100 Sermon Illustrations on Servanthood

Throughout the ages, God has referred to His faithful people as His servants. The Bible even calls Jesus "His holy servant." Unlike the religious leaders who exercised unquestioned authority over the people, Jesus came not as a ruler, but as a servant. From the example of His own life He teaches, "But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you shall be your minister and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:43-45). Christ ransomed us that we, too, might serve God and man. In our zeal to serve, we often overlook a critical truth: The servant does not choose his tasks. Our concept of serving God may be doing what we would like to do-for God. We tell God what we will do for Him, and what we will not do; where we will go for Him, and where we will not. We even tell Him what must not interfere with our plans. In doing this we forget He is the Master, and that the Master assigns the task. Our part is to give ourselves to Him, accepting the assignment He bestows. A servant is not free to serve on his own terms. Jesus said, "You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you to go and bring forth fruit" (John 15:16). So, we have been chosen to "run with patience the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1). The race set before us may not be on the track we would choose. Perhaps we would not choose the people God has placed around us, or the location or circumstances we find ourselves in, but a servant is not above his Master. "A disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord" (Matthew 10:24-25). Christ's life was one of sacrifice and doing the Father's will. Though He was rich, for our sakes He became poor (2 Corinthians 8:9). He counted equality with God a thing not to be grasped but emptied Himself and became a servant (Philippians 2:6-7). He came to do God's will (Hebrews 10:5-7). As servants following in the footsteps of Christ, we must present our bodies as "living sacrifices" and say, "Here I am-I have come to do Your will," regardless of what the task may be.

One evening, the children in Falks Reformatory at Weimer sat down to supper, and one of the boys said the grace, "Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, and bless what thou hast provided." A little fellow said, "Do tell me why the Lord Jesus never comes. We ask him every day to sit with us, and he never comes." — "Dear child, only believe, and you may be sure he will come; for he does not despise our invitation." "I will set him a seat," said the little fellow; and just then there was a knock at the door. A poor frozen apprentice entered, begging a night's lodging. He was made welcome; the chair stood ready for him; every child wanted him to have his plate; and one was lamenting that his bed was too small for the stranger, who was quite touched by such uncommon attentions. The little one had been thinking hard all this time: "Jesus could not come; so he sent this man in his place, — is that it?" — "Yes, dear child, that is just it. Every piece of bread and every drink of water that we give the poor or the sick or the prisoners, for Jesus' sake, we give to him."

Manual labor is esteemed by many at the South as disgraceful. An anecdote showing to what an extent this sentiment prevails, was related at an anti-slavery meeting at Danvers. A student from one of the southern States, in the Theological Seminary at Andover, had purchased some wood, and was exceedingly embarrassed at being unable readily to obtain some one to saw it for him. He went to Professor Stuart, to inquire what he should do in so unfortunate a predicament. The learned professor replied, that he was in want of a job himself, and he would saw it for him.

# AND LAWYERS.

notice at Olonez, he went first to the regency, and inquired of the governor how many suits were depending in the court of chancery? "None, sire," replied the governor. "How happens that?" "I endeavor to prevent lawsuits, and conciliate the parties; I act in such a manner that no traces of difference remain on the archives; if I am wrong, your indulgence will excuse me." "I wish," replied the Czar, "that all governors would act on your principles. Go on, God and your sovereign are equally satisfied."

A mother and daughter were traveling through a forest. Overcome by the long journey, the mother fainted and fell by the wayside. As soon as consciousness was partly restored to her she sent her little child to seek out a minister. The little daughter went weeping on her way. She soon met a stranger riding a horse. The man inquired of her why she was weeping. She asked him if he were God’s minister, and he said that he was. She led him to the side of her dying mother. His bodyguard soon arrived. Reverently did they uncover as they found the King of England kneeling in prayer for the dying peasant. The greatest among them was their servant. (Text.)

Ruth Barton was educated, but not allowed to use talents in church. She learned to live within limits. Servanthood became a priority. God does not waste gifts and will use them in the church body. Joseph as an example in the Old Testament. Barton learned to use gentle persuasion.

Survey on finding your place to serve.

1. Physical.

2. Emotional.

3. Spiritual.

What needs do you want to help meet?

What needs are you equipped to help with?

Do you think your present service is God's will for you?

Concludes with quote by George Muller on depending on God for everything:

"Seek entirely to depend on God for everything. Put yourself and your work into His hands. When thinking of any new undertaking, ask, "Is this agreeable to the mind of God? Is it for His glory?" If it is not for His glory, it is not for your good, and you must have nothing to do with it. Mind that!

"Having settled that a certain course is for the glory of God, begin it in His name, and continue it to the end. Undertake it in prayer and faith, and never give up!"

How to put the right people in the right places for the right reasons. Churches tend to promote people from usher to trustee to deacon, whether they are spiritually fit for it or not. People have different personal styles, emotional energies (passions) and spiritual gifts, which must all be brought into play to make a church vibrant.

College Church of the Nazarene in Bourbonnais, Illinois, has 125 men in 25 Bible studies, up from 50 men the previous year. A layman is in charge.

A. The benefits of properly grooming spiritual gifts.

1. New enthusiasm.

2. More involvement.

3. Greater ownership for ministry.

4. Less turnover.

5. Fewer conflicts.

6. Increased giving.

7. Greater love.

B. Encourage the pew-sitter.

1. Pray for God's direction.

2. Research the area of spiritual gifts, passion and personal style.

3. Encourage your leaders to evaluate their own gifts and profiles.

4. Work with leaders to guide rest of church.

A sidebar article highlights the Servant Profile:

Passion - indicates where you should serve.

Spiritual gifts - indicates what you should do.

Personal style - indicates how you can best serve.

Another sidebar has a mini-quiz or questionnaire that assesses how someone fits a particular ministry they are currently doing.

Older adults have a wealth of gifts to offer the church, but too often they sit on the sidelines. We can encourage them to get involved. Examples of what some elderly are doing in different churches.

