DeanSweetman.com » Being a Servant http://deansweetman.com Sermons, Podcasts and Teachings to Live Your Best Life Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:23:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Dean Sweetman is Sr Pastor of the C3 Church with a campus in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He also serves as Executive Regional Overseer for C3 Americas. The Sweetmans moved to the USA in 1996 for the sole purpose of planting the Lawrenceville church. C3 Church currently serves the Atlanta community in a unique way through itís technology and charity work. Last year, Dean and Jill planted the C3 Church in Studio City, California. As Sr Pastors of both churches, they split their time between Atlanta and Studio City and have homes in both cities. Dean is a sought-after speaker in both church and business settings and an emerging author. His passionate and uncompromising preaching will inspire the most on-fire believer as challenge those who lack the fervor required to serve God. C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA clean C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA webmaster@christiancitychurch.com webmaster@christiancitychurch.com (C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA) C3 Atlanta Online with Dean Sweetman DeanSweetman.com » Being a Servant http://audio.thec3church.com/podcasticon.jpg http://deansweetman.com/category/being-a-servant/ Life Together http://deansweetman.com/2010/05/23/life-together/ http://deansweetman.com/2010/05/23/life-together/#comments Sun, 23 May 2010 16:40:25 +0000 Dean http://deansweetman.com/?p=264 Matthew 28:16-19 (NASV): But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Discipleship is moving people; whether to a new level in God or to move out of your comfort zone into something new. When a person submits to being a disciple, he or she submits to having someone or someones come into their lives and bring correction.

80% of Christians fail because they do not submit to the discipleship process. It is the reason people start strong but finish weak if they finish at all. You see, a Christian is not a disciple. A Christian is born. When a person comes to Christ, asks Him into his or her life, and is transformed into a new creation, that process is called being “born again.” A Christian is born. And most times, a Christian remains in that place. Christians can remain “baby Christian” for years. They never grow beyond the initial salvation experience; they do not get to the meat and solid foods of the faith.

Disciples are made. Verse nineteen clearly states the command “go make disciples.” A Christian cannot survive strong with the idea that “Jesus is discipling me.” That is un-Biblical. Jesus took twelve men and lived life with them, teaching them and helping them to grow. When He left, He instructed His disciples to do the same. Discipleship is allowing yourself to learn the ways of God and to live those ways. We are called to live a higher calling, to live to the upward call of God, as Paul puts it. You see, God wants to make something of you, and He brings people into your life to make that happen. Disciples are made!

Discipleship comes through relationship. God transforms nations through His people, but He can’t do that if we all remain children. God completes His work through others. If we willing submit to the people God puts in our world, we are submitting to God’s correction. Correction is brought through love and an established relationship. Sometimes, it is a graceless smack-down that hurts, but that sort of adjustment is necessary to grow.

Believers are baby-Christians; Disciples are adult-Christians. The difference between babies and adults is that adults can reproduce. Adult Christians are disciples; they are submitted to God and the people He put around them; and they take the correction and grow from it. How do you know you are a disciples? It is when God uses you to reproduce–to make others into disciples.

