WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.560 --> 00:00:04.919 Good morning everybody. It's good to see if you'll take 2 00:00:04.960 --> 00:00:08.720 out your message notes, welcome to live your calling. What 3 00:00:08.759 --> 00:00:10.400 on earth am I here for? And we're looking at 4 00:00:10.400 --> 00:00:13.519 the five callings of your life, the five purposes of 5 00:00:13.560 --> 00:00:16.679 your life, the five reasons God created you, the five 6 00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:20.519 assignments that He has for your life. The word calling 7 00:00:20.559 --> 00:00:23.399 has used more than even the word purpose in the Bible. 8 00:00:23.679 --> 00:00:27.399 And we've looked at these first four are three so far. 9 00:00:27.519 --> 00:00:28.079 We looked at. 10 00:00:27.960 --> 00:00:30.480 God's first calling on your life, is your call to 11 00:00:30.519 --> 00:00:31.079 be loved. 12 00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:33.240 God made you to love you. 13 00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:36.920 The second calling as you're called to belong to belong 14 00:00:37.000 --> 00:00:39.399 to His family, the body of Christ, the family of God. 15 00:00:40.119 --> 00:00:42.799 Last week we looked at your third calling. You're called 16 00:00:43.000 --> 00:00:46.039 to become. God wants you to grow up. He wants 17 00:00:46.079 --> 00:00:48.119 you to mature. He wants you to become We want 18 00:00:48.159 --> 00:00:50.240 you to be. This week we're going to look at 19 00:00:50.240 --> 00:00:52.039 the fourth calling on your life, and it is you 20 00:00:52.079 --> 00:00:57.039 are called to bless. You're called to bless other people. 21 00:00:57.640 --> 00:01:00.479 Now how do you do that? You bless others people 22 00:01:00.679 --> 00:01:06.439 when you serve them. It may be physical assistance, it 23 00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:10.879 may be financial assistance, It may be emotional support. It 24 00:01:10.920 --> 00:01:15.680 could be relational support, it could be practical support. There 25 00:01:15.680 --> 00:01:17.840 are a thousand different ways that you can serve the 26 00:01:17.879 --> 00:01:21.200 people around you, and when you serve others, the Bible 27 00:01:21.239 --> 00:01:24.359 says you actually bless them. And I want you to write 28 00:01:24.359 --> 00:01:27.000 this down on your outline. The fourth purpose of my 29 00:01:27.079 --> 00:01:31.200 life is God shaped me to serve him. 30 00:01:31.959 --> 00:01:33.840 God shaped me to serve him. 31 00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:36.000 I'm not going to spend a lot of time on 32 00:01:36.040 --> 00:01:38.640 this because we've covered this many many times at Saddleback. 33 00:01:39.000 --> 00:01:42.680 That God has uniquely shaped you with five elements, your 34 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:46.799 spiritual gifts, your heart, your abilities, your personality, your experiences. 35 00:01:46.799 --> 00:01:49.480 We've covered this many times, and you'll be reading about 36 00:01:49.480 --> 00:01:53.159 it of course in purpose driven life. That God wired 37 00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:56.120 you to be you and He shaped you to serve him. 38 00:01:56.359 --> 00:01:59.239 Phesians two ten explains this. By the way, this is 39 00:01:59.239 --> 00:02:03.599 our memory verse. So let's read it aloud with great enthusiasm. 40 00:02:03.719 --> 00:02:09.680 All right, let's say Ephesians two ten, we are God's workmanship, 41 00:02:10.280 --> 00:02:14.960 created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God 42 00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:16.840 prepared in advance for. 43 00:02:16.919 --> 00:02:17.479 Us to do. 44 00:02:18.080 --> 00:02:20.960 Ephesians to ten. I want you to work on that 45 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:23.960 this week. It says we are God's workmanship. We talked 46 00:02:23.960 --> 00:02:26.840 about this a couple of weeks ago. You are God's masterpiece. 47 00:02:27.400 --> 00:02:30.280 You're God's work of art. You are unique. There's nobody 48 00:02:30.319 --> 00:02:32.680 like you in the world, and you are created in 49 00:02:32.759 --> 00:02:36.360 Christ Jesus to do good works. That good works is 50 00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:41.439 called your service. It's called your ministry. It's called your blessing. 