Broadway Christian Church · Columbia, Missouri
Morning Worship · June 29, 2008
Seventh Sunday After Pentecost
Prayer of the Day
Lord, in this hour or worship, gather us together, one and all, ready to laugh, ready to cry, ready to sing, ready to pray, ready to love and be loved, ready to serve with you! Amen.
Message
The Path to Significance
Rick Frost
Good morning. We're so pleased to have you. If you’re a first-time visitor or have been away for a while, we offer a special word of welcome. There may be some here who may not know that you’re worshiping in a congregation that is approaching its 50th anniversary, a community of faith that has done some very amazing things in those 50 years. It is also a body of believers that is discerning the call of the Spirit of the Living God revealed in Christ to move from being a good church to hopefully being a great church for God.
You know, all of us have future plans and future dreams. Our high school and college folks just recently graduated. It fascinates me to hear what some, amazingly, many 17-year-olds dream about. Do you have any idea what 17-year-olds dream about? Chris Ghan can probably tell you, but I’m going to let him do that on another occasion. What I’m about to tell you is certainly not true of young folks in our church, but it is so in our culture as a whole. Just listen to them.
Carol wants to go to college and get a great job, so she can become very rich.
Chris, not our Chris, will be attending a university. Well, he will, but not this Chris, in the fall, and he plans on being very wealthy. Maybe our Chris plans on being very, very wealthy. That would be wonderful, too. Just remember were you come from, Buddy.
Debbie is going to college, and she dreams of being financially secure.
Max, a 17-year-old, is dreaming about a future that has lots of cash and a brand new Ferrari. Wow!
Adolescence meets the American dream, free enterprise, and democracy, in the high-school gymnasium. I read a quote from some rapper they call 50-Cent the other day: “The dream is to get rich or to die tryin.”
Really? Really? Is that what young folks dream about today?
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m thrilled our kids are out making it on their own and paying their bills. I hope. I know Jan and I are very fortunate, and we genuinely enjoy the blessings that come our way. Lord knows.
But is a person judged, welcomed, appreciated, respected, and satisfied because of the size of their check book? Is this what our culture is passing on to the next generation?
Now, I haven’t met a lot, but I have known a few very, very wealthy people in my day. I have seen, first hand, what wealth cannot afford. It cannot buy you a loving relationship. It cannot buy you a close, close friend. It cannot buy you the respect of your children. It cannot buy you health, or peace, or integrity. You name it. I have watched for a number of years the chase for wealth, and it is an exhausting run.
While what Jan and I have been about has never been about the money, we have had a dream. We have had a desire. It is something we chase, something we pursue, something that lures us. I’ll bet if I sat down with you over a cup of coffee, we would find out that you share that dream as well, because I want my life to count. I want my life not to be wasted. I want my life to have some type of meaning and significance. I think that every person in this room does, too.
There is good news today. There is a way. There is more. In fact, the Bible says there is a lot more. Today we’re going to take a look at God’s path to significance. It’s a path that does not exclude wealth, Lord knows, but it is not tied to wealth either.
The fact is it comes wrapped in a pretty radical package. You have to decide if you’re ready for it, because Jesus is going to show us in just a few minutes the path to significance is paved with gold? No. The path to significance is paved with service. It is the recipe for significance. Let’s discover what Jesus, in the Bible, has to teach us about the path to significance.
Number 1: First of all, I just need to say that Jesus taught about serving. Mark 9 says, “On the way, the disciples – the followers of Jesus – had argued about who was going to be the greatest. Jesus sat down and called them around him and said, ‘Anyone who wants to be the greatest must be the least – the servant of all.’”
You can almost hear the child-like argument: “I’m going to be the greatest.”
“No, I’m the favorite.”
“No, you’re not.”
“You’re an idiot.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Are too.”
“Am not.”
“How do you know? You don’t even have any friends.”
Ever had that argument? You’ve maybe heard that somewhere along the line.
So, Jesus calls them all together, sits them down, and very neatly ties significance and service together.
“You really want it?” he says. “The way to get it is through service.”