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2010/05/23/life-together/feed/ 2 Matthew 28:16-19 (NASV): But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, Matthew 28:16-19 (NASV): But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Discipleship is moving people; whether to a new level in God or to move out of your comfort zone into something new. When a person submits to being a disciple, he or she submits to having someone or someones come into their lives and bring correction. 80% of Christians fail because they do not submit to the discipleship process. It is the reason people start strong but finish weak if they finish at all. You see, a Christian is not a disciple. A Christian is born. When a person comes to Christ, asks Him into his or her life, and is transformed into a new creation, that process is called being "born again." A Christian is born. And most times, a Christian remains in that place. Christians can remain "baby Christian" for years. They never grow beyond the initial salvation experience; they do not get to the meat and solid foods of the faith. Disciples are made. Verse nineteen clearly states the command "go make disciples." A Christian cannot survive strong with the idea that "Jesus is discipling me." That is un-Biblical. Jesus took twelve men and lived life with them, teaching them and helping them to grow. When He left, He instructed His disciples to do the same. Discipleship is allowing yourself to learn the ways of God and to live those ways. We are called to live a higher calling, to live to the upward call of God, as Paul puts it. You see, God wants to make something of you, and He brings people into your life to make that happen. Disciples are made! Discipleship comes through relationship. God transforms nations through His people, but He can't do that if we all remain children. God completes His work through others. If we willing submit to the people God puts in our world, we are submitting to God's correction. Correction is brought through love and an established relationship. Sometimes, it is a graceless smack-down that hurts, but that sort of adjustment is necessary to grow. Believers are baby-Christians; Disciples are adult-Christians. The difference between babies and adults is that adults can reproduce. Adult Christians are disciples; they are submitted to God and the people He put around them; and they take the correction and grow from it. How do you know you are a disciples? It is when God uses you to reproduce--to make others into disciples. C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA clean 43:36 Carry the Water http://deansweetman.com/2010/05/16/carry-the-water/ http://deansweetman.com/2010/05/16/carry-the-water/#comments Sun, 16 May 2010 16:45:34 +0000 Dean http://deansweetman.com/?p=255 John 2:1-11: On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
“Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied, “My time has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

There are three different layers to this miracle. The first layer is provision. The couple at this particular wedding ran out of wine. You don’t want to run out of wine at a Jewish wedding. It’s not good. Jewish weddings last for days, and the people feast on wine and good food. If you run out of wine, you will be looked down upon, as poor and lowly, but when you invite Jesus to your party, or your life, you will always be provided for. He doesn’t go half-way, either. He created the best wine from dirty water. With Jesus, you will always have the best of the best.

The second layer of this miracle is obedience. The servants had no idea what filling pots with dirty water would do. Still, they did what Jesus told them to. When your plans fall apart, do what Jesus says- even though it is hard, and all it feels like you’re doing is carry dirty water. The servants had to carry 180 gallon pots to the river and back. They did this when Jesus told them to. They did not ask why, they just did it. All Jesus asks of us is to carry a burden, not give up, and do something crazy. The Bible does not say when the water turned into wine, but we know that when the servant dipped the cup into the pot, it was water, and somewhere in the middle of his obedient walk to the master of the banquet, it turned into the best wine. If God can get us involved in our miracles then they will stick.

The third layer of this miracle is that we are the pots- God wants to cleanse us and fill us with something priceless. The substance inside of the pots started out as dirty water from the river, and wound up as wine, the best wine. God wants to do that in our lives. he wants to take all that is in our hearts and make it better, clean it up and make it beautiful. You don’t even know when your water turns to wine but it happens. Somewhere in the walk of being obedient, a miracle happens.

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2010/05/16/carry-the-water/feed/ 1 John 2:1-11: On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine." "Dear woman, John 2:1-11: On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine." "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet." They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. There are three different layers to this miracle. The first layer is provision. The couple at this particular wedding ran out of wine. You don’t want to run out of wine at a Jewish wedding. It’s not good. Jewish weddings last for days, and the people feast on wine and good food. If you run out of wine, you will be looked down upon, as poor and lowly, but when you invite Jesus to your party, or your life, you will always be provided for. He doesn’t go half-way, either. He created the best wine from dirty water. With Jesus, you will always have the best of the best. The second layer of this miracle is obedience. The servants had no idea what filling pots with dirty water would do. Still, they did what Jesus told them to. When your plans fall apart, do what Jesus says- even though it is hard, and all it feels like you’re doing is carry dirty water. The servants had to carry 180 gallon pots to the river and back. They did this when Jesus told them to. They did not ask why, they just did it. All Jesus asks of us is to carry a burden, not give up, and do something crazy. The Bible does not say when the water turned into wine, but we know that when the servant dipped the cup into the pot, it was water, and somewhere in the middle of his obedient walk to the master of the banquet, it turned into the best wine. If God can get us involved in our miracles then they will stick. The third layer of this miracle is that we are the pots- God wants to cleanse us and fill us with something priceless. The substance inside of the pots started out as dirty water from the river, and wound up as wine, the best wine. God wants to do that in our lives. he wants to take all that is in our hearts and make it better, clean it up and make it beautiful. You don’t even know when your water turns to wine but it happens. Somewhere in the walk of being obedient, a miracle happens. C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA clean 27:05 The Pool of Silom – or – Mud in Your Eye http://deansweetman.com/2010/05/02/the-pool-of-silom-or-mud-in-your-eye/ http://deansweetman.com/2010/05/02/the-pool-of-silom-or-mud-in-your-eye/#comments Sun, 02 May 2010 16:53:07 +0000 Dean http://deansweetman.com/?p=251 John 9: 1-38 (NLT): As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”
“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!
His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!”
But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!”
They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?”
He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!”
“Where is he now?” they asked.
“I don’t know,” he replied.
Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees, because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!”
Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them.
Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?”
The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.”
The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?”
His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. That’s why they said, “He is old enough. Ask him.”
So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.”
“I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”
“But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?”
“Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”
Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.”
“Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.”
“You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue.
When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.”
“You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!”
“Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.

