Series: How to improve your serve?
Thesis: As Christians we are called to be servants! Yes, I said the “s” word “servants” – for many this term seems to imply to some – a slave, a person lacking self-esteem, someone of lower class, a person crushed in spirit, a person with low self-worth. But Jesus (The Great I Am) came to serve and so should we.
Scripture Texts:
Philippines 2:4-8 (NIV)
4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!
Introduction:
Last week I shared how I had to get good at improving my serve so I could become a better racquet ball player. I demonstrated by hitting the ball into you the audience to make a point to you that you would not forget. When I did this, in practice and in service. I hit the two chandeliers – up there in front of the balcony – and one ball bounced out of the balcony and hit Nancy in the head – my illustration did not go as I planned but I think you will remember that illustration for a longtime – so today I will not be hitting any racquet balls – I desire to prevent any more damage to the chandeliers or people – but I would like you to know that I did warn you last week in my sermon that Christianity is dangerous and not always safe! The same could be said about Sunday service at CHC 😊.
But my point in sharing this illustration was: If I wanted to improve my racquet ball game. This meant I had to improve my serve. To improve my serve took commitment, repetition, training, practice, and hard work to improve it.
I also shared last week that Jesus had an awesome serve in the game of life – It was miraculous and powerful serve and Jesus hit the ball with divine power smoking it past all who even tried to return His serve! His serve defeated the great deceiver and won back a host of people for God. Jesus instructed us through his life and ministry that we too need to serve God by loving Him and loving our neighbors. So, we all need to take the challenge to improve our serves. Why serve? So we can see changed lives and neighborhoods for the Kingdom of the Lord!
Quote Swindoll:
He states, “Listen as He declares His primary reason for coming: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). No mumbo jumbo. Just straight -from-the shoulder admission. He came to serve and to give. It makes sense, then to say that God desires the same for us” (Page 18).
Why improve our serve today? Because our Covid world has caused even more and more people to disconnect from each other – it has caused Churches and organizations to lose volunteer people who are willing to serve others like never before. Our impersonal world is causing more distance than ever – we have the highest rate of suicide ever – highest rate of mental health problems, depression, hopelessness and so I see the need is greater than ever to start serving again. We need to be the church and be like Jesus by choosing to improve our serve by serving others: More than ever before we need to commit to work on improving our serve in the following areas:
1. We need to improve our serve with God!
2. We need to improve our serve in our community!
3. We need to improve our serve in the workplace!
4. We need to improve our serve in church and in other ministries!
5. We need to improve our serve in our families!
Observation: Nancy MacRitchie funeral Tuesday night lessons learned! Serving makes a difference in people’s lives!
Study: UNSELFISH AND HAPPY: A fascinating study on the principle of the Golden Rule was conducted by Bernard Rimland, director of the Institute for Child Behavior Research. Rimland found that "The happiest people are those who help others." Each person involved in the study was asked to list ten people he knew best and to label them as happy or not happy. Then they were to go through the list again and label each one as selfish or unselfish, using the following definition of selfishness: a stable tendency to devote one’s time and resources to one’s own interests and welfare--an unwillingness to inconvenience one’s self for others." In categorizing the results, Rimland found that all of the people labeled happy were also labeled unselfish. He wrote that those "whose activities are devoted to bringing themselves happiness...are far less likely to be happy than those whose efforts are devoted to making others happy" Rimland concluded: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." SOURCE: Martin & Diedre Bobgan, How To Counsel From Scripture, Moody Press, 1985, p. 123. CITATION: Rimland, ’The Altruism.
Sermon 2: How to improve your serve in your community!
Thesis: To improve our serve in our community means we have to learn to become good neighbors. Being a good neighbor means knowing your neighbors name and some of their current story! It means changing the way we live and changing our behavior on how we approach those around us in our neighborhood. God has planted us in our neighborhoods for a purpose and reason.
Video Illustration: The Art of Neighboring
Clip #1: The Art of Neighboring by Jay and Dave
Clip #2: The Story behind the door!
Illustration Handout: “Who is my neighbor” chart!
