front. My brethren, God requires this of you. Every jot of your influence is now to be used on the right side. All are now to learn how to stand in defense of truth that is worthy of acceptance. Those who are endeavoring to live the Christ life must call things by the right name, and stand in defense of the truth as it is in Jesus. {MM 22.1}