There are seven miracles recorded in the Book of John set before the Crucifixtion. Each story is written with several layers. This story is no different. It is a story about an encounter with God that leads to a slowly unfolding revelation. The first hint is the word John uses to descibe this man’s blindness. It is not the usual word for “someone who cannot see.” It actually means general blindness.

Now, let’s start at the beginning. Jesus is walking along with His disciples when He sees a blind guy. His disciples see Him as well and begin to question the origin of the man’s blindness. It was the belief of the time that sin caused sickness. Jesus immediately refutes that belief with the truth: he is blind so the power of God can been seen through him. Jesus is about to shake up this young man’s life in the most radical way! He proceeds to spit on the ground, make clay from it, and then rubs it all over the man’s eyes. This guy has not met Jesus; Jesus and the disciples were talking about him without talking to him; and then, suddenly, he gets spit on. Then, Jesus tells him to go to the PUBLIC pool of Silom to wash. This guy can’t see. He’s probably never been to the pool of Silom. But, without any help, he does as he is told.

He find the pool, washes, and, BOOM, he can see! He walks out his miracle! Sometimes, we have an encounter with God that shakes up our world but requires us to go a step further. He requires us to walk out the miracle. Jesus has healed several people in several different ways. He is capable of the instant heal (which we all love and want for Him to do for us), but some times, He requires us to walk it out by faith. This is what this man had to do. He had to walk by faith to achieve his miracle. And he did! But the story does not end there.

He goes home. His friends immediately begin to question him about what happened. He says, “The man called Jesus…” Jesus, a man, healed him. That is his first understanding of who it was whom he encountered while begging. His friends don’t believe him. And soon, the Pharisees come in. They are perturbed by the fact that someone worked on the Sabbath. Jesus made clay! He isn’t supposed to do that on the Sabbath! They are so locked in their religious rules that they can’t see the miracle in front of them. Religion is a killer. It stops us from encountering God. The man’s parents could not even rejoice over the fact that their son was healed out of fear of being kicked out of their religious bubble.

The Pharisees interogate the man. They want to know who did this. The man then answers that it was Jesus, a prophet! The revelation is continuing to unfold. First, Jesus is a man. now, he is a prophet. The Pharisees protest that he is a sinner. The man counters with an understanding that he, himself, does not know what all the rules and regulations (religion) dictates concerning this event, but all he knows is that he was blind and now he can see. He had an encounter with God. Jesus came in and shook up his world. And now, he can see. Then, he goes the bold and decalres himself a disciple of this man/prophet Jesus whom he has not ever seen, but he heard the disicples call him Rabbi and decided that he, too, wants to follow him. Jesus, the man, the prophet, and now the rabbi; the revelation continues to unfold.