How did Jesus show his authority? Not by making vast claims for himself, though such claims were implicit. His authority seemed to reside in what he was and what he did rather than in what he specifically claimed to be. Especially in Mark's Gospel there is an elusive quality about his authority, the mystery of the hidden Messiah. His authority was at the same time most deeply hidden and most clearly expressed by his servanthood... The more the Church in its life shows forth the character of the Servant, the more will its teaching bear the marks of the authority of the Servant.

... Anthony T. Hanson, The Church of the Servant

How can a servant leader exercise authority? Many have the impression that because a servant is subject to his master, he cannot exercise authority over those who are under him. In other words, how can a servant leader serve others and still exercise authority over them as necessary when providing leadership for them? This is a significant issue because a failure to exercise necessary authority is one of the major problems of leadership. "Problems in organization seldom come from 'the excessive desire of individuals to assume responsibility.' Just the contrary. The difficulties spring from "their reluctance to take responsibility.'" This is a very critical issue, therefore, because a misunderstanding of the servant concept of leadership has disastrous results.

A key passage in helping resolve this tension is 2 Corinthians 4:5: "For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants [douvloi] for Jesus' sake." The servant leader is enslaved to those whom he serves, but not to do their will; he is enslaved to them for Jesus' sake, that is, out of concern for Christ's interests. Thus he serves others not to do for them what they want but to do for them what Christ wants; the servant leader serves others out of an interest in seeing Christ's purposes accomplished in their lives. And what are Christ's interests in the lives of others? Consider the list below:

1. Christ is interested in God's glory (John 17:4).

2. Christ is interested in proper worship (Matt 21:12-17; John 2:13-22; 4:24).

3. Christ is interested in discipling (Matt 28:16-20; Mark 1:16-17; John 17:6).

4. Christ is interested in the Great Commission (Matt 28:16-20;

Mark 16:14-15; Luke 24:44-49; John 20:19-23; Acts 1:8).

5. Christ is interested in restoring sinning saints (Matt 18:15-16).

6. Christ is interested in confronting sin (Matt 18:15-20).

7. Christ is interested in disciplining rebellious saints to maintain

the purity of the church (Matt 18:15-20).

8. Christ is interested in correcting competitive leadership

(Mark 10:43-45).

9. Christ is interested in stable marriages (Matt 5:31-32; 19:3-12).

10. Christ is interested in having authoritative leadership

(Matt 18:18-20; 28:20; Mark 6:7; John 20:21-23).

From this list of Christ's interests in the lives of His followers it is clear that servant leaders must have and exercise authority if they are to provide true leadership. The difference between secular leadership and Christian leadership does not lie in the absence of authority but in the attitude that motivates authority, the sanctified nature of ambition and motivation, and the holy character mentioned earlier. Servant leaders must exercise authority if Christian churches and organizations are to develop and grow. They are needed to model godliness, make policies, manage finances, give direction, hold the group accountable for its purpose and actions, and provide the human layer of security under Christ which is needed if unity is to be maintained. How can any participate in the practice of church discipline without exercising authority, as Paul demonstrates in 1 Corinthians 5:1-8 and 2 Corinthians 7:8-13? "Had Paul not faithfully fulfilled his painful duty of writing in stern terms to them, and had they not responded with repentance, they would have suffered loss as a result of his negligence."

The servant leader under the Lord Jesus Christ cannot be negligent if he is to represent the interests of his Lord responsibly. However, his authority does not come from his position or his power or his dominance, but from his commitment to the Leader, his reflection of the Leader's glory, his redirected ambition, his motivating love, and his faithful exercise of authority. In essence, the servant leader serves by leading, by providing direction, by holding others accountable, by planning, by organizing, and by equipping others to do the same.

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William D. Lawrence

Associate Professor of Pastoral Ministries

Dallas Theological Seminary

Bibliotheca Sacra V144 #575, July 1987, page 329

*

It was 10 p.m., and the 60-year-old patient would not last the night. She was still conscious so her grieving daughter and I prepared for a bedside vigil. Then a thought: I preach about the ministry of the whole church, so why was I there in the hospital? I phoned the chairman of elders, and asked him to arrange for a different person to come each hour. They did, and he himself was there at 4 a.m. when the lady died. He committed the departed and grieving ones to the Lord, and 'went home on a high', privileged to have been involved in such a strategic pastoral opportunity! When I saw him last week - twelve years later - he lit up again as he talked about it!

The saddest question pastors ask is 'How can the church learn to minister to itself - and to the world?’ And the laity's saddest question: 'Why won't pastors empower us for ministry too?’ There's a catch-22 here somewhere... 'Ministry as empowerment' is in the category 'What they didn't teach you at theological seminary!'

Where two or three are gathered together there is power. 'Power is... an ever-present reality which one must confront, use, enjoy, and struggle with a hundred times a day' (Rollo May, Power and Innocence, 1972:121).

History is about power. So is psychology: self-esteem derives from the ability to influence one's destiny; to be involuntarily powerless is to be without hope. All behaviour, says Adler, has something to do with striving for power. However such striving is sick when those at the apex of power pyramids bolster their images with larger offices, special titles, distinctive clothing, deferential treatment, and prominently displayed certificates and honours. 'Image-makers' earn big bucks giving advice about 'power dressing', 'colour and flow analysis', 'impression management' ('don't grasp the lectern when speaking: look what happened to Nixon!'), and even what glasses frames best make the wearer look more sensitive/capable/authoritative, etc. There's a story (apocryphal I hope) of a pastor who advertised his degrees on his street letter-box plaque!

Brother Roger of Taize refuses to be called 'prior' in his community. 'I am their brother... It is impossible for those holding positions of responsibility in the church to add honorific titles to their service of God' (The Wonder of a Love, 1981:85).

Theology, too is about power: 'On every page of the New Testament one finds the terminology of power' (Walter Wink, Naming the Powers, 1984:99).