51 00:02:41.479 --> 00:02:44.080 It's the way you help other people. You weren't made 52 00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:47.280 to just take up space, breathe, live a self centered 53 00:02:47.280 --> 00:02:50.319 life and die. God put you here to make a 54 00:02:50.360 --> 00:02:54.520 contribution with your life, and that is called your ministry. 55 00:02:55.080 --> 00:02:57.800 Another word for blessing, another word for services ministry. The 56 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:00.800 word servant and the word minister are the same word 57 00:03:00.840 --> 00:03:03.560 in the Bible, and the word service and ministry are 58 00:03:03.560 --> 00:03:07.199 the same words. The fact is, we're all ministers. Now, 59 00:03:07.199 --> 00:03:09.879 we're not all pastors. I'm a pastor. My job is 60 00:03:09.960 --> 00:03:13.560 to administer the ministers. So if somebody ever asked you 61 00:03:13.560 --> 00:03:16.280 how many ministers does our church have, you say thirty thousand, 62 00:03:17.719 --> 00:03:20.360 because everybody is a minister. So I want you to 63 00:03:20.360 --> 00:03:24.439 write this down. My life calling is to be a 64 00:03:24.599 --> 00:03:28.159 bi vocational minister of Jesus. 65 00:03:28.599 --> 00:03:30.000 I'm gonna have to explain this to you. 66 00:03:30.280 --> 00:03:35.080 My life calling is to be a bi vocational minister 67 00:03:35.960 --> 00:03:38.919 of Jesus. Now, what does bivocational mean. Well, it's like 68 00:03:38.960 --> 00:03:41.120 the word bifocal, you know, when you get glasses that 69 00:03:41.159 --> 00:03:44.199 are bifocals. It means you can see two things at 70 00:03:44.240 --> 00:03:46.599 the same time. You can see far away and you 71 00:03:46.599 --> 00:03:48.960 can see up close. You can see both with clarity. 72 00:03:49.639 --> 00:03:53.199 And when you are a bi vocational minister Jesus, it 73 00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:55.560 means that no matter what you do in life, you 74 00:03:55.680 --> 00:03:58.240 do it for two reasons, not one. You are a 75 00:03:58.280 --> 00:04:02.039 bi vocational minister. Whether you're a truck driver or an attorney, 76 00:04:02.439 --> 00:04:05.680 or a janitor, or a hospice worker, or a homemaker 77 00:04:05.840 --> 00:04:08.879 or a teacher, or a deal maker or a stockbroker 78 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:13.159 or an accountant or a farmer, doesn't matter what you are. 79 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:15.560 If you're a Christian, you were to do it for 80 00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:20.639 two reasons, to help others and to honor God. To 81 00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:23.800 help others and to honor God. To help others and 82 00:04:23.839 --> 00:04:26.639 to honor God. Everything I do in life, if I'm 83 00:04:26.639 --> 00:04:30.519 a follower of Jesus is bivocational. I have a job, 84 00:04:30.680 --> 00:04:32.959 but in that job, I do it to help others 85 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:33.839 and to honor God. 86 00:04:34.040 --> 00:04:35.319 To help others and honor go on. 87 00:04:35.600 --> 00:04:40.319 I am a bivocational minister of Jesus Christ. Now, the 88 00:04:40.360 --> 00:04:42.199 Bible says it like this, look up here on the screen, 89 00:04:42.439 --> 00:04:47.120 goloss those three seventeen. Whatever you do, whatever you do, 90 00:04:47.360 --> 00:04:51.240 whether in word or deed, do it all in the 91 00:04:51.319 --> 00:04:54.560 name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father. 92 00:04:55.879 --> 00:04:56.399 Through him. 93 00:04:57.000 --> 00:05:00.560 I can take out the garbage as a ministry. I 94 00:05:00.600 --> 00:05:04.439 can change a dirty diaper as a ministry, I can 95 00:05:04.519 --> 00:05:08.439 clean the living room. I can make a deal. I 96 00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:12.319 can help somebody across the street. Everything in your life 97 00:05:12.319 --> 00:05:15.040 can become a ministry if you do it to help 98 00:05:15.120 --> 00:05:16.560 others and honor God. 99 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:18.279 And he says, whatever you. 100 00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:22.800 Do, it becomes part of your ministry if you have 101 00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:24.000 the right motivation. 