UNSTOPPABLE: Serving Others
July 20
Knowledge Understands – Values Transform
Knowledge Understands – Values Transform
Values determine who we are.
I remember being taught the importance of values when someone – I really don’t remember who – told me about a young man who joined the marines where he learned how to spit shine his shoes, organize his locker neatly, fold his pants with a crease and make a bed that was so tight that if you dropped a quarter on it the coin would bounce waist high. But when this same man left the marines and went to college his room was became an example of chaos theory on a bad day. He didn’t make his bed for weeks at a time. The floor was covered with torn blue jeans, grubby t-shirts, dirty skivvies, and the crusts of old pizzas.
Now I ask you – how is it that a young man, who knows how to keep a neat bunk, and spiffy clothes, chooses to live in such a way? The answer is simple – although he knows how and understands what it takes to live neatly he does not value living that way – knowledge is not enough.
Knowledge is not the same as Values. Knowledge understands – Values Transform
Over the last several weeks we have been examining the core values of Meridian Christian Church. I think that this is critically important for us as a church family. Knowing what we should do is not enough if we don’t hold the values deeply in our minds and our hearts.
If we hold these values – then we are UNSTOPPABLE!
Helping People Find The Way Home
Welcoming
From Visiting to Belonging
The first week we spoke of Barney – Barnabas, the son of encouragement – and how everyone needs a Barney in their life. Everyone needs someone to encourage and help them to belong. We all need that incredible sense of connection with the family of God.
At MCC we’re working on creating an atmosphere where you can stop visiting and start belonging!
Worshiping
From Watching to Worshiping
The second week we spoke of Tommy – Thomas the apostle – who upon seeing the resurrected Lord fell to his knees and cried out, “My Lord and My God.”
Every one of us needs to worship Jesus as Lord. Our desire is that you’ll stop watching and start worshiping!
Growing
From Seeking to Following
Peter (not Petey!) – in his growth as a disciple moved through four distinct decisions leading to real change in his life. Each built on the foundation of the last as he eventually became a sold-out radical dynamic follower of Jesus.
All of the teaching, preaching, and studies we do here at MCC are designed to help you transform from a seeker into a follower of Jesus.
Serving
From Consumer to Contributor
Today we speak of James and John (not Jimmy and Johnny – You just don’t call the “sons of thunder”, Jimmy and Johnny, now do you!!) – These two apostles who were among the closest of Jesus followers and friends.
Why do we speak of them today? Let’s look at their lives and see how they became servants of the Lord Jesus. We will see how Jesus changed them from the type of men who proudly demanded, “What can I get!” and instead made them into the kind of men who humble bowed before the Lord and whispered “What can I give?”
Let’s read together in Matthew 20. We’ll start in verse 20…
Reaching
From Transformed to Transforming
They Wanted the Best Seats…
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
21 “What is it you want?” he asked.
She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”
Matthew 20:20-21
Let’s camp here for a few minutes…
James & John were called the “sons of thunder” which ought to tell you something about their explosive natures. These guys were brothers and were likely extremely competitive – and they had a were being pushed by their stage mom – Zebedee’s wife. They had to have their stage mom ask Jesus for the best seats in His coming kingdom.
This passage illustrates something that I keep telling people: that the Bible deals with stuff that you and I deal with all the time.
In this case, it’s two guys whose ambitions clouded the really important stuff. You gotta admit – this doesn’t put James and John in the best light, does it? And now we’ve got this eternal record of these guys and their mom asking for special favors, and the rest of the gang jumping all over them for it.
I don’t know about you, but I’d just as soon that everyone forgot when I did things that were embarrassing, how about you?
But James and John have this hanging over their heads forever. And I think it adds credibility to James and John, because we get to see what God does in them, especially after the resurrection. It also adds to the credibility of the Bible, because it doesn’t hide the failings of these guys who were two of the leading apostles. To me this is just more proof of the reliability of this book! It tells the whole truth – even when it isn’t pretty. I mean if I was the author it would have been easy to leave out this part of the story!
