You Have To Serve Somebody Series

At a 1999 conference in Houston, speaker Marti Ensign, a missionary to Africa, spoke of bringing some African pastors to the United States for a big meeting.

During their free time, these Africans wanted to go shopping, but Marti knew there was a chance someone might have difficulty or get lost. So she gave them her phone number for such an emergency. In less than an hour the phone rang and the African said, “I am lost.”

Marti said, “Lay the phone down, go to the street corner, find out the names of the two streets at the corner, come back and tell me, and I will come and get you.”

In a few minutes he returned to the phone and reported, “I am at the corner of ‘Walk’ and ‘Don't Walk.’” (Phillip Gunter, Round Rock, Texas, www.PreachingToday.com)

There are times when people feel like they’re at the same corner. They find themselves lost and don’t know which way to go. Sometimes, they don’t even know whether they should walk or stay put. So what do you do at those times? What do you do when you don’t know what to do?

That may have been the situation when Jesus told a couple of disciples to go into town and get Him a donkey. Take a look. (Show The Disciples and the Donkey Skit Guy video)

Disciple 2: Look, this is a no brainer. We do exactly what he said. Go into town, find the donkey and her colt and we take—

Disciple 1: (grabs Disciple 2’s arm) I just don’t understand why Jesus asked us to commit a crime. We’re supposed to steal a donkey.

Disciple 2: What? No! Not steal. Borrow.

Disciple 1: Just casually stroll up, untie the donkey and—

Disciple 2: —say exactly what he told us to say—

Disciple 1: —that the Lord has need of it and will—

Disciple 2: —send it back shortly.

Disciple 1: What does that even mean? The Lord has need of it.

Disciple 2: It’s self-explanatory. Why are you being so…so…

Disciple 1: So, me? We all know I’m the rule follower of the bunch. Why didn’t he send Peter?

Disciple 2: (under his breath) I’m asking myself the same question.

Disciple 1: (ranting on) This is right up Peter’s alley. Steal a donkey, cause an uprising. That’s his thing. Peter’s the reason they chain pens at the bank.

Disciple 2 just looks at him. There are no words.

Disciple 1: I DON’T WANNA GO TO JAIL! You know how I feel about one-ply toilet paper.

Disciple 2: Would you lower your voice?! Jesus said we’ll return it. What could go wrong here?

Disciple 1: What could go wrong? A cracked rib. A busted lip. The kind of name calling that takes you into therapy down the road.

Disciple 2: (losing it) Stop freaking out! Just stop it! Stop it! Stop talking! Stop whining! Stop all of it!

Disciple 1: I mean…not judging here but there seems to be a log in your eye.

Disciple 2 grabs Disciple 1 by the collar and shakes him.

Disciple 2: You have trust issues! Serious trust issues!

Disciple 1: Do you know how many germs are in a jail cell???

Disciple 2: (still high strung) Look! I don’t know why he wants the donkey. I also don’t know why everyone is gathering branches and lining the streets. It just seems like an important moment, like something big is about to happen!

Disciple 1: Wait a minute.

They stop.

Disciple 2: (excited) Right? See…?

Disciple 1: What do you mean, I have trust issues?

Disciple 2: Fine. Sure. We’ll focus on you. Here it is. We’ve seen Jesus heal a blind man. Cure leprosy. Raise people from the dead. The dead. I can’t even raise you from a nap. Don’t you think you can trust him to work out the donkey situation?

Disciple 1: (he’s slowly getting it) You know…I see the way Jesus trusts the Father. (points up) He trusts Him more than I trust the ground I’m standing on. (emotional beat) To have that kind of trust… hard to imagine.

Disciple 2: But if you’re going to trust anyone, He’s the one, right?

Disciple 1 smiles and nods. He’s come around.

Disciple 1: Let’s do this. I’m ready. We got this. (beat) You go first.

Disciple 2: (patting him on the back) Baby steps.

They walk a little bit.

Disciple 1: Hey, when we get there and we grab said donkey, maybe I could leave a Benjamin—

Disciple 2: No.

Disciple 1: A 20 spot?

Disciple 2: No.

Disciple 1: A thank you card.

Disciple 2: Stop it. (walks off )

Disciple 1: (it hurts, but…) Alright, I’ll trust Him!

That’s the real dilemma, isn’t it? What do you do with Jesus? Do you trust Him enough to obey Him, or do you do what YOU think is best?