102 00:05:24.680 --> 00:05:25.879 I want you to write this down. 103 00:05:27.519 --> 00:05:33.480 Menial tasks become meaningful tasks when I do that, do 104 00:05:33.560 --> 00:05:39.319 it out of love for God. Menial tasks become meaningful 105 00:05:39.560 --> 00:05:44.079 tasks if I do it out of my love for 106 00:05:44.199 --> 00:05:50.920 Jesus for God. So everything in your life becomes significant. Really, 107 00:05:51.720 --> 00:05:54.040 Let's say you're at a meeting in your office at 108 00:05:54.079 --> 00:05:56.079 where you work, and all of a sudden the meeting's 109 00:05:56.079 --> 00:05:58.000 over and ever gets up to walk out, and they've 110 00:05:58.079 --> 00:06:01.519 left coffee cups and trash and all kinds of thingf 111 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:03.480 and you just decide, I'm going to clean that up. 112 00:06:04.519 --> 00:06:04.879 Everybody. 113 00:06:04.920 --> 00:06:06.839 It's not my job, but I'm going to clean that 114 00:06:06.920 --> 00:06:09.160 up to help people and honor God. And so while 115 00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:11.439 they're all gone, you clean off the table and you 116 00:06:11.439 --> 00:06:12.439 put it all in the trash. 117 00:06:12.560 --> 00:06:13.720 When they just walked. 118 00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:16.959 Out expecting somebody else to do it, you have just 119 00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:20.480 done a ministry. And God will notice and God will 120 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:24.160 reward you for it. Now, the fact is, the calling 121 00:06:24.199 --> 00:06:27.079 to salvation and the calling to service are the same. 122 00:06:27.839 --> 00:06:30.920 So when you became a believer, when you stepped across 123 00:06:30.920 --> 00:06:33.160 the line, you weren't just called to be saved. You 124 00:06:33.199 --> 00:06:37.199 were called to serve. You're saved to serve to make 125 00:06:37.199 --> 00:06:40.040 a difference with your life. And as I said, every 126 00:06:40.160 --> 00:06:45.600 member is a minister, and everybody has a ministry. Galatians one, chapter, 127 00:06:46.240 --> 00:06:49.480 chapter one, verse fifteen says, this God in his grace 128 00:06:50.079 --> 00:06:55.399 chose me even before I was born and called me 129 00:06:56.000 --> 00:06:59.160 to serve him. Circle that last phrase, call me to 130 00:06:59.199 --> 00:07:01.560 serve him. This is the fourth purpose of your life. 131 00:07:01.720 --> 00:07:03.800 This is the fourth calling on your life. You are 132 00:07:03.879 --> 00:07:08.279 called to serve. Your shape to serve. You're made for ministry. 133 00:07:08.560 --> 00:07:12.959 You're called to bless What happens if I begin to 134 00:07:13.079 --> 00:07:16.439 use my life in this fourth calling, When I begin 135 00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:19.079 to stop thinking about me all the time and begin 136 00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:21.519 to start thinking about other people in my life, begin 137 00:07:21.560 --> 00:07:23.639 to think about not how can I be served, but 138 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:28.040 how can I serve others well? It brings four amazing benefits. 139 00:07:28.360 --> 00:07:30.199 The first thing that happens you write, write this down, 140 00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:33.120 is that serving others unselfishly. 141 00:07:33.439 --> 00:07:36.199 Will create joy in my life. 142 00:07:37.040 --> 00:07:43.600 It creates enormous, massive amounts of joy in my life. 143 00:07:43.639 --> 00:07:46.600 Most people are looking for happiness in all the wrong places. 144 00:07:47.160 --> 00:07:53.120 You don't find happiness and pleasure. Power, possessions, position, prestige. 145 00:07:53.759 --> 00:07:55.759 You know, all of these different things that we typically 146 00:07:55.839 --> 00:08:03.680 look for popularity. Success doesn't bring satisfaction. Sex doesn't bring satisfaction. 147 00:08:04.279 --> 00:08:09.680 Salary doesn't bring satisfaction. Status doesn't bring satisfaction. Those are 148 00:08:09.720 --> 00:08:16.720 all temporary. For permanent, ongoing joy, it comes not through sex, status, salary. 149 00:08:17.560 --> 00:08:21.879 It comes to service by giving my life away. God 150 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:24.399 wired is that when you give your life away, that's 151 00:08:24.439 --> 00:08:27.240 when the joy flows into your heart. Why, because he 152 00:08:27.279 --> 00:08:30.519 wants you to be like him. Most people don't know 153 00:08:30.600 --> 00:08:32.440 the two secrets of joy, but I'm gonna give him 154 00:08:32.440 --> 00:08:33.559 to you right now here. 155 00:08:33.600 --> 00:08:34.679 They are one number one. 156 00:08:35.080 --> 00:08:38.480 The first secret of joy is get the focus off myself. 