Values: We Over Me

 

A Fresh Vision

“We Over Me”

Welcome:

Good morning church family. Welcome. Boy I am so glad to be here with all of you. Isn’t it great to be in the house of the Lord this morning? 

I want to tell you something this morning. I love being here with all of you. I get excited about Sunday. Do you know why? I get to see all of you. You are all my closest friends. You are my social circle. You are our family. For me, I get to have a family reunion every week. It’s awesome. 

For those of you who may not yet be a part of our family, my name is Stuart Davidson. I am the pastor here and I am thrilled that you have come to worship with us today. 

Good morning everyone online. It is so cool to be here on stage and get text after text…”Hey pastor, we are with you…watching from home.”

“Watching from the road.”

“Watching on vacation.”

So glad that you have tuned in today. 

Do you have a prayer request this morning? Text us! Our prayer line is 251-222-8977. Our prayer line is monitored 24/7. Text us your prayer need. We’d love to pray for you and over you. 

So, let me tell you about where we have been and where we are going. 

Introduction:

Over the last 4 weeks, we have been engaged in what I believe to be of the most serious, one of the most important sermon series of the year. Over the last 4 weeks we have been talking about vision and values. 

A church’s vision is what we hope to achieve. 

A vision is a destination, a place where we want to one day hopefully arrive. 

For instance, Jesus provides us a vision for all of our lives. All of us have a shared vision of one day standing before King Jesus and hearing Him say these words, “well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness”. 

Can you imagine that moment? One day all of us will kneel before the King of Kings. I hope that you possess the same vision that I carry in my heart. Hearing Jesus say those words to me will be the greatest thrill of my life. Hearing those words would be the greatest gift that a Christian can receive on the other side of this life. 

So, what is our vision? What is the vision for Eastern Shore Baptist Church? Let’s read it together. It is found in the sermon notes in your “order of worship”.

Our Fresh Vision:

ESBC is on mission to share Christ with every family in the community of Lake Forest and the greater Eastern Shore.

That’s the vision, but what about the values? 

Our values represent our core beliefs. Our values make us who we are, who we want to be. 

Our first value is that we put God first. We’re passionate about God, and we want everyone to know! 

Our second value is that we do our best. As a church we pursue excellence because God deserves our best. Our desire is to walk worthy of our calling in Christ, both individually and as a collective church. 

Our third value is that we are contributors, not consumers and we possess an eternal perspective. We live in service to our King and to our community. We exist to build the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. 

Our fourth value is we above me. That’s right, we above me. 

At Eastern Shore Baptist Church, there is a place for you! We are not designed to walk in isolation, but rather in community. No matter your age or stage of life, you will find opportunities to build deep relationships where you are known and loved.

Introduction To Today’s Thought:

Do me a favor this morning, fill in the blanks under “Today’s Thought”. 

Today’s Thought:

The Heart of The Church Is To Serving Christ And Loving Our Community! 

Take a second and do something for me this morning. Take these two fingers and hold them up to your neck right here or you can put them on your opposite wrist right here. 

What do you feel? That’s right you feel your pulse. 

When you woke up this morning, none of you thought about your pulse. You didn’t think about your heart. You didn’t think about your heart beating, pumping, all in rhythm. Now you are. 

Your heart is a miracle. 

Do you know that in one minute, the average human heart beats 70 beats in one minute. In this sermon this morning your heart will beat roughly 2800 times. 

Funny, some of you are trying to do the math on that. Don’t hurt yourselves. 

That’s 4200 beats in an hour, just over 100,000 beats in a day, nearly three quarters of a million beats in a week, over 3 million beats in a month. Well over 36 million beats in a year and get this…

Over an 80 year lifetime, nearly 3 billion beats. Thats a lot of beats. The human heart is a miracle. 

Beat after beat, it keeps receiving blood and pumping it back out. It never says, “I think I’ll just keep this one for myself!” The heart was designed to receive so that it could give. The moment the heart stops sending blood to the rest of the body, we have a serious problem. What was meant to flow has become blocked.

