Sermon Central
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Session 10 "From Served To Serving” Series
Contributed by Rik Wadge on Dec 18, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: Week 10 0f 13
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.
