This week, we’re continuing our message series as we go through the parables of Jesus and learn from Him how to truly live life to its fullest.

A parable is a simple story that illustrates a moral or spiritual lesson. Jesus said that He taught using parables so that the secrets of His Kingdom would only be understood by those seeking after this revelation.

Last week, we began to focus on the value that we place on the Kingdom of Heaven. We began learning how we can practically be rich toward God and invest in His Kingdom. Jesus gave us these parables to teach us the value that we ought to place on the kingdom of heaven:

Matthew 13:44-46

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

Our first point last week was how we place a value on the kingdom of heaven through our generosity. Living life with the reality that everything is God’s in mind helps us to be less stingy and more generous with everything in life, not only our finances.

This week, we’re moving on to some other ways in which we can be rich toward God and assign value to the kingdom of heaven.

2. Service

We can invest in the Kingdom of Heaven by our service to God and to others.

Philippians 2:3-7

3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

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

6 Who, being in very nature God,

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

7 rather, he made himself nothing

by taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

To be like Jesus is to serve those around us. Sure, we provide opportunities for this in the church by serving in our multitude of ministries. However, we are called to have the same servant-attitude as Jesus had meeting the needs of anyone around us. To be a follower of Jesus is to be a minister, which simply means to be a servant.

Whether in this building or not, we are to be the church wherever we go serving the needs of others just as Jesus did. This means that wherever we are, we ought to be mindful and intentional about ways to serve those around us. This can be anything from pushing someone’s shopping cart back for them, taking them a meal, calling them to see how they are doing, or anything else that the Spirit may lead us to do.

Jesus reminds us in Matthew 25, that to serve someone even in the smallest of ways such as to give them a glass of water or to visit them, is to serve Him. In reality, God needs nothing; He does not need our service. For us to serve God is an honor and a privilege. It gives us an opportunity to assign value and worth to His Kingdom. To care for His creation blesses Him and certainly blesses us as well. To serve others is to be physical representatives of Jesus to them.

Some of us may need this reminder this morning:

Hebrews 6:10-12

10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

God remembers the times that we serve others and can even lead to the receipt of His promises. Sometimes, we serve and serve and it feels like it does not matter. His word encourages us to keep on loving, keep on diligently serving, and it will be rewarded by God who sees it all.

Of course, when we’re serving, we want to do so with the right attitude a