Church, I wonder if the same thing can happen spiritually. God has poured so much into us. We have received and received and received. Yet none of those blessings were intended to stop with us. God blesses us so that we can become a blessing to somebody else.

That is where “We Over Me” becomes more than a catchy phrase. A consumer says, “What can I get?” A servant says, “What can I give?” A consumer asks, “Who is going to take care of me?” A servant asks, “Who can I take care of?” A consumer walks into church looking for what meets his needs. A servant walks into church looking for someone whose needs he can meet.

Friends, a healthy heart has an outward flow, and so does a healthy church. We come in to receive, but we go out to give. We are taught so that we can teach. We are encouraged so that we can encourage. We are loved so that we can love. We are served so that we can serve. We have been given the Gospel so that we can share the Gospel.

The blessings of God were never meant to terminate on us. They were meant to travel through us.

Introduction To Today’s Quote:

Now, with that thought in mind, look at Today’s Quote in your notes.

J.D. Greear says, “In our service, we make visible the invisible Christ.”

Man, I love that.

Think about it. You cannot physically see Jesus standing at the front door welcoming a guest. You cannot see Jesus teaching a Life Group, holding a baby in the nursery, taking a meal to somebody who is hurting, or sitting beside somebody who is lonely.

But you can see His people doing those things.

Church, when we serve, people get a glimpse of Jesus through us. That is why service is bigger than filling a position or volunteering for a job. Service is a picture of the Gospel.

Jesus did not come asking, “What can you do for Me?” Jesus came showing us, “Look what I am willing to do for you.”

Let’s read his quote together. It is there on your sermon outline.

Today’s Quote:

“In our service, we make visible the invisible Christ.” When Christians humbly put the needs of others ahead of their own, we demonstrate the character of Jesus to the world around us. The church is at its best when its people are not asking, “What can the church do for me?” but rather, “How can Christ use me to serve someone else?”

Pastor J.D. Greear’s “Gaining by Losing: Why the Future Belongs to Churches that Send”

Introduction To Today’s Scripture:

This morning, before we read from Philippians 2. I want to share with you briefly the background and context of the passage. 

Obviously Philippians was written by the Apostle Paul, likely during his imprisonment in Rome. The letter is addressed to the church in Philippi, a city in Macedonia (modern-day Greece), which Paul had established during his missionary journeys.

The overarching theme of Philippians is joy in Christ, despite challenging circumstances. Paul writes to encourage the Philippian believers to stand firm in their faith. He wants them to maintain unity. He wants them to live in a manner that would draw others, that it would draw outsiders to the Gospel message. Paul loved the Philippians and he praised them for how they had partnered with him in ministry. 

In Philippians 2, Paul addresses the importance of unity and selflessness within the church. He didn’t say it in as many words, but Paul wanted them to have the we over me mentality. He urges the believers to have the same mindset as Christ, following His example of humility…considering others' needs above their own. 

Paul reminds them of Christ's sacrificial love and obedience, highlighting Him as the ultimate example of selflessness. The passage emphasizes the need for unity, mutual care, and a selfless attitude among believers, as they imitate the character of Christ.

Statement of Belief:

So, before we read Paul’s words in Philippians 2:1-11 this morning, 

We believe the Bible to be inspired, God breathed, infallible, and authoritative. We believe the Bible is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training believer’s in righteousness. God’s Word gives life. It provides peace in trouble and protection in tribulation. It is alive, active, and cuts to the core of the human soul. Since there is no other book like it, let us stand to show our reverence and respect.  

Today’s Scripture:

Philippians 2:1-11 ESV

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, [2] complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. [3] Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. [4] Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. [5] Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, [6] who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7] but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. [8] And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. [9] Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, [10] so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Pastor: “This is the Word of the Lord.”

Congregation: “Praise His name. Praise His Holy name.”

Selfless Living: Embracing Christ’s Call

I. The Appeal To Humility vs. 3-4

Again, I want you to imagine that the neighborhood of Lake Forest had a window into the daily operation of all of our lives. Imagine that they could see more than the events, they could see all the meetings, all the gatherings, they could see how the staff treats one another. Imagine that they could even see our very motivations. The things, the situations, even people that push us to do what we do. 

