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THE BLESSED LIFESERVING

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THE BLESSED LIFE: SERVING

By Pastor Randy Thomas

St. Paul United Methodist Church4501 Thomason

Midland, TX 79703Phone: 432.694.2544

www.stpaulumcmidland.com

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FOREWORD

This little book is based upon a series of messages that I preached at St. Paul inApril, 2013. It came out of the burden of the need of alerting us as Christians andas a church to the importance of obedience to the command of Jesus to “Go.”

The ultimate service as believers is to make disciples. We have been given gifts bythe Holy Spirit, but we sometimes excuse ourselves from making disciples orevangelism because we don’t have the gift of evangelism. It is simply an excuse.We can do better as the church.

We are far too content to be spectators in our churches, and it’s time we follow themodel found in the book of Acts as the early church so quickly spread the Gospelthroughout the known world. We need to come together as the church to beencouraged and to prepare to go out, but the point is that we are to go out.

Serving begins when we leave the padded pews and the PowerPoint slides and goout the doors back into the world. We must take our compassion for the lost withus, realizing that lost, desperate souls are depending on us. We must stopdepending upon other Christians, other churches, or media ministries for we maybe the only one that can reach the person whose only hope is Jesus Christ.

As you read this little booklet, born out of a longing for believers to step out andserve by taking the Gospel to others, it is my hope that your heart will be stirred toserve. It’s not volunteering that I’m really talking about; although, technically, wemust volunteer. I’d like us to see it from a servant’s attitude and doing it as untothe Lord, not as a volunteer because we desperately need your help. May God blessyou as you read these pages.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1

The Life of a Servant ………………………. 5

Chapter 2

The Path to True Greatness ………………… 10

Chapter 3

Don’t Miss Your Great Opportunities ……… 15

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The following sources were greatly appreciated in preparing these messages andhighly recommended for your reading:

John MacArthur, Slave (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2010).Nelson Searcy, The Greatness Principle (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2012).Tom Rath, How Full Is Your Bucket?Bob Franquiz, 1000 Dirty Buckets.

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CHAPTER 1

THE LIFE OF A SERVANT

Matthew 28:16-20 (NKJV)16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesushad appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but somedoubted. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has beengiven to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all thenations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the HolySpirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, Iam with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

I AM A CHRISTIAN. John MacArthur tells story of a young man standing beforea Roman governor. His accusers were trying to force him to recant, but heanswered with the same short phrase, “I am a Christian.” It was the middle of thesecond century, during the reign of the emperor Marcus Aurelius. Believersthroughout the Roman Empire faced the threat of imprisonment, torture, or death.Persecution was especially intense in southern Europe where Sanctus was told torenounce his faith. But he was undeterred-I am a Christian. He was condemned todie. On the day of his execution, he was forced to run the gauntlet, subjected towild beasts & fastened to a chair of burning iron. His accusers kept trying to breakhim. However, they heard nothing from his lips except the confession I am aChristian. For Sanctus his identity, his name, citizenship, social status was found inJesus Christ. Thus, there was no better answer than I am a Christian.

In America, our identity and who we are is too much wrapped up in our job andsocial status as Americans. We feel like a failure when we don’t achieve well asAmericans define success. But our real identity must be wrapped up in JesusChrist, just as it was for the early church as they sought to please Him.

Then, from the very beginning, Jesus said to those who are called by His name to“Go.” The final words that somebody speaks are pretty important and we findamong those final words of Jesus, “Go.”

Our Mission & Purpose at St. Paul is what? 1. Loving God: Meeting for WorshipService. 2. Loving Others: Growing together in Growth Groups to becomespiritually mature believers. 3. Serving the World: Go out beyond the walls toserve & make disciples. God has called us to serve with the gifts He’s given tomake disciples. So, let’s explore the life of a servant.

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A SERVANT OF GOD HAS BEEN CHANGED.