Diagram from The Art of Neighboring instructions:
Using the diagram on the screen and the handout you received please fill it out the names of your neighbors and on a scale of 1-10 write how connected you are in your current neighborhood to them?
a. Please fill in the names of your neighbors now if you can.
i. This exercise is not designed to make you feel guilty – it’s designed to help us understand how well we are connecting in our community: By the way only 10% of the population in the USA can fill this out completely.
ii. So, step one is evaluate the chart and recall names – fill in as many names as possible.
b. Second tell a story about each neighbor you know – one sentence will do – do you know their stories?
c. Third ask God to highlight one of your neighbors you don’t know to pray for and to open up a divine connection with the next few weeks:
i. This connection can be:
1. Introducing yourself – getting their name.
2. Could be just talking about lawns – weather – job?
3. Maybe bring them cookies?
4. Maybe invite them over for dinner?
5. Maybe just learn their name?
6. Maybe ask how their summer went?
7. Find a way to connect!
Introduction:
I was first introduced to this chart at a Midwest Pastors Retreat for the Vineyard movement a few years back and Jay Pathak was the speaker – Jay is the new head of the Vineyard today. But he shared a passion of his to us, he wanted us pastors to get our church body and ourselves back to connecting with our neighborhoods. He stressed this is the best way to serve our communities and see positive change in our communities!
In chapter One of the book “The Art of Neighboring” Dave Runyon shared how he gathered twenty pastors together to strategize how to reach their communities and they invited their local mayor to come speak to them – they wanted him to give them ideas of what to do for the city, The Mayor stated this to the pastors, “The majority of the issues that our community is facing would be eliminated or drastically reduced if we could just figure out a way to become a community of great neighbors” (Page 19).
All the pastors felt like they heard this before – then it dawned on them Jesus said that we are to Love God and Love our neighbors as ourselves. Talk about a wake up call he said! Some thought maybe we need to go back and read Jesus teaching again about being a “Great Neighbor!” Jesus talked about its importance rating it second to loving God! He talked about what a good neighbor is in the parable of the “Good Samaritan” too. Maybe if we want to make a difference in serving our community, we go do what Jesus said to do thousands of years ago. Love God and then Love your neighbor – no matter who he or she is!
But changing our behavior is really hard – would you agree with me? Why, because our motivations and desires need to change with our behavior! Only Jesus can help us with that! It takes time and effort to become a good neighbor like Jesus talked about in the Bible. So, I believe we need to ask God to give us hearts of empathy for our neighbors and be intentional about reaching our neighbors.
T.S. – Maybe it’s time to choose the Jesus approach to life? Which is the lifestyle of being a Good Neighbor!
1. Jesus said Love God and Love your neighbor!
a. Matthew 22:36-40: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
i. All the commandments are summarized in these two commands of Jesus - simple and clear!
1. Love God
2. Love your Neighbor!
3. Jesus made it clear we are to do two things: “Love God and Love your neighbor!
a. Please say it with me “We are to Love God and love our neighbor!”
b. Pretty straight forward command from Jesus on connection with God and those around us. So, what holds us back from doing this effectively? Any ideas?
i. Fear - can be a factor!
1. The news makes people fear their neighbors – they have germs – sick minds – twisted thinking!
a. Have you ever watched news or read something on the internet which is about a psycho neighbor and then you start wondering if one of them lives on your street? You actually have people start coming to the forefront of your mind.
i. How many remember the movie “The Burbs” with Tom Hanks?
b. By the way - to be honest - your neighbors are wondering the same about you!
i. Just saying!
ii. They may have you pegged as a crazy Christian or a cult member?
2. What makes people afraid of others – well for the most part it is the unknown – especially when it comes to the disappearing or the non-appearing neighbors!
a. You know the ones you seldom see? The ones who dress and look different.
ii. Rejection - could be the reason you choose to ignore your neighbors.
1. Maybe you had a bad experience with your neighbors.
a. Share about dogs and the new backyard neighbor!
2. Maybe past experiences with neighbors led to them rejecting you, hurting you so you refuse to get hurt again. So, you shutdown pull away and pretend they are not there!
iii. Apathy – maybe you really don’t care about your neighbor – and you don’t care Jesus talked about this.
1. The truth is we just don’t care about them – please remember Jesus died for them and for you. He wants us to love our neighbors!
iv. Busyness – I think is the biggest most common reason.
1. I think this is the biggest hinderance today in connecting with our neighbors!
a. We make ourselves too busy!
b. Jay says, “This is the number one obstacle to neighboring – yes it is - that thing called time!”
c. The truth is our lives are jam packed already – right? Some would even say I have enough relationships – I have no more time for any more relationships – let alone my neighborhood.
i. We live in a technological world which tells me all these things will save us time! Jay says, “Today we have more time-saving devices at our disposal than any generation in the history of the world, yet we feel as though we have less and less time to get things done.”
