OPENER: Object Lesson: Usefulness of the Broom
Hold a broom up for all to see. Rather than beginning to sweep up themes, take out one strand of the broom and start to clean up the mess.
It will only take seconds before they realize you need to use the whole broom or it will take you too long to finish.
Relate how that reminds you in God’s work, it takes one person a long time to pass clean up Ground Zero when everybody is done, but it goes much quicker if twenty people helps.
It will take one person a long time to pick up the trash in the church auditorium, but it will go much quicker of twelve people each take a few rows.
Just like sweeping with the whole broom makes the job go much faster, in God’s work, everyone working together makes the job not only go faster, but it is more effective.
Christians working and serving together please God because that was His plan.
The inconvenient truth is, that most Christians have not been taught the importance and value of being a servant before God can use them for mightier things.
OPENER GAME: Sit down if…
Ask the entire group to stand. Tell them to sit down when the statement characterizes them. Once seated, they must remain seated.
Encourage them to be honest. If you have trouble because most are not sitting down, give them general characteristics ("Sit down if you are under 15, if you have on white socks, if you are in love," etc.).
Sit Down Mixer ROUND Number 1 - Sit down if:
You haven’t used deodorant in a week ... two days.
You have never worn the same socks two days in a row.
You sing in the shower.
You drive a Volkswagon.
Your belly button is an outie.
You haven’t taken a shower in a week.
You didn’t use mouthwash today.
You are a girl and you didn’t shave your legs today.
You are a guy and you didn’t shave your legs today.
Your undergarment has skidmarks
You ate at McDonalds in the past week
You have white socks on
Sit Down Mixer ROUND Number 2 - Sit down if:
Your nose is crooked.
You believe each person should pay expenses on the first date.
You still suck your thumb.
Your socks don’t match.
You are ticklish.
You wear baby doll pajamas.
You weigh less than 100 pounds.
Your nose is running and you don’t have a handkerchief.
You’re going steady but you wish you weren’t.
You are good-looking but not conceited.
Sit Down Mixer ROUND Number 3 - Sit down if:
You have ever eaten snails.
You are cross-eyed.
Your mother still dresses you.
You use Speed Stick deodorant.
You have never lied to your mother.
You have a hole in your sock.
Your zipper is open.
You got a traffic ticket lately.
You are on a diet.
You have never stolen a street marker.
You have a false tooth.
You are really good looking.
You have un underground pimple in hiding in your nose
Your eyes are blue
You’ve thrown up on a carnival ride
You have hair on your fingers
You have a myspace site
You’ve sent in a video to YouTube
----------ILLUSTRATION: The Mystery of the Mop
Everyone at the State University knew that Donner Hall had the best parties. All-night dancing and beer guzzling attracted the largest weekend crowds by far – especially on the notorious second floor.
By midnight every Friday and Saturday, the entire second floor was three inches deep in smashed beer cans, empty wine bottles, and stale potato chips.
But by about 7:00 a.m. the next morning, all of the garbage was removed.
The second floor residents assumed the conscientious school janitors came bright and early, before anyone woke up, to sweep up the mess.
Early one Saturday morning, Chris, still hung over from Friday night’s party, stumbled out of his bed to head for the bathroom.
Noticing a freshly vaccumed second floor, he mumbled to himself, “I guess the janitors came early again to get rid of the mess.”
On reaching the bathroom, however, his nose warned him the mess wasn’t completely eliminated.
A trail of vomit soiled the bathroom floor, ending at the point where someone was just then mopping it up.
Chris thought to himself, I’m glad the janitor is doing the dirty work so we don’t have to.
At the sound of Chris’s shuffling, the supposed janitor looked up.
Shocked, Chris realized the person mopping up the vomit was Marco, his next-door neighbor.
“Marco, man, what are you doing?” Chris asked.
Marco answered simply, “I’m cleaning up.”
“Why?” You weren’t even at the party last night.”
“Because I’m a Christian.”
No janitor had ever cared enough to clean up every Monday morning.
It had been Marco the whole time.
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Marco’s model of servant leadership is required of all who follow Jesus.
In what ways have you shown yourself to be willing to serve others—to do what Jesus would do, even if nobody knows it’s you doing it? Even when it’s inconvenient.
A Servant Girl’s Inconvenient Truth…
In this age, believers are somewhat limited in their acts of service due to attitudes and benefits (what’s in it for me).
This belief is not just focused on the teen ages. Adults more than ever are infected with this false Christian idealism.
Servanthood in the Christians life is somewhat of an inconvenient truth…that is…no one wants to do it, or be stuck doing it.