Some believe all power is evil - Tony Campolo, in “The Power Delusion” says power is the opposite of love - others (Machiavelli, Nietzche) that power is good ('all weakness tends to corrupt, and impotence corrupts absolutely' - Rollo May, 1972:24).

Here we'll assume power is neutral, but is directed to good or evil ends. Essentially power is the ability to get things done. Authority is power conferred by an institution. Leadership is getting things done through others. Empowerment is giving away, rather than accruing, power.

Power in the church

Where two or three gather in churches there is power. Surveys tell us most clergy enjoy preaching more than anything else. (Here, said one, 'I'm not at the mercy of petty bureaucrats!'). Lay leaders may exercise power: even becoming 'permission-withholders' (Lyle Schaller). I asked some Anglican clergy about the most powerful group in their church (it was the women's guild: when they don't like the vicar they withhold their fete-moneys!).

Church renewal is the process whereby church people, systems and structures receive new life, meaning and power. Ministry renewal happens when pastors and leaders move from an organizational/ maintenance mode of leadership to one of empowering the whole church for ministry.

The church-as-institution may resist such empowerment. Religious institutions tend over time to domesticate (Freire, Pedagogy and the Oppressed, 1972) and routinize faith-traditions. Marx may have had a point when he suggested that institutional religion is the enemy of social transformation because it sacralizes the forms and structures of society (Gilkey, Reaping the Whirlwind, 1981:199). Christians bring a mix of altruism and a 'what's in it for me' agenda to church meetings. Roy Oswald (Power Analysis of a Congregation) says every person in an organization has banked an amount of 'power currency' through personal (knowledge, position, verbal skills etc.) and corporate attributes (role, reputation, influence with group/s, access to communication channels). The pastor-leader had better identify formal and informal power-holders, groups and factions, and trace those communication channels if he or she is to influence people. Then, says Oswald, the more I empower others, the more powerful everyone in my system is, the more powerful I become. In the words of a 1970 book by David Dunn, “Try Giving Yourself Away!”

So a renewed church will take seriously the role of the laity in ministry. As the Whiteheads put it (J.D and E.E, in Method in Ministry: Theological Reflection and Christian Ministry, 1983:5): 'A contemporary shift in ecclesiology, our under- standing of the nature and structure of the church, has significantly influenced the shape of theological reflection in ministry. Previously we have been familiar with a church in which an individual authority (whether Catholic pope, Episcopal bishop, or Methodist pastor) reflected on and made decisions for the believing community. The emphasis today moves toward understanding the community of faith as the locus of theological and pastoral reflection. Pastoral insight and decis- ion are not just received in the community but are generated there as well... This shift requires new pastoral skills - group reflection, conflict resolution, and decision making - for the community and for its ministers.'

Although the church comprises human beings, it is not a human institution. The church's ministry is Christ's (John 20:21), carrying out in the world his ministry both extensively and intensively. Its mandate coincides with Jesus' own definition of his calling (Luke 4:18-19). The style of Christ's 'headship' was exemplified in washing his friends' feet. His badge of office was not a sceptre, but a towel. He models 'servant leadership', an authority to be found not in titles or status but in empowering others (cf. Mark 10:42-44). That is to be our model too.

The ministry belongs to the whole church, not just trained clergy (Ephesians 4:11-12,25). So we will have to abolish the 'clergy' - or the 'laity'. Every Christian is a minister; the whole church are the laos, the people of God. Our terminology should catch up with our theology at this point: let us drop the term 'minister', singular.

'Why is it' asks George Goyder (The People's Church, 1977:33) 'that the church today will not trust its members? Why does the church so often decline to recognize and to accept the activity of the Spirit among unregulated groups of Christians? Why is all initiative in the church expected and presumed to derive from the clergy? It is because we have substituted for the biblical doctrine of the Holy Spirit as ruler in the church a doctrine of our own, unknown to scripture, the authority of professionalism' (1977:33).

Ethology

Ethology is the study of the comparison between human and animal behaviour. An important concept in ethology is the notion of territoriality: the practice of marking a piece of ground and defending it against intruders. Animals as diverse as fish, worms, gazelles, and lizards stake out particular areas and put up fierce resistance when intruders encroach on their area. Many species use odorous secretions to mark the boundaries of their territory. For example the wolf marks its domain by urinating around the perimeter.

Some scholars argue that people are territorial animals: humans' genetic endowment drives them to gain and defend territory, much as the animals do. 'The dog barking at you from behind his master's fence acts for a motive indistinguishable from that of his master when the fence was built' (Ardrey, The Territorial Imperative, 1966:5). The list of territorial behaviours is endless: in a library you protect your space with a book, coat, or note-book; you 'save a place' in the theatre or at the beach - reserving a spot that is 'mine' or 'ours'; juvenile gangs fight to protect their turf (remember David Wilkerson's vivid descriptions of New York youth gangs in The Cross and the Switchblade?); neighbours of similar ethnic backgrounds join forces to keep other groups out; nations war over contested territory; pastors accuse others of 'sheep-stealing' (Schaller, Effective Church Planting, 1979:65ff.).

'Turfism' is rife in churches. The roster lady quits because someone didn't consult her about flowers left from the Saturday wedding; the organist won't play anything composed after the 1900s; the women's fellowship won't give the pastor - or anyone else - the key to their new room; the board chairman is angry because they met when he was away; an elder complains that the youth director took some kids to a Christian rock concert; the cleaner resigns because young people left chairs in disarray; the pastor is miffed when a Bible study group starts up without his knowledge.

As a result of our fallenness, this planet and its inhabitants have substituted 'territoriality' ('my space - keep out') for 'hospitality' ('my space - you're welcome!'). The Bible has many stories and injunctions about reversing this effect of the Fall.

Now pastors and leaders in the church are invited to be 'hospitable' rather than 'territorial', and it's something they generally do very poorly. The biblical models are clear. Moses was told by his father-in-law: 'You're killing yourself!’ (Exodus 18:18). His advice: Pray for the people, teach them God's laws, and appoint co-leaders. When Jesus was recruiting disciples to lead his church he had the same three priorities: prayer, teaching (by modeling and instruction), and training for ministry. It's amazing how much Jesus delegated, very early, to his disciples.