Now, folks, that was as shocking to those disciples in that day as it is to us in the twenty-first century. Jesus taught about service.
Number 2: Jesus used stories to illustrate serving. Ever heard the story about the good Samaritan? Most people in this room have. If you haven’t, just know you don’t have to be in church… You don’t have to know a whole lot about the faith… to have some semblance of this story. It’s been around in every culture and every religion in some form or fashion. It goes something like this.
One day a man was going along the road, and he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him. They beat him. They left him half dead. A priest, a minister, a rabbi, came by, saw the man, and passed him by. Then a community leader came by, saw the man, and passed him by. Then a Samaritan, a half breed, a hated foreigner, a guy most people could not even stand to be near, came by and saw the man. The Samaritan took pity on him, took him to his room, bandaged him up, put him on his donkey, took him to an inn, and paid the inn keeper to take care of him.
“Now which of the three,” Jesus asked, “was the neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”
“The one who had mercy,” they said.
Jesus replied, “Go and do likewise.”
That’s serving. Seeing a need wherever it happens to be and meeting it. Folks, every single person in this room, every single person who is going to be in this church all day long, is going to have the chance this week to be the good Samaritan. I don’t know how it’s going to happen. I don’t know where you’re going to see it. Be watching for it. It is going to happen. Be ready and be the good Samaritan.
Number 3: Jesus says serving is his life. In Mark 10, Jesus said it about as clearly as it can be said. He said, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve others, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Hear that again. “The Son of Man, God incarnate, came not to be served, but to serve others, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
He didn’t say, “I come for you to serve me.” He said, “I’ve come to serve you. The King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the superstar of all superstars, the leader of all leaders, shatters the stereotype of what royalty, what power about being the boss means. He says, “I’m going to change things up. I’m going to flip things upside down. I’m going to show you something really radical. I, the Son of God, am here to serve. That’s my life. I invite you to make it yours.”
Number 4: Jesus modeled serving. In the final hour of his life, as you know, he was about to be crucified on the cross, and when he did, he gathered his friends together. They had a final meal in an upper room, and he showed them, he modeled for them; he gave them the example of “the full extent of his love.”
How did he do that? He got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around him, poured some water in a basin and began to wash his disciple’s feet. He said, “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you to others” (John 13:1,4,5,15).
Now, let’s camp here for just a minute. This foot-washing thing sort of rattles a lot of our cages. As some of you may know, that was only done by slaves for their masters. In those days there were no socks, no sidewalks. There were just flip-flops, dirt, and camel droppings. Nobody who was anybody washed somebody else’s feet. So what I want you to see is this. When Jesus gets up and washes his friend’s feet, they are shocked. They are blown away.
I have a friend. He is a little weird. Whenever we get together, it’s his habit to take his shoes off. You know… Under the table, or in the office, wherever we happen to be, even in a restaurant. He has the stinkiest feet on the planet, and furthermore, he knows it. Once he takes off his shoes, he just begins to count, with a little grin on his face, to see how long it’s going to take before I have this little gag reflex. So, as I was hearing this Scripture today, and while I was working on this text, I was thinking of him. But Jacob's really a good guy. I’m teasing. I’m teasing. I’m lying, but if you see him latter today, don’t tell him. Just go up and, Sniff, sniff.” He’s going to kill me, but I don’t care.
I did bring a bucket, and I brought some water, and a cloth. I just wanted to know if anybody here would feel comfortable with me washing their feet today? Right here, right now, today, anybody?
Come on up here, Sally. Just take a seat. Do you all know Sally Fancher? We're getting very well acquainted. Sally, I want to do with you exactly what Jesus did and wash your feet, simply as a sign, a symbol, an object lesson. This is what our life is all about. He said, "I’ve shown you what love really means, and I want you to do this for others."
God bless you.
Can I wash your feet? Marsha, do you all know Marsha? This is Marsha. Marsha, like Jesus, I wash your feet today, as a sign and a symbol of what our lives are all about. He did that for his disciples, and he asks us to do that for each other. Not only for today, but forever.