157 00:08:39.559 --> 00:08:42.360 The more you focus on you, the more miserable you're 158 00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:45.240 gonna be. It is not by accident that the word 159 00:08:45.360 --> 00:08:50.200 miser and miserable come from the same root word. You've 160 00:08:50.200 --> 00:08:53.279 got to shift your focus from inward focus it's all 161 00:08:53.320 --> 00:08:56.320 about me, to outward focus. It's all about God and 162 00:08:56.360 --> 00:08:58.679 serving others. Now, when you do that, that is a 163 00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:01.960 counterculture moved because everything in our society says it's all 164 00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:06.519 about you. Every advertisement says it's all about you. We 165 00:09:06.600 --> 00:09:08.320 do it all for you. Have it your way, you're 166 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:12.440 number one, you're the best. But when you begin to 167 00:09:12.519 --> 00:09:14.960 give your life away, the more you give your life 168 00:09:14.960 --> 00:09:18.240 away t help others guess what, the more joy flows 169 00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:21.960 into your life. Good example of this is the apostle 170 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:26.440 Paul Philippians, Chapter two, verse seventeen. He says, my life 171 00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:30.679 is being poured out as a part of the sacrifice 172 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:33.440 and service. There's those words, as a part of the 173 00:09:33.559 --> 00:09:38.279 sacrifice and service I offer to God for your faith. 174 00:09:38.639 --> 00:09:41.639 Yet he says, in spite of this sacrifice and service, 175 00:09:41.960 --> 00:09:45.879 I am filled with joy and I share that joy 176 00:09:46.679 --> 00:09:49.519 with all of you. It is a fact of life 177 00:09:49.600 --> 00:09:52.720 that the most helpful people are the most happy people 178 00:09:52.840 --> 00:09:55.639 in life. If you want to be happy, you got 179 00:09:55.639 --> 00:09:58.440 to be helpful. The more helpful you are, the more 180 00:09:58.480 --> 00:10:01.720 happy you are, the more self centered you are, the 181 00:10:01.720 --> 00:10:04.240 more unhappy you're going to be in life. It's just 182 00:10:04.360 --> 00:10:08.000 the way the universe works. So joy floods into my 183 00:10:08.120 --> 00:10:12.120 soul when I begin to give it away. God wired 184 00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:15.279 the universe that the more unselfish you are, the more 185 00:10:15.399 --> 00:10:18.799 joy flows into your life. The Bible says this in 186 00:10:18.840 --> 00:10:22.159 Philippians four. Always be full of joy in the Lord. 187 00:10:22.759 --> 00:10:27.320 Say it again. Rejoice. Let everyone see that you are 188 00:10:27.799 --> 00:10:32.720 unselfish and considerate in all you do. Now notice how 189 00:10:32.759 --> 00:10:35.559 he pairs joy with being unselfish and considerate. If you 190 00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:38.840 are inconsiderate and you are selfish, you're not going to 191 00:10:38.879 --> 00:10:42.559 be joyful. But if you are unselfish and you are considerate, 192 00:10:42.720 --> 00:10:45.919 you're going to be joyful. I'll be real blunt with you. 193 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:48.320 Look at this verse up on the screen. Forget about 194 00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:51.519 yourself long enough to lend a helping hand. If you 195 00:10:51.759 --> 00:10:54.320 lack joy in your life, you're not happy right now. 196 00:10:54.399 --> 00:10:57.919 Let me tell you start serving, Start finding a place 197 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:00.639 where you can volunteer to give part of your time 198 00:11:00.679 --> 00:11:03.279 away and you get nothing in return, You're not paid 199 00:11:03.320 --> 00:11:03.639 for it. 200 00:11:04.759 --> 00:11:06.360 You're just giving your life away. 201 00:11:06.600 --> 00:11:09.159 If there's nothing in your life that you are doing, 202 00:11:09.639 --> 00:11:12.879 say on a weekly basis, on which you're just doing 203 00:11:12.960 --> 00:11:15.159 it for others benefit, not for your own. If there's 204 00:11:15.159 --> 00:11:17.200 nothing in your life like that, you're living a pretty 205 00:11:17.200 --> 00:11:22.039 selfish life. And God didn't put you on this planet 206 00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:24.720 just to live for you. You got to give back, 207 00:11:25.159 --> 00:11:28.440 You got to make a contribution. You got to be unselfish. 