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1 Corinthians 13 (The Message)

“If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing

but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his

mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a

mountain, ‘Jump,’ and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. If I give everything I

own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t

love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do,

I’m bankrupt without love.

“Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.

Love doesn’t strut,

Doesn’t have a swelled head,

Doesn’t force itself on others,

Isn't always ‘me first,’

Doesn’t fly off the handle,

Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn’t revel when others grovel,

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back,

But keeps going to the end.

“Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will

end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and

what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our

incompletes will be canceled.

“When I was an infant at my mother’s breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant.

When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.

“We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist.

But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see

it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he

knows us!

“But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us

toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love

Sabbath Afternoon | Today’s Reading

Christian Service | Lesson 3 | October 20, 2012

A Reward Is Being Offered

extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.”

A REWARD IS BEING OFFERED

When Florence Nightingale and her nurses showed up in the British war hospitals at

Scutari, on the Crimean front, conditions were worse than they had heard. They

witnessed filth, infection, disorganization, and an overwhelming caseload. Shiploads

of desperately needed medical supplies sat in the harbor while men died, because

some officials had not filled out the proper forms. In this environment, 42 percent

of the wounded never recovered. It took all of Nightingale’s training and dedication,

and then some, to turn things around.

Nightingale was born in Florence, Italy (hence her first name), in 1820 to a wealthy

English family. She traveled and attended parties with the “chosen of society” on

the family estate in Derbyshire. When she was 16, she received a divine call: “On

Feb. 7th, 1837,” she wrote, “God spoke to me and called me into His service.”

The call was as mysterious as it was audible—what service? Seven years of

uncertainty followed. Over family objections, she began “cottage visiting”—taking

food and medicine to poor farmers who lived on the family’s lands. Then she began

to think about nursing; her family was scandalized. In the early 1800s, nurses were

considered unskilled laborers and were reputedly drunken and promiscuous. Proper

ladies kept a fine house, gave parties, and made brilliant conversation.

In 1844, American philanthropists Samuel and Julia Ward Howe (Mrs. Howe would

later write “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”) visited the Nightingale home.

Florence asked them, “Do you think it unsuitable and unbecoming for a young

Englishwoman to devote herself to works of charity in hospitals and elsewhere?”

Dr. Howe replied that it would be unusual, and “whatever is unusual is thought to

be unsuitable.” Nevertheless, he advised her, “Act on your inspiration.”

After that, she later wrote, “There never was any vagueness in my plans or ideas

as to what God‟s work was for me.”

That work did not begin for another nine years. Family objections had to be

overcome. Meanwhile she studied nursing, first in books, then by visiting European

hospitals, and finally by training at hospitals in Germany, England, and France. She

was serving as director of a home for “invalid gentlewomen” when the Crimean War

(1853-1856) broke out.

When she heard about the deplorable conditions on the front, Nightingale took 38

nurses to see what they could do. She ended up organizing the barracks hospital,

including a kitchen, laundry, and clean latrines. She opened windows to let in fresh

air and provided supplies by cutting administrative red tape or buying them herself.

She provided reading and recreation rooms for the patients, wrote home to their

loved ones, and provided a safe way to mail their pay home. The soldiers adored

her and christened her the “Lady of the Lamp,” after the small lantern she carried

on her midnight rounds.

Her efforts brought remarkable results: the death rate dropped from 42 percent to

less than 3 percent.—Adapted from Kelvin D. Crow, Christianity Today Library.com.

Steps to Christ, pp. 96, 97

“Another element of prevailing prayer is faith. ‘He that cometh to God must believe

that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.’ Hebrews

11:6. Jesus said to His disciples, ‘What things soever ye desire, when ye pray,

believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.’ Mark 11:24. Do we take Him

at His word?

“The assurance is broad and unlimited, and He is faithful who has promised. When

we do not receive the very things we asked for, at the time we ask, we are still to

believe that the Lord hears and that He will answer our prayers. We are so erring

and short-sighted that we sometimes ask for things that would not be a blessing to

us, and our heavenly Father in love answers our prayers by giving us that which

will be for our highest good—that which we ourselves would desire if with vision

divinely enlightened we could see all things as they really are. When our prayers

seem not to be answered, we are to cling to the promise; for the time of answering

will surely come, and we shall receive the blessing we need most. But to claim that

prayer will always be answered in the very way and for the particular thing that we

desire, is presumption. God is too wise to err, and too good to withhold any good

thing from them that walk uprightly. Then do not fear to trust Him, even though

you do not see the immediate answer to your prayers. Rely upon His sure promise,

‘Ask, and it shall be given you.’

“If we take counsel with our doubts and fears, or try to solve everything that we

cannot see clearly, before we have faith, perplexities will only increase and deepen.

