Mark 9:30-37
God's purpose to Seek and Save that which is Lost.
The purpose of evangelism is to tell other about Christ, as someone told you.
Don’t wait till you are standing by someone’s casket and wondering if they are saved or not….Found out today, asked them today!!
The Purpose Of Service Is: Helping others
And when we help others, we help ourselves!!
We help ourselves to feel better about ourselves, to feel that we are needed and we all need that!
Welch Poet—David Whyte wrote-"I don’t want to have written on my tombstone,
when finally people struggle through the weeds, pull back the moss, and read the
inscription there: `He made his car payments!"
You were designed for more than that. God has a purpose for your life. And until you discover His purpose and follow through there will hole in your soul.
Service is easy to talk about but hard to do!
Joke- A middle aged man goes into the doctor's office for a check-up with a litany of complaints.
The doctor speaks to the man’s wife alone and says, "There is nothing the matter with your husband except stress. If you make a couple of meals for him a day, let him watch his sports. Do not complain to him too much or require him to listen. Limit his exposure to in-laws. Then, he’ll probably live another 20 years."
She returns to her husband’s side in the waiting room. He asks, "What did the doctor tell you?" "You are going to be die!"
Most people want to treat the Church like it is a clubhouse, where they merely pay their weekly dues, expecting rights and services to be rendered.
Instead of the Church being like a family, were we serve one another and those around us and in doing that we are serving God.
Verse 30-32·Jesus always wants His followers to count the cost…..BUYING A COW!
A thorn is something that you did not chose but a cross is something you pick up.
Verse 33-37-He did not rebuke them for their ambition.
It is in every human heart to succeed but He tells them how to acheive that!
This was totally different standard than the Jews had, they thought you were successful depend on how many people served you.
Greatness is not people serving you but you serving others.
We try to achieve greatness our own way and the results are like: l978 the army takes over the fire station in London, the rescue a cat and as they drive away waving goodbye they run over it.
William Barclay's statement about these verses: Now, a child has no influence at all. A child cannot advance a man‘s career, nor enhance a man's prestige. A child cannot give us things; it’s the other way around. A child needs things. A child must have things done for him. And so Jesus is saying, “If a man welcome the poor, ordinary people, the people who have no influence, and no wealth, and no power, the people who need things done for them, then he’s welcoming me. And more than that, he's welcoming God.
To be a servant means doing for others whether they can do for you!
That‘s being a servant of the Lord!
Remember this: We serve others. not because they are worth serving, but because Jesus is worth serving and we are doing in behalf and because of Him!
Jesus not only washed John's feet but also Judas's feet!
I love the story about the farmer who went to town to buy a new pickup truck. He had
seen the advertisements in the local paper about the low costs and factory rebates and
had decided it was nnally time to trade in his old clunker. After picking out the vehicle he
liked best, he proceeded to write a check. The salesman said, "Wait, l haven’t told you
the final price yet." The farmer said, “You advertised your price in the paper" "Yes,"
replied the salesman, "but that was for a basic pickup, all the options cost extra."
About six months later, the farmer got a phone call from that same salesman. lt seems hi
needed to buy a cow for his son’s agriculture project. The farmer assured him he had
several nice milk cows for sale for $500 each. The car dealer picked out the cow he
wanted and proceeded to write a check. The farmer said, "I haven’t told you the final
price yet" and handed him this bill:
Basic cow $500.00
Two-tone exterior 45.00
Extra stomach 75.00
Product storing equipment 60.00
Straw compartment 120.00
Four spigots @ $10 each 40.00
Leather upholstery 125.00
Dual horns 45.00
Automatic fly swatter 38.00
Fertilizer attachment 185.00
Grand Total 1233.00 ,
Whether you are buying a car or a cow, it’s always a good idea to count the
costs... to get down to the bottom line.