What do you think that they would see? Would we be embarrassed if they knew our hearts?

Would they see a selfish church or a selfless church?

Would the doors to this church be open as wide as the doors of our hearts to them?

Would we accept the people with all of their problems, their flaws, their family drama, their addictions, or would we seek to insulate ourselves? Would we seek to keep the place clean, free from all the mud and muck of people’s lives?

My hope is that if the neighborhood had a window into Eastern Shore Baptist Church they would see a church living selfless lives, embracing Christ’s call. 

This morning, fill in the first blank. We have the appeal to humility. 

[3] Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. [4] Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

There on your outline is a short explanation of our first point. “Humility means putting aside selfish ambition and choosing to value the needs of others above our own.”

The key word being talked about here is “humility”. The Greek word is a tough one to pronounce, I will give it a try. Tie-Pie-Now-Fro-Soonay. It means modesty, lowliness of mind, and it means to have a humble opinion of one’s self. 

Honestly, even after reading the Greek, Im still not exactly sure what it means to in “humility count others more significant than yourselves”. What does that mean and how do we do it?

Basically to selflessly esteem others better than yourself is genuine Biblical love. 

By the way, it doesn’t mean that we should put ourselves down, think of ourselves as worthless or valueless, instead, we lift others up. We share the burdens of others. 

It means that when someone hurts, we hurt with them. It means that when someone celebrates, we celebrate with them. We lay aside jealousy and greed in favor of contentment and joyfulness in the Lord. 

By the way, isn’t interesting that Paul connects selfishness with the desire to impress others? Selfishness and chasing the approval of people are branches that spring off the trunk of pride. Pride is the origin of sin…right there in the garden that led to the downfall of Adam and Eve. 

Adam and Eve stopped worrying about their relationship with the Father. They cared no more about impressing God, obeying His commands, and having a bond with Him. Instead, they wanted to impress each other, and be prideful over their accomplishment. Paul’s warning is quite important for today. Chasing the approval of others will leave you fed up, worn out, and shot down. 

People always want something that you cannot deliver and their needs change constantly. Trying to please others is like trying to pin the tail on the donkey except you don’t have the right tail, you have the wrong pin, and there is no donkey. You might satisfy people some of the time, but you will not be satisfied any of the time. Instead, satisfy God. Enjoy the reward of peace that comes through obeying Christ. Remember, people are fickle and they can be faithless. Remain committed and connected to Jesus.

So, what does it mean to live with humility. Think of it like this, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.”

Remember what Paul says in Romans 12,

Romans 12:10 ESV

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

Selfless Living: Embracing Christ’s Call

I. The Appeal To Humility vs. 3-4

II. The Attitude of Jesus vs. 5-8

So, Roman numeral one is the appeal to humility. 

Our second point is to embrace the attitude of Jesus. This point comes from verses 5-8. Let’s read that together this morning.

[5] Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, [6] who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7] but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. [8] And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 

“Jesus showed us that true greatness is found in humbling ourselves and willingly serving others.”

Let’s talk about Jesus for a moment. 

He gave it all up. The angels. The throne. Heaven itself. He left it all behind to chase after a species that turned their backs on Him. They thumbed their nose at Him and told Him to get lost. Those that were supposed to know Him, those that were said to have recognized Him, disregarded Him. They loved their laws, their rules, their regulations more than they loved Him. He offered them freedom but they chose the chains. He was a King who came as a pauper. He embraced humility. He experienced human birth and human death and everything in between. Jesus truly knows what it is like to be human because He is human.

Do you what breaks this pastor’s heart? I’ll tell you what breaks my heart, when people who profess to know Christ do not demonstrate His attitude. Do you know what really breaks this pastor’s heart? When Stuart who professes to know Jesus Christ refuses to demonstrate His attitude. 