208 00:11:28.559 --> 00:11:31.480 That's where the joy comes from. Number two. The other 209 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:35.080 way joy comes is when I use my gifts to 210 00:11:35.159 --> 00:11:40.519 help others. Joy comes from getting the focus off myself. 211 00:11:40.759 --> 00:11:44.000 And joy comes from using my gifts to help others. 212 00:11:44.360 --> 00:11:46.480 And when you use the gifts that God gave you 213 00:11:46.759 --> 00:11:51.240 to help other people, it feels good. I was reading 214 00:11:51.279 --> 00:11:53.840 an article this week about the Oscar contenders for the 215 00:11:53.879 --> 00:11:57.279 Academy Awards this year. One of the actors said, I 216 00:11:57.519 --> 00:12:01.559 was created, I was made for this role. You know 217 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:04.039 that feeling. That's how you feel when you know I'm 218 00:12:04.120 --> 00:12:07.320 doing what God made me to do, what God wired 219 00:12:07.360 --> 00:12:11.080 me to do. One Peter four to ten says this, 220 00:12:11.639 --> 00:12:16.279 God has given each of you some special abilities. Be 221 00:12:16.360 --> 00:12:19.840 sure to use them to make a ton of money. 222 00:12:21.080 --> 00:12:23.120 Oh sorry, I misread that. 223 00:12:23.120 --> 00:12:29.919 That's in the reviled substandard perversion translation. God has given 224 00:12:29.960 --> 00:12:33.120 each of you some special abilities, be sure to use them. 225 00:12:33.159 --> 00:12:37.879 To read it with me, help each other, okay, passing 226 00:12:37.919 --> 00:12:42.279 on to others. God's many kinds of blessing. We're blessed 227 00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:45.559 to be a blessing. God blesses you so you can 228 00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:49.559 bless other people. We're blessed to be a blessing. And 229 00:12:49.600 --> 00:12:52.360 how do we bless others? We bless others by using 230 00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:56.559 our skills, by using our time, our talents, whatever we've got. 231 00:12:56.639 --> 00:12:58.720 When we use it to help other people. In service, 232 00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:05.559 you bless other people. Number two. Surviving others unselfishly or 233 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:09.840 serving others unselfishly will create not only joy in my life, 234 00:13:10.639 --> 00:13:13.240 it will improve my relationships. 235 00:13:14.360 --> 00:13:15.519 Boy, do we need this one. 236 00:13:16.279 --> 00:13:19.720 Your relationships will get better the more you learn how 237 00:13:19.720 --> 00:13:23.000 to serve, and that's something you got to practice at 238 00:13:23.159 --> 00:13:26.759 I will it will improve my relationships. Why because the 239 00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:32.639 root of every single relational problem in your life is 240 00:13:32.639 --> 00:13:36.440 self centeredness. Now there are other issues that come in, 241 00:13:36.480 --> 00:13:39.399 but at the root, it's selfishness. I want what I 242 00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:41.440 want when I want it, and you want what you 243 00:13:41.480 --> 00:13:43.360 want when you want it, and neither of us are 244 00:13:43.360 --> 00:13:45.840 willing to budge and give in and change. And I 245 00:13:45.879 --> 00:13:47.440 want it my way and you want it your way, 246 00:13:47.480 --> 00:13:52.480 and that causes conflict. The verse verse that K and 247 00:13:52.519 --> 00:13:56.320 I memorized when we were actually on our honeymoon was 248 00:13:56.399 --> 00:14:01.039 Farver's thirteen ten only by pride cometh contention. In other words, 249 00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:04.440 when you have an ego, you're gonna have conflict. Anytime 250 00:14:04.440 --> 00:14:06.559 you're having a conflict in your marriage, ego is showing 251 00:14:06.639 --> 00:14:10.399 up and you're not being a servant, you're being selfish. 252 00:14:10.440 --> 00:14:13.320 But the more you practice, the more you learn to 253 00:14:13.320 --> 00:14:16.120 get yourself out of yourself, get a bigger perspective, you 254 00:14:16.200 --> 00:14:19.679 begin to serve unselfishly. It's going to change and improve 255 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:23.600 every single one of your relationships. Because you change, it 256 00:14:23.720 --> 00:14:25.000 changes your relationships. 