God bless you.
It’s going to be a long morning. You know… I’ve been here almost 23 years, and I’ve never done that. That’s amazing.
I want to ask you to think about what you just saw. I want you to think about his last meal with his friends. Jesus was saying to them, “As you all know, folks, I’m leaving. I’ve been with you for three years. We’ve seen a lot. We’ve done a lot. I’m going to send you home with one last object lesson. What I do, I want you to do for others forever. It’s called serving.”
Serving, folks, is the primary method God uses to change you, and me, and everybody else into the likeness of Jesus Christ.
Now, let’s get practical. It’s 2008. Why is it, in our culture, that it is so hard to see this? Why is it so hard to serve today? Why is it that so many of our young are dreaming about anything but?
Truth: they have been carefully taught. You and I live in a culture that keeps telling us every single possible moment and in every single possible way, “It’s all about me.” The result is we get a country full of folks who are grossly self-absorbed.
“I’m running for president of my own fan club, and I ain’t dropping out of the race. I like you. Yes, I do, sometimes, but I like me a whole lot more. At the core, I’m essentially self-absorbed.”
I think that’s the reason it’s so difficult in our day, in our place, in our time to serve. When I talk about service I’m not talking about just making cookies for the classroom project. I’m not just talking about attending a service club meeting on Tuesdays, or a church meeting on Thursday night. I’m talking about not just that thing you can put on your calendar, you check off, did that, done my service. Now, what’s next? That’s called volunteerism. I’m not talking about volunteerism. I’m talking about service, and there’s a huge difference.
Service is something that is part of your character, something in your lifestyle. It has nothing to do with what you do two hours a week. It’s who you are. It’s something you dream about, you love, you desire. It’s not an obligation. It’s something you want.
How in the world does that happen?
First of all, I choose obedience over convenience. That’s a choice. If I want what God wants to do through me, through service, I have to choose obedience over convenience.
A lot of folks want the perks of being a Christ follower. They want forgiveness. They want their prayers answered. They want their kids to have a Christian education. They want someone to pay attention to them when they hurt. They want security of God’s promise of eternal life. They want the perks.
Are those same people willing to pay the price? The price for those benefits is obedience. Now I know that that is not a very popular word in the twenty-first century. It’s a biblical word.
Being Christian is simply this. Obedience is doing what God wants you to do even when it’s not convenient. That’s obedience.
Let me show you a great picture of obedience. Jesus goes out to recruit his disciples. There is no Craig’s List. He can’t post this one. He has to go out and recruit them. First of all, who does he go to? A bunch of fishermen, which says volumes about Jesus’ knowledge about human beings.
In Mathew 4:19, “Jesus called out to them, ‘Come be my disciples…’ They left their nets at once, and went out with him.”
Circle “at once.” That’s obedience.
Now think about this. They’ve been fishermen for generations. It’s part of their family heritage. They had found their little niche in life. They have the family business. It’s fairly stable, my guess. It puts food on the table. Nobody is rich, but they’re doing OK. They know everyday what’s going to happen. Everything is very predictable. You get up. You get in the boat. You cast the net, and you tell a few jokes – fishing jokes.
Simon: “Why do you fish?”
Andrew: “I just fish for the halibut.”
Awful jokes, absolutely awful.
But the point is that Jesus challenges their convenience, their comfort zone. He says, “Follow me.” And he says that is a choice. The key word here is "choose."
Obedience is when I have a choice, and I choose God’s way. When I choose God’s way, God does God’s work of transforming, changing my life from the inside out. You see? When I’m comfortable, when I choose what’s convenient, I don’t grow. When I’m challenged, I grow. When I’m stretched, I grow. When I’m pushed out of my comfort zone is when I grow. That’s when I experience transformation. That’s when God has the opportunity to mold me.
In John 14:15, Jesus says, “If you love me, obey me.”
There is that word again.
In Luke 11:28, Jesus says, “But even more blessed are all those who hear my word and put it into practice.”
That’s obedience. That’s deep stuff.