The Pharisees kick the man out. He is cut off from the social religious norm. He is left alone to wander. That is when Jesus finds him. In life, God intervenes and shakes up our world. He puts his finger on an area of our lives that we are blind to and wants to shake us out of it. He wants us to see it, to heal from it, to overcome the thing holding us back–fear, broken home, addiction, failing marriage, bankrupcy. He shakes up our world, and then He withdraws to watch and wait as we walk it out. he wants us to trust in Him. So, we walk it out. And then, the world turns against us. Our friends and even family want to pull us back into the box that is the safe social norm where no one upsets the status quo. Your stepping out in faith angers them, and they try to pull you back down. But, you push on; you make a stand for God. And then, Jesus finds you.

Jesus heard what had happened. Jesus knows what is going on in your world. When He finds you, He knows what is going on. Jesus heard what had happened to this man. He asks, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man answers, “Yes, I want to. Tell me where He is!” This man has declared himself a disciple. He wants to follow Jesus. Jesus replies, “How have seen Him. And He is speaking to you.” The man falls to his knees before Jesus, declaring, “Yes, Lord!” Capital “L.” And he worships Jesus publically. From man, to prophet, to rabbi, to Lord, to God. The revelation is complete. This man has had his life transformed by the real the living God.

God wants to do something radical in our worlds. He will come in and intervene; either through church or someone speaking into our worlds; He comes in and shakes us up. He does something radical, frightening, amazing, and completely against the social norm to motivate us out of the place holding us back. He pushes us to walk out the miracle. We take teh steps of faith, trusting in Him to do what it is He promised to do; and as we walk in faith, the revelation unfolds and the miracle happens. No more staying at the same level. Will you let God shake you up so you can experience Him?

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2010/05/02/the-pool-of-silom-or-mud-in-your-eye/feed/ 0 John 9: 1-38 (NLT): As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins? John 9: 1-38 (NLT): As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.” Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing! His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!” But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!” They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?” He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!” “Where is he now?” they asked. “I don’t know,” he replied. Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees, because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them. Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?” The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.” The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?” His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. That’s why they said, “He is old enough. Ask him.” So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.” “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!” “But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?” “Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.” “Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.” “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue. When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA clean 25:33 Getting Them In http://deansweetman.com/2010/03/28/getting-them-in/ http://deansweetman.com/2010/03/28/getting-them-in/#comments Sun, 28 Mar 2010 16:58:41 +0000 Dean http://deansweetman.com/?p=229 Mark 2:1-12 (NLT): When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!” Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”

In this story, Jesus is found in His House preaching the Word. The crowds are drawn to Him. Some receive what He is saying; some don’t. Why is that? It is not the issue of God wanting to get something to you; it is a heart issue. Are you submitted to God? Or is your heart hardened against the seed?

Attitude is crucial in living a life for God. Submitting to God’s word is very easy. It is the simple answer to life’s complicated problems. See, in ministry, people often think the pastor has all the answers. They want his council, but the answer is easy: come into the House of God; submit to the Word.

In this story, four young men are carrying a burden. They are drawn to Jesus’ House by His Words (the same Word we have today). They want to receive what He is offering. But they are faced with a challenge. Life throws challenges at you every time you decide to step out. For instance, you decide to come to church, but then, suddenly, you have to work or someone dies and you need to go to the funeral service or you sleep in. So many things try to get between you and your answer. For these men, it was a large crowd. Yet, they are not deterred. They climb onto the roof and dig through. They push through until they reach Jesus.

What obstacles are in your way? Push through! Submit to God’s Word, and your burdens will fall away.

