Sermon Central
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Understand - Pt. 2 - Saved People Series
Contributed by Steve Ely on Mar 13, 2012 (message contributor)
Summary: There is a high value placed on knowledge or understanding. As a body, we must pay the price to understand 5 key truths.
Understand
Pt. 2 – Saved People
I. Introduction
Last week I mentioned that there is a high value placed on knowledge and understanding in the Word. In fact, Solomon's life testifies to the importance of gaining wisdom and understanding! He tells us in Proverbs 2:
Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom; set your heart on a life of Understanding. That's right—if you make Insight your priority.
So we began talking about the what we must understand as a body and as individuals. Jesus spoke very clearly and then emphasized His words with His actions. He clearly defined our Mission! We must embrace the truth that Found People . . . Find People. Today I want to move one step further and see that Jesus does the same exact thing about our Mode!
II. Text
He said, "You've observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It's not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage."
III. Understanding
Jesus makes it abundantly clear with His words that we must embrace this understanding "Saved People . . . Serve People!" He declares that we must put others first. That our life must not be about getting served, but instead going out of our way to serve others!
But Jesus didn't stop at words. Anyone can talk about living a life of service, but Jesus actually put actions to His words.
John 13:4-5, 12-17
So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron.
12-17Then he said, "Do you understand what I have done to you? You address me as 'Teacher' and 'Master,' and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other's feet. I've laid down a pattern for you. What I've done, you do. I'm only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn't give orders to the employer. If you understand what I'm telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life. (Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them!)
Jesus models mode. The Son of God . . . the King of Universe . . . The Greatest of the Great stoops down and as one of His final lessons to His disciples shows them that Saved People . . . Serve People! He teaches us that salvation elevates us into relationship with God, but doesn't make us God where we are too good to get our hands dirty and serve those less fortunate or not as highly positioned as us!
Then He makes an incredibly powerful statement that I had never really thought about before. In one simple sentence He gives us the very key to being blessed. We think worship will cause us to be blessed. We think prayer will cause us to be blessed! We think being religious will cause us to be blessed. Jesus says serve and you will be blessed.
Your blessing level is directly related to your level of service!
I wished He had connected my blessing level to worship cause I can worship without much cost. I wished He had connected it to prayer I can do that in private and keep to myself. I wished He had connected it to religion cause we would all be blessed. However, He says serve and be blessed. So the logical conclusion is sit on your blessed assurance, refuse to touch, refuse to assist, refuse to think about others and you are cursed!
There is an understanding that we must come to as a church . . . if Found People Find People then the way we do that is that Saved People Serve People. Our world is not going to be reached by a “screaming church” but rather a serving church.
"Compassion will cure more sins than condemnation." - Henry Ward Beecham
In fact, I would say it like this . . . our world will not be reached by a worshipping church. They can't see or be impacted by our worship in here. It is isn't the act of worship but the acts of our worship that (service) must extended beyond the hour we are in this place!
Our preaching, if contained in this room, will not reach the world. It is when we preach with acts of kindness, acts of compassion, and actually preach with our hands and our hearts that we will reach our world! And yet, Chickfila is better known for service than the church. We are known for what we are against for than we known for what we are for! Too often you get more smiles at Walmart than you do at church!
