Category Archives: Servanthood

What a “Cup of Cold Water” Can Look Like

29 Monday Jul 2013

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Be Kind

 

And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.  Matthew 10:41-42

 

A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of root beer. He started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old man. He was sitting in the park just staring at the pigeons. The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old man looked hungry, so he offered him a Twinkie.

The old man graciously accepted the snack and smiled at the boy. His smile was so pleasant and infectious… the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer. Again, the old man smiled. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word to each other.

As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was so he got up to leave. But before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around and ran back to the old man giving him a huge hug. The man gave him his biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, “What did you do today that made you so happy?”

He replied, “I had lunch with God.” Before his mother could respond, he added, “You know what? God’s got the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen!”

Meanwhile, the old man also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and asked, “Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?”

He replied, “I ate Twinkies in the park with God.” However, before his son responded, he added, “You know, He’s much younger than I expected.”

Twinkies and root beer may not be a cup of cold water, but they can be if we allow ourselves to be used by the Lord.  Look for an opportunity to be a source of encouragement to someone who crosses your path today.

 

Blessings – From God’s Incubator,

Pastor

 

A Servant’s Pledge

20 Thursday Sep 2012

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This is a Servant’s Pledge to wrap-up my four part series on Being a Great Servant.

Blessings,

Pastor

 

In case you missed it here are the links below…….

You Might Be a Great Servant If… #1 You Know Your Gifts Are From God!

You Might Be Great Servant… #2 If You Are An Intimate Friend of the Groom

You Might Be A Great Servant… #3 If You Find Your Joy From the Groom’s Joy

You Might be a Great Servant… #4 If You Know Less Is Best!

 

You Might be a Great Servant… #4 If You Know Less Is Best!

19 Wednesday Sep 2012

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Of all the points I’ve mentioned so far from John the Baptist’s life, this one reminds me of what it really means to be a servant and friend of the Lord. John summed it up best when he said,

He (Jesus) must Increase but I must decrease. John 3:30

If Jesus had called people to only be kings, celebrities, and national heroes, He would have had a larger following. Who isn’t interested in being popular, well-liked and loved by all? Who wouldn’t like being on the cover of magazines and newspapers? Yeah, sign me up for that type of duty!

Lets break this verse into two parts. First, are you willing for Jesus to be increased in you and in the world around you? John the Baptist reflected on his position in God’s plan and concluded, “Jesus must increase. My followers must become His followers. His ministry should far exceed my ministry. He must flourish far above anything I am doing. Jesus’ popularity must grow. The name of Jesus must become more important to people than my name.”

It is easy for us to look upon John’s situation and say, “Well that was supposed happen.” This would be true.  But maybe it was a little more difficult for John to give away everything he worked so hard to build. The truth is “the Jesus increase” is supposed to be happening right now in our lives as well. The reality is … “the Jesus increase” only happens as “we increase“.

This is hard to explain…but I want to give it a shot. Most every believer I know would state emphatically, they want desperately for Jesus to be increased in them. We pray it, speak it, and try to live it. The issue is not in the first half of John’s declaration. (Jesus must increase) The issue is in the second half of John’s statement. In order for Jesus to be increased, I must be decreased. The truth is when believers are decreased, they begin to fall apart! Most believers don’t actually believe that their personal decrease is a good thing for God’s kingdom. This proves to me that Christians don’t actually find their worth in seeing Jesus increased in their life. No, they only find worth in how God uses them. If they are used by the Lord, then they can bring glory to Him. If they are not used by the Lord, then they cannot bring glory to Him. They actually believe, “If I increase, the Lord increases. If I decrease, the Lord decreases.” This was not what John was declaring.

Believers actually believe the polar opposite of John’s testimony. Lets be honest… Most think along these lines… “I would like to do something really big and important for the Lord. I want to be used. I want to do something that people will note and remember – and do something that will stand out. I want people to know that I am being used by the Lord. I want to be used in a mighty way, so Jesus will be glorified. I want people to know the Lord is alive and well, because of what He is doing in me.” Now, don’t even try to convince me you haven’t thought some of these same thoughts. Lets be real here. I’ve fallen into the same trap. Denial is a river in Egypt. You know what I am saying. What is wrong with this type of thinking, if anything?

If we allow ourselves to think this way, we will only seek to “increase” ourselves and hope Jesus is magnified in some shape, form, or fashion. Understand, this is faulty thinking and not what John was relating. You might be saying, “Pastor, Jesus loves me. He would never have me decrease, because that would decrease His message and ministry in my life. If I decrease, Jesus will have fewer opportunities to make Himself known to others.”

Listen, I have heard it all before and thought it all myself and have come to one conclusion… There is nothing good in you. There is nothing good in me. There will never be anything you can do, in and of yourself, which will bring glory to the Lord. Like John, we must all come to the conclusion…”I must decrease.” It is the only way.  According to the Lord, here is what a decreased life should look like.

they were… tortured…faced jeers and flogging…chained and put in prison…stoned…sawed in two…put to death by the sword…went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated…wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. Hebrews 11:35-38

Are you ready to sign up? These are the real heroes of faith. By the way, John ended up in prison with his head chopped of as well. His life ended just like those found in Hebrews 11. This is what it means to live a life of decrease. The real call to serve Jesus doesn’t seem as attractive when we are asked to become absolutely nothing for Him?

