What was it about Jesus that allowed Him to give Himself away even after an exhausting day? Today we’ll look at two secrets and uncover a way for you to start to get the same kind of impact in your own life. We’ll be in Sections 35 today @ https://www.harmonychurch.cc/tracking-jesus-timeline/. IT’S EASY TO GIVE, text any amount to (859) 459-0316 to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give ).
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Sermon Notes Slide Key:
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OPENING ILLUSTRATION:
I get up here and dance around for two services back to back. My day really starts yesterday going over my sermon at about 5 or 6 pm, getting up early on Sunday and practicing it a couple times, I then meet with some guys and after that I get up and preach the same message twice – both times it has to have the same intensity and the same power to it. And afterwards, Every single week I experience the same thing, I call it the “Holy Hangover”. My brain is groggy, I can’t function, I’m emotionally drained, spiritually empty, and all together worn out…
Then Monday I have to get up and start the week over again.
We all have something like that, don’t we? Something that wears us out
-That guy that stops in your office and drones on and on about how the doctor can’t get his medicine right
-The meeting that makes you want to pull your hair out
-That customer that needs you to hold their hand every step of the way and is a never-ending stream of questions?
So, here’s the question I want us to deal with today
How do you keep your tank from getting empty when you are constantly pouring out?
It’s not like this is a unique scenario –
Jesus encountered severe scenarios that drained Him and was still able to keep giving. What gives?
Check this out… Section 35 of the Harmonies
SCRIPTURE:
This is right after Jesus has called Peter, Andrew, James, and John. He attends synagogue worship with them on a Saturday (the Sabbath). While Jesus is in the Synagogue in Capernaum, Peter & Andrew’s hometown, a demon-possessed man comes in and Jesus casts out the demon.
Mark 1:29
29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew.
Capernaum is this beautiful little fishing village right off the sea of Galilee. Picture something the size of Sadieville or stamping ground. Peter’s house was like 40 yards from the synagogue – those of you going on the Israel trip will stand in the synagogue and look over to Peter’s house…
Luke 4:38b
Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her.
Jesus has been at church and He’s having to pour out to help this demon possessed guy – I don’t know if that’s taxing, but I’ve seen the exorcist and it has to be at least a little mentally taxing. Now He’s come home from church. He surely just wants to relax, but He can’t, He has to help Simon’s mother-in-law
Jesus does what you’d expect Him to do – I have to think Peter was like, “um, look, teacher – if you heal her, she’s gonna want to get a family picture with you and talk shop…” 🙂 Listen to what Jesus does..
39 So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.
ILLUSTRATION:
One time we were at my Mother-in-laws for Thanksgiving and she came running through the living room saying something about being out of hot pads. I didn’t think anything of it till she went back in the back room and came out a little while later with a couple hot pads, I said, “Oh, you found some,” she said, “No, I crocheted them….” Ha. This rings true to me that this woman would be sick one moment and Jesus so completely heals her from this fever that she gets up and wants to serve them.
The last meal of the Sabbath, the dinner is kind of a big deal, it’s a celebration. When we were in Jerusalem on the Sabbath we had some guys walk down into the Orthodox Jewish area that evening. They said there were all kinds of people out in the streets, it’s like a big weekly party.
this woman gets up and wants to prepare the meal and take care of their guests.
Mark 1:32-33
32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.
33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.
It had never hit me that the reason all 3 Gospels that record this story mention evening or sunset is because it was the Sabbath. The people have all been in their homes having these meals together with family and they’ve all been telling the story of how Jesus healed the demon-possessed man in the synagogue that morning. They all know where Peter lives and that Jesus is with him and they all make a b-line for him as soon as they all can because in their mind, there’s a chance Jesus might heal them too. I crippled my hand in a farming accident, I have these headaches that won’t stop, my child is plagued by these terrible voices in his head.
they all come to Jesus – Mark says the whole town gathers around…
And again, Jesus, for the 3rd time in this day – and now late at night (people typically went to bed shortly after sundown) these people show up and He’s walking around healing them…
I picture Him giving each person His complete attention – that’s hard as a pastor because everyone wants your attention.
But don’t miss it, none of the Gospels mention it, but it’s got to be true
Jesus has to be tired..
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But Still, He pours Himself out
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What was it about Jesus that made Him different?
Because this challenges me
when I go home after a long day, what I want is to sit down and binge a tv show, not answer the door and give myself away some more…
Jesus was available and able to make room for ministry.
ILLUSTRATION:
I don’t know about you, but I”m at the point in life where I’d rather give you money than give you my time… That’s because my life is so packed full of “stuff” that the thought of adding one more thing would be like George Castanza trying to close his wallet… Everything would explode out of it. The reality is I’m often not available and able to make room for ministry because my schedule is SO jammed packed full of “stuff”
The scripture is full of the kind of stuff Paul wrote in Galatians…
Galatians 6:2
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.
The reality is, the kind of life that is available and able to make room for ministry requires an intentionality that most of us haven’t been willing to embrace.
So, can I ask you a question? What if you actually took that level of intentionality seriously in your life?
Two Powerful Pursuits on an intentional life
1. Living life in light of your higher purpose
If you actually saw your life in light of the mission of Advancing the Kingdom – living for God and loving people becomes your purpose you would become intentional about your time, I promise you.
Jesus knew what He was here on this earth for and He lived for it. What about you?
2. Squarely place your hope on God as your sustainer – kill all the imposters.
-You have all kinds of imposters that you run to when your life is a struggle that are false God’s for you. Some of you run to success, some of you run to food, some of you run to pornography, some of you run to control. They are all imposters…
When King David faced his own son hunting him down to kill him, this is what he said…
Psalm 3:4-6
4 I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain.
5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again because the Lord sustains me.
6 I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.
Jesus said something similar in his own life after fasting for 40 days when He was tempted by the devil with bread
Matthew 4:4
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
When you are actually willing to face in your life the things that you run to instead of God that either cause you to run away or to puff up and fight. You will find peace when you start to kill off the imposters that you allow to take the place of God and actually seek Him with your whole heart. Where you can say with David, “I wake because the Lord sustains me”
CLOSING:
I was meeting for lunch with a friend the other day who’s quite a bit older than me. He said, “I just don’t care about much anymore, none of it really matters. He said, what really matters is do I love God and do I love my family”. Let me ask you a question, 100 years from now are the things you’re investing your life in going to still be making a ripple through this world? Running your kids ragged with activities? Staying late at work all the time? What would it look like for you to be available and able to do ministry work that would last a lifetime?
Look, starting today this
90 Days of impact
We’re doing it because we want everyone to be positioned to be involved in a ministry that makes an eternal impact. This isn’t the only way to make a difference, but if you’re looking to start being intentional – it’s a great place to start!
Use the Catalog to find your fit in ministry
Fill out the card in the back (or online)
Put the card in one of the boxes or drop it off at the hub
You can taste-test a ministry for 90 days and see if it’s the place for you to make an impact!
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