Now, I hear folks from time to time and their words and what their actions say, “You know; Broadway is just not deep enough for me.”
I guess everyone has their own definition of what deep is. Well, let me tell you what the Bible says “deep” is. One word: obedience. Obedience is deep.
If you’re here today, and you’re sort of checking us out, or seeking, or wondering about this whole God thing, let me tell you up front. This is not an invitation to convenience. God’s ways are not easy ways. God’s ways are often at odds with the world’s ways. You know this.
The world says, “Hate your enemies.” We are working overtime to do that.
God’s way says, “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.”
The world says, “When somebody hurts you, take revenge. Get them back. An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.”
God’s way says, “Don’t take revenge. Turn the other cheek, because revenge is mine.” God says, “I will repay.”
The world says, “Make yourself number one.”
God says, “Make me first in your life.”
Folks, choose obedience over convenience, and when that happens…
Second, look for opportunities to serve. That’s right. Look for them. You have to train yourself to serve. We’re not trained in service. You have to train yourself to serve. Where? Everywhere. Not just here; everywhere, anywhere.
Folks, it’s never about recognition. In fact, the Bible is very clear that if you’re doing it for recognition, you really don’t get much credit for it. OK? It’s not about recognition. It’s about obedience.
So, I encourage people to start small. You know… Go behind the scenes. Just get it going, and it will grow. It will become part of your character. It will become part of your lifestyle. Every single service you perform, regardless of it’s size, none of it is too small. None of it is too big. It matters to God.
In Matthew 10:42, Jesus says, “If you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”
Where do you start? Obedience!
OK. Here is the challenge for the day. It is time to do a little self-evaluation. Answer this for yourself: Does my lifestyle reveal that I serve from obedience? Not volunteerism, but obedience. I want you to take that home with you. Think about it. Pray about it. Journal about it. Write about it, if that works for you.
Then, begin a list. I call it an “I could have…” list. That’s the list of opportunities to serve out of obedience to God that you’ve missed. Just make a list. We all have. It’s already happened today. Just make a list. Just write it down. Then, when you have that list and you’re ready, start going through that list, and then decide just to try one day this week, and say, “I going to serve one time today out of obedience to God.”
I don’t know how that’s going to happen. I don’t know where that is going to be. I have no clue.
Recognition? Nope.
Then we’re going to ask you to do it two times a day, and then three, and then four, and then five times a day, and pretty soon, you’re going to be serving out of obedience hourly.
Then it will become part of your character. It’s going to become part of your lifestyle. That’s the way you become more like Christ. Along the way, you are going to hear a voice from heaven that says, “That’s it, girl.” “Way to go, guy.” “That’s what I created you for. You are looking more like me everyday.”
I’ve seen it a thousand times in 40 years, maybe ten-thousand times. Whether it’s a Bill and Melinda Gates, who we all read about this week, who are, over their lifetime, going to be able to give away over a hundred-billion dollars for their foundation they say “is designed to reduce human inequity,” and change the world. That’s big.
Or whether it’s people like Phil, Luci, Lauren, and Cale (who I didn’t tell I was going to say this, but I’m going to say it publicly) who saved a 17-year-old by opening their home and their hearts. Most of the people in this room don’t even know that.
Or whether it is a group of guys in this church, who behind the scenes, are putting together a couple of grand to help a fellow follower put a roof on her home. The list goes on, and on, and on. It’s just the tip of the iceberg.
It is people in every walk of life who, in the quietness of their souls, know that chasing wealth and success are not what’s really going to last. It’s not really going to matter. It’s significance. Jesus said. “It’s that drive you have for significance and meaning. I want you to have that.”
Well, that’s not exactly a quote, but you get the idea. Put it in your DNA. There is a way for you to get it, and that way, that path to significance, is service. Let’s give it a shot this week, folks. Let’s do it together.
And all the people say… “Amen.”
Benediction
Servant of All, thank you for the example you have set for us. Thank you for asking us to be servants to one another. Thank you for giving us eyes and hearts that long for meaning. Please help us to be your helping, significant, serving presence in this world. Amen.
