INTRO.- Matthew 20:28 Jesus said of himself, “The Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve…”
Jesus gave us the example to follow. He came to serve. He came to minister to people. HE LIVED FOR OTHERS.
ILL.- But Jack did something entirely different. Jack who? Jack Benny. No, he’s been dead since 1974. Jack Klugman of the “Odd Couple” fame? No, not him. How about Jack Nicholson? No, it’s not him, although you could expect almost anything from him!
I’m talking about Jack Whittaker, the man who won the biggest powerball lottery ever. He won $315 Million in W. Va. on Christmas day, 2002. And ever since that time it seems like he’s been in trouble in one way or another.
On August 5, 2003, Whittaker was drinking at a strip club when $545,000 was stolen from his sport utility vehicle. Someone broke the driver’s side window and took a briefcase containing $245,000 in cash and three $100,000 cashier’s checks belonging to Whittaker. Also, three female racetrack workers sued Whittaker, alleging that he assaulted them last year.
On Jan. 6, 2004 after getting banned from Billy Sundays Bar and Grill in St Albans, West Virginia, lottery winner Jack Whittaker reportedly threatened to have the manager and his family killed. Nice guy, huh?
On Jan. 25, 2004 Whittaker was arrested for drunk driving in Nitro, West Virginia. Police allege the millionaire blew a .190 blood alcohol on the breathalyzer. That’s about twice the legal limit.
Now for the present. 57-year-old Jack Whittaker was arrested for drunken driving and packing a gun on Dec. 1, 2004. He was arrested after his Hummer struck a concrete median on the West Virginia Turnpike near Beckley.
Senior Trooper M.J. Pinardo reported that he smelled alcohol but Whittaker refused sobriety tests and was "extremely belligerent." Troopers also said they found a small pistol in Whittaker’s boot and he was carrying $117,000 in cash.
Whittaker, who was alone, complained of back pain. He was treated at a hospital, and then jailed early Wednesday.
Whittaker was released after he was arraigned and posted $1,700 bail. Besides the DUI and weapons charge, he was charged with failure to maintain control of his vehicle and failure to submit to a breath test.
It appears to me that Jack Whittaker has a problem, a big problem. I think he is a man who lives for himself and that’s why he’s in trouble all the time. Self is the way of the world.
ILL.- Listen to what one writer said about the drugs use in sports. “Don’t blame Jason Giambi (the second-highest salaried player on the cash-rich New York Yankees.) if, in fact, he took steroids. In fact, don’t blame baseball players, football players, hockey players, wrestlers, track stars or any athlete who pollutes his body in search of that competitive edge. Isn’t that what America is all about — having an edge?”
This writer is not commending the use of drugs in sports. He is just saying that Americans are always interested in having a edge so they can win, look good, receive praise, get more money, etc. And what is this? Nothing but the promotion of self!
Instead of thinking of self all the time, we need to be thinking of others! ‘Tis the season to think of others and what we can do for them. This is the way of Jesus.
PROP.- Let me count the ways or consider some ways to think more of others.
1- to share with others
2- to pray for others
3- to reach out to others
I. TO SHARE WITH OTHERS
Heb. 13:16 “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
Gal. 6:10 “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
These scriptures don’t need explanation, they need demonstration! What part of “do good” and “share” do we not understand?
ILL.- The local United Way office realized that it had never received a donation from one of the town’s richest citizens, a very successful lawyer. A local volunteer was sent to solicit his donation. The volunteer approached the lawyer, commenting, "Our research shows that even though your annual income is over a million dollars, you have never helped support our organization.
”Wouldn’t it make you feel good to give back to your community through The United Way?"
The lawyer paused for a moment, then sternly stated, "Did your research show that my mother is dying after a long, painful illness and has huge medical bills far beyond her ability to pay?"
Surprised, the United Way volunteer mumbled, "Uh, no."
"Well then, did your research show that my brother is a disabled veteran? That he is blind? That he is confined to a wheelchair and is unable to support his wife and six children?"
The United Way representative tried to express sympathy, but the lawyer cut him off.
"Did your research tell you that my sister’s husband died in a dreadful traffic accident?" The lawyer’s voice was loud and indignant.
"Did it tell you that her husband’s death left her penniless, with a mortgage and three small children whom she can’t afford to care for?"
The United Way representative felt embarrassed to have assumed that the man was selfish, and stammered apologetically, "I had no idea."
The lawyer sternly concluded, "And they are my family. My flesh and blood. If I don’t give any money to any of them, why in the world should I give any to you?"
