Seismic Shifts
Session 10 “From Served to Serving”
RBW (inspired from “seismic shifts” book)
+ Cannes Film Festival Video Clip: (50sec) children’s cancer video. Example of an act of unselfish service.
Not giving to get, just giving.
Congregational Scripture Reading:
+Mark 10:45 (NIV)
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.”
Prayer
The context here is the disciples, James and John, had just asked Jesus if one could sit on His right and the other on His left in the Kingdom of God. And this was Jesus’ reply to the whole group:
+Mark 10:42-45 (NIV)
42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 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.”
You see, the one who stands tallest in the Kingdom of Heaven is the one who stands on his knees. The one who recognizes his own humility… The one who considers others better than himself… The one who seeks to serve, not to be served. This is the one who looks, loves and lives like Jesus.
+Mother Teresa once said,
“We are all pencils in the hand of a writing God, who is sending love letters to the world.”
Teresa chose as her life’s calling not to be served, but to serve. She wanted to live like Jesus, so she chose to serve among the poorest in Calcutta, India.
You see, at this juncture in the disciples lives they still hadn’t gotten it. They were proud to be following in the footsteps of the Rabbi. They hadn’t made the shift from hearing His teachings to living His teachings; to becoming what He taught.
+Illustration: They were like the two shipwrecked men in a lifeboat. From their end of the boat, the two watched as those at the other end bailed frantically to keep the boat afloat. The one said to the other, “Thank God, the hole’s not on our end of the boat.”
It’s easy to say “that’s someone else’s job!” But, this Seismic Shift begs that each person ask the question, “what is my job?” and “Am I doing it?”
Jesus said,
+John 12:26 (NIV)
26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
The old story of the man who fell in the pit fits right here…
Illustration:
+The Man and the Pit
There was a man fell into a pit and couldn’t get himself out.
So, an empathetic person came along and said, "I feel for you down there."
An intelligent person walked by & said, "It’s logical that someone would fall down into that pit."
A religious person said, "Only bad people fall into pits."
A mathematician calculated the depth of the pit.
A news reporter wanted the exclusive story on the pit.
An IRS agent asked if he was paying taxes on the pit.
A self-pitying person said, "You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen my pit."
A fire-and-brimstone preacher said, "You deserve your pit."
A TV evangelist asked, “Did you bring your wallet into the pit?”
A psychologist noted, "Your mother and father are to blame for your being in that pit."
A therapist said, "Believe in yourself and you can get out of that pit."
"But, Jesus seeing the man, took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit."
+FOLLOWING JESUS REQUIRES SERVING!
Someone once said,
“God does not ask for your ability or your inability. He asks only for your availability.”
+Romans 1:9 (NIV)
9 God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you
+Galatians 5:13 (NIV)
13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
+1 Timothy 3:13 (NIV)
13 Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.
God will not look you over for your medals, or your degrees, or for your diplomas, God will look you over for your scars of service.
+The Church in America, for the most part, has become like the football team that instead of playing the game, they just met and huddled, discussing the intricacies of plays that in reality they would never attempt.
Q: Are you on the bench, in a huddle or in the game… playing to win?
Our author, Kevin Harney, in his book Seismic Shifts writes,
+ “Picture a church in which everyone wants to be served. Each person believes the church exists to meet their needs, to make them happy, and to cater to their whims and tastes. Imagine a congregation in which everyone has a “take care of me” attitude and is quick to complain whenever things are not just the way they feel they should be. Sadly, some people don’t have to use their imagination to picture such a church.
This kind of church will never have a positive impact on the world. It will grow small, inward, and unhealthy. This kind of church does not honor Jesus and bring glory to God. This is not a church ruled by a servant spirit.
Now imagine a church in which every single person has a passion to serve others. Think about what God could do through a group of people who are committed to sacrificial ministry to each other. These people know that the Holy Spirit has given each of them unique abilities (spiritual gifts) that are to be used for building up people and bringing glory to God. So they are purposeful about discovering their gifts and developing and using them.
What could God do through such a church?
We are either on the stretcher or helping carry it. There are times we need to be served. But most of the time, we are called to serve others. The bottom line is that God wants each of us to help carry people through their times of need. The church was never meant to be a bunch of people watching as a few exhausted workers strain to carry the burdens of a whole congregation… A church filled with people who serve will change the world.”
Illustration:
The disciples walked in, they had been waiting for this Passover meal. Surprisingly there was no paid servant greeting them at the door with a basin and towel to refresh their tired, dirty feet after the long journey. They filed in, hugged and reclined near the table. About half way through the dinner things got really weird. John records it,
+John 13:4-5 (NIV)
4 So he (Jesus) got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
+Luke 22:27 (NIV)
27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
+Philippians 2:3-8 (NIV)
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!
+Joshua 24:15 (NIV)
15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
“Everyday there are people around us with dirty feet, broken hearts, heavy burdens, and needs that we can help meet. It’s time to get a basin and a towel and start serving like Jesus.”
+Prayer: “God, this day make me a servant like Your Son Jesus!”