Think about all the people that Jesus served. Jesus served the drunk. The prostitute. The traitor. He loved the woman at the well. He cared for the woman caught in the act of adultery. He touched those who were unclean, spoke to people that lived outside the norm of society. He fed the destitute, healed the diseased, and uplifted the down and out. 

Jesus never took the attitude that people were on their own or beyond His help. 

Jesus never felt that His time was to valuable that it had to be protected. 

He was consistently generous. He was continually available. He was constantly kind. 

Let me tell you the story of Samuel Logan Brengle. I was reading about him the other day and his story really spoke to me. 

Brengle was a gifted young Methodist preacher in the late 1800s. He was highly educated. He graduated from college, attended Boston Theological Seminary, and was offered opportunities to pastor prominent churches in America. Instead, Brengle became convinced that God wanted him to join William Booth and the Salvation Army. So in 1887, he traveled all the way to England ready to preach, ready to lead, and ready to serve God.

When he arrived, William Booth wasn’t nearly as impressed with Brengle as Brengle was impressed with himself. Brengle thought that when the arrived, he would be given a grand assignment. He thought that he would preach to the masses. He thought that he would be renown, known far and wide. That was not what happened. William Booth was concerned that this educated, successful preacher would upstage him. Booth thought that this brash young preacher need a lesson in humility. He needed to learn what it meant to serve.

So Brengle’s first assignment wasn’t preaching.

It was cleaning boots.

They sent him down into the cellar where he was given a brush and the dirty boots of the other Salvation Army cadets. Can you imagine? He had crossed the Atlantic Ocean to serve God, and now he was cleaning somebody else’s shoes.

At first, Brengle struggled with it. He wondered if cleaning boots was really the best use of his education and his gifts. Then he thought about Jesus kneeling before His disciples and washing their feet.

That changed everything.

Brengle decided that if Jesus could wash feet, Samuel Brengle could clean boots. So he did. He cleaned those boots faithfully. 

Brengle didn’t clean boots forever.

He finished his training and was commissioned by the Salvation Army. He returned to the United States and began preaching and serving. Eventually, Brengle became known around the world for his preaching and teaching on holiness. He wrote nine books. He rose to the rank of Commissioner and eventually became the Salvation Army’s International Spiritual Ambassador of Holiness.

The man who was willing to clean the boots eventually became a man God used to influence people around the world.

Church, that’s the attitude of Jesus.

Jesus never considered Himself too important to serve. Philippians 2 tells us that He humbled Himself. He took the form of a servant. He became obedient even to the point of death.

Speaking of Jesus, listen to His words in Matthew 20, 

Matthew 20:26-28 ESV

It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, [27] and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, [28] even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Selfless Living: Embracing Christ’s Call

I. The Appeal To Humility vs. 3-4

II. The Attitude of Jesus vs. 5-8

III. The Advancement of Service vs. 9-11

Selfless living, embracing Christ’s call sees the appeal to humility, the attitude of Jesus, and lastly..the advancement of service. Listen to verse 10 and 11.

Fill in that blank for me this morning. The advancement of service. 

[10] so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Again, you will see an explanation of this last point on your outline.

“When we humble ourselves and faithfully serve, God is glorified and His Kingdom is advanced.”

Look at what happened to Jesus. He came to the earth lowly but He was lifted up. He was exalted. He came in all humility, putting others ahead of Himself, and in doing so, He was raised up to the Father to His rightful place. Today He is at the right hand of the throne of the Father. 

By the way, this is backwards of what the world teaches. The world teaches that gaining power, fame, and wealth are the pathways to prosperity. the Bible teaches that giving everything away, being last in line, and putting others ahead of ourselves is the true pathway to reward. 

We have a decision to make folks. What path will we take?

Know this church, when we serve others, when we embrace selflessness in the name of Jesus, it is not us who are raised up, no…it is Jesus. When we serve others, Jesus is highlighted. He has be highlighted. 

The reason is simple. Service to other humans is just not natural for us. Service is generated by the work of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, when we serve others, people see that something unusual is taking place in our lives. Something strange is happening. What would cause someone to give selflessly to a church? What would cause someone to cut some widow’s yard for free? What would cause a young family to cook for a man who is sick in their church that they do not even know? What would cause a group of people to travel across the country, the world, to share Christ with a group of strangers. Jesus of course. Jesus. There really is something about that name. It’s a name that deserves to be exalted. 