1. This is a dangerous way to life – it’s a disease a sickness says John Ortberg!
2. People who live like this believe in 3 lies says Jay:
a. Lie #1: Things will settle down someday! We convince ourselves “if I can just get through next Wednesday – then everything will be easier – but it never happens.
b. Lie #2: More will be enough! With this lie we convince ourselves that were just one more purchase away from contentment! But that content purchase does not come even after 50!
c. Lie #3: Everybody lives like this! This lie makes us believe that being overly busy is simply a way of life in our culture. No everyone does not live like this (page 45-46).
i. Jesus did not live like this – he was never hurried or frantic!
1. Jesus modeled the lifestyle of saying no to being busy and he focused on the things that are really important - people!
ii. The truth is Jesus always stopped his plan or agenda for others in need – Jay notes the following:
1. As Jesus was walking along one day, a blind man yelled at Jesus to have mercy on him. The disciples considered the blind man a distraction. But Jesus stopped, talked to the man, and healed him (page 50).
2. Another time Jesus welcomed little children onto his lap, even though the disciples thought the kids were keeping him from more pressing matters (page 50).
3. In yet another instance, Jesus was called on to heal an important official’s daughter. As he headed down the road to the official’s house, a woman with a health problem got his attention, and he stopped and healed her (page 50)
v. Other reasons you can think of which keep us from being Good Neighbors?
2. So, what happens if everyone decides not to love their neighbors or the opposite to love their neighbors?
a. You might see it in neighborhoods all over the country – maybe even yours? The neighborhood with no one being good neighbors – what does it look like – feel like?
i. Isolation – We all live lonely lives not knowing each other! But the mindset becomes everyone for themselves others don’t have value – they are the no-names.
ii. Fear takes root – Everyone who is isolated and withdrawn start looking at their neighbors differently – they become wary of them -suspicious of them – remember whatever is unknown is scary – people will not think the best about you as the unknown – they will only think and imagine the worst!
iii. Misunderstandings – when we do not know each other it is easy to get the wrong idea about one another.
1. Throughout the Bible we are instructed to Love our neighbors – this is what builds community and empathy and passion for one another.
2. God is calling us today to Love our neighbor!
b. But what if your neighborhood decides to be good neighbors:
i. Connection happens – people caring for each other – doing life together. You talk to each other and learn each other’s story! You check on each other and help each other out.
1. Story of last winter with Cherly and the driveway!
ii. No more fear – but how about more love for each other – more understanding and empathy for each other.
iii. No more misunderstandings – you actually develop new friendships and connection with others.
1. You will soon discover that you get ministered too by your neighbors too! It is not a one way street.
c. Jesus told this story to define what a good neighbor is:
i. The Parable of the Good Samaritan:
1. Luke 10:25-37:
a. 25And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” 27And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” 28And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” 29But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
b. The Good Samaritan: 30Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. 31“And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32“Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33“But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, 34and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35“On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ 36“Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” 37And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”
i. Did you notice that Scripture said the lawyer wanted to justify himself – by trying to redefine what a neighbor is?
ii. Have you in your head redefined what a neighbor is – so you don’t have to greet them – talk with them or connect with them?
1. So, you don’t have to listen to the Holy Spirit telling you to reach out and help them.
ii. The Story of Norman from Focus on the family: A Man called Norman!
1. Mike Adkins (evangelist, singer, traveling evangelist - worshipper) - “I did what everyone else did I ignored Him!” Story from 1984 on Focus on the Family – 40,000 copies sent out of this broadcast.
a. The story: We prayed to live were God wanted us too in our small town and he brought us to a neighborhood where we found a perfect house – we never bothered to notice the houses around us because we knew God gave us this house. But he also gave us a surprise – a haunted house type house which I thought was abandoned had someone living in it. It was the hermit, everyone knew in our town he was not all there, he would talk to himself as he walked around town. Yes, the crazy strange man came out of the house and he was an outcast of the town – when I saw him I discovered I lived across the street from weird Norman. I said really Lord! Lord I have daughters really Lord. He is dangerous! Lord why? (Focus on the Family).
b. He shares about his first encounter with Norman as he tried to cut his grass. The mower would not start so Norman would go screaming around the yard and he did this three times running toward me each time and stopping at the sidewalk. I heard the Lord say to me “Mike, go help Norman!” So, I listened to the Lord and went over to Norman, I said, “Norman are you having a problem with your lawnmower?” He repeated my sentence back to me! I said it again he repeated it back to me – so I just worked on his mower and got it running. Yes, I helped him with his lawnmower – it worked then he smiled with the biggest smile and the most green tooth I had ever saw in my life.
i. Share his story and the highlights of a friendship with Norman!
ii. Questions Mike asks at the end of the program.
