Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church · Sermon study sheet

Servants of Christ

Bryan Schneider · August 27, 2022

Matthew 25:31-46

sharonrpc.org/sermons/servants-of-christ

Summary

Matthew 25 portrays the returning Son of Man as glorious King and Judge who separates the nations as a shepherd separates sheep from goats.
Practical love for Christ's needy brethren reveals a living faith; neglect of them exposes a profession that has no corresponding fruit.
Love for God bears fruit in love for neighbor through food, hospitality, clothing, visitation, protection, comfort, and other concrete help.
Christ is the supreme servant: he laid down his life, took the low place, washed his disciples' feet, and calls his followers to serve as he served.
The whole church is called to service, while deacons should be recognized as tested people already marked by mercy, helpfulness, faithfulness, and sound stewardship.
Good works neither earn salvation nor replace the gospel; believers are saved by Christ so that they may bear the works God prepared for them.
The church must also resist reducing the gospel to mercy ministry, because compassionate service is the fruit of the good news of Christ's saving work, not a substitute for it.

What does Matthew 25 reveal about Jesus as returning King, Shepherd, and Judge?
Why does practical love for vulnerable Christians provide evidence of genuine faith?
How do James 1-2 and 1 John 3 reinforce Jesus' teaching about mercy?
What everyday resources or abilities has God already given me for serving another person's real need?
How does Jesus' own humility define greatness and leadership in his church?
What evidence of tested service, mercy, faithfulness, and stewardship should a congregation seek in a deacon?
Why can good works never become the basis of salvation even though their absence can expose dead faith?
How can a church pursue substantial mercy ministry without replacing the gospel with social action?

Son of Man: Jesus as the glorious returning King and Judge before whom every nation is gathered.
Living faith: Faith rooted in Christ that necessarily bears visible fruit in love and obedience.
Diakonia: Service or ministry, the word-family from which the church's office of deacon is named.
Deacon: A tested church servant appointed to lead and administer practical ministries of mercy and help.
Mercy ministry: Concrete care for people in distress, including the hungry, stranger, poorly clothed, sick, imprisoned, widowed, or otherwise needy.
Good works: Obedient fruits and evidences of saving faith, never the meritorious ground of acceptance with God.
Social gospel: A distortion that replaces the saving message of Christ's death for sinners with humanitarian action alone.