257 00:14:35.080 --> 00:14:38.879 Pastor Rick has put together a special resource called Daily 258 00:14:39.000 --> 00:14:42.720 Inspiration for the Purpose Driven Life to help you reflect 259 00:14:42.720 --> 00:14:45.759 on the key Bible verses found in his best selling book, 260 00:14:45.919 --> 00:14:50.559 The Purpose Driven Life. As you dive deeper into these verses, 261 00:14:50.720 --> 00:14:55.399 you'll experience the transforming power of God's Word. This beautiful 262 00:14:55.440 --> 00:14:58.960 hardcover gift book features gold detailing on the cover and 263 00:14:59.039 --> 00:15:02.840 has three hundred in eleven pages filled with scripture, and 264 00:15:03.000 --> 00:15:07.360 also includes reflection pages so you can record the life 265 00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:09.080 changing truths God. 266 00:15:08.919 --> 00:15:09.799 Reveals to you. 267 00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:14.039 This book is a wonderful spiritual growth tool and it 268 00:15:14.080 --> 00:15:18.399 makes a perfect gift for your friends and family. When 269 00:15:18.440 --> 00:15:20.679 you give a gift to help Daily Hope share the 270 00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:23.639 Gospel with people around the world, will send you a 271 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:27.480 copy of Daily Inspiration for the Purpose Driven Life to 272 00:15:27.600 --> 00:15:28.320 say thanks. 273 00:15:32.960 --> 00:15:36.000 So, how do I learn to be unselfish? Simple? 274 00:15:36.679 --> 00:15:41.879 Copy Jesus because he lived the most unselfish life ever. 275 00:15:42.639 --> 00:15:47.799 Matthew ten twenty eight says this your attitude. Your attitude 276 00:15:48.159 --> 00:15:51.720 must be like my own, Jesus says, for I did 277 00:15:51.759 --> 00:15:57.759 not come to be served, but to serve. Now when 278 00:15:57.840 --> 00:16:01.240 you take on the attitude of Jesus and you begin 279 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:03.399 to live your life not for the benefit of yourself, 280 00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:05.360 but you begin to live your life for the benefit 281 00:16:05.399 --> 00:16:07.320 of others, to help others and honor God. 282 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:08.480 Help others and honor God. 283 00:16:08.799 --> 00:16:12.600 You accept you're a biblecational minister of God. Two incredible 284 00:16:12.600 --> 00:16:16.240 benefits happen. One, you become more like Jesus, and two 285 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:20.919 you're more loved, respected, you're more popular. If you want 286 00:16:20.919 --> 00:16:24.320 to have more friends, learn to be a servant. Here's 287 00:16:24.360 --> 00:16:27.639 what the Bible says Romans fourteen eighteen. If you serve 288 00:16:27.799 --> 00:16:32.639 Christ in this way, unselfishly serving, you will please God 289 00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:37.360 notice and be respected by people. You want to be 290 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:40.759 respected by people. Learn to have a servant's heart. Here's 291 00:16:40.799 --> 00:16:43.639 the cool part of all this. The more I bless 292 00:16:43.679 --> 00:16:47.080 other people, the more God blesses me. The more I 293 00:16:47.200 --> 00:16:50.519 serve others, the more God honors me. The more I 294 00:16:50.600 --> 00:16:53.679 bless other people, the more I minister to other people, 295 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:57.559 the more God ministers to me. Let me show you 296 00:16:57.559 --> 00:16:59.919 some verses up here on the screen Proverbs eleven twenty. 