Allow me to offer you an invitation to join John the Baptist. Do you remember your dreams and aspirations when you were still young in Junior High or High School or college? Do you remember how you wanted to be a somebody? Do you remember wanting to make a mark on the world? Most want to accomplish something in their lifetime. Unfortunately, most believers keep this fleshly type of thinking after salvation and simply “inject” Christ into their life ambitions. They falsely believe by simply “adding Jesus” they have resolved their “me issues.” Now they can steadily proceed and when they increase, Jesus will increase. The Lord will never “decrease them” because He will be decreasing Himself.

Here is the problem…. Jesus cannot and will not be “injected” into our life ambitions.  Jesus doesn’t work like Betty Crocker.   We cannot simply add Jesus into the equation… mix, stir, pour, and bake.  According to John, Jesus is the equation. Jesus gives us His equations and calls us to work it out. This always means; He must increase and we must decrease that He might be gloried above all. Nowhere in Scripture are we given the go-ahead to plug Jesus into our own personal agendas. We don’t plug Jesus into anything! Jesus can only take your life and plug it into His!

As you can probably tell… I am passionate about this issue. I have seen too many fleshly productions inside and outside the church, all claiming to be bringing glory to the Lord. I am not convinced. Listen, the world has not been convinced either. I am not pointing fingers…just stating the facts. All those who truly made a “kingdom impact” died to the flesh. They ultimately chose the road of decrease. I beg and urge you to do the same. Bring the Lord real glory. Honor Him who gave His life that you might live.

Blessings,

Pastor

You Might Be A Great Servant… #3 If You Find Your Joy From the Groom’s Joy

18 Tuesday Sep 2012

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I said yesterday once the negotiations have been made and the groom and bride are finally joined… the best man’s job is complete. He steps aside and fades quietly into the background.

This illustration speaks for itself. Have you ever been at or in a wedding and waited for the Bride to make her entrance? Everybody is so excited. Why? You know the couple and are excited… their joy becomes your own personal joy.

I am sure many of you saw the recent Royal Wedding between William and Kate. It took the bride over four minutes to walk down the aisle. WOW. As she arrived near the front, Prince Harry was looking back, smiling in a grand fashion. Then he started whispering to William, getting him excited about his approaching bride. This is part of the best man’s responsibility. He stands beside the groom and shares in his joy.

The groom is joyous because of the bride — she belongs to him! In all weddings the best man stands off to the side once the bride arrives. We need to be like John the Baptist. Our joy needs to be discovered, not in what we receive from Christ, but in what Christ receives from being married to His church. John said, “That joy is mine, and it is now complete.” John wanted people to be drawn to His Lord, not to him personally.

John Brodie, former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, was once asked why a million dollar football player should have to hold the ball for field goals and extra points after touchdowns. Brodie said, “Well, if I didn’t, it would fall over.” The Church works best when there are enough people who are willing to hold the ball so someone else can kick. These are called great servants. Receiving glory and honor is not their goal. Their joy is found when Christ receives all the glory and honor.

Once we learn our job as best man, Jesus views us as friends, not merely servants. The source of our own personal joy can reveal to us if we have moved from merely being servants of the Lord to being His friend. If our real joy is found in seeing that Christ receives all the honor and glory instead of ourselves, then we are moving to a more intimate level with the Lord.

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

Our friendship with the Master means we’re more than just servants. Jesus lets His friends in on His plans. A great servant and friend is one who recognizes God’s plan at work. John was saying, “I love it when a plan comes together! It’s working… Jesus is front and center! This is my real service!” Are you intimate friends with Jesus? Jesus needs true servants who are willing to lay down everything to become His friends. We are all called to servanthood. Some realize Jesus wants more than servants…He desires everyone to walk the path to become His intimate friend. Let the Master’s joy become your joy today!

Blessings,

Pastor

 

You Might Be Great Servant… #2 If You Are An Intimate Friend of the Groom

17 Monday Sep 2012

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I want to continue a blog thought I started a few days ago on what it means to be a great servant of the Lord. John the Baptist was considered to be the greatest servant of God in history. Jesus said of him, “Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.” John said about himself, “I am not worthy to even untie Jesus’ sandals.” Did John know anything different about the Lord than we do today? I don’t think so!

Here is the question you need to ask yourself… Could you personally be Jesus’ best man? Even if you are a “lady“, I still want you to ask yourself this question. This is how John saw himself and his ministry. He saw himself as an intimate friend of the groom. Listen to his own description…

I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. John 3:28-29

John could have talked about being Jesus’ cousin through Mary, or about how he was the last prophet of the Old Testament. Instead, he used a word picture which emphasized a position of service.  John saw himself as Jesus’ “best man.”