1. Who do you know is lonely in your neighborhood?
2. Who is isolated because they are weird or different!
a. Did you know 60% of nursing homes receive no visitors!
i. Less rare today!
3. But suicide is at all time high today as well as mental health issues – and friendship could really help these people struggling!
c. Mike stated: “Many say they love God but they do not listen to Jesus to love their neighbor as themself!” “So do they really love God?”
i. Great question to ask ourselves!
d. The truth is we have to be intentional about loving our neighbors – Jesus told us this is one of the main things -actually number two on the list – we do have to improve our serves and do the main things – because they are connected together!
i. Quote Jay: “In this life, we can do only a few things really well; I think it’s a good idea to make certain that one of those things is what Jesus says is most important” (Page 50).
1. Love God and Love our neighbors!
ii. To be good neighbors means we have to make the choice to do it! It means being intentional about how we use our time.
iii. If we want more time to do the Jesus stuff – it may mean we need to lose some of the time stealers in our lives.
1. Less tv, less video games!
a. Jay says, “these pastimes are not evil just useless” (Page 55).
2. You don’t have to do all the sports!
3. Learn to be interruptible in your life like Jesus!
4. Just practice the Art of neighboring – start slow and you will get better at it!
3. How should we interact with our community?
a. The importance of community is found over and over in Acts! Look at Acts 17! Notice the 2 responses in each community – Some believed – some rejected and even got hostile!
i. Paul at Thessalonica: 1Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” 4And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women. 5But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people.
ii. Paul at Berea: 10The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. 12Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men. 13But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds.
iii. Paul at Athens: 16Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. 17So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present. 18And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, “What would this idle babbler wish to say?” Others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming? 20“For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean.” 21(Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)
iv. Sermon on Mars Hill : 34But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.
1. This chapter as well as other chapters in the book of Acts describes how Paul and the other disciples impacted the communities they were led to by the Lord.
a. Sometimes your neighbors are receptive and other times hostile! But do you know how your neighborhood would respond to the Gospel through friendship evangelism?
2. There are lessons to be learned on how to be a good neighbor from Acts 17:
a. You have to know your neighbors connect with them.
b. Then you learn their story and share your story about Jesus.
c. Jay notes that, “God has a hand in determining where people live!
i. Don’t miss this point! Connect with your neighbors so you can share truth with them. It’s by design you live were you live.
d. He also notes: “Where we live isn’t all about us – sometimes God puts us in places so that those around us (our neighbors) can find Him!
i. Yes, some may be hostile but what about the ones who are receptive! Like shared in Acts 17?
b. Back to Matthew 20:25-28: “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. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - -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.”
i. The Jesus definition of neighbor is a mind-set that is focused on pleasing our Heavenly Father. His desires should come first in our life as we choose to serve Him. Then His desire should compel us out of Love to do what He is asking – which is to serve others.
1. Mother Teresa: “I belong to Jesus. He must have the right to use me without consulting me."
2. Clarification on being a good neighbor: Is it all about getting my neighbors saved and filled with the Holy Spirit?
a. Quote: “We don’t love our neighbors to convert them, we love them because we are converted” (p. 102).
b. The Holy Spirit wants to help us connect and we leave the results up to Him.
c. It’s not the perspective of others that the servants of Jesus follows but the voice of God Himself.
i. Col. 3:23-24: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.”
ii. Ephesians 6:7: “7Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.”
iii. Romans 12:11: “11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”
1. It’s not what my friends think I should do for God – it’s what God wants me to do that matters most.
2. A servant of Jesus should want to follow Jesus’ lead and His instructions on how to change lives and communities.
3. A servant leader should want to be a Good neighbor because they love God!
Conclusion:
What do we need to know from this message?
Answer: Jesus made it clear there are two big things we need to be doing as Christians 1. Love God 2. Love our neighbor as ourself! A very clear teaching and instruction which should impact our daily lives and choices.
Why do we need to know this?
Answer: I think most Christian make excuses as to who is and is not our neighbors to ignore Jesus’ command here. But we cannot love God and neglect our neighbors. The two go hand and hand!
What do we need to do?
Answer: We need to make the time to love our neighbors – we need to be intentional in reaching out to them. If we really love God we will do what he says!
Why do we need to do this?
Answer: Do you want to live in a great neighborhood? Then connect the neighborhood together!