297 00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:05.960 The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed, and those 298 00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:09.960 who help others are helped. In other words, it's the 299 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:12.880 principle of sowing and reping. Whatever seed I sew, I'm 300 00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:15.720 going to get back, but I don't get back a seed. 301 00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:17.599 If I plan a seed, I don't get back one seed. 302 00:17:17.599 --> 00:17:20.519 I get a whole tree of seeds. And so if 303 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:23.079 you start blessing other people, you get tons of blessing back. 304 00:17:23.519 --> 00:17:25.799 You start helping other people, you get tons of help back. 305 00:17:26.400 --> 00:17:31.799 You get more than you bargained for. Blessing others gives 306 00:17:31.799 --> 00:17:34.440 me blessing. You know when people tell me, you know, 307 00:17:34.519 --> 00:17:37.319 I'd really like to be involved in service, but I'm 308 00:17:37.359 --> 00:17:40.680 just too busy. I'm just I don't have any time 309 00:17:40.839 --> 00:17:44.119 to really be involved in volunteering anywhere. I'm just too busy. 310 00:17:44.839 --> 00:17:48.279 Then you just forfeited God's blessing on your business. I 311 00:17:48.359 --> 00:17:50.599 really feel sad for you. You want God's blessing on 312 00:17:50.599 --> 00:17:54.240 your business. God does not bless selfishness. You want God's 313 00:17:54.279 --> 00:17:56.480 blessing on your business and on your work so badly. 314 00:17:57.079 --> 00:17:59.039 God's saying, are you giving anything away? 315 00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:00.400 Are you? Are you? 316 00:18:00.599 --> 00:18:03.240 Are you thinking only about yourself? Is it all about you? 317 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:05.079 Are you you think I put you on earth just to. 318 00:18:05.039 --> 00:18:06.599 Live for you? 319 00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:09.400 Now, the more you give your life away, the more 320 00:18:09.480 --> 00:18:13.839 God blesses you. Look at these verses Proverbs seventeen eleven, 321 00:18:14.160 --> 00:18:18.079 you do yourself a favor when you're kind, that interesting. 322 00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:22.000 You do yourself a favor when you're kind, The Bible 323 00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:26.640 says in Proverbs twenty two nine, a generous man will 324 00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:30.799 himself be blessed. So if I want God's blessing on 325 00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:32.559 my life. I've got to be a blessing in other 326 00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:36.000 people's life, and if I want better relationships, I need 327 00:18:36.039 --> 00:18:41.240 to start serving. Number three, Serving others unselfishly will make 328 00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:46.200 my life meaningful. That's the third big surprise that most 329 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:49.079 people won't know. The only way you find meaning in 330 00:18:49.200 --> 00:18:52.640 life is to give your life away. God wired the 331 00:18:52.720 --> 00:18:58.599 universe on this principle. Meaning does not come from money. 332 00:18:58.680 --> 00:19:00.640 We think if I just get more more money, then 333 00:19:00.640 --> 00:19:01.920 my life will have more meaning. 334 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:02.599 No, it will not. 335 00:19:03.519 --> 00:19:07.599 I probably know a dozen billionaires, and I could invite 336 00:19:07.640 --> 00:19:10.440 any of those friends of mine come on stage. Every 337 00:19:10.440 --> 00:19:13.440 one of them will tell you. Money has many good uses. 338 00:19:13.880 --> 00:19:16.640 It can make life easier. It can give you opportunities, 339 00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:19.480 it can open doors, it can save you time. But 340 00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:23.640 money cannot give you meaning. No amount of money will 341 00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:28.599 ever give your life meaning. Meaning comes from ministry, from 342 00:19:28.640 --> 00:19:31.599 giving your life away. Jesus said it like this Mark 343 00:19:31.640 --> 00:19:34.839 eight thirty five. If you try to keep your life 344 00:19:34.880 --> 00:19:38.680 for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give 345 00:19:38.759 --> 00:19:41.200 up your life for my sake, for the sake of 346 00:19:41.200 --> 00:19:45.359 the good News, you will find true life. Circle those 347 00:19:45.400 --> 00:19:49.000 last two words, true life comes from giving my life away. 348 00:19:50.720 --> 00:19:53.920 Now knowing this, what should be my attitude toward service? 