It is one of the strangest accounts found in the Bible. God speaks to a faithfulprophet by the name of Hosea who is a prophet to the northern Kingdom of Israel.He tells Hosea to take a wife who is a harlot who chases after other lovers. Hoseakeeps bringing her back. Finally, his wife Gomer (I know I always picture GomerPyle) is taken as a slave to the slave market. But Hosea goes and buys his wifeback from the slave market. It’s a picture of unconditional love that keeps onseeking even after it’s been spurned.

On the one hand, it was a depiction of the love of God for His covenant peopleIsrael. But it’s also a clear picture of every human being. Every last one of us, bornas sons of Adam have been in bondage to Satan. He’s a cruel master.

Romans 6:16 (NKJV)16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you arethat one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedienceleading to righteousness?

Hosea came and made the purchase for his unfaithful wife. He kept on loving her.Even when we have failed God and sinned, He keeps on loving us. Aren’t you gladHe does?

Do you know what the name Hosea means? It means “salvation.” I don’t think it’san accident. His name is from the same word as Joshua. Names in the Bible weresignificant because they often represented a person’s character.

Names today aren’t the same. For example, my name isn’t too important regardingwho I am. My name “Randy” means “wolf.” I see a magnificent animal of mysterythat God made. I know many of you think of the Big Bad Wolf who blew down thehouse of the 3 little pigs. You think of Little Red Riding Hood and that mean wolf.You think of the boy who cried wolf.

But there’s a name in the New Testament that’s the same root word as Hosea. Canyou tell me what it is? Yes, it’s Jesus. He’s the one who kept on loving us. Heloved us so much that He went to a cruel cross and died for us, the just for theunjust that we might live unto God.

Ephesians 1:7 (NKJV)7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, accordingto the riches of His grace

Just as Hosea purchased his wife on the trading block, so Jesus purchased orredeemed us by the price of His blood. It was all because of His amazing grace.We have been changed by coming to Him and receiving that price that He paid for

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us. It’s the beginning of a life transformation that He wants to do in us.

A SERVANT OF GOD HAS COMPLETELY SUBMITTED TO JESUS

1 Corinthians 6:20 (NKJV)20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in yourspirit, which are God's.

As servants of God we have been bought with the most precious price of all. It’sthe blood of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we should submit completely to Him since webelong to Him.

Within the Law of Moses there’s a very interesting instruction. It says that if anIsraelite is bought as a slave. This most likely happened due to a financial debt.The Law says that he will serve for six years but in the seventh year he is set free.If at the end of that period, he decides to, he may choose to willingly stay with hismaster. If He has been well treated and loves his master, he can willingly becomehis slave for life. He will stand before God and his ear will be pierced with an awlsignifying that he chooses to be a slave for life.

Consider for a moment a few of the passages in the New Testament.

Romans 1:1 (NKJV)1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to thegospel of God…

Galatians 1:10 (NKJV)10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I stillpleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

The word for servant here that is commonly used in the New Testament is a wordthat means slave. It’s found 124 times in the New Testament.

John MacArthur explains it like this: “Christianity is not about adding Jesus to mylife. Instead, it is about devoting myself completely to Him—submitting wholly toHis will and seeking to please Him above all else.”

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A SERVANT

John MacArthur describes three characteristics of a servant as defined in the NewTestament. I wonder how many of us really measure up, if we are truly honest withourselves. The first characteristic, which we have alluded to already, is totalsubmission to Jesus Christ.

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Total Submission to Jesus Christ

Romans 12:1 (NKJV)1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present yourbodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

It is a willing submission as a slave to Him, a heart response of obedience becauseHe paid the price for us.

Total Devotion to Jesus Christ

According to the New Testament, the Christian as a joyous slave for the LordJesus Christ has only one primary concern. It was and is to carry out the will of theMaster. Where they were given direct commands, they were required to obey.

What does it mean for us? Here’s a thought: the Word of God gives us Hiscommands that we are to obey. Every time we open it’s pages we should read it asHis commands to us and measure our lives accordingly rather than compareourselves to others who don’t live up to His commands.

Mark Twain perhaps captured the feeling we should have. He referred to thosewho complain about the parts of the Bible they don’t understand. He said that whatbothered him about the Bible was not the things he did not understand, but thethings he did. Let us read it with a heart toward pleasing our Master.