One thing that no one can accuse the Bible of is painting everyone with a spiritual gloss. It tells us all the time about how some of the great people of God fell on their faces. Guys like David, Abraham, and Peter. Guys who blew it big-time. People like you and me.
I don’t think there is anyone here who loves to be unappreciated and ignored, right? I think that all of us can identify somewhat with James and John here. They wanted what they thought they had coming to them.
They had a legitimate reason to think like this…
They Were Promised Great Rewards
27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
28 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Matthew 19:27-28
These guys and their mom came to Jesus with the idea that they could secure one of the “sweet seats” next to Jesus. In their defense, back in chapter 19, Jesus told the disciples that they would sit on thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel, and James and John were hoping to get the best of the thrones.
These were two of Jesus’ closest disciples, with only Peter being equal to them in terms of access to Jesus and in time with Him away from all the others.
Sometimes Jesus would take these three away to be with Him while the others were left behind. They were part of the inner circle. Peter, James, and John got to witness Jesus raising a young girl from the dead and to witness His miraculous transfiguration in the presence of the great OT prophets. So it might be understandable that they would think that Jesus might have a special place for them.
James and John thought they had the inside track to glory, so they probably thought, “Let’s kinda sidle up next to Jesus and ask Him for the reward we deserve. They were a little uncomfortable with the idea of how to put the key question so one of them said, “I know, let’s bring Mom!”
And who better to have to do the asking than Mom? It’s possible that she may have even been Jesus’ aunt, one of Mary’s sisters. So there’s another connection they might be able to take advantage of. And besides, who’s going to turn down the mommy of two of His favorite disciples, right?
Well, they’re about to find out that even Mom can’t get their boys everything. Jesus is about to teach them a lesson that would turn their definitions of greatness and significance on their heads.
But before He does that, He asks them a question…
The Servant Does not Determine the Reward
22 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”
“We can,” they answered.
23 Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”
Matthew 20:22-23
"Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?"
The “cup” Jesus is referring to here is the cup of suffering. It’s the cup that He asked the Father to take away from Him. He was asking them if they were up to the task of suffering on His behalf. They answered that they were.
And they both would. James was the first apostle martyred, and John would suffer exile. About AD 42, shortly before Passover (Acts 12), James was beheaded by order of King Herod Agrippa I. John writes in Revelation that he was on the island of Patmos (near Ephesus) where he was exiled for the remainder of his life. So they think they’re qualified, maybe, to have those seats next to Jesus.
It is from these first verses that we find the first lesson we can learn from Jesus: THE SERVANT DOES NOT DETERMINE THE REWARD – GOD DOES!
There is no denying that these fellas had worked hard. They had completed the assignments Jesus had given them, and they had success in them. They were high-profile guys who thought they should have a high-profile reward. But like the workers in the parable of the vineyard, James and John were going to get what the Father had determined, not what they thought they had earned for their service.
In truth, Jesus’ answer here shows that He Himself was submissive to His Father’s authority. He says throughout Scripture that He had come to earth not to do His will, but the Father’s. And that included who would get what rewards in the end.
We are Servants of God
“7 “Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8 Would he not rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9 Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ ”
Luke 17:7-10
Putting others and their needs ahead of your own is what God honors. Going about the Father’s business without regard to earthly recognition or honor. We are simply servants and we do our duty. Jesus in Luke 17:7-10 said, “7 “Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8 Would he not rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9 Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ ”
Let me encourage you with something here. You may never get the kind of recognition or applause that you might like or that you see others getting for doing the same kind of work.
But Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount that the Father sees what is done in secret. In other words, God is aware of what you do, even if others aren’t.
As Rick Warren says, “There are 750 Halls of Fame in America and 450 Who’s Who Publications, but you won’t find many real servants in those places. Notoriety means nothing to real servants because they know the difference between prominence and significance.” You are never more like God than when you serve.
Rick Warren. Purpose Driven Life. Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids Michigan. 2002, pg. 263.
And I want you to notice something about Jesus’ answer: Jesus didn’t ridicule James and John for asking, even though He denied their request. It’s an illustration of the fact that we can feel free to ask God for anything, but He might say no. God wants to give us what is best for us, not just what we want.
(Life Application New Testament Commentary.)