Then when these apostles messed up the early Church's social welfare system, they had an 'aha' experience: 'Oh, we should have remembered; our task is to give our full time to prayer and teaching the Word, so let's delegate other ministries to people full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom' (Acts 6:1-4). It would be wonderful if more pastors had this kind of 'aha' experience.

Now why don't they? Fasten your seat belts: this paragraph will contain some turbulence. The Devil could not get Jesus to accrue power to himself (Matthew 4:1-11; 16:21-28) so he has tried the same temptations on the shepherds of Jesus' church. And he has generally succeeded. The church very early in its institutional history developed an 'official' ministry which separated 'ordained' Christians from others. These 'priests' alone had sacramental prerogatives. The Protestant Reformers rejected Roman Catholic and Orthodox theology at this point - the whole church is pastoral, priestly, prophetic - but may not have taken their reformation far enough. Protestant pastors generally feel that they too, control certain prerogatives in the life of the church (presiding at most sacramental observances, preaching most of the sermons, chairing most of the meetings, visiting most of the sick etc.), and are often reluctant to share these ministries with others. They have perhaps forgotten that their key role is equipping (Ephesians 4:12), empowering others for ministry, not doing it all themselves as paid 'professional employees' of the Church.

Frankly, it's nice having these privileges: all the clergy surveys tell us they enjoy these public roles in most cases. Taking power to ourselves is the devil's primal trick however. Justice is essentially about power. When we deny others their empowering, that's unjust. So pastor-teachers ought to spend more time with fewer people, training them for leadership and ministry on the job.

The main point we are making here about ordination for ministry is that everyone's in it! Every Christian is ordained for ministry (at baptism). So if the Protestant Reformation at least put the Bible into the hands of ordinary Christians, we need another Reformation to put ministry there as well.

Today all branches of the Church are facing this question with renewed urgency. The 1989 Lausanne II conference of Evangelicals may be remembered most for its strident attack on clericalism. The progressive Catholic theologian Edward Schillebeeckx similarly writes:

'There is no mention in the New Testament of an essential distinction between “laity” and “ministers”... the ministry is not a status, but a function. For the New Testament, the essential apostolic structure of the community and therefore of the ministry of its leaders has nothing to do with what is called the “hierarchical” structure of the church. [The coming community of the church] is a community in which the power structures which prevail in the world are gradually broken down. All have responsibility, though there are functional differences... ' (Ministry: a Case for Change, 1981:21,135).

When his “The Church With a Human Face” was published five years later his thinking had moved even further:

'The early Eucharist was structured after the pattern of Jewish grace at meals... at which just anyone could preside... The general conception is that anyone who is competent to lead the community [emphasis mine] in one way or another is ipso facto also president at the Eucharist (and in this sense presiding at the Eucharist does not need any separate authorization). The New Testament does not tell us any more than this [again, emphasis mine]' (1985:119-120).

So pastors are nurturers, not primarily performing tasks but growing people. They nurture by example and exhortation (in that order, 1 Peter 5:3; 1 Timothy 4:11,12; Titus 2:7). They produce co-leaders, and once the community has recognized them such persons ought to be commissioned for their ministries. This can be done at a special service, by the 'laying on of hands' (hands belonging to representatives from the congregation, not necessarily those of the 'heavies' present!). Let us encourage the commissioning, from time to time, of everyone who has a recognized ministry within the church body. Wouldn't it be wonderful if more pastors aimed to do what Saul and Barnabas did in the church at Antioch: reproduce themselves in other leaders within a year!

How will they do that? Essentially: * Let us get our theology of ordination and ministry straight: what we generally call 'ordination' is really accreditation, a necessary step where a church-as-institution agrees with God's prior calling to a ministerial vocation. So all Christian men and women are ordained already! * We need to train a generation of professional clergy who are not threatened by others with proven skills in people management. * Managers/pastors train others best by modeling: it's a master-apprentice relationship. * A redemptive teaching model involves reciprocal learning, rather than a powerful all-knowing teacher pouring information into pupil's heads. * But this requires openness, humility, ego-strength, and teachability on the part of the teacher. * It also requires lots of time - doing ministry with others, then analyzing, praying, de-briefing and encouraging the trainee.

In practice, * 70% of the average pastor's visitation is non-confidential, another 20% may require the consent of the counselee: the pastor ought to be accompanied by another on most of these occasions. * Allow those with the requisite gifts to help lead worship, Bible studies, small groups etc. (but public ministries should to be exercised only after training and proven competence). * Your church ought to be a miniature theological seminary: run courses on everything to do with ministry, and have lots of resources (books, audio- and video-tapes etc.) available. * Pastors: share any and every ministry except pastoral leadership. The buck ends with you: you cannot evade that responsibility.

In an American basketball stadium hangs a large banner: 'IT CAN HAPPEN HERE!’ It can happen in your life, in your church!

by Rowland Croucher (GRID, Summer 1989)

In Queen Victoria's time, a young woman had the good fortune of being escorted to dinner by William E. Gladstone, who was considered one of the most brilliant statesmen of the 19th century. On the following evening, the same young lady was escorted by Benjamin Disraeli, novelist, statesman and twice prime minister of Great Britain. When asked for her impression of these two great rivals, she replied, "After an evening with Gladstone, I thought he was the most brilliant man I'd ever met. After an evening with Disraeli, I thought myself to be the most fascinating woman in the world!"

"Why is it that the sound of your flowing waters cannot be heard even a short distance from your shores?" all the other rivers asked the Euphrates river. "It is not necessary that my waters be heard," replied the Euphrates. "My deeds, my fruitful shores, speak for me." The rivers asked of the Tigris river, "Why is it that the tumult and splashing of your waters may be heard for a great distance?" "Because," replied the noisy Tigris, "it is necessary that my currents rush with so much noise so people may hear and realize how important I am." The Talmud comments on this subject: "Man is to be judged by his deeds, not his words. As a tree is known by its fruit, so is man by his works."