Total Dependency upon Jesus Christ

A slave in the day was totally dependent upon his owner for the basic necessities oflife, including food and shelter. I remember growing up my Dad would tell me ashe planted the cotton or wheat. He told me he planted and worked to do what hecould but ultimately he depended upon God. He trusted God to produce the harvestto go out and bring in. I remember the days before the cotton picking machines andas a child dragging a cotton sack down the row. He said I was a lot more willing towork when I was too little than I was when I could really help.

But there’s something kind of nice about it all, isn’t there? We are dependent uponHim as our Master and He says He will take care of us.

Matthew 6:31-33 (NKJV)31 Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or'What shall we wear?' 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For yourheavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdomof God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

I wonder if you know Jesus as your Savior today. If not, this is your opportunity toinvite Him to come into your heart. I urge you today to pray the following prayerto receive Him into your life. If you say these words and really mean them, He will

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come into your life and forgive you of all your sins. Pray these words:

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. There are regrets I have in my life. I havefailed You, Lord. There’s no way I can be perfect and earn eternal life by myworks. But Jesus died for the human race and it includes me. Thank you for Yourgift of life. Come into my life, forgive me of all my sins and help me begin arelationship with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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CHAPTER 2

THE PATH TO TRUE GREATNESS

Mark 10:45 (NKJV)45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give Hislife a ransom for many."

What is a person’s life? What does it consist of? The Bible when speaking ofhumanity paints an unflattering picture.

James 4:14 (NKJV)14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It iseven a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Luke 12:15 (NKJV)15 And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life doesnot consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."

Have you ever thought about your life? We all have. We wonder what it is that willbring fulfillment to us. Our great desire is that our lives will count for God. We trythings. Some think if we can only have things and money, then my life will matter.Some say well maybe I can achieve fame in some way and strive after it; then,when I get there everything will be okay. Some say if I could only reach a highlevel of performance at my job or something else, then my life will matter. Otherssay if I can please my husband or wife, parents, boss, then, I’ll be okay. So howcan we see our lives as counting and significant, of being fulfilled in our lives?

WE MUST FIND THE PRINCIPLE OF GREATNESS.

First, we must find the principle of greatness. To do that we must ask ourselves:what’s the dominant guiding principle in your life?

A famous atheist lived by the principle there was no God. He was taking a walkthrough the woods, admiring all that the "accident of evolution" had created."What beautiful animals!" he said to himself. As he walked alongside the river, heheard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look. He saw a 7-footgrizzly bear charging toward him. He ran as fast as he could up the path. He lookedover his shoulder and saw that the bear was closing in. He ran even faster, soscared that tears were coming to his eyes. Looking over his shoulder again, thebear was even closer. His heart was pumping frantically and he tried to run evenfaster. He tripped and fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw

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the bear, right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw and raising hisright paw to strike. At that instant the atheist cried out, without thinking, "God,help me! ... " Time stopped. The bear froze. The forest was silent. Even the riverstopped moving.

As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky, "You deny myexistence for all of these years, teach others I don't exist and even credit creation toa cosmic accident. Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I tonow count you as a believer?" The atheist looked directly into the light andanswered, "It would be hypocritical for me to be a Christian after all these years;but, perhaps, you could make the bear a Christian?" "Very well," said the voice.The light went out. The river ran again. The sounds of the forest resumed. Andthen the bear dropped his right paw ... brought both paws together ... bowed hishead and spoke: "Lord, for this food which I am about to receive, I am trulythankful."

Here are some pictures of famous people. Now, tell me what’s their guidingprinciple?

1. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. What’s the guiding principle? Nonviolence.2. Mother Teresa. What’s the guiding principle? Compassion.3. Winston Churchill. What’s the guiding principle? Persistence.4. Vince Lombardi. What’s the guiding principle? Winning.5. Tweety Pie. What’s the guiding principle? I don’t have a clue.

Someone has described it like this: “The content and strength of your dominantguiding principle will directly correlate with the greatness of your life.”

