TO SERVE JESUS
11/18/12 Ready, Set, GROW!!!
Facebook Question: What’s Hard about Serving Others?While preparing a sermon, a pastor named Kevin Miller posted a question to friends on Facebook: “What makes it hard for you to serve other people?”
They gave great answers, including:
“Serving is hard when it doesn’t fit in to my schedule or plan. Like when I want to go for a walk or take a long bath, but my aging parent needs me to sort their meds, run an errand, or simply be with them.”
“It’s hard when their need seems endless. I don’t want to risk helping/serving because I may get sucked in. Being swallowed up in the serving and not getting to be the me I think I am or should be.”
“There is such limited energy left after a demanding workday meeting our basic responsibilities (whether with young kids or in the corporate world). How do you balance the need for rest and self-care with serving others?”
But my favorite answer was this one: “What makes it hard to serve others? Others.”
Kevin Miller, Wheaton, Illinois
Being a servant is often a challenge. Sometimes it is fun, often it is simply hard.
Then, there are times when something motivates you to step up and really do a good job.
Supervisor’s Presence Changes Flight Attendants’ Service
I read about a man named Joe, an executive who did a lot of business traveling. One day when Joe was on a flight, he commented to himself, I cannot believe this flight crew. They are the most attentive, responsive flight crew that I’ve ever seen. So, toward the end of the flight, he stopped one of the flight crew members and said, “Excuse me, I don’t mean to bother you, but I fly a lot, and I have never seen a flight crew this. You are the most engaged, enthusiastic, service-oriented flight crew that I’ve ever seen.”
The flight attendant got a little smile on her face as she bent down and whispered to Joe, “Thank you, sir, but for that you can thank the woman seated back there in 12B. You see, sir, the woman in seat 12B is the head supervisor for all of the flight attendants for our airlines. And she’s on our flight!”
When we really know that Jesus is in our midst, that he is “on our flight”, it has a profound way of changing the way we serve other people.
http://www.preachingtoday.com/search/?searcharea=illustrations&type=keyword&keywordid=4174
African Proverb About How Everyone Can Make a Difference
If you think you are too small to make a difference, try spending the night in a closed room with a mosquito.
None of us are too small or insignificant to make a difference. Let’s talk about serving the Lord. With His help, we will make an impact.
Today we are going to use a chapter from Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi.
Philippians 3:1-21 NKJV
No Confidence in the Flesh
1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. 2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, 4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
There is a spiritual battle going on. It affected Paul so long ago. It still impacts the church today. Paul called them dogs - men who do evil. Paul experienced great grief in ministry because of those who misrepresented and distorted the message of Christ. He was also hurt by those who compromised their faith. Paul wasn’t afraid to accurately tell it like it is. Those who distort the truth, those who take the Bible out of context to make it say what they want it to say, are the enemy of God.
There are places where compromise is a good thing. But, not when it changes the message of the Bible. They fit into the category of those who do evil.
Keep the World Out of the Christian
“It’s not the ship in the water but the water in the ship that sinks it. So it’s not the Christian in the world but the world in the Christian that constitutes the danger.”
Evangelist and pastor J. Wilbur Chapman, 1859-1918
Men of Integrity May/June 2004
Yes, keep the world out of the Christian, don’t let the world take over. The world worships fame.
Integrity understands the necessity of rejecting popularity. One of the problems in our modern culture is the worship of popularity. If it is popular, it must be just fine. Many people live by opinion polls. But, truth is not decided by public opinion. They forget that the majority can be wrong.
Paul said that the things that had been so important to him he considered loss, worthless. It is more important to know and be connected to Christ. All the other things that seem so important will fade away.
As Paul matured in the faith, his love for Jesus, the church and the truth of salvation through faith was so intense that he boldly opposed all that perverted the truth. He expressed this in another letter.
Galatians 1:9 NKJV
As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
That is a powerful statement that those who preach another gospel would come under God’s curse, doomed to destruction.
Paul’s Desire to Serve Christ
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
A very important insight and goal: That I may gain Christ. Nothing else mattered to him. We see his heart and the core of Christianity.
This is a powerful desire for believers:
**To know Jesus, not just know about Him
**To experience His close presence
**To have His companionship in daily life
**To understand that anything else was garbage
**To comprehend His nature and character
**To have the Word of God revealed so it can be applied in life
**To follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance
**To fully identify with Jesus
Look at verse 10.
10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
I can’t imagine the power of resurrection. The power over death to bring life where it doesn’t exist. Only God can do that. But, we can experience life that comes from God.
Romans 8:11 NKJV
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Life is renewed and transformed. Miracles come and the power of sin is crushed.
We would all love to experience this. What we don’t want to have to experience is the self denial required. The old nature must go. God’s righteousness must grow in us. Paul said he also wanted to know Jesus in the fellowship of His sufferings. This is the full commitment necessary to impact the world.
Verse 9 talks about the righteousness that comes from God. This is a right relationship with God and the power of His Spirit. The result is living correctly by His standards. This comes from Jesus living in our hearts. His righteousness is expressed through us.
The High Calling of God
12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.
Paul expressed a goal. He had not yet reached the point of perfection, of all he had hoped to accomplish. But, he kept his focus. He saw himself in an athletic competition, pushing to the finish line. He was giving it everything he had. He was focused and committed to winning.
1 Timothy 6:11-12 NKJV
11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Paul was writing to Timothy that he had to flee the love of money and pursue righteousness. Fight the good fight of faith and focus on eternity. This motivated Paul. Nothing would sidetrack him from this passion. His only purpose in life was to do what God had for him.
Don’t let distractions, temptations, worries, riches or evil desires choke out your commitment to Jesus. Keep your eyes on the prize. Some day we will gladly leave the world behind.
Don’t allow Satan to frustrate you with guilt. We have been freed us from all of that.
Keep on growing up in Jesus, maturing in the work of eternity. Focus on your dedication to Jesus. Apply the Biblical knowledge you have and gain more.
TO SERVE JESUS
❏ We will face a battle.
❏ Anything outside of eternity is eventually understood as rubbish.
❏ Press on faithfully in your service to Jesus.
As we mature, we need to increase in our service to Jesus. Faithful service will see eternal results.
LIFE APPLICATION: The Next Step
Ready, Set, GROW!
What are the key points of this message?
How can we apply this message?