There seems to be no glory…that is unless you toot your own horn, and then, all the things that you did seems to become a mute point.
But the fact remains, Servanthood isn’t about what you get out of it, whether you’re looking to be entertained, or have a fun time, or perhaps get to know someone of the opposite sex better.
Servanthood is simply putting yourself behind the thoughts and desires of others. Even when it’s somewhat of an inconvenience.
The Bible story of Naaman’s wife’s servant is included to show her example of obedience in service and in her attitude.
READ 2 Kings 5:1-14
In 2 Kings 5, the story begins with the introduction of a mighty army commander for the King of Syria named Naaman. He won lots of battles because he was such a great warrior and fighter (and because he had God’s help, of course).
But he had a terrible disease called leprosy. This was a horrible situation for Naaman and his family.
Next, we are introduced to a young servant girl. The Bible does not even give us her name.
But, we do know she was taken away from her country, Israel, and of course taken from her family and given to be a maid or servant to Naaman’s wife.
When this young servant learned of Naaman’s leprosy, do you think she was glad because she was taken from her family and it served him right to be taken away from his? No.
HERE’S AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH: At times, it’s an inconvenience for us to go out of our way to help someone that has either hurt us or that we don’t especially like when we know of something that can benefit them instead of us.
We get ticked off at the circumstance we’re in at the moment, and our attitude prevents us from seeing God’s magnitude.
Even though the servant girl was a slave at that moment, she didn’t dwell in it…she was still open for God to use her as a signpost to show someone the way.
God used her as a signpost in telling Naaman’s wife about a great prophet in Samaria (Israel) that could heal him of his leprosy.
What signpost are you pointing towards? When others approach you, what does your sign say?
Bug off! What do you want! Get out of my face! What now! Why do you always ask me that? I always help you, how about you helping me once in a while?
In our own selfish way, Christian servanthood is thrust back into the closet of our lives because it’s too much of an inconvenience to my world and my daily activities that I am involved in.
Many teenagers who believe in Christ, but have not yet developed a servant’s heart because God is an “inconvenience” in their life.
Their signpost reads: “Sure God, I believe in you, now leave me alone”. “Go Away” “Detour”, “No Parking”.
For some of you that are a little more committed to God, your signpost may even read “30 minute parking only”. You give God 30 minutes to do something great in your life.
Having a servant’s heart is putting other people before you. And that isn’t easy. Especially when life seems to not be going your way at the present time.
We say, I say, let me first take care of my needs, then I can help someone else God. Bless me first, then I will help someone else in need.
Bless me first God, then I will give to help out with our missionary offering. Bless me first God, then I will start giving money to the church.
Bless me first God, then I will show someone that you are great and mighty in my life — and may even invite them to church.
Bless me first God, then I will let my friends call upon me if they need a ride somewhere and they are unable to drive.
Bless me first God with a good grade, and then I might spend time in helping someone else do their homework.
We want ourselves to be taken care of first, before we venture out to even dare in helping someone else…it’s our humanistic nature..
Jesus said in John 17:34 "Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another."
And in John 13:15 “For I have set you an example,” Jesus said, “"that you also should do as I have done to you.”
Let God use you as this servant girl, despite whatever circumstance or situation you may be in. Share some good news to someone.
This was certainly good news to Naaman and his family.
Naaman went to the king of Syria and told him what the young servant had said.
Before you knew it, the king of Syria was sending Naaman to the king of Israel with a letter asking for his help to heal Naaman.
He sent lots of gifts (750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and 10 sets of clothes).
But this was not a good situation for the King of Israel.
In 2 Kings 5:7, it is recorded that he was so upset he tore his clothes. He questioned how he was going to heal Naaman’s leprosy.
He assumed the king was doing this to start a fight between them.
Elisha, a prophet of God, heard about what had happened to the king of Israel, and he sent immediate word for the king not to be upset.
He instructed the king to send Naaman to him and he would be healed to prove that Elisha was a true prophet for Israel.
So Naaman was again on his way, this time to Elisha’s house, with his whole troop of servants, horses, and chariots.
Do you think Elisha ran out to meet him? No, in fact 2 Kings 5:10 records that he sent out a "messenger" who told Naaman these simple instructions: Go to the Jordan River and wash yourself seven times. Your leprosy will be all gone. How easy was that?
Leprosy can be briefly described as a skin disease causing rotting flesh, like sores.
As the disease worsens, lepers may lose fingers, noses, or other body parts that rot off; the sores become infected, There is no cure; the lepers are sent away to live with other lepers, where eventually they die.
Instead of being excited and rushing to the Jordan River, Naaman became very angry.