Really what we are talking about here is simply giving your life purpose,significance, and greatness in the eyes of God.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said: “Lives of great men all remind us we canmake our lives sublime. And, departing, leave behind us footprints on the sands oftime.” Let us explore how our lives can be significant. First, we should follow theexample of Jesus.

WE SHOULD FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS.

It speaks of greatness in the Bible. In Matthew 5:19, greatness depends uponteaching the Bible and keeping it. Then, notice:

Matthew 18:4 (NKJV)4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in thekingdom of heaven.

It says to us we must humble ourselves to be great in the Kingdom. Next:

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John 1:35-36 (NKJV)35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36 And looking at Jesusas He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"

Significance occurs by spending time with Jesus.

Looking at Jesus. Dr. S.D. Gordon said that “looking at Jesus changes us.” Hecalled it the law of unconscious assimilation. We tend to take on the characteristicsof those we hang out with. So how do we get to be more like Jesus? By hangingout with Jesus.

It’s why you make a commitment to get up early, set your alarm clock and open upyour Bible. You spend time with Jesus. It’s a practical step to take in your life.

Significance occurs by following Jesus as a servant.

We need to take a moment to see how Jesus came. He came as a servant.

Mark 10:45 (NKJV)45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give Hislife a ransom for many."

What is the guiding principle of greatness that Jesus is the great example of here?The great topic of the Gospel of Mark is the revelation of Jesus Christ as theservant. The key verse in the Gospel of Mark is Mark 10:45. Jesus said it and livedit. He said of Himself that He did not come to be served. He did not come to beministered to. But He came to serve. He came to serve and to die at the cross forthe sins of the human race so that they might be saved.

Therefore, we need to look at Jesus and hang out with Him to become a servantjust as He was. There was once an artist who visited the royal gallery in Dresden totouch up his paintings as needed. As we abide in Jesus, He touches up our lives toplease Him that the traits of our lives might be more like Him.

WE SHOULD OBEY THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS.

Second, we must follow the teachings of Jesus about servanthood. The crossloomed just ahead. The disciples of Jesus had this big argument about who wouldbe the greatest in the Kingdom. Let’s pick up the actual record.

Luke 22:24-30 (NKJV)24 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should beconsidered the greatest. 25 And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exerciselordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called'benefactors.' 26 But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest amongyou, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. 27 For who isgreater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table?

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Yet I am among you as the One who serves. 28 But you are those who havecontinued with Me in My trials. 29 And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as MyFather bestowed one upon Me, 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in Mykingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

He’s referring to rulership when He compares earthly kingdoms to God’sKingdom.

Definition of Greatness according to the World: Power over Others

First, see verse 25: “kings of the Gentiles exercise power over other people.”Here’s the definition of greatness according to the world. It is to exercise powerover others.

What does it mean to be great in the world? Maybe you think it’s staying in topphysical shape. Maybe by being popular and the life of the party. Maybe it’s bymastering a hobby or becoming among the best in your career. But, it’s elusive.You can’t grasp it.

I remember in the old days of television when I was growing up. It was frequent tosee someone falling in quicksand. The person would be stuck in quicksand andhoping for someone to come along and pull them out. Trying to achieve greatnesslike the world is like trying to climb to the summit and falling into quicksand.

Definition of Greatness according to Jesus: Serving Others

Second, see verse 26: But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatestamong you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.

Here’s the true definition of greatness: greatness is to live a life of service. To begreat in the kingdom of God, serve others.

Nelson Searcy defines it like this: “When you bless others, God blesses you.” It’strue. But let me ask: do we do it because God blesses us? No, we do it because welove God and love others.

