Our culture has distorted the image of God’s church to blind us in dividing between the bubble of God’s blessings and the hurt in the world in and around us. The family of God has been tasked with bringing restorative justice to those “least of these” our brothers and sisters, and then to extend this influence of life to the rest of the world through the message of the gospel. 

Observations:

1. Serving is the Christian’s responsibility  
2. God is responsible for the arrangement of the body: the church
3. Faith must be lived in correspondence with Jesus’ lead of justice
4. Justice begins in-house

Conclusions: 

1. Justice through works of service is the identifier for a Christ follower
2. Justice is multifaceted and must be expressed through diverse unity
3. Justice is God’s mechanism for Christian maturity in community
4. The absence of Justice corresponds to the absence of God in this life and the next

Application Questions: 

1. Are you a member of God’s family?
2. What is your chore in this church family?
3. How can you integrate your gifts/ministry with the work of others?

Galatians 6:10

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Ephesians 4:16

“From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

Luke 14:12-14

“Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Ephesians 2:8-10

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

James 2:20-23

“You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.”