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2010/03/28/getting-them-in/feed/ 1 Mark 2:1-12 (NLT): When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. Mark 2:1-12 (NLT): When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.” But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!” Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!” In this story, Jesus is found in His House preaching the Word. The crowds are drawn to Him. Some receive what He is saying; some don't. Why is that? It is not the issue of God wanting to get something to you; it is a heart issue. Are you submitted to God? Or is your heart hardened against the seed? Attitude is crucial in living a life for God. Submitting to God's word is very easy. It is the simple answer to life's complicated problems. See, in ministry, people often think the pastor has all the answers. They want his council, but the answer is easy: come into the House of God; submit to the Word. In this story, four young men are carrying a burden. They are drawn to Jesus' House by His Words (the same Word we have today). They want to receive what He is offering. But they are faced with a challenge. Life throws challenges at you every time you decide to step out. For instance, you decide to come to church, but then, suddenly, you have to work or someone dies and you need to go to the funeral service or you sleep in. So many things try to get between you and your answer. For these men, it was a large crowd. Yet, they are not deterred. They climb onto the roof and dig through. They push through until they reach Jesus. What obstacles are in your way? Push through! Submit to God's Word, and your burdens will fall away. C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA clean 54:38 The Pathway to Your Place is Hard Work http://deansweetman.com/2009/09/11/the-pathway-to-your-place-is-hard-work/ http://deansweetman.com/2009/09/11/the-pathway-to-your-place-is-hard-work/#comments Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:51:05 +0000 Dean http://deanandjill.com/2009/09/11/the-pathway-to-your-place-is-hard-work/ Final Installment of the “Series on Serving.”

Genesis 12:1 (NLT):
The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.

For the last few weeks, we have been talking about Service. Service leads to Sacrifice. When you choose to move into a place of service, you are required to sacrifice. And Sacrifice is Hard Work. Hard Work the third factor in the realm of Serving. Serving is Hard Work.

What makes Serving such Hard Work? It is the fact that God requires something of you. You see, when someone enters the church, they come in broken and hurting. The first duration of time they spend in the church is filled with a sort of one-way relationship. God works timelessly to heal the broken heart, to surround this person with a strong covering of pastors and friends to help him on his path, and to get him back on his feet and ready to do life. However, that kind of Christianity only lasts for a little while. God then requires us to give up something in order to continue maturing. Suddenly. the relationship is two-ways. We give something up for Him; He continues to grow us.

Abraham is the perfect example of this process. In Genesis 12:1, you see God calling Abraham. It is a well known story among Christians. Abraham is living large under the protection and prosperity of his father when, one day, God calls to Him. He asks Abrahm to leave three specific things: His Country, his Relationshps, and his Prosperity.

First is his Country or, to be more precise, his Comfort Zone. In order to serve God, he needed to leave his comfort zone. It hurts to leave one’s comfort zone. It is hard work to consciously leave comfort to move into pain that would produce growth.

Secondly, Abraham had to leave his Relationships. This represents our friends and/or anything else that would hold us back. When a Christian reaches that point where one-way relationships with God become a two-way that requires service, sacrifice, and hard work, people begin to talk. Friends questions what this change is all about. Fellow Christians will even begin to question and judge what is happening. It will feel like you are going against everything your social relations are suggesting. But that is something God asks of us: give up the relationships that are holding us back. Attitudes, habits, and patterns of thought can also hold us back. Negativity in any form can hold us back. With His strength and help, we can let go of all the things holding us back, but we have to take the first step.

Finally, Abraham was asked to give up his prosperity. God wants us to stop relying on the provision of the world and, instead, rely solely on Him. Service and sacrifice are all about allowing God to provide for us in more ways than just finances. He wants to be the one supplying all our needs whether they are physical, emotional, or spiritual. God asks that we give it all up and trust Him as we move forward into what He has for us.

Now, these three things seem quite hard to give up, and it is true that it is hard. But not trusting God and giving them up can have a worse consequence. When we resist the transition from one-way to two-way, our relationship with God grows stagnant. Soon, bad attitudes creep in, bringing bitterness and a victim mentality. Suddenly, it is all about us and what we can get. It becomes a “you owe me!” sort of walk that goes no where. But, when we lay it down and begin to live for others instead of ourselves, something extraordinary happens!

