The Prepared Heart, Part Three

“Put Someone Else First – Practice It”

In our journey toward the Passover remembrance of tomorrow night we have been working to have a prepared heart; prepared for fellowship, prepared for worship, and prepared for service ministry. To accomplish this we started with the importance of INFLUENCE … we must rid ourselves of those destructive influences that marked our former way of life before we came to Christ. Then we looked at the importance of having an attitude of gratitude; intentionally considering all that God has done. Today, our focus is on others. If we are to have a prepared heart it cannot be a self-centered heart. The prepared heart practices the art of “one-anothering”; putting others before ourselves.

Christians have the blessing of example that serves us in so many ways. Of course the primary example for our faith is Christ. Paul writes of His example in putting others first in Philippians 2:

Philippians 2:5-8

5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Christ Jesus, the very Son of God, existing as God – with all the eternal attributes of the Divine – did not cling to that exalted position (not a thing to be grasped). But instead He emptied Himself – setting aside His exalted state – and took on the form of a bond-servant. He became man.

Now think of that … all the wonder and glory of heaven set aside to walk among men. And not to do that as an earthly king with all the regal trappings, but to do that in the most humble of circumstances; born in an animal stall, born to low social status, a no-name among no-names.

Why? Why would the Son of God do such a thing? Only one answer is available to us. He did it for you. He did it for me. This was no self-centered act of sacrifice. This was the ultimate others-centered expression of love. Jesus said:

John 10:10-11

…I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

11 I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

Paul’s example then, of our Lord Himself, serves to illustrate the level of other-centeredness that should mark our lives. Even in the same chapter (Philippians 2) Paul presses us that direction:

Philippians 2:3-4

3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Too close? Too direct? Perhaps. But the truth must move us to obedience. Do nothing – nothing – from selfishness. Do nothing – nothing – from empty conceit. Do nothing – nothing – from pride or self interest. Do nothing – nothing – that doesn’t reflect the value of others over yourself. He doesn’t expect us to disregard ourselves – he does expect us to regard others interests, even while we regard our own. Living in a Western-world society we have to work very hard on this area of our lives. We are constantly bombarded with messages that insist on just the opposite. “Pamper yourself”, “you deserve the best”, “you can have your dream”; these are the mantras of our culture. And this isn’t new. After all, this is America, a nation built on the premise - “Of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Now this might have been an others-centered foundation, but it has clearly become a me-centered reality. “I have seen the people, and they are me!”

Let me give you some practical responses to this directive to put others first; practical responses that we will have to practice to perfect. (Outline borrowed from “Developing a Servant-Driven Church”, Dan Dumas )

INSTRUCT your mind with biblical truth.

Thinking biblically always precedes acting biblically. We must work to make rich deposits of truth into our minds and the minds of our children. Developing an others-first mentality won’t happen overnight. It will take time; it will take practice.

Consider your neighbor. " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'"This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'” (Matthew 22:37-39).

Consider their progress.” We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” (Colossians 1:28)

Consider them all. “My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?” (James 2:1-4)

INFLAME your heart with biblical examples.

Scripture is rich with examples of practical examples of putting others first; none better than Christ.

John 13:5-8

5 Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, "Lord, do You wash my feet?" 7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter." 8 Peter said to Him, "Never shall You wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, " If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me."

We should never forget that an others-first servant heart isn’t spread by memos and to-do lists; it is spread by example. A Christian leader, in the home or in the church, leads by serving others. Remember, your example of service might start with washing the feet of one you know will betray you – Judas was there as Jesus modeled His others-first ministry. The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28).

INFORM your hands with genuine opportunities.

It is possible we have become more Roman Catholic than we’d like to admit. By that I mean we tend toward a huge gap between the pastorate and the people. This is not according to God’s plan. The elders are not charged to do all the work of service. Instead, elders are called to train the saints for the work of service (Ephesians 4:11-13). Genuine leaders give their leadership away. A failure to be diligent to train up servants might well manifest a problem with pride and control. Dan Dumas writes: “Pride and a controlling spirit are the evil twin sisters behind not training and delegating people in ministry.”

Parents – this can happen at home as well. Oftentimes we fail to empower our children to work and serve because the process of maturity and success can be slow. Mothers decide it’s easier to do the housework themselves than to patiently teach their daughters. Fathers decide it’s easier to mow the lawn themselves than to patiently teach their sons. Employers fall to the same trap.

Two challenges are before us. 1^st – Inform your hands that they don’t need to do it all. Be intentional in looking around for those willing to serve and taking the patient effort required to train them up. 2^nd – Inform your hands that they shouldn’t be idle in ministry service. Look for places to share and serve. Not isolated from others – but intentionally among others. You might have decided you don’t need them – but God has decided they need you.

Don’t wait – do it today. Put someone else first. Your heart will be glad you did.

Grace and Peace,