There is no CCM song that better represents the concept of the Christian life "motor" being run on the "gasoline" of love for Jesus than this song by Jason Gray...
Let's look at Mark 10 to find out what's so awesome about Jesus
CHAPTER 10
1. Read Mark 10:35 -45. Many people say Mark 10:45 is the key verse of the book of Mark. We are going to focus on what's so awesome about Jesus is that He was a servant or the greek word diakoneo. Jesus came to be a servant and we, as His disciples, who have taken up our cross and died to self and now live for Christ can be nothing less than servants also.
Read Phil. 2:5-8. In what ways did Christ become a servant?
According to Mark 10:45, why did He become a servant?
From all we have read so far in the previous 9 chapters (and 10:46-52), give some illustrations of times when Jesus put his personal needs below someone else's needs to wait on or serve them
2. The disciples, like us, desperately needed to learn this lesson on serving . Read the following passages and tell how their self centeredness is evident or what principles we can learn from these passages
Mark 9:33-35 and John 13:12-16
Mark 9:36,37 & Mark 10:13-16
Mark 9:38-41
Mark 9:42-48
Mark 10:1-10
Mark 10:35
Mark 10:37
3 As we look how we should be serving, I looked up all the times diakoneo - or a form of it - appears in the Bible and saw three areas specifically where we are called to "deacon" people. I say "deacon" because this word comes directly from diakoneo. We now have offices in the church called "deacons" which started in Acts 6 because widows' needs were not being met. I can't help but think that since Acts is a history of the early church complete with it's flaws, the office of deacon was only set up because believers weren't deaconing like they should have been so the position had to be created to make sure it got done. Here is what all of us should be doing so we can put the deacons out of a job.(All these verses will have diakoneo in them)
A. Meeting people's physical needs
1. Read Matt. 25:44 List 4 needs we are to meet and tell how you or the church are meeting these.
a.
b.
c.
d.
2. Read 2 Cor. 8:2-4 and Luke 8:1-3. What other needs are met here. (notice it isn't gender specific)
e.
B. Meeting society's need
What non- spiritual job serves as a deacon for God in Rom. 13:1-4?
Read Jeremiah 29:4-7.(not a diakoneo verse but it relates) What principle does this teach us?
C. Meeting people's spiritual needs.
1. Read 1Cor. 3:5,6. Paul and Appollos were planting and watering as God's deacons. How would you relate that to your life?
2. Read 1 Peter 4:10,11. What spiritual gift has God given you to serve (diakoneo) the church?
How have you used it/them lately?
On a scale of 1-10, how do you rate yourself as a servant?
What is your plan to take it up a notch?
Summary:
WWJD was a popular fad a while back. In Mark 10:45 we see what Jesus would do and it is basically 2 things, one of which we can't do. The one we can't do is to give His life as a ransom. A ransom is a price paid to redeem someone captured. We were slaves to sin and Jesus lived a sinless life to buy us back and free us. The price wasn't paid to Satan but rather to God's justice. Tim Keller gives the illustration of a lamp in your house being broken by some friends you had over who were horsing around. You have three options; make them buy you a new one, tell them not to worry about it and you buy a new one, or go without light. All three of them cost something. You can't just say, "I forgive you" and everything is fine. A price must be paid. Jesus paid the price to make right the debt that sin incurred.
The one thing we can do is to serve. You might say," wouldn't loving be more important? Aren't the commandments summed up in love God and love others?" I recently read a definition of love by Dr. Tim Kimmel which I thought was great. he says, "Love is the commitment of my will to your needs and best interests regardless of the cost". Therefore if we love God and Love others, serving is how we show it. Diakoneo is the hands and feet of love. Many people think hate is the opposite of love. Actually it is selfishness - serving yourself rather than others. You can see how this is the natural bent of all of us passed down from Lucifer who, rather than be the chief serving angel of God, wanted to be equal. You can even see it in his temptations as he tried to get Jesus to feed himself thus meeting His own needs and get glory by His own means bypassing the cross.
The disciples illustrated this by arguing who was greater, trying to get Jesus to promise them the best seats in the kingdom (any of your kids ever yell, "shotgun"?), saying, "Jesus, we want you to do what we ask"..., and turning children away because they have nothing to offer. (any mother knows that raising children requires service 24/7) It isn't coincidence that a discussion on marriage is squeezed in here too as marriage requires serving and all marital problems are related to selfishness. Although not mentioned in Mark, a great story on selfishness and serving is found in John 13. It was the Passover dinner and all the disciples were sitting around with dirty sandaled feet because obviously the upper room didn't come equipped with a servant to wash their feet. Because no one wanted to move down the pecking order, no one offered to wash feet. Jesus sees this and gives them a valuable lesson in love and serving by washing their feet Himself causing a greatly awkward moment for the disciples. In fact, if you really want to relate love and serving the NIV1984 (oh how I miss you) in John 13:2 says "Having loved His own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of His love." And what did He do? Washed their feet!
We need to realize that serving isn't something we do and get over with so we can go enjoy ourselves - serving is a way of life that brings ultimate enjoyment. The Bible gives us many ideas on how to serve. One way is to meet people's physical needs. The famous sheep and goats passages talk about food, water, health, prisons and clothing. No wonder Christians are famous for soup kitchens, food pantries, drilling wells, cleaning water, rescue ministries, prison ministries, faith based indigent medical clinics, thrift shops, salvation army, etc. We also give money to those in need. A challenge from Ronald Snider in the book The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience says
"American Christians live in the richest nation on the Earth and enjoy an average household income of $42,409. The World Bank reports that 1.2 billion people try to survive on just one dollar a day. At least one billion people have never heard the gospel. The Ronsvalles point out that if American Christians just tithed, they would have another $143 billion available to empower the poor and spread the gospel. Studies by the United Nations suggest that just an additional $70 - $80 billion a year would be enough to provide access to essential services like basic health care and education for all the poor on the earth.If they did no more than tithe, American Christians would have the private dollars to foot this entire bill and still have $60 - $70 billion more to do evangelism around the world."
Is that convicting, or what? We are also to serve one another with our spiritual gifts which God has given to all believers. If you aren't in a church because you aren't getting anything out of it or you can worship God just as well on the lake, you are missing this vital concept that you aren't serving, are depriving the body of your much needed gift, and are following the father of lies by being selfish. If you are being lazy at church, you are missing out on the true enjoyment that being part of the body gives. Use it or lose it!
Lastly we are called to be good citizens, servant leaders at work, and in general helping our country to be a great place to live subservient to government leaders who are servants of God, whether they bow their knee to Him or not.
Here is a link to a good message by Andy Stanley on this topic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwHIBCsegWI
Lord, Help me serve. It doesn't come natural - I want to serve myself. Even though I know the joy found in serving, I still get lazy and think there is greater joy in avoidance. Change me, Please!!
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