But if we come to God, feeling helpless and dependent, as we really are, and in

humble, trusting faith make known our wants to Him whose knowledge is infinite,

who sees everything in creation, and who governs everything by His will and word,

He can and will attend to our cry, and will let light shine into our hearts. Through

sincere prayer we are brought into connection with the mind of the Infinite. We

may have no remarkable evidence at the time that the face of our Redeemer is

bending over us in compassion and love, but this is even so. We may not feel His

visible touch, but His hand is upon us in love and pitying tenderness.

“When we come to ask mercy and blessing from God we should have a spirit of love

and forgiveness in our own hearts. How can we pray, ‘Forgive us our debts, as we

forgive our debtors,’ and yet indulge an unforgiving spirit? Matthew 6:12. If we

expect our own prayers to be heard we must forgive others in the same manner

and to the same extent as we hope to be forgiven.

“Perseverance in prayer has been made a condition of receiving. We must pray

always if we would grow in faith and experience. We are to be ‘instant in prayer,’ to

Sunday | Today’s Reading

‘continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.’ Romans 12:12;

Colossians 4:2. Peter exhorts believers to be ‘sober, and watch unto prayer.’

1 Peter 4:7. Paul directs, ‘In everything by prayer and supplication with

thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’ Philippians 4:6. ‘But ye,

beloved,’ says Jude, ‘praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God.’

Jude 20, 21.”

Highlight the sentence that starts, “We may have no remarkable evidence . . .”

HERE’S WHAT I THINK

Mandy rededicated her life to Jesus last weekend and asked God to help her see the

needs of others so she could help. The first person she thought of was Tanya, who

had been on the receiving end of some unkind words from Mandy. There was

obviously a wedge between the two, and they tried to avoid each other. This is a

problem now that Mandy has a new commitment to God.

What do you think Mandy should do or say? Should she confront Tanya and make

things right with her or wait and do something else, giving herself time to get ready

for an appointment with Tanya later? What do you think Jesus would say to her?

Go to http://guidemagazine.org/rtf to post your answers. Your thoughts and

feelings may seem clearer to you when you write them down, so we‟ve provided

space for you here as well. You may also wish to share them with your class later.

Be up-front and honest.

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The Greatest of These Is Love

Monday | Today’s Reading

Complete the puzzle using the clues shown below. Some people in the puzzle are

Bible characters; some are modern-day “heroes.” Some names will depict a group

of people or type of vocation that serves others.

Across

3. I was a nurse born in Italy (two words).

4. Called by God to love one another.

8. They are offered a reward if they will answer God’s call to serve others.

10. Called by God to love, nurture, raise a child, and care for the needs of their

family.

12. I made clothes for people.

13. I gave back four times more than I had stolen from people to follow Christ.

15. I organized the American Red Cross (two words).

16. I died to save humankind.

18. I gave up my fishing boat to teach others about God.

Down

1. I was a nun; I won the Nobel peace prize for my work. I loved working in India

(two words).

2. We are responsible for helping people learn about and know God.

5. We help heal people.

6. She risked her life to help her people (she was a Bible character).

7. We are sometimes called to go out and preach God’s Word to strangers in other

countries.

9. I risked my freedom to free others.

11. Called by God to love, nurture, raise children, and care for the needs of their

family.

14. We stitch up people’s wounds.

17. We help people learn.

Hebrews 13:1-3 (New International Version)

“Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show

hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to

angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were

together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves

were suffering.”

Philippians 2:5-11(New International Version)

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

“Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

rather, he made himself nothing

by taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

by becoming obedient to death —

even death on a cross!

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.”

James 2:15-17 (New International Version)

“Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says

to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their

physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not

accompanied by action, is dead.”

Leviticus 25:35 (New International Version)

“If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves

among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue

to live among you.”

Tuesday | Today’s Reading

SO WHAT?

The exercise of service is nonnegotiable for those who take the name of Christ.

Jesus makes it clear that as His children, we wear His colors. The Bible mentions

this frequently. As one song says, “I can’t hear your words because your actions

are speaking too loud.” Whether we do good deeds of grace or ignore the needs of

others, our actions will speak louder than anything we might say.

We might be right about Sabbath being Saturday. But if on our Sabbath a broken

person like the woman mentioned in Luke never experiences grace for her broken

spirit, then our Sabbath is useless. We may preach the truth that Jesus is coming

again, but He tells us that when He does come, we should be caught in the act of

feeding the homeless and visiting the lonely and caring for the broken. We may be

able to prove from the Bible that death is a sleep, but those who experience the

loss of a loved one rarely sleep well because of the gnawing loneliness.

What can we as Seventh-day Adventists do? Our service to others will announce

more truth than we can in a million seminars. Our message is so important, but if it

does not make us more like the Servant, Jesus, then we’d better spend more time

with the Servant.