Have you heard the legend of the Fisher King? When the Fisher King was a boy, he was sent out to spend the night alone in the forest, as a test of his courage to be king. During the night, he had a vision of the Holy Grail - the cup used by our Lord at the last supper. He saw it surrounded by great flames of fire, and he immediately became excited by the prospect of the wealth and glory that would be his by possessing such a great prize. Greedily, he reached into the flames to grab it, but the flames were too hot, and he was severely wounded.

As the years went by, the Fisher King became more despondent and alone, and his wound grew deeper. One day, feeling sad and depressed and in pain, he went for a walk in the forest and came upon a court jester.

“Are you all right?” the jester asked. “Is there anything I can do for you? Anything at all?”

“Well, I am very thirsty,” the Fisher King replied. The jester took an old dilapidated cup from his bag, filled it with water from a nearby stream, and gave it to the Fisher King. As he drank, he suddenly felt his wound healing for the first time. And incredibly, the old cup he was drinking from had turned into the Holy Grail.

“What wonderful magic do you possess?” the Fisher King asked the jester.

The jester just shrugged and said, “I know no magic. I only gave a drink of water to a thirsty soul.”

______________

James W. Moore, Some Things Are To Good Not To Be True, Dimensions, p.105-106

Dr. Robert Morrison, missionary to China, cabled home for assistance. His board thought of a young man of Aberdeen who wished to devote his time to missionary work. But when he came to meet the board for examination as to his qualifications, his appearance was so unpromising that they decided he would not do. “He is too rustic.” Then they thought he might do for a servant. One member of the committee was to contact him in private and tell him the committee's decision to see how he would react to it and also to make known to him the proposal to make him a servant. On being asked if he was willing to act as a servant, he replied without hesitation and with a bright smile, “Yes, sir, most certainly I am willing to do anything, just so I am in the work. To be a hewer of wood and drawer of water is too great an honor for me while the Lord's house is in building.” That unpromising young rustic became the famous Dr. Milne.

William Moses Tidwell, “Pointed Illustrations.”

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Version from Wit And Wisdom, 1/25/06:

Robert Morrison, the noted missionary from China, wrote to friends in England, asking for an assistant.

In response a young man from the country came and offered himself. He was an earnest Christian, but was rough and unpolished. He was introduced to the gentlemen of the board, and had a long talk with them. They then asked him to call again in an hour or two, and they would give him an answer. In talking the matter over after he was gone, they came to the conclusion that this young man would not do to go as a helper to Dr. Morrison.

Finally they said to Dr. Phillips, one of their members, “Doctor, you see the young man when he calls again, and tell him that we do not think him fit to be a missionary; but that if he would like to go out as a servant to the missionary we will send him.” The doctor did not much like to do this, but he did it. He told the young man just what the board said.

Now, many a young man would have been angry on hearing this, but this young man did not feel or act so. After hearing what the doctor said, his answer was: “Well, sir, if the gentlemen don't think me fit to be a missionary, I will go as a servant. I am willing to be a hewer of wood or a drawer of water, or do anything to help on the cause of my heavenly Master.”

He was sent out as a servant; but he soon got to be a missionary, and turned out to be Dr. Milne, one of the best missionaries that ever went to that country.

________

Source: Signs of the Times, Copyright (c) March 12, 1912, Pacific Press, http://www.signstimes.com

*

The young people at Shively Christian Church, led at the time by Youth Pastor Dave Stone, were fiercely competitive with their neighbor, Shively Baptist, in all things, especially softball. They were also serious about their Christianity, faithfully attending the summer Bible camp led by the youth pastor.

One week, the Bible lesson was about Jesus washing his disciples’ feet from John 13. To make the servanthood lesson stick, Pastor Stone divided the kids into groups and told them to go out and find a practical way to be servants. “I want you to be Jesus in the city for the next two hours,” he said. “If Jesus were here what would he do? Figure out how he would help people.”

Two hours later the kids reconvened in Pastor Stone’s living room to report what they had done.

One group had done two hours of yard work for an elderly man. Another group bought ice cream treats and delivered them to several widows in the church. A third group visited a church member in the hospital and gave him a card. Another group went to a nursing home and sang Christmas carols - yes, carols in the middle of August. One elderly resident remarked that it was the warmest Christmas she could remember.

But when the fifth group stood up and reported what they had done, everyone groaned. This group had made its way to none other than their archrival, Shively Baptist, where they had asked the pastor if he knew someone who needed help. The pastor sent them to the home of an elderly woman who needed yard work done. There, for two hours, they mowed grass, raked the yard and trimmed hedges. When they were getting ready to leave, the woman called the group together and thanked them for their hard work. “I don’t know how I could get along without you,” she told them. “You kids at Shively Baptist are always coming to my rescue.”

“Shively Baptist!” interrupted Pastor Stone. “I sure hope you set her straight and told her you were from Shively Christian Church.”

“Why, no, we didn’t,” the kids said. “We didn’t think it mattered.”

Christianity begins when the sense of privilege in service becomes greater than both the rights and duties. For us to be Christian is to be more willing to serve a man than he is to demand it; to go the second mile; to forgive seventy times seven; to pray on our Calvaries for the man who put us there; to act, that is, as no one has the right to require of us and to feel about it all that our meat and drink are to do the will of him that sent us. The essential word of Christianity is love, and that means superabundant willingness to help. A man becomes really a Christian when the sense of joy in ministry overflows both rights and duties and submerges them.

-- Harry Emerson Fosdick, Quoted in Pulpit Digest, March-April, 1978, 5.

In Christian Reader Jim Corley tells of a conversation he had with a friend named Alex who attended his church. Alex was struggling over his many failures to live the Christian life the way he knew he should. One day they met at the car dealership where Alex worked. Corley writes:

That day in his office Alex got straight to the point. "Jim, I feel like a hypocrite every time I go to church because I fail to live for Christ so often."