349 00:19:55.000 --> 00:20:00.000 One Corinthens fifteen fifty eight says this, always give yourself 350 00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:03.920 fully to the work of the Lord, because you know 351 00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:09.519 that your work in the Lord is never wasted. Everything 352 00:20:09.640 --> 00:20:15.319 you do for Christ has a purpose, and it may 353 00:20:15.319 --> 00:20:18.160 seem insignificant, and maybe nobody else seems to know about it, 354 00:20:18.200 --> 00:20:19.279 but it's important. 355 00:20:19.680 --> 00:20:21.920 The Bible says, even if you give a cup of cold. 356 00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:26.519 Water in God's name, in Jesus name, that you get 357 00:20:26.519 --> 00:20:30.039 rewarded for that in eternity. And that brings me to 358 00:20:30.119 --> 00:20:33.160 the fourth reason. What will happen if I use my 359 00:20:33.279 --> 00:20:35.759 life to serve and bless others? If I switch the 360 00:20:35.799 --> 00:20:38.599 focus from it's all about me, to switch the focus 361 00:20:38.640 --> 00:20:41.079 on how many people can I serve? How can I 362 00:20:41.119 --> 00:20:45.240 honor God? By helping others? Creates joy in my life 363 00:20:45.880 --> 00:20:49.640 and improves my relationships. It makes my life meaningful. And 364 00:20:49.680 --> 00:20:54.000 the fourth thing is it will leave a legacy. It 365 00:20:54.000 --> 00:20:58.680 will leave a legacy. You will leave a mark. Actually, 366 00:20:58.759 --> 00:21:02.759 you'll leave two legacies, one on earth and one in eternity. 367 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:06.000 The one on earth isn't gonna last very long because 368 00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:10.079 after about three generations, everybody forgets you. Given enough time, 369 00:21:10.119 --> 00:21:13.880 all your trophies are going to be trashed. All the 370 00:21:13.920 --> 00:21:16.680 things you think are so cool. Right now, two generations 371 00:21:16.720 --> 00:21:18.359 don't be even gonna care. You may get your name 372 00:21:18.400 --> 00:21:20.279 on a building. Nobody's even going to ask who was 373 00:21:20.279 --> 00:21:20.799 that person? 374 00:21:21.920 --> 00:21:22.200 So what? 375 00:21:23.240 --> 00:21:25.519 But the rewards you get in eternity are going to 376 00:21:25.599 --> 00:21:29.039 go on and on and on and on forever. But 377 00:21:29.519 --> 00:21:33.400 when you begin to serve, what it does is it 378 00:21:33.400 --> 00:21:36.720 gives you a reputation. The Bible says this Proverbs ten, 379 00:21:36.839 --> 00:21:42.799 verse seven. Good people will be remembered as a blessing. 380 00:21:43.960 --> 00:21:47.759 Let me ask you, what are you? What are you 381 00:21:47.759 --> 00:21:51.000 going to be remembered for? If you were to die 382 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:53.799 tomorrow with people? Say, man, that person was a real blessing. 383 00:21:54.440 --> 00:21:57.480 They really lived for other people. They served, They were sharing, 384 00:21:57.559 --> 00:22:00.200 They were generous, they were kind, They were always of 385 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:01.839 other people or would they think only? They were pretty 386 00:22:01.880 --> 00:22:04.519 self centered. They only had their goals. They only went 387 00:22:04.559 --> 00:22:07.839 after what they wanted. They didn't really care about anybody else, 388 00:22:08.640 --> 00:22:10.480 didn't take care of their wife or their kids or 389 00:22:10.519 --> 00:22:13.200 any and they just lived their life, did what they 390 00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:16.319 wanted to do. What do you want to be known for? 391 00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:21.200 Good people will be remembered as a blessing. Now, the 392 00:22:21.240 --> 00:22:24.640 truth is, everybody wants their life to count deep down 393 00:22:24.680 --> 00:22:27.279 inside of you. You want your life to have significance. 394 00:22:27.839 --> 00:22:29.720 You want your life to have meaning, You want your 395 00:22:29.759 --> 00:22:32.559 life to have purpose. You want to do something great 396 00:22:32.599 --> 00:22:35.720 with your life. Everybody wants that, and there's nothing wrong 397 00:22:35.759 --> 00:22:38.319 with that. To do something great with your life, you 398 00:22:38.359 --> 00:22:39.920 ought to want to do something great with your life. 399 00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:44.359 Here's how Jesus said you become great, Matthew twenty twenty six. 400 00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:49.319 If you want to be great, you must be the 401 00:22:49.440 --> 00:22:54.519