GREATNESS THROUGH SERVANTHOOD (2)
by Jeff Strite
Scripture: Mark 10:35-45
This content is part of a series.
Title: Greatness Through Servanthood (2)
Series: Greatness - Just Live It
Author: Jeff Strite
Text: Mark 10:35-45
Today we are putting a man's name into consideration as a future Elder. I hadn't actually planned a sermon on Eldership (the sermon series I'm preaching through is something I'm working with other preachers on) but the text seemed to be a good groundwork for understanding what Elders do, what their responsibility is to God, and what our responsibility is to the Elders.
OPEN: Years ago, we had a young man attend here who was all excited about Jesus, but he had a hard time figuring out why we did what we did here. It seems he'd been introduced to Christianity in a huge church down in Texas. He explained that the church building there was OWNED by the preacher and his family. That family made all the decisions... and they got all the money. What offerings that were not spent on the building & ministries, paid for the preacher's salary, home, car, utilities, and vacations. Everything about the church belonged to that preacher and his family. And this young man was fine with that. And so, when he found out I didn't RUN the church - let alone own the building - that confused him, because to his way of thinking I was the preacher... therefore I had to be in charge!
At one point we had a conversation that went something like this: He asked "Who's IN CHARGE of the church?" I knew why he was asking the question, so I smiled and said "That would be Jesus"; "No... I mean, who has the AUTHORITY in this church?", and again I smiled and said "That would be Jesus"; "No, no, no", he protested. "Who has the FINAL SAY here... in this church?" (pause) "That would be Jesus."
The idea of letting Jesus be in charge of His OWN CHURCH never occurred to this young man, and he was never quite comfortable with that. He wanted to see THE person who was IN CHARGE - he wanted to see THE person who RAN THINGS.
And that's the kind of mindset Jesus was dealing wit ...
Series: Greatness - Just Live It
Author: Jeff Strite
Text: Mark 10:35-45
Today we are putting a man's name into consideration as a future Elder. I hadn't actually planned a sermon on Eldership (the sermon series I'm preaching through is something I'm working with other preachers on) but the text seemed to be a good groundwork for understanding what Elders do, what their responsibility is to God, and what our responsibility is to the Elders.
OPEN: Years ago, we had a young man attend here who was all excited about Jesus, but he had a hard time figuring out why we did what we did here. It seems he'd been introduced to Christianity in a huge church down in Texas. He explained that the church building there was OWNED by the preacher and his family. That family made all the decisions... and they got all the money. What offerings that were not spent on the building & ministries, paid for the preacher's salary, home, car, utilities, and vacations. Everything about the church belonged to that preacher and his family. And this young man was fine with that. And so, when he found out I didn't RUN the church - let alone own the building - that confused him, because to his way of thinking I was the preacher... therefore I had to be in charge!
At one point we had a conversation that went something like this: He asked "Who's IN CHARGE of the church?" I knew why he was asking the question, so I smiled and said "That would be Jesus"; "No... I mean, who has the AUTHORITY in this church?", and again I smiled and said "That would be Jesus"; "No, no, no", he protested. "Who has the FINAL SAY here... in this church?" (pause) "That would be Jesus."
The idea of letting Jesus be in charge of His OWN CHURCH never occurred to this young man, and he was never quite comfortable with that. He wanted to see THE person who was IN CHARGE - he wanted to see THE person who RAN THINGS.
And that's the kind of mindset Jesus was dealing wit ...
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