"Alex, what do you call this part of the dealership?" I asked, nodding to the area outside his cubicle.

"You mean the showroom?"

I smiled. "Yes. And what's behind the showroom, past the parts counter?

"The service department," Alex said confidently.

"What if I told you I didn't want to bring my car to the service department because it was running rough?"

"That would be crazy! That's the whole point of service departments-to fix cars that aren't running right."

"You're absolutely right," I replied. "Now, let's get back to our initial conversation. Instead of thinking of church as a showroom where image is everything, start thinking of it as God's service department. Helping people get back in running order with God is what the church is all about."

________

Choice Contemporary Stories & Illustrations For Preachers, Teachers, & Writers

Craig Brian Larson, Baker Books, p. 131.

You'll either be a worldly Christian or a world-class Christian.

Worldly Christians look to God primarily for personal fulfillment. They're saved, but self-centered. They love to attend concerts and enrichment seminars but you'd never find them at a missions conference because they aren't interested. Their prayers focus on their own needs, blessings and happiness. It's a "me-first" faith: How can God make my life more comfortable? They want to use God for their purposes instead of being used for his purposes.

In contrast, world-class Christians know they were saved to serve and were made for a mission. They're eager to receive a personal assignment and excited about the privilege of being used by God. World-class Christians are the only fully alive people on the planet. Their joy, confidence and enthusiasm are contagious because they know they're making a difference. They wake up each morning expecting God to work through them in fresh ways.

Which type of Christian do you want to be?

God invites you to participate in the greatest, largest, most diverse and most significant cause in history -- his kingdom. History is his story. He's building his family for eternity. Nothing matters more and nothing will last as long. From the Book of Revelation we know that God's global mission will be accomplished. Someday the Great Commission will be the great completion. In heaven, an enormous crowd of people from "every race, tribe, nation and language" will one day stand before Jesus Christ to worship him. Getting involved as a world-class Christian will allow you to experience a little of what heaven will be like in advance.

Here's how to think like a world class Christian:

-- SHIFT FROM SELF-CENTERED TO OTHER-CENTERED THINKING

The Bible says, "My friends, stop thinking like children. Think like mature people...." Children only think of themselves; grown-ups think of others. This is the first step to becoming a world-class Christian. God commands, "Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too."

Begin asking the Holy Spirit to help you to think of the spiritual need of unbelievers whenever you talk to them. With practice, you can develop the habit of praying silent "breath prayers" for those you encounter, such as "Father, help me to understand what is keeping this person from knowing you."

-- SHIFT FROM LOCAL TO GLOBAL THINKING

God is a global God. He has always cared about the entire world. "God so loved the world ...." From the beginning he has wanted family members from every nation he created.

Much of the world already thinks globally. The largest media and business conglomerates are all multinational. Our lives are increasingly intertwined with those in other nations as we share fashions, entertainment, music, sports and even fast foods. Probably most of the clothes you're wearing and much of what you ate today was produced in another country. We're more connected than we realize.

The first way to start thinking globally is to begin praying for specific countries. World-class Christians pray for the world. Get a globe or map and pray for nations by name. The Bible says, "If you ask me, I will give you the nations; all the people on earth will be yours" (Psalm 2:8).

Prayer is the most important tool for your mission in the world. People may refuse our love or reject our message, but they are defenseless against our prayers. Like intercontinental missiles, you can aim a prayer at a person's heart whether you're 10 feet or 10,000 miles away.

Another way to develop global thinking is to read and watch the news with "Great Commission eyes." Wherever there is change or conflict, you can be sure that God will use it to bring people to him. People are most receptive to God when they are under tension or in transition. Because the rate of change is increasing in our world, more people are open to hearing the good news now than ever before.

The best way to switch to global thinking is to just get up and go on a short-term mission project to another country! There's simply no substitute for hands-on real-life experiences in another culture. Quit studying and discussing your mission and just do it! I dare you to dive into the deep end.

-- SHIFT FROM TEMPORAL TO ETERNAL THINKING

To make the most of your time on earth you must maintain an eternal perspective. This will keep you from majoring on minor issues and help you distinguish between what's urgent and what's ultimate. The apostle Paul said, "We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18).

So much of what we waste our energy on will not matter even a year from now, much less for eternity. Don't trade your life for temporary things. Jesus said, "Anyone who lets himself be distracted from the work I plan for him is not fit for the Kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62) and Paul warned, "Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out" (1 Corinthians 7:31).

What are you allowing to stand in the way of your mission? What's keeping you from being a world-class Christian? Whatever it is, let it go. "Let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back..." (Hebrews 12:1).

-- SHIFT FROM THINKING OF EXCUSES TO THINKING OF CREATIVE WAYS TO FULFILL YOUR COMMISSION

If you're willing, there's always a way to do it, and there are agencies who will help you. Here are some common excuses:

"I only speak English." This is actually an advantage in many countries where millions of people want to learn English and are eager to practice it.

"I don't have anything to offer." Yes you do. Every ability and experience in your life can be used somewhere.

"I'm too old or too young." Most mission agencies have age-appropriate short-term projects.

Maybe you've believed that you needed a special "call" from God and you've been waiting for some supernatural feeling or experience, but God has already stated his call repeatedly. We're all called to fulfill God's five purposes for our lives: to worship, to fellowship, to grow like Christ, to serve, and to be on mission with God in the world. God doesn't want to use just some of his people; he wants to use all of his people. We're all called to be on mission for God. He wants his whole church to take the whole gospel to the whole world.

If you want to be like Jesus, you must care about what he cares about most; you must have a heart for the whole world! You can't be satisfied with just your family and friends coming to Christ. There are over 6 billion people on earth and Jesus wants all his lost children found. The Great Commission is your commission, and doing your part is the secret to living a life of significance. Jesus said, "Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live!" (Mark 8:35)

*

She was one of the most admired women of the 20th Century - Mother Teresa, that angelic woman who devoted her life to the least of the least in the slums of Calcutta, India. The world's greatest leaders wanted to meet her and to experience her powerful love and moral authority. Just a little diminutive woman who made such a difference in the world. Some years ago, a young man wrote a letter to Mother Teresa, asking her how he could make his life count as she had with hers. He waited six months for a reply from this very busy lady. When it came, it was just a postcard with four words on it - four very powerful words: "Find your own Calcutta."