The “friend of the groom” played an important role in the first century Jewish wedding ceremony. The best man negotiated on behalf of the perspective groom and his future father-in-law. Contractually the best man served as mediator. In other words, he was someone who looked out for the groom’s best interests! John saw himself in this position. He was looking out for Jesus’ best interests.

An ironic event happened to the best man on the way to the altar. The “best” man must become the “least” man at the wedding ceremony. Once his job was complete, he willingly and graciously faded from the scene. If he did his job correctly and the couple were wedded, then he was truly the best man for the job. He had a prominent place and a very important job, but he was not center of attention.

So when John’s disciples brought him news that Jesus’ ministry was succeeding his and his was fading, it didn’t cause him to fall into a major depressive episode. This wasn’t bad news, but good news. His job as best man was a success. No one else may know or understand. John was now to take a subservient position to Jesus. John was a success prior and now afterward. By the way, sometimes choosing to allow your ministry to fade, which results in your head being chopped off, is not the ideal ministry end.

A little country boy was fishing with a makeshift pole, but he was catching fish! All this didn’t go unnoticed by a city dweller sitting close by him. This city fellow had the finest fishing tackle, but was having no success at all. He decided to ask the country boy about his success. The boy replied, “The secret of it all is that I keep myself out of sight.”

John understood this principle. When it came time for him to fade away, he did so with grace. He didn’t need the limelight to be successful. I think we struggle with our position in the Lord sometimes because we forget our first calling… to be a “friend of the groom.” The word here for “friend” is the same word for “brotherly love.” This is what motivates great servants to service Jesus — a genuine, loving, and intimate relationship with the Lord. If you need some motivation to serve Jesus with a genuine heart, return once again to your first love.

Blessings,

Pastor

 

 

You Might Be a Great Servant If… #1 You Know Your Gifts Are From God!

13 Thursday Sep 2012

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Have you finally arrived at the conclusion that who you are and what you can do is from the Lord? Many of us know this in principle… but has it sunk deep down into your soul and spirit yet?

The Bible doesn’t shirk away from controversy. Listen as a disagreement arose over “ceremonial washings or baptism” in John’s and Jesus’ day.

Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized. (This was before John was put in prison.) An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan–the one you testified about–well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.  John 3:23-26

 

A controversy like this can crush a ministry more quickly than a frontal assault. This is especially true when God is moving and people are being impacted for good. I don’t want to go into the details of ceremonial washings now, but when someone comes in and says…”Your doing it all wrong. You are not doing God’s ministry like others. So-in-so is doing it better up the road and God is blessing. You have lost your crowd to the new guy, Jesus. You are yesterday’s news.” — Your inner man has to be ready to absorb it and you must be comfortable with your calling.

Now in reality, John is supposed to lose his following to Jesus. But what does this kind of talk do to some people, especially those who are new and a little weak in their faith? I have seen many new believers stumble and fall, not because of being attacked by a non-believer, but because another believer questioned some aspect of their new faith. It is true… “The Christian army is the only army which shoots its own wounded.”

These types of controversies didn’t derail John the Baptist. In fact, it only served to reveal his true character. He was a servant. From these last few words of John we can learn what it means to be a great servant of the Lord. John’s reply was simple… “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven…” (John 3:27) John wasn’t personally threatened when others succeeded, because it wasn’t his ministry in the first place.

One of the stages every believer must eventually arrive is to realize their gifts and abilities are not given for their own personal fulfillment, but are given for God’s uses and purposes. Knowing this keeps the focus upon the Lord and not on the believer. It keeps you from becoming proud of yourself, because you realize that anything you’re able to do, any good that comes from your effort, is really God’s doing. Like John, you aren’t threatened when someone else begins to receive recognition. You can be at peace if God sees fit to remove your ministry, change your ministry. or even change you. You’re at His disposal. It is true “the gifts and calling of God are without repentance;” but ministry and placement can change many times, if you are listening to the Lord. I have had to learn this lesson several times, because I wanted my ministry to go and flow a certain direction.

The Egyptian astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century postulated that the earth was the center of the universe. This meant the earth was still and the other planets orbited and rotated around it. All this made sense, and people believed it for over 1400 years. It wasn’t until the 16th century that Copernicus began to question the status quo. In his mind the old model just didn’t work. Copernicus figured out that not only did the earth itself rotate, but it also revolved around the sun.

Scandal! Heretic! Unbeliever! The world must revolve around us personally. This was hard for people to accept. Galileo came along advocating for these same lines of thought. The church promptly kicked him out and the state put him under house arrest. Both Copernicus and Galileo pointed to the sun and said “the center of the universe.” It took a long time for people to accept their personal world was not the center of the universe.

Max Lucado, in his book It’s Not About Me, writes, “What Copernicus did for the earth, God does for our souls. Tapping the collective shoulder of humanity, He points to the Son – His Son – and says “Behold the center of it all.”

Here is the point… God does not exist to make a big deal out of us. We exist to make a big deal out of Him. Is the Lord the center of your universe today?

Blessings,

Pastor