Here’s the second lesson we can learn from this conversation:
God puts Great Significance on Serving
24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20:24-28
Jesus started by discussing what they already knew: that the order of things in earthly kingdoms was greatness was bestowed on the rulers and high officials.
And then he mentioned that in God’s kingdom, it’s entirely the opposite: greatness is bestowed in the servants.
The true leader places his or her needs last, as Jesus exemplified in his life and in his death.
Being a “servant” doesn’t mean occupying a servant-type position; instead, it means having an attitude of life that attends to others’ needs without expecting or demanding anything in return.
Servant leaders realize that they’re not above any job. Seeking honor, respect, and the attention of others runs contrary to Jesus’ requirements for his servants. Jesus is describing leadership from a new perspective. Instead of using people, we are to serve them.
(Life Application New Testament Commentary)
This is simply part of growing up!
SOMEONE HAS TO GROW UP “We’re all selfish. Selfish to the core. God sometimes chooses to deal with our selfishness by giving us someone to care for who is infinitely more selfish than you. Babies are not only the cutest creatures on the face of the earth, they are by far the most selfish. Farrar goes on to write: “The way God deals with my own selfishness is to give me someone to serve who has zero interest in serving me. You can’t tell me that God doesn’t have a sense of humor. Not too many people in the world could out-selfish me one-on-one. But every time we’ve had a baby, I’ve met my match. Each of my kids resembled me. I don’t mean they looked like me, I mean they were as selfish as me. That meant that somebody in the family was going to have to grow up. Guess who was nominated?"
SOURCE: Steve Farrar in Point Man.
Greatness in the kingdom is found in being a servant for the kingdom.
And often that service is rendered in areas that bring little attention, like serving in the nursery.
Elmer Towns tells about a member of a motorcycle gang who was converted to Jesus Christ dramatically and the first Sunday he did the only thing he knew he should do and so he went to church. Nobody in the church knew him and he w...(more)alked down to the second aisle and sat in the seat. And the people stared because he looked the part; big burly, bearded, long hair, black jacket, tattoos. It came announcement time and the minister got up and made an appeal for nursery workers. He said, “We need someone to work in the nursery.” But no one would volunteer. He asked a second time, “We really need someone to go be with our kids.” But no one would volunteer. And the cyclist prayed, “Lord, I want to do what you want me to do and if you want me to go work in nursery just have the preacher ask a third time.” And a third time the preacher said, “Please we need someone to work in the nursery.” And the cyclist raised his hand, nodded his head and started toward the nursery… and immediately 50 mothers followed volunteering to work in the nursery.
(SermonCentral.com. Contributed by: Aaron Burgess)
Hmmm… I need to mention this to our Dave Costa, our Children’s Minister. We could call up rent-a-biker and who knows… It could be a great recruiting tool!
Serving Others is the Highest Honor you can Give God
10 For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do.
Hebrews 6:10
I SAW JESUS LAST WEEK
I saw Jesus last week. He was wearing blue jeans and an old shirt. He was up at the church building; He was alone and working hard. For just a minute he looked a little like one of our members. But it was Jesus,I could tell by his smile.
I saw Jesus last Sunday. He was teaching a Bible class. He didn’t talk real loud or use long words, But you could tell he believed what he said. For just a minute, he looked like my Sunday School teacher. But it was Jesus,I could tell by his loving voice.
I saw Jesus yesterday. He was at the hospital visiting a friend who was sick. They prayed together quietly. For just a minute he looked like Brother Jones. But it was Jesus,I could tell by the tears in his eyes.
I saw Jesus this morning. He was in my kitchen making my breakfast and fixing me a special lunch. For just a minute he looked like my mom. But it was Jesus,I could feel the love from his heart.
I see Jesus everywhere, Taking food to the sick, Welcoming others to his home, Being friendly to a newcomer and for just a minuteI think he’s someone I know. But it’s always Jesus,I can tell by the way he serves.
May someone see Jesus in you today.
~~Author Unknown~~
Jake Speraw – Caught him dragging desk down the hallway. died on his back steps after he mowed his and his neighbors lawn.
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