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "A Life That Matters."

Now, if you do just what comes naturally, you'll live the kind of life most people do - self-focused, self-centered, self-serving. But a life that's only as big as you are is too small to live in. And you may be feeling that emotional and spiritual claustrophobia right now. Business as usual is just not satisfying the restlessness in your heart. Your life is full, but not really fulfilling. Find your own Calcutta. Find some people who need you and start pouring your life out for them. The lid will come off your life.

Jesus gave us an immortal, indelible picture of the two ways to live life in His classic story of the Good Samaritan. It's in Luke 10, beginning in verse 30, our word for today from the Word of God. "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side" - as did another religious leader who came by next.

Jesus goes on: "But a Samaritan ... came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds ... He put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him." Jesus went on to say that the Samaritan paid all the expenses of the beaten man's recovery - and that this Samaritan was the kind of neighbor He expects all of us to be.

Now, there in that simple story is a picture of your lifestyle - all about yourself, ignoring the needs of people in your path ... or all about others, stopping for people's needs, bearing the burdens of a bleeding world. I was really touched by a news report about a man whose choice may help you step up to a life that makes a far greater difference.

I'm quoting from USA Today: "David Townsend's perspective changed profoundly on September 11, altering the direction of his life. 'From that moment forward, I realized that we are not going to live forever,' says Townsend, 37, of Indianapolis. 'I felt an even greater sense of urgency, felt compelled to leave my mark on the world. It has changed my outlook totally and shaken me to the core.' Townsend has left his job ... to work in social services, with the homeless and with urban churches ... 'September 11 reinforced in me," he said, "the need to live a life that matters."

I believe that's the kind of life you want. So learn to wake up each morning asking, "Who needs me today?" Not, "Who can meet my needs today?" There are people in your personal circle - people in your community - who desperately need someone to care. Be there for them. And remember - there is no greater difference you can make in someone's life than to introduce them to Jesus Christ and to take them to heaven with you!

With however many or few years you have left - live to make the greatest possible difference with the rest of your life!

________________

Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. 'Practical Answers to Real Life Issues'

*

[see also HolwickID #18653 for versions with Durer's friend Franz Knigstein instead of his brother. Both stories may be apocryphal. For a detailed assessment of the drawing see http://www.hekint.org/Durers_praying_hands.html.]

Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children. Eighteen! In order merely to keep food on the table for this mob, the father and head of the household, a goldsmith by profession, worked almost eighteen hours a day at his trade and any other paying chore he could find in the neighborhood.

Despite their seemingly hopeless condition, two of Albrecht Durer children had a dream. They both wanted to pursue their talent for art, but they knew full well that their father would never be financially able to send either of them to Nuremberg to study at the Academy.

After many long discussions at night in their crowded bed, the two boys finally worked out a pact. They would toss a coin. The loser would go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother while he attended the academy. Then, when that brother who won the toss completed his studies, in four years, he would support the other brother at the academy, either with sales of his artwork or, if necessary, also by laboring in the mines.

They tossed a coin on a morning after church. Albrecht Durer won the toss and went off to Nuremberg. Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, financed his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation. Albrecht’s etchings, his woodcuts, and his oils were far better than those of most of his professors, and by the time he graduated, he was beginning to earn considerable fees for his commissioned works. When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a festive dinner on their lawn to celebrate Albrecht’s triumphant homecoming.

After a long and memorable meal, punctuated with music and laughter, Albrecht rose from his honored position at the head of the table to drink a toast to his beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled Albrecht to fulfill his ambition. His closing words were, “And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to pursue your dream, and I will take care of you.” All heads turned in eager expectation to the far end of the table where Albert sat, tears streaming down his pale face, shaking his lowered head from side to side while he sobbed and repeated, over and over, “No … no … no … no.”

Finally, Albert rose and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He glanced down the long table at the faces he loved, and then, holding his hands close to his right cheek, he said softly, “No, brother. I cannot go to Nuremberg. It is too late for me. Look … look what four years in the mines have done to my hands! The bones in every finger have been smashed at least once, and lately I have been suffering from arthritis so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast, much less make delicate lines on parchment or canvas with a pen or a brush. No, brother … for me it is too late.”

More than 450 years have passed. By now, Albrecht Durer’s hundreds of masterful portraits, pen and silver-point sketches, watercolors, charcoals, woodcuts, and copper engravings hang in every great museum in the world, but the odds are great that you, like most people, are familiar with only one of Albrecht Durer’s works. More than merely being familiar with it, you very well may have a reproduction hanging in your home or office.

One day, to pay homage to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brother’s abused hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward. He called his powerful drawing simply “Hands,” but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed his tribute of love “The Praying Hands.”

The next time you see a copy of that touching creation, take a second look. Let it be your reminder, if you still need one, that no one — no one — ever makes it alone. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. (Eccl 4:9-10)

Purpose-Driven Life series, #5 Ephesians 2:8-10

SHAPED FOR SERVING

==================

I. You are here for a reason.

II. Your SHAPE is important.

A. SHAPE is your personal attributes and attitude.

Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, Experiences

B. Everyone is different, and everyone has a contribution to make.

C. Self-esteem comes from service.

III. Our model is Jesus. Mark 10:42-45

A. This is how you do it.

B. Following Jesus' example is not easy.

IV. Serving like Jesus means being available.

A. He was willing to be interrupted.

B. Barriers to availability.

V. Serving like Jesus means being grateful.

A. Attitude matters.

B. Barriers to gratitude:

VI. Serving like Jesus means being faithful.

If you eat out occasionally, you know that the servers can range from helpful to rude to attentive to invisible. I guess customers can, too. But some of the women on our staff were really impressed the other night with the way their waiter went out of his way to take care of them. It was a Mexican restaurant, and every time their salsa was about half gone, he would notice and he'd quickly bring more; same with the chips. And when they asked for a special dressing for the chips, he made sure they had plenty all night. And later, when they tried to put their leftovers in the plastic container, he said, “Please, no. I'll do it. That's my job.” He insisted on putting the containers in a bag for them! They were really impressed with his service. And then he brought the check with his name stamped on it - and they were blown away. It just said, “Thank you. Jesus.”