When we submit ourselves to the process of service, sacrifice, and hard work, we suddenly find ourselves on the pathway to what God wants us to be. God is all about the process! This process is a process of making! Through service, sacrifice, and hard work, God is making us into what He wants us to be! It is the answer to the questions of “Who am I?” and “What is my place?” God knows, and He wants to show us through the process and on the pathway! For Abraham, it was to make him into the patriarch of a great nation chosen to be God’s people. For us, who knows? But it will be fantastic!

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2009/09/11/the-pathway-to-your-place-is-hard-work/feed/ 0 Servanthood in the House of God http://deansweetman.com/2008/03/24/servanthood-in-the-house-of-god/ http://deansweetman.com/2008/03/24/servanthood-in-the-house-of-god/#comments Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:23:05 +0000 Dean http://deanandjill.com/2008/03/24/servanthood-in-the-house-of-god/ Philippians 2:1-11

Servanthood is a foundational truth for us as Christians. Serving is your all access pass to everything of God. Having the heart of a servant and living like a servant is the most rewarding thing we can do as Christians. This principle, like so many other kingdom principles, goes against the view of the world. In the world servers are often looked down upon and treated poorly. We as Christians should go out of our way to treat people who are serving us as well as we possibly can. However, sometimes Christians in church have a sense that they are better than others. Sometimes they can look down on those that are serving and have an expectation that they are there for us and to do for us.

As people join our church, I want people to feel our servant’s heart. I want them to feel like they are at the Ritz Carlton, and are going to have the best experience possible. The same spirit that is on high class, well run, well trained establishments is the same feeling we want people to have when they come to church because I believe that is a kingdom principle. That is the principle of servanthood.

“Don’t be selfish. Don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble thinking of others as better than yourselves…Your attitude should be the same as that of what Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God.”

Sometimes we have this indignation that says “I have rights. Don’t you know who I am? I have a position which denotes that I have certain rights.” Jesus didn’t cling to his rights, but took the humble position of a slave, took human form and humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death. Because of this, God lifted him up and gave him a name that is higher than all names. We have the perfect example of servanthood in Christ. From his example, we can learn and understand how we are to live our lives. It is troubling when as the more we get to know God, we manifest our knowledge in arrogance and pride instead of by becoming more like Christ and having a servant’s heart. The more we know God the more pronounced our sense of humility should be. We need to understand that the call of God on us as Christians is primarily to serve others. It isn’t about our position, it is about serving God and others.

Sometimes this arrogance comes from a misunderstanding of what ministry is. Ministry actually comes from the root word for servanthood. Servanthood began in the early church when the apostles became overrun with serving the people and raising up others to help ensure that the people’s needs were met. There was no government structure to serve these needs, so the church grew very rapidly as people in need gravitated to the church’s ministry. We must never lose sight of this role. Before we are preachers, teachers or ministers, we are first servants of God, others and his house.

The more you succeed in something, the more you tend to develop a sense of entitlement. “Don’t I deserve this or more?” Jesus said if you want to be greatest in the kingdom, you have to be prepared to be lowest in the kingdom. The more fruitful I am for God, the lower I need to become. “Even though you will have authority in my kingdom, I want you to submit and serve as I have. Just as I have become the servant of all, so to do I want you to become the servant of all.” What the world is looking for is not more arrogance and not more I know better than you. When we leave the foundation of serving, we get a mentality of “I think I am right and everyone else is wrong.” Perception is reality to the world, and these attitudes give them a negative perception of what Christ and the church is, regardless of what is in our hearts. They perceive that the church thinks it is better than them and has judged them already. Judgment won’t attract the lost to Christ.

The church is a great place to practice this life of servanthood, and hopefully how we act in church reflects the person we are and the way we live outside of church. We want to be the same people wherever we go, not just turn on our “Christian person” on Sunday. Church isn’t a place where we have to be perfect. Perfection is unattainable and is almost an enemy. If I keep trying to live up to an expectation of perfection – which I will never hit – I am setting myself up for failure. If we get caught up in a cycle of self-righteousness, it will also affect how we see and treat other. Servanthood comes from our heart attitude. In our heart, to serve, we have to accept our own shortcomings and accept people for how they are. There but for the grace of God go I. If it wasn’t for what God did for me I could never be what I am not. It all comes from a place of understanding that everything I have in life, I have because God gave it to me.