Third, notice verse 27: For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he whoserves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One whoserves. Jesus says His kingdom is different. It’s waiting on others that matters. It’sgetting the mop bucket. But it’s doing it for Jesus and presenting the Gospel tothem as well. It includes our hospitality. Consider the hospitality and service at thegreat businesses and brand names—Ritz Carlton and Disney. I believe that weshould roll out the best welcome we can for God. Let’s serve and show our love,welcoming all who come through our doors. Let’s do it to show we value them,treating them as guests, not visitors. In a very practical way, we can take advantageof opportunities this summer to help us with servant evangelism, to help as greeters

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at the door and on the parking lot, helping in the office, setting up chairs, waitingon tables, and other ways. Then, Servant Evangelism means we go out beyond ourwalls to impact those who need Jesus. Why not give an hour a month at least toserve?

I really like something Bob Franquiz wrote: “Greatness is not the amount of peoplewho serve you: it’s the amount of people you serve out of obedience to Jesus.”What does serving others mean for us as a church?

Brad Powell became pastor at Northridge Church in Detroit. Actually, this was thechurch's new name that they had to take to get started moving again. This had beena soulwinning church from the 1950's until the 1980's but it declined. By the timehe became pastor the church had declined and even during the transformation ofthe church it declined so nearly 80% of attendance of this once great megachurchhad been lost.

Brad Powell tells the story of a tragedy that affected the church. Two thieves brokeinto a jeweler's home and demanded the safe be opened. After they robbed thisman, they murdered the whole family, including some young children. The familywas related to some of the church members. Then, Brad learned the story of thisfamily. A few weeks before the tragedy, they had begun attending Northridge. Infact, they had come to know Jesus Christ and received him into their hearts. Later,Brad found the card in which they had received Christ and found the comment ofhow much the church meant to them and that finally they were able to respond tothe message of the Gospel presented in a relevant way, in a way that connected totoday's culture. Brad said it was, of course, still a tragedy, but he was so gratefulthat Northridge Church had moved through the transformation to reach this familythat they might have eternal life. If the church had not gone through the changes,this family may not have been reached with the message of salvation.

You see, there are people in Midland that we can reach. Let's go through thetransformation that we must now to implement our serving and evangelismprocesses. There are souls here that are depending upon it. Will you join me andlet's begin to pray for those three people that need God? Let's then take the step toinvite them to Christ and to church. Let's go out and share the bottled water andshow the love of God. Let's invite them to our Big Days because here they can findChrist.

If you don’t know Jesus, please pray: Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. Thereare regrets I have in my life. I have failed You, Lord. There’s no way I can beperfect and earn eternal life by my works. But Jesus died for the human race and itincludes me. Thank you for Your gift of life. Come into my life, forgive me of allmy sins and help me begin a relationship with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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CHAPTER 3

DON’T MISS YOUR GREAT OPPORTUNITIES

Matthew 25:31-34 (NKJV)31 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels withHim, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will begathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as ashepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheepon His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say tothose on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit thekingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Jesus tells us here that when He returns the people of the nations will stand beforeHim to be judged. Now, I believe that the picture here is probably first of all,judgment based upon the treatment of Israel by the Gentile nations during theGreat Tribulation. However, I believe it can be applied in a very real way to allpeople and how we treat others generally. Maybe we should be reminded of futurejudgment even in the following verse:

1 John 3:17 (NKJV)17 But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts uphis heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

I quickly add this and I John 3:17 lends support to it. We are saved by gracethrough faith, not by works. However, anyone who treats others withoutcompassion, how can the love of God abide in that person asks John. And theanswer is, it doesn’t.

2 Corinthians 5:10 (NKJV)10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one mayreceive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether goodor bad.

Pastor Jones was waxing eloquent as he envisioned the Judgment Day. He rangout: “Lightning will flash, thunder will boom, rivers will overflow…Fire willflame from the heavens. The earth will quake violently… darkness will fall uponthe whole earth!” Little Tommy turned to his father and his voice arose: “Dad, doyou think they’ll let school out early that day?”

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Let us notice what we can learn about serving from this parable of Jesus.

WE MUST LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE OTHERS.

Matthew 25:37-40 (NKJV)37 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungryand feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger andtake You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison,and come to You?' 40 And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I sayto you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it toMe.'

We need to become aware of others.