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “The Most Powerful Person In The Room.”

Well, okay, the server's name was officially Jesús. But his unselfish, “What can I do for you?” spirit, offered by a man with Jesus' name, said a lot to my friends. I don't know what his relationship is with Jesus, but he understands how one who bears His name should live.

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Matthew 20:25, and it spells out the rare and radical lifestyle that should make a believer stand out as much as that waiter did that night. Jesus says, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to be first must be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

The highest title in the kingdom of God is not chairman, or pastor, or president - it's servant. Because that is the role your Master chose, the Ruler of the galaxies, the Prince of glory, the One who washes dirty feet touches those no one will touch, loves those who can ruin His reputation, lays down His life for those who have no use for Him.

Oh, but how we love to be served, to have things revolve around us - the conversation, the attention. How we tend to want people to meet our needs instead of living to meet the needs of others. Our nature is to be self-serving, especially at home with the people we should be serving most.

But Jesus proved over and over that the one who is there with a servant spirit is ultimately the most powerful person in the room. People listen to someone who's all about serving them. They confide in someone who's all about them. They trust them. They remember them. So at work where you have so much pressure, do people see you as the busy, self-absorbed co-worker, or the one person who makes them feel cared for and important? When you're with your family, do you want them to revolve around you - or are you putting them first? At church, in your ministry, is it about promoting you or promoting others?

One “Touched By an Angel” episode showed one of the angels - in their human form, of course - washing the dirty feet of a very unsavory man. When he objected, she looked up at him with a pained expression and said, “I must do this. It helps me remember who I am.” A servant. That's who you “am,” too, if you bear the name of Christ - a Christ one, a Christian. You're a life signed by Jesus, and that means you do not “come to be served, but to serve.”

________________

Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. "Practical Answers to Real Life Issues"

*

Today the Queen of England will preside over the Royal Maundy Service at Liverpool Cathedral. In this service, held each year on the Thursday before Easter, the British monarch presents gifts of money to the poor. According to the royal website, “The tradition of the Sovereign giving money to the poor dates from the 13th century. The Sovereign also used to give food and clothing (later changed to a gift of money), and even washed the recipients' feet — this varied from Sovereign to Sovereign, the last Monarch to do so was James II.”

It must have been startling and unsettling to view royalty in the indecorous posture of foot washing, and it is not surprising that this element of the ceremony was dropped several hundred years ago. Although now the Queen would risk nothing but her dignity by assuming such a task, this was not the case during the reign of James II and many earlier monarchs. There were often disputes within the kingdom about who should rightfully occupy the throne, and kings and queens seized every opportunity they could to assert their power. In fact, James II was eventually forced to abdicate and surrender the throne to William of Orange and his wife Mary. In this political climate, even the smallest display of meekness could jeopardize one's reign; perhaps this is why William and Mary chose to leave the foot washing to others.

The Maundy Thursday service derives its name from the Latin “mandatum.” This refers to the command — or mandate — Christ gave his disciples at the Last Supper. He said to them, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). Previous to this, John tells us, “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him” (John 13:3-5). It is significant that John draws a causal connection between what Jesus knew and what he did. Jesus knew that all authority was his because the Father had secured it. The security of his throne freed him to assume the posture of a servant and wash the feet of his subjects.

The washing of the disciples' feet began a chain of events that was the opposite of what one would expect from a prospective king vying to win a throne. When the contingent from the chief priests sought him in Gethsemane, Jesus gave himself up, did not attempt to rally support in his own defense (though he had many followers), and was willingly beaten and executed. To all appearances, Jesus had lost his chance to rule because he hadn't fought for it by exercising power. Instead of mobilizing his forces, he knelt down and washed their feet. But in hindsight we know that he did this because his rule was so very secure; not even death could prevent it.

Christ is now seated at the right hand of God, an unassailable position (Luke 22:68). Not only this, we are also told that God has “raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). Our place in his royal family is assured. We do not have to secure our own reputations. Thus, we can, without fear, obey Christ's command: “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet”(John 13:14). When I find myself willing to serve others only if I can be sure that it won't injure my own status, I have forgotten that I do not have to guard my honor or establish my own reputation. The royal line is secure, and there should be a causal connection between what we know and what we do. This should free us to take off the outer clothing of our accomplishments and insecurities, to get down on our knees, and to love others by serving them.

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Copyright © 2004 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

We must be concerned with the person and character of God, not the promises. Through promises we learn what God has willed to us, we learn what we may claim as our heritage, we learn how we should pray. But faith itself must rest on the character of God.

Is this difficult to see? Why are we not stressing this in our evangelical circles? Why are we afraid to declare that people in our churches must come to know God Himself? Why do we not tell them that they must get beyond the point of making God a lifeboat for their rescue or a ladder to get them out of a burning building? How can we help our people get over the idea that God exists just to help run their businesses or fly their airplanes?

God is not a railway porter who carries your suitcase and serves you. God is God. He made heaven and earth. He holds the world in His hand. He measures the dust of the earth in the balance. He spreads the sky out like a mantle. He is the great God Almighty. He is not your servant. He is your Father, and you are His child. He sits in heaven, and you are on the earth. [Faith Beyond Reason, 44].

"God, I fall on my face before You in worship this morning. Forgive me for those times I have treated You as though You were my servant, somehow expected to meet my demands. I am Your servant, Lord, and I humbly bow before You today. Amen."