1. How can we truly love others?

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2. Is loving others just a feeling? Please explain.

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3. What does it mean to “serve others”?

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4. What does it mean to “love others”?

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5. Why is serving so important to our Christian life?

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6. Are the terms “serve others” and “love others” equal? Explain.

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7. Why is it as important to serve other as it is to be “right” about our beliefs?

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Matching

Match the text with the phrase. You will probably need to read the entire text to

find the answer. Most phrases are not taken from the beginning of the text.

Choose one of the texts from today’s activity to memorize. They are all from the

New International Version of the Bible. Go to BibleGateway.com.

_____ Matthew 7:9-12

_____ Matthew 23:11,12

_____ Matthew 20:25-28

_____ 1 Peter 4:7-11

_____ Proverbs 11:25

_____ Matthew 25:31-36

A. “‘So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this

sums up the Law and the Prophets.’”

B. “A generous man will prosper . . .”

C. “‘For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will

be exalted.’”

Wednesday | Today’s Reading

D. “‘I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave

me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes

and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you

came to visit me.’”

E. “‘Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and

whoever wants to be first must be your slave . . .’”

F. “If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all

things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”

Isaiah 58:7, 8 (The Message)

“What I’m interested in seeing you do is:

sharing your food with the hungry,

inviting the homeless poor into your homes,

putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,

being available to your own families.

Do this and the lights will turn on,

and your lives will turn around at once.

Your righteousness will pave your way.

The God of glory will secure your passage.

Then when you pray, God will answer.

You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’”

Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, pp. 82, 83

“The work of beneficence is twice blessed. While he that gives to the needy blesses

others, he himself is blessed in a still greater degree. The grace of Christ in the soul

is developing traits of character that are the opposite of selfishness,—traits that will

refine, ennoble, and enrich the life. Acts of kindness performed in secret will bind

hearts together, and will draw them closer to the heart of Him from whom every

generous impulse springs. The little attentions, the small acts of love and self-

sacrifice, that flow out from the life as quietly as the fragrance from a flower—these

constitute no small share of the blessings and happiness of life. And it will be found

at last that the denial of self for the good and happiness of others, however humble

and uncommended here, is recognized in heaven as the token of our union with

Him, the King of glory, who was rich, yet for our sake became poor.”

1. Do we have to do great things such as give our life in battle, begin a society

like the Red Cross, or become world renowned for some act of kindness or

bravery to properly serve others for God?

Thursday | Today’s Reading

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2. What makes service an act of love?

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3. How can service teach us about God’s grace?

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4. What is God’s grace?

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5. How can God’s grace cover any selfishness that may be in our motive when

we attempt to serve others?

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Hebrews 13:1-3 (Amplified Bible)

“Let love for your fellow believers continue and be a fixed practice with you [never

let it fail].

“Do not forget or neglect or refuse to extend hospitality to strangers [in the

brotherhood--being friendly, cordial, and gracious, sharing the comforts of your

home and doing your part generously], for through it some have entertained angels

without knowing it.

“Remember those who are in prison as if you were their fellow prisoner, and those

who are ill-treated, since you also are liable to bodily sufferings.”

Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 83

“The deeds of kindness may have been done in secret, but the result upon the

character of the doer cannot be hidden. If we work with wholehearted interest as a

Friday | Today’s Reading

follower of Christ, the heart will be in close sympathy with God, and the Spirit of

God, moving upon our spirit, will call forth the sacred harmonies of the soul in

answer to the divine touch.

“He who gives increased talents to those who have made a wise improvement of

the gifts entrusted to them is pleased to acknowledge the service of His believing

people in the Beloved, through whose grace and strength they have wrought. Those

who have sought for the development and perfection of Christian character by

exercising their faculties in good works, will, in the world to come, reap that which

they have sown. The work begun upon earth will reach its consummation in that

higher and holier life to endure throughout eternity.”

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Think about some practical ways you can help and serve others around you. Use

the questions below to guide you in writing a journal entry about your plan for

service.

1. What needs can you fill?

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2. What gift from you would show God’s grace to someone, or help in a sad

situation?

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3. List practical things you can do to help someone.

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4. What did you decide to do, and how did it help?

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Puzzle Answers

Across

3. Florence Nightingale

4. Christians

8. Evangelists

10. Fathers

12. Dorcas

13. Zacchaeus

15. Clara Barton

16. Jesus

18. Peter

Down

1. Mother Teresa

2. Pastors

5. Nurses

6. Esther

7. Missionaries

9. Harriet Tubman

11. Mothers

14. Doctors

17. Teachers

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Bible texts credited to Amplified are from The Amplified Bible, Old Testament copyright 1965, 1987 by

Zondervan Corporation. The Amplified New Testament copyright 1958, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Texts credited to Message are from The Message. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001,

2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Texts credited to NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984,

2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.