Radiating Christ In A Darkened World

Radiating Christ in a Darkening World

Scripture Reading

Mark 10: 35 - 45

35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38 Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Introduction:

• Next Sunday is Serve Sunday. We will meet here at 9:15 am for a worship service. 9:45 – 10:00 am we will meet with your project team and head out to the various sites. At noon you will wrap things up and come back to the church for a pizza lunch at approximately 12:15pm and then head home.

• If you have a Pleasant View We Care shirt wear it next week. I have a few left for our newer people who may not have a shirt

• This message is the understanding and motivation for why we go out to our community and serve

o This is not an evangelistic event. I call this a pre- evangelistic event

 7 touches with a Christian and the Gospel before someone comes to Christ

 There is a process that one moves through for most people to become a Christian

o This is not intended to have anyone come to our church as a result of it.

o The purpose of Serve Sunday is to give back to our community and serve with no strings attached.

 Last year Bob Danielson led a man to Christ at Riverview Manor. That was icing on the cake

 If someone comes to our church as a result of our serving in the community that is great.

 There are times the church just needs to practice being the church beyond the walls out in the community and this is our time and way of doing it.

• Most churches are viewed by non- Christ followers as a place that wants you to join and give them money

• Some view churches as isolation islands not connected to the real world.

 Next week it will take real love and commitment to go out and dig in the dirt or wash machines at the YMCA or bake cookies for the Clarrisa C. Cook Hospice Center. Or to pick up trash at a number of places.

 We are asking those who can to go out into the neighborhood and do physical labor and those who are unable we things for you

 Read off the projects.

• Pleasant Valley High School – mulch and pick up trash

• Pleasant View Elementary School – various projects

• Hoover Elementary School – landscape project

• YMCA – plant flowers and cleans mirrors and machines

• IMHC – Bingo

• Riverview Manor – service

• Clean up Crow Creek Road

• Prayer Team

• Cookies for the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice Center

Illustration: A Sunday School teacher told her class of 2nd graders the story found in Luke 16 of the Rich man and Lazarus. How that when they were here upon the earth the rich man had everything that money could buy and poor Lazarus had to beg for mere crumbs. But when they died, the rich man due to his selfishness went to a place of horrible torment while Lazarus went to a place of paradise. In conclusion, the teacher asked her students the question: "Now, which man would you rather be, Lazarus or the rich man?" One little boy’s hand shot up immediately and he said, "Well, while I’m alive I want to live like the rich man, but when I die I want to be like Lazarus."