Romans 12:9

“Don’t just pretend you love others, really love them. Hate what is wrong and stand on the side of good. Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy in your work but serve the Lord enthusiastically…When God’s children are in need, be the one to help them out.” When we are Christ, we have nothing. He owns everything. Servanthood is about loving others, meeting their needs and giving to others. Be prepared to lay everything down – possessions, pride, dreams, aspirations – and use them to serve God and serve others. If you aren’t ready to give a portion of your life away then you haven’t really given your life to Christ. But, when you begin to trust God with everything, he begins to give things back to us on his terms. He becomes our provider. So many people have trouble following God because they are selfish. Their hearts get harder and harder the more they live for themselves. When we lose everything, the process begins where we begin to gain everything.

Servanthood begins from the place of “I have nothing. I have lost everything to God. Everything I have is because God gave it to me. I will live my life on the foundation of serving God and serving others.” A serving environment loves people, not judges, and creates an environment where people will open their hearts to God. This attitude and environment need to permeate every aspect of our church.

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2008/03/24/servanthood-in-the-house-of-god/feed/ 1 Jesus Washed the Disciples Feet – His Example of Servanthood http://deansweetman.com/2007/10/04/jesus-washed-the-disciples-feet-his-example-of-servanthood/ http://deansweetman.com/2007/10/04/jesus-washed-the-disciples-feet-his-example-of-servanthood/#comments Thu, 04 Oct 2007 14:17:39 +0000 Dean http://deanandjill.com/2007/10/04/jesus-washed-the-disciples-feet-his-example-of-servanthood/ John 13:3 – Jesus washing the disciples feet.

Many things happen that we don’t understand, but we have to move forward in mercy and grace. Jesus was not rigid, and God is not a rigid God. He understood that salvation works itself out day by day. We keep coming back to God and working areas out. We need to have mercy and grace for the people around us. If we are too black and white, we won’t have friends for too long. Show mercy on purpose. No matter what you think about what was done, said or anything.

We can be saved but we have still have to give our hearts to Jesus. If we get saved but harden our hearts, its like being lowered over a cliff to a slow spiritual death. Life is continual surrender. Salvation is a journey – its not just about going to heaven. Our servanthood is about serving God – not serving church or another person. Servanthood is a continual sacrifice – we lay down our lives for others IN SERVICE TO GOD.

Jesus washed the disciples feet. He told the disciples that someday they would understand why He did it. He knew what was going on in the heart of each disciple and knew Judas would betray Him. He was waiting for them to realize that none of them was greater than the other. He knew His time was short and so He worked in mercy. He didn’t LECTURE them on servanthood – HE LIVED IT BEFORE THEM. Peter wanted to reject what Jesus was trying to do. His pride stood in his way.

We have to ask ourselves – where am I not surrendered? What’s standing in my way? Where am I too proud? Pride trips us up on the journey. Judas was chosen to be with the disciples – he knew Jesus as the Messiah, but he chose to harden his heart. Even AFTER Jesus washed his feet. His guilt was in looking for a quick benefit of knowing Jesus. His death was one he created because of his hard heart. How do we do that today? We can’t refuse to serve because it doesn’t suit our agenda. A hard heart and pride culminate in a lost journey.

John 13:10 – We have a salvation experience, but then they are many opportunities to allow God to continue to work. Watch for Peter and Judas moments – take that opportunity to surrender your heart and serve others no matter how you “feel” about it. Christianity is a living thing. There is conflict in it and we should involve God in the resolution. If there is no conflict at all in our life. We’re more dead than alive and we’re not growing. Mercy, grace and love keep us on track. When we’re filled with the love of God – we’re able to live a life filled with love.

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2007/10/04/jesus-washed-the-disciples-feet-his-example-of-servanthood/feed/ 0