He wasn’t only upset that Elisha had not come out of the house to greet him, but he also did not like the idea of running to a river to be healed.
His country had clearer rivers than that of the Jordan river.
He thought an easier plan would be for Elisha just to wave his hand over him and heal the leprosy.
As he stormed away angry, his servants tried to convince him to obey Elisha’s instructions by telling him that if the prophet had asked him to do something hard, he would have done it.
But instead, Elisha had given him these easy simple instructions
Naaman agreed and they went to the Jordan River and he did just as Elisha said, dipping his whole body in the river seven times
When he came out of the water of the Jordan River, his skin was completely healed; in fact, the bible says it was like a little child’s skin – soft and smooth.
HERE’S ANOTHER INCONVENIENT TRUTH: Many of you have stormed away from God after He has touched your heart or revealed to you through your eyes how you can be healed.
Stormed away because it’s too easy to just stand up from your chair and walk in front of everybody here to ask for prayer, it’s too easy, I can do that at home! Why here!
Because it’s an inconvenience that most of us like to live each day.
It takes away from my pride to admit that I need help. I am lonely. I need healing. I need confidence. I need someone just to care….about me.
Naaman was healed from the horrible disease of leprosy. This miracle began when a young servant girl was willing to serve no matter what the circumstance---and to serve with the right attitude---there was nothing in it for her.
Why did she do it? Why did she try to help Naaman? It wasn’t easy putting the chance to get back at someone aside…
It may not be an easy, or a convenient time, but it is a command we must obey, given to us by example from Jesus Christ himself.
For you see, Jesus, as great as a person as he was, humbled himself in front of the very men he was training to be great.
John 15:15 "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
Just as the servant girl didn’t hold back from Naaman, Jesus didn’t hold back from us. He made known to us, the very things He had heard from God himself…in order for us to find healing, abundant life, and eternal life.
Just as Naaman’s incurable disease of Leprosy, we have an incurable disease of sin.
It wasn’t an inconvenience for Jesus to take the pain for you. He did it willingly.
--------------ILLUSTRATION: No Greater Love
During the beginning of World War II, a large British military force on the European continent, as well as English citizens and diplomats, retreated to a French coastal port of Dunkirk.
With it’s back against the English Channel, the British army faced a German army that threatened to drive it into the sea.
To save what he could of his army, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called for all available sea vessels, whether large or small, to evacuate the soldiers and civilians from the besieged French beaches and bring them back across the Channel to safety.
An incredible array of ships and boats raced to the rescue – fishing boats and cruise ships alike.
As the flotilla made its way to the beach to pick up the soldiers and then move out again, Nazi aircraft set upon them like vultures while German artillery pummeled them with shells.
Ships were strafed with machine gun fire, and some were blown out of the water altogether.
Three German Messerschimts attacked the defenseless Lancastria, a converted cruise liner whose decks and hold were packed with soldiers.
The ship held a capacity of 2,250, but it was estimated between 4-5,000 soldiers and civilians were packed on the ship to escape to safety.
One bomb dropped directly down the ship’s smokestack, tearing a huge gap in her lower hull.
Nearly 200 men were trapped in the forward hold of the now severely tilting ship.
No one doubted that the liner was going down.
Chaos, smoke, oil, fire, and blood, mixed with terrified cries of the men trapped below, created pandemonium on deck as those hopeful of surviving searched for lifeboats or simply leaped into the water.
Moving through the middle of this living nightmare, a young Navy chaplain quietly worked his way to the edge of the hold and peered in at the darkness below.
Then, knowing he could never get out, he dropped in the hole.
Survivors later told how the only thing that gave them courage to survive until passing ships could rescue them was hearing the strong, brave voices of the men trapped in the hold, singing hymns as the ship finally rolled over and went to the bottom.
Nobody knows for sure how many lost his or her lives that day because nobody knows exactly how many people were on board.
Estimates are that approximately 4500 or 5000 people died. Thankfully around 2500 were rescued.
It is the worst single loss of life in British maritime history and the bloodiest single engagement for UK forces (in terms of lives lost) in the whole of World War 2, claiming more lives than the combined losses on Titanic and Lusitania.
This true story testifies to the courage and compassion of one faithful Christian who gave his life to provide comfort, courage, and hope to the suffering.
We are also called to demonstrate that kind of love in our lost and dying world. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13).
My challenge to you tonight is to look for those inconveniences that come up in your life.
To look for them as God’s finger tapping you on the shoulder to do something great.
Either for someone or to make something happen.
It’s as easy as picking up someone’s trash you see, even if it’s not yours…you never know who is watching your example.
