CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP CALLS FOR SERVICE
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."
What does it mean when you say, "This restaurant has bad service"? What does that mean? It means that they put a big plate of food in front of you, but you have no silverware on the table. The waitress is nowhere to be found, and you look at the empty table behind you - no one's looking - and so you get up and take the silverware from that table and move it to your table. Is that OK to do? Have you ever done that before? Bad service. You order a hamburger and fries but there's no ketchup on the table, and the waitress is somewhere far away, and the restaurant is full, so finally you look at the table across the aisle and say, "Hey, can we borrow your ketchup?" Have you ever begged for ketchup at a restaurant before? That's bad service. You're dying of thirst, and they don't bring you anything to drink - but you can see through the door where the soda dispenser are by the waitress station, so finally you get up yourself and go into the kitchen and fill up your own cup - and the waitress sees you standing there and asks you why you're doing that. Have you ever experienced bad service before?
Have you ever go to church and thought to yourself, they have good service here at this church. The sermon was good for me, made me laugh, made me cry. The music was good for me - gave me a boost. The people were nice to me. The bulletin was easy for me to follow. Good service.
Do you look at religion that way? It's all about me! Some churches try to appeal to the me-mentality of our culture with the way they advertise - come to our church, and we'll give you a better marriage. Come to our church, the billboard says, and we'll give you better finances. There's a church that recently jumped on the physical fitness bandwagon - come to our church, and we'll help you lose weight and get some muscle tone - after all - it's all about you.
Is it really all about you? Today Jesus tells us that religion, church, really, our relationship with God, is not all about us. Today Jesus turns the arrow away from self, and points the arrow to service. It's not about me, it's about magnifying God, it's not about taking, it's about making disciples. Today as we consider stewardship, the use of our time and talents and treasures, let's listen to the words of Jesus, as he teaches us that stewardship calls for a heard of service.
Jesus says: "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." Why did Jesus say that? He was talking to his disciples, and they had very self-centered reasons for following Jesus. They thought Jesus was going to overthrow the Roman government and set up a Jewish kingdom that would rule the world, and that they would be in charge, with Jesus Christ. They were looking forward to the fame, the power, the wealth, the honor. It was all about them. Their eyes were on themselves - me me me.
Jesus told them to stop thinking this way: "Even the Son of Man did not come to be served," he said. Even the Son of Man - if anybody ought to be served, it should be Jesus Christ - he's God, he deserves the worship, the praise, the honor, the riches - he deserves the attention - but that's not why I have come, Jesus said. His eyes were not on himself.
Are your eyes on yourself? Don't we all struggle with a self-centered mentality toward following God? We pray to him the most passionately when we want something, when we want God to fix something - my prayers are all about me. We come to God's house, and it's all about me - how I feel. We meet people, and we say to ourselves, what can that person do for me? There's an activity and they're looking for volunteers - well, what's in it for me? We struggle, don’t we, with this sin of self-centeredness.
Why does God give you life? Why does God give you talents and abilities - is it all about you? He gives you time. He gives you money. It might feel like these things come from your own efforts, but you know as well as I do that at any moment your ability to work or walk or even think could be taken away from you in an instant - why does God give you time and money and everything else - is all for you to use for yourself? You just can't stop looking in the mirror. You just can't stop thinking about using your money and time and abilities for you - do you struggle with that sin?
What does Jesus say? "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Why didn't Jesus tell the blind and sick and lame to bow down and worship him? Because he was too busy healing them. Why didn't Jesus tell the 5000 to bring him some food after he preach the Sermon on the Mount to them? Because he was too busy serving them food to the point that they were all full. Why didn't Jesus relax on a throne and tell his followers to entertain him? Because he was too busy exhausting himself as he taught them parable after parable. Why didn't Jesus ask the waiter at the Lord's Supper to bring him more wine, more bread? He was too busy, on his hands and knees, washing the feet of his disciples.
Jesus serves. He sees his life on earth as an opportunity to bless others. His eyes are not on himself. His eyes are on the people in his life. And he asks himself, "What can I give them? How can I help them? What can I do for them to bring them closer to God?
Isn't it amazing, that the one who is pure and holy serves sinners like you and me? Do you know what the biggest act of service is, in the history of the world? Some talk about Bill Gates and how his foundation gives billions of dollars for good causes. Some talk about people like Mother Theresa who spend their lives taking care of poor sick orphans. But the biggest act of service is what has happened to you. Jesus has taken away your sin, all your selfishness is forgiven and gone, paid for by Jesus Christ on the cross. He gave his life for you - Do you realize that you will never experience a greater act of service in your life than what Jesus has done for you?
Today, Jesus invites you to go and serve others. Do you know what's ugly in the eyes of God? It's when a person is using what they have just for themselves. Do you know what's beautiful in the eyes of God? It's when he watches you serve another person. Jesus says, here, take this - he gives you talents and abilities - and he watches you use them, not for yourself, but for someone else, and it the eyes of God, what you're doing is beautiful.
Here, take this Jesus says. He gives you your money, your ability to make a living. And he watches you use that money, not just for yourself, but for someone else. And it brings joy to God.
We'll always struggle with a sinful nature that wants to be selfish. That will never go away. And at times we will get tired of serving others - it can be exhausting, serving selfish people. Sometimes you feel drained, you wonder why you are doing this - you look in the mirror and start to feel sorry for yourself. Stop looking in the mirror, and look instead into the face of Jesus, and see how he loves you and serves you. See how he forgives you and blesses you. Listen to him as he calls you to go and serve others.
You ever see those labels that people put on birthday presents or Christmas presents - the label always has two parts. First of all, "To: blank" and secondly "From: blank." Do you realize that when God gives you something - the label on the present has three parts - Part one - "To You" - Then - "From God" and then there's the third part - "For others" - the gifts God has given to you - your time, your talents, your treasures - they are from God, to you, and for others. For your spouse. Your children and family. For your church. Your school. For your community. Your world. You and I exist, not to be served, but to serve, just as Jesus served us.
You enter into the restaurant of Jesus Christ, and it says, for perfect people only. And you look at yourself and see that you're covered in sin. "Come in," Jesus says. He sees your sin and he gives you a perfect robe of righteousness, and it covers all your sins - they disappear. "Follow me," he says, and he brings you to the best table in his restaurant. He gives you the menu - it's all too expensive - you'll never be able to afford even an appetizer. And Jesus tells you that it's all on the house - he's paid for it already - he gave his life as a ransom for your sins. Even though he is God, his eyes are on you, serving you. I don't think you'll have to hunt for your own silverware or beg the next table for your ketchup.
As Jesus has served you. may God bless you with a spirit that keeps the eyes off of self, and is focued on serving others. Amen.
