Kingdom Builders (Contemporary Worship 10/4/26)

Matthew 25 places Jesus on his glorious throne as the King who gathers the nations and separates sheep from goats. Jesus ties that day of judgment to ordinary acts of mercy: food for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, welcome for the stranger, clothes for the needy, care for the sick, and visits to the imprisoned. The King identifies himself with “the least of these,” so that every faithful act of service offered to another is received by Christ himself.

Service does not earn anybody’s way into heaven. Faith in Jesus transforms the heart, and a transformed heart begins to bear fruit. JJ Watt’s response to Hurricane Harvey pictures that kind of faith. A check could have been written, but Jesus showed up, and faithful disciples are called to show up too. God can take a small beginning, like a $200,000 relief goal, and use it far beyond what anybody expects.

Small things matter eternally. A cup of water given in Jesus’ name, a meal for a neighbor in a hard season, a gift card, a kind word, a visit, or an act of hospitality may look small in the moment. God sees those acts of love, and the kingdom counts them differently than the world does. Mother Teresa’s call to do small things with great love fits this kingdom way of living.

Faith and action reveal heart posture. James calls faith without action dead, like a corpse, while Jesus says that disciples are known by their love. Service in the home, at school, at work, in the neighborhood, and in the church becomes more than volunteering. Hospitality, greeting, music, security, children’s ministry, and behind-the-scenes work can all point people toward Jesus and welcome the stranger into the family of God.

Jesus remains the pattern for every servant. Christ came down from heaven into the chaos of humanity, walked among suffering people, and obeyed the Father all the way to the cross. Service is therefore a mark of the kingdom because the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve. Pope Francis’s words press the point: if people will not kneel before the least of these, they have no business standing before the altar.

The “one for one” vision behind TOMS shows how service can become ministry even through everyday work. God can multiply sacrificial love, just as shoes given away grew from a small idea to more than 100 million pairs. The King is coming, and Christ will ask not how much people made, but what they did with what he gave them.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Small acts carry eternal weight Jesus names simple acts that almost anybody can do: giving water, sharing food, welcoming, clothing, visiting, and caring. God does not measure service by its publicity or size, but by love offered in Christ’s name. A small act can become an eternal matter because Christ receives it as care given directly to him. [40:18]
• 2. Faith must show up in love James calls faith without action dead, while Jesus says disciples are known through love. Service does not purchase salvation, but living faith cannot stay hidden in private words alone. A heart changed by Christ begins to move toward needs rather than merely noticing them. [42:48]
• 3. Jesus is the servant pattern Christ left the glory of heaven and entered the brokenness, violence, and suffering of human life. Jesus served through obedience all the way to the cross, giving himself for those who could not save themselves. Christian service takes its shape from that sacrificial love, not from convenience or recognition. [45:00]
• 4. Service marks the kingdom life Jesus places service at the center of the sheep-and-goats picture because mercy reveals who belongs to the King. Kingdom building includes service beyond church walls and faithful care within the church family. Every gift, skill, hour, and opportunity can become a way of pointing another person toward Christ. [47:47]
• 5. God multiplies faithful service TOMS began with a simple one-for-one idea and grew into millions of shoes given to people in need. God often starts with what seems small and stretches it farther than human plans can see. Sacrificial service trusts God with the multiplication while remaining faithful in the next available act of love.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [25:14] - Kingdom Builders and Service
• [31:00] - The Sheep and the Goats
• [33:48] - JJ Watt Shows Up for Houston
• [37:06] - Service as Fruit of Faith
• [38:09] - Small Things Matter Eternally
• [41:59] - Service Reveals Heart Posture
• [44:36] - Jesus Entered Human Chaos
• [47:12] - Service Is a Mark of the Kingdom
• [48:56] - Kneeling Before the Least of These
• [50:02] - TOMS and One for One
• [52:59] - The King Is Coming
• [53:48] - Prayer and Holy Communion

Bible Reading

Matthew 25:31-40
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For 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.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” [31:00]

James 2:17
“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” [42:48]

Mark 10:45
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” [47:47]

Observation questions

1. In Matthew 25:31–40, what groups does the King separate, and what acts of mercy does he name as he welcomes the righteous?
2. What surprises the righteous when the King speaks about their service, and how does the King explain that their actions were received by him? [42:11]
3. According to James 2:17, what is faith like when it is not accompanied by action?
4. What are some ordinary settings where acts of service can welcome people and point them toward Jesus, including both inside and outside the church? [43:56]

Interpretation questions

1. Matthew 25 connects care for hungry, thirsty, sick, lonely, and vulnerable people with serving Jesus himself. What does this reveal about the way Christ sees people who are often overlooked? [42:36]
2. If salvation is not earned by serving, why does James describe faith without action as dead? How can acts of mercy reveal a living faith rather than become an attempt to earn God’s favor? [37:30]
3. Jesus says that he came not to be served but to serve. How does Jesus’ sacrificial service, especially his obedience to the cross, shape what Christian service should look like? [45:46]
4. The righteous in Matthew 25 do not seem to be keeping score of their good deeds. What might their surprise suggest about a heart that has been changed by Christ?

Application questions

1. Who is someone in your home, neighborhood, workplace, school, or church family who may be carrying a real need right now? What is one specific way you could show up for them this week? [38:51]
2. Small acts done in Jesus’ name matter eternally. What “small thing”—a meal, gift card, ride, encouraging word, invitation, visit, or practical help—could you offer without waiting for the perfect opportunity? [40:18]
3. Is there a need you tend to notice but pass by because it feels inconvenient, uncomfortable, or too small? What might it look like to move toward that need with compassion?
4. Jesus served by entering human brokenness rather than loving people from a distance. Where might you be able to be more present with someone who is suffering instead of only offering quick advice or help from afar? [45:00]
5. How are you presently using your time, abilities, and resources to serve others? Is there one area where God may be inviting you to take a next step—in hospitality, children’s ministry, music, welcoming newcomers, practical care, or service beyond the church? [48:22]
6. God can multiply a faithful beginning far beyond what anyone expects. What is one act of service you can faithfully begin, even if it seems too small to make much difference? [52:43]