Now I want you to notice the words “when did we see You”. These words arefound three times so they are important. We can’t help anyone until we see them.We can’t bless anyone until we see them. We can’t serve anyone until we seethem.

What’s the reason that we don’t see them? We are selfish by nature. We gothrough life focused on us. Even in church, it’s often about what we like when itshould be about what God wants and what we do to connect with the lost. It’s soeasy for us to fall into the trap “every man for himself” and forgetting that life ismore than our wants, desires, and comforts. We are also in a hurry. Life rushesalong and our minds are on us and what we need to get done. Then, we also thinkthat somebody else will be there for that person. But what if another person doesn’tcome along? If they do come along, they will be blessed by God, and we will missthe blessing. We find this warning in Scripture:

Philippians 2:3-4 (NLT)3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others asbetter than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take aninterest in others, too.

Echoing the Apostle Paul’s words, Rick Warren opens his book The PurposeDriven Life with the words: “It’s not about you.”

Nelson Searcy wrote in his book The Greatness Principle: “If we’re honest, we canadmit that we feel most alive and happiest when we shift our focus off of ourselvesand onto other people.” He goes on to say: “Still, we fall into the rut of making itabout us. Here’s some good news: you and I can break out of that rut by learning tobecome aware.”

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Practical steps to awaken awareness.

Here are two steps. First, take a Sabbath day each week. If you can’t find any wayto do that, move toward it and set aside some time each week. Think about the pastweek and ask yourself: Have you missed opportunities to serve other people? Haveyou ignored a co-worker who needed to talk to you? Have you ignored anopportunity to make your spouse’s life easier? Have you encouraged yourchildren? Second, the next day that you can, do this: consciously take note of whatyou can do for your spouse and children. Think about going out of your way to dosomething kind for your co-worker. Maybe, get them some coffee and bring them adonut. Then, go to a mall or busy store and spend a little while people-watching.Look for needs, even little things. Some people might need a smile, others mightneed help with a door being opened. These help sharpen your awareness skills.

WE SHOULD ACT WITH COMPASSION.

According to Jesus, here are those who are blessed of the Father to enter theKingdom, and it directly relates to serving with compassion because of arelationship with Jesus. This passage is called the Great Compassion.

Matthew 25:35-40 (NKJV)35 For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; Iwas a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sickand you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' 37 Then the righteous willanswer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirstyand give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or nakedand clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40

And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch asyou did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'

There are six acts of compassion and mercy those blessed of the Father do.

Action 1: I was hungry and you gave me food.

Most of us feel like we don’t have a lot of money. But we have been blessed. Anorganization called “Feeding America” states that one in every six Americansdon’t have enough to eat and it includes more than one in every five children. Weare much better as a nation than most other countries. There are opportunities toserve. We have a food pantry in the church. There are opportunities to serve atwonderful places who feed the hungry, and you can serve by contacting BreakingBread and other ministries.

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Action 2: I was thirsty and you gave me drink.

We generally know what it is to have clean and pure water in our nation. However,that’s not true in other parts of the world. There are opportunities that we have togive to dig wells in other places. That’s a worthy thing to do and to give to thosecauses. The Water Project (thewaterproject.org) specializes in digging wells forAfrica and India to give people access to clean water.

We are reminded that the water of life symbolizes spiritual life. Listen to the lastinvitation in the entire Bible:

Revelation 22:17 (NKJV)17 And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!"And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life

freely.

The Church is the Bride of Christ. St. Paul UMC is called to share the Gospel andtell people how to find the Savior Jesus Christ who is the only One who can satisfytheir spiritual thirst. It’s the most important service that we can do as a church.

I am introducing a goal today that’s pretty big but through Jesus Christ we can doit. We have a goal to double the attendance of St. Paul in the next two years. Wehave an evangelism strategy to accomplish it and we will lay it out completelysoon. It’s a goal that requires faith in God. It requires investing some money inevangelism and believing God for it. It means that we must work together all of usand set aside time to pray daily for it to happen. I believe we must because thereare lost souls all around us. There are hurting families and we have the only Onewho can change their situation.