Brothers and sisters, this sounds like so many people in our country. They are not willing to share with anyone, including family members. We live in a very self-centered society but I say, ‘Tis the season to think more about others!
I tend to think in practical terms. What can we do for others?
We can send out Christmas cards. We can give Christmas gifts. We could give a gift to someone who would normally not expect to receive one. We could bless someone in that way.
We could make a donation to the Salvation Army and in that way, we will be helping needy people that we will never have contact with otherwise. We will never see them, but God will see them and our gift. He will bless it and us. We can give an extra offering for the missionaries that our church supports. Since we don’t go personally, we need to send them and they can always use an extra gift.
We can give food items to the local food bank, which will benefit people we don’t know. We can also share special goodies at Christmas with others, people in the church, and perhaps our neighbors who do not even go to church.
We can open doors for people when out shopping. Being courteous is a nice way to share with others and a great Christian witness! We can speak to people, be complimentary, smile, etc. Again, these are pleasant and simple ways to share with others. They cost little but do much for people.
We could give an anonymous money gift to someone in need. That’s a blessing from heaven to some people who are having a hard time.
ILL.- One lady by the name of Terri Green told how the caring support of others overwhelmed her when her family went through incredibly difficult times. From washing the family car and stocking her house with toilet paper to the gift of much-needed groceries, these concerned friends went the extra mile to help.
We all need to do simple acts of kindness and sometimes it’s just the simple stuff that can make a big difference in people’s lives.
ILL.- When my daughter Holly was a baby I performed a wedding at our church. After the wedding the kind lady photographer came next door to my house and took pictures of Holly and never changed me a dime. She said, “Down through the years I’ve had people do kind things for me, which I could never repay, but I figured I could repay them by doing something good for someone else.” I think this could be true for us all.
And Jesus said in Matthew 10:42 “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”
We are not so much concerned about losing our reward as we are in blessing others with a cup of cold water or whatever else we can give them or share with them. ‘Tis the season to share with others.
II. TO PRAY FOR OTHERS
Col. 1:3 “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.”
‘Tis the season to remember others in prayer. We believe in prayer and in praying for one another.
ILL.- The temporary Sunday School teacher was struggling to open a combination lock on the supply cabinet. She had been told the combination, but couldn’t quite remember it.
Finally she went to the pastor’s study and asked for help. The pastor came into the room and began to turn the dial. After the first two numbers he paused and stared blankly for a moment.
Finally he looked serenely heavenward and his lips moved silently. Then he looked back at the lock, and quickly turned to the final number, and opened the lock.
The teacher was amazed. "I’m in awe at your faith, pastor," she said. "It’s really nothing," he answered. "The number is on a piece of tape on the ceiling."
Brothers and sisters, we believe in the value and power of prayer!
James 5:14 “Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.”
We believe in praying for the sick. We should do this all the time. I believe that the elders and/or all church leaders should be praying for the sick. BUT THIS IS SOMETHING WE ALLL SHOULD DO AND CAN DO. We are not limited by our lack of talent when it comes to prayer. And we are not kept from praying because we’re not a leader, teacher or preacher.
ILL.- Think of praying for the sick in this way. If your 41 year-old son had cancer, wouldn’t you want everyone to be praying for him? Or if your mother or father were having surgery, wouldn’t you want people to pray for them? That’s the point.
When someone is sick or has someone sick in their family, we need to put ourselves in their shoes. Then we will pray for them.
Eph. 6:18 “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
We should pray for all the saints. How do you do that? You may not pray for everyone every day, but you should have some kind of prayer list.
ILL.- You could go through your church directory every week and pray over the people’s names. If you know of some special need you could and should pray for that need. Otherwise, you can ask God’s blessing on anyone, any time.
One of the greatest hindrances to prayer is busyness. We all get too busy to pray for people. I want to encourage to slow down and take time to pray. If nothing else, pray for people while you are driving. Whisper prayers to God. Whisper short prayers. God will honor and answer any prayer that is heartfelt whether short or long. And we should be talking to God constantly whenever we are not talking to someone else! We should be in constant communication with our Heavenly Father!
One other thing I would encourage you to do when praying for others is this: Please let people know that you are praying for them and/or about their special need!
ILL.- Someone told me just the other day about her daughter losing her job. She needs a job. I told the mother that I would pray about it and I WILL. I also asked that mother to tell her daughter that I would be praying about this for her.
We can pray about anything and everything. And God is probably quicker to answer the prayers offered on behalf of others, whatever the need and this is because we are not being selfish.