But here’s the thing, when we exalt the name of Jesus, we too are lifted up. We receive blessing. We receive peace. We receive the gift of God’s victory, His salvation, His justification, His atonement, His mercy. 

Let’s go back to Scripture for just one more moment.

so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…

Scripture does not tell us that some knees will bow and a few tongues confess that Jesus is Lord. No. It claims boldly that all knees and all tongues will confess that Jesus is Lord. For me, this is not a problem. 

I am no King. 

I am not famous. 

I have no special powers. 

No servants. No mansions. 

I have never dominated a people or taken over a country. 

Like most, I am fairly forgettable. One day, I will kneel before King Jesus and tell Him that He is above all others and able to do all things. Yet, there will be kings, lords, and noblemen who for the first time in their existence will have to take a knee to the true King. What a humbling day that will be for us all. 

I remember where I was. I was at the YMCA on the Atlanta Highway in Montgomery, AL. It was 2009 and the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, perished due to a drug overdose. I will never forget my first thought after hearing the news. 

I thought that on that day… the king of pop met the King of Kings. 

My second thought was wondering if he was ready for the encounter. 

My third thought was asking myself if I was ready for that encounter. Frankly, I cannot imagine the experience. It will be terrifying and wonderful at the same time.

I want to close with this last illustration. It is a familiar name. Tim Tebow. We all know who Tim Tebow is. 

Tim Tebow when he was just 15 years old.

Tebow was on a mission trip in the Philippines. While visiting a village, he noticed a young boy who had been born with his feet backward. Because of his disability, the boy was treated differently. He was overlooked. He was pushed to the side.

Tebow spent time with him.

Now friends, at the time, Tim Tebow wasn’t a Heisman Trophy winner. He hadn’t been drafted. He wasn’t famous. He was just a 15-year-old kid on a mission trip who noticed somebody everybody else seemed to overlook.

That encounter stayed with him.

Years later, after football had given Tebow a platform and resources, he started the Tim Tebow Foundation. Then in 2015, the foundation launched something called Night to Shine, a prom experience for people with special needs hosted through local churches.

They hoped 25 churches might participate.

Forty-four said yes.

Then those churches served, and other churches saw it. More people volunteered. More churches joined. The ministry began spreading across the country and eventually around the world.

Today, Night to Shine has reached people in dozens of countries around the world, with churches celebrating people with special needs and reminding them that they are loved, valued, and created in the image of God.

Church, don’t miss how it started.

One teenager noticed one boy.

That’s it.

One person saw somebody who needed to be loved and decided to serve.

He had no idea what God would eventually do with that moment.

Friends, that is the advancement of service.

You may think, “Pastor, I’m just teaching one Sunday School class.” You’re not just teaching a class.

“I’m just rocking babies in the nursery.” You’re not just rocking babies.

“I’m just cutting somebody’s grass.”

“I’m just taking somebody a meal.”

“I’m just inviting my neighbor.”

“I’m just going on a mission trip.”

There is no “just” when you’re serving Jesus.

You have no idea what God can do with one person who looks around and says, “Jesus, somebody needs me. I’ll serve.”

One act of service can touch one life. One changed life can touch another. That person can touch another. Before long, something that began with one person serving one person has traveled farther than you ever imagined.

That’s how the Kingdom advances.

We don’t serve so people will remember our name. We serve so people will know His name.

One day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Until that day comes, church, let’s spend our lives helping as many people as possible know His name before they have to bow before Him.

So friends, serve until we can no longer serve. 

Give until we can no longer give. 

Go until we can no longer go. 

Putting others above ourselves. 

Sacrificing our comfort. 

Giving up our dreams. All for Him. All for Jesus. Remember the words of Christ in Luke 14…

Luke 14:11 ESV

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Friends, let this be a reminder to you…

Seek To Serve Today!