How can we do it? By ourselves we can’t. But it doesn’t depend only on you. It isa team effort. You can take the next step for you wherever you are: 1. Who are thethree unsaved/unchurched people God has laid on your heart? Pray for God toshow you and write those down. 2. Begin to pray for them to come to Christ andbecome a part of the church. 3. Invite them to come to Church at our next Big Day.4. If they attend, contact them to come back. Maybe invite them to coffee andspend time with them as they need encouragement to change their pattern of life. 5.If they don’t attend, pray and get to know them if possible and invite them to thenext Big Day. Our goal is to see people saved, not to put people in pews.

Action 3: I was a stranger and you took me in.

We need to show hospitality to others. The church must welcome our guests andshow we care. In our relationship with God we were once strangers far from Godbut someone told us of the love of Jesus.

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Action 4: I was naked and you gave me clothing.

It’s important that we provide for those who need clothing and whose shoes wearout. The Salvation Army is a help with this. Perhaps in the winter we should lookinto helping with warm coats and blankets as a church, especially realizing anumber of families are having a hard time taking care of some basic needs of lifeeven here in Midland.

Action 5: I was sick and you cared for me.

Those who face serious illness often need to know they are loved. They need us toprovide a meal perhaps and to spend time with them to encourage them.

Action 6: I was in prison and you visited me.

This action is not as simple as the others. But those on the fringes of society needto know they are loved. You may be able to write to a prisoner and share theGospel. Perhaps it’s a ministry to the homeless but God loves those who are theoutcasts of society as well.

WE MUST HUMBLE OURSELVES IN SERVING TO BE EXALTED.

The word for serving in the New Testament is the word for slave. A slave was thelowest in society. God wants to know if we will humble ourselves as Jesus did.

Matthew 25:34 (NKJV)34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of MyFather, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

That’s the ultimate blessing. To not serve relates to everlasting punishment a fewverses later.

Dr. William Mayer was Chief Psychiatrist of the U.S. Army and investigated why38% of the American POW’s in North Korean POW camps died, the highest ratein U.S. military history. He found that half of those who died had completely givenup. The North Koreans cruelly denied them emotional support from interpersonalrelationships which led to intense hopelessness so these soldiers went to a corner,sat down, pulled a blanket over their heads and waited to die. It was a powerfulillustration of negative emotions.

Dr. Don Clifton in the 1950’s pioneered the work of positive emotions. After theAmerican POW research, Dr. Clifton wondered about the flip side, if positivereinforcement could uplift and motivate people, and he developed an interestingmetaphor of a “dipper” and a “bucket”.

This very much illustrates the way God blesses us when we bless and serve others.

1. Dr. Clifton said everyone has an invisible bucket which is constantly emptied or

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filled depending on what others say or do. So you are at your best when it’s fulland at worst when it’s empty.

2. Everyone also has an invisible dipper. Every interaction with others either addsto or subtracts from each other’s buckets.

3. Whenever people choose to fill the buckets of others, they in turn fill their own.If people take from others’ buckets they take from their own. It’s like the “cuprunneth over” as a full bucket energizes you and enhances your relationships,health, productivity, and happiness. An empty bucket leads to depression, poorwork performance, and ill health. So fill your bucket. How do you do it? Byserving others and giving your life for them.

It reminds us of the words of Joshua in commitment: As for me & my house, wewill serve the Lord. What about you?

Today, I ask you if you would like to bow your heads and make a commitment toservice today. It’s the blessed life. However, if you’re here and don’t know Jesusas your Savior, I implore you to receive Him today. Just pray after me:

I wonder if you know Jesus as your Savior today. If not, this is your opportunity toinvite Him to come into your heart. I urge you today to pray the following prayerto receive Him into your life. If you say these words and really mean them, He willcome into your life and forgive you of all your sins. Pray these words:

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. There are regrets I have in my life. I havefailed You, Lord. There’s no way I can be perfect and earn eternal life by myworks. But Jesus died for the human race and it includes me. Thank you for Yourgift of life. Come into my life, forgive me of all my sins and help me begin arelationship with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.