ILL.- A child once prayed, “O Lord, make the bad people good and the good people nice.” Nice thought, but that’s not exactly the way to pray for people. Or is it?
Rom. 10:1 “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.”
Paul’s prayer was for his fellow Jews to be saved. We don’t know if this was a shotgun prayer or if he prayed specifically for people to come to Christ. Either way, it’s an unselfish prayer.
All of us should have a list of people that we would like to see come to Christ and be saved. And we should be praying for that to happen. We can pray for God to do whatever is necessary to wake these people to their need for Christ.
‘Tis the season to pray for people. It’s always the season to pray for others.
III. TO REACH OUT TO OTHERS
ILL.- Will Ken Jennings’ (of Jeopardy fame) loss lead to another paycheck? The “Jeopardy” champ won $2.5 million before he blew a question about H&R Block. He has accepted an offer for free tax preparation from the accounting firm, but a source says the alliance may not end there.
“H&R’s people have some very clever ideas about ads starring Jennings,” says the source. “They would be along the lines of ‘You can be the smartest guy in the world and still not know where to get your taxes done.’”
I don’t know if Ken Jennings is the smartest man in the world or not, but he is smart. However, smart people are not always smart. They may be smart in the ways of the world, but not smart spiritually. Some of the smartest and wealthiest people in the world still don’t have the answer to life’s most haunting questions: Is there life after death? Will I live again? If so, how?
If Jesus is indeed the reason for this season (and we believe He is) then why don’t all the smart people of the world bow down to Him and surrender their lives to Him? The answer is obvious. They are not that smart! Wise men still seek Jesus!
‘Tis the season to preach Christ, to teach Christ, to reach out to others with the message of Christ, because He alone answers the most important questions about life and death. HE IS THE ANSWER!
I Pet. 3:15 “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
We always need to be prepared and/or ready to speak for Christ, Christianity and the church. We need boldness in order to speak even when we’re in the minority. And we must speak even if it’s just minimal.
ILL.- I recall after the Rodney King beating trial and the L.A. riots (1992) a black lady was interviewed on national TV. She said, “What’s the matter with all these crazy people, don’t they believe in Jesus?” I said “Amen” and thought what a great testimony. Only one word but it was the right word!
Acts 8:26-31 “Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road--the desert road--that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked. "How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
Philip saw the eunuch reading Scripture and offered to help him understand it. It’s not often that you see someone reading the Bible in public and if they are, they are probably already a Christian. However, there may be other occasions when we can offer a testimony for Christ.
ILL.- For example, Roy Weece was for many years (and may still be) the director of the Christian Campus House at the University of MO in Columbia, MO. Roy has found many occasions in life in which he could witness for Christ.
For example, one time a man knocked on the door of his house and said he was lost. Roy quickly seized the opportunity and said, “There is more than one way to be lost.”
Another time, Roy heard some women next to him talking about someone who could tell their future for $5. Roy approached them and said he had overheard their conversation and told them that he knew about the future and it wouldn’t cost them a penny! (I realize this would take a lot of nerve to do something like this, of course.)
Another occasion, Roy helped a professor with his belongings as he was leaving the university hospital. The man’s wife seemed to resent his helpfulness and accused him of working secretly for the university. Roy said, “Guess again,” and proceeded to them why he offered to help them.
Traveling back to Columbia, MO, one night, Roy stopped to help a trucker whose cab was on fire. The trucker commented that no one seemed to care or wanted to help and wondered why Roy stopped. Roy said, “Because the one I follow said that He wanted us to give a cup of cold water in His name and He’d probably want us to stop and help a guy with a burning truck as well.”
Brothers and sisters, we all need to look for opportunities to witness for Christ or speak about the faith of Christ. This is the perfect season in which to do this. WILL YOU?
‘Tis the season to be pointing people to Christ and the church as the only answer to man’s dilemma.
CONCLUSION------------------------------------
‘Tis the season to think of others.
- To share with others
- To pray for others
- To reach out to others with Christ
ILL.- Others
Lord, help me to live from day to day
In such a self-forgetful way
That even when I kneel to pray
My prayer shall be for Others.
Help me in all the work I do
To ever be sincere and true
And know that all I’d do for you
Must needs be done for Others.
Let “self” be crucified and slain
And buried deep; and all in vain
May efforts be to rise again
Unless to live for Others.
And when my work on earth is done
And my new work in heaven’s begun
May I forget the crown I’ve won
While thinking still of Others.
Others, Lord, yes, others
Let this my motto be,
Help me to live for others
That I may live like Thee.
