Ambition vs. Humility: A Youth Night Sermon on Serving Others

reading the announcements, and I was asked to sub in.

The youth have already been making fun of me, thinking that I cannot pass as a youth,

and I realize I'm too old to even be offended, so.

Thank you for being with us.

If you are visiting, we hope you come back as often as possible.

There are QR codes up on the screens and also in the pew in front of you.

Please scan those for us so that we can get some information about you.

If you're a member, please scan those as well so that we can keep up with attendance.

There are a number of people that were listed on the prayer list, so you can find that in

the bulletin.

And there's not many announcements tonight, just a few.

So tomorrow night is the Summer Youth Series at Franklin Church of Christ.

That's at 7 p.m.

A meal will follow the lesson.

If you need transportation, please meet with Travis Harrison here at the building at 615.

Also tonight is the last night to sign up for Holiday World.

And there are additional announcements that can be found on the bulletin back out here

and also in the NPR.

Tonight Corbin Hammer will be leading tonight's closing prayer.

You can see I'm rusty.

Let's have opening prayer.

Holy Father, we thank you for this opportunity to gather here tonight.

We thank you for the wonderful people that are gathered here to worship you.

Father, we pray that we'd be encouraged by the attendance of everyone here tonight.

Father, we ask that you help us to close out the world, help us to focus our thoughts and

our minds on you.

Father, we are seeking to be good servants, and Father, the world tries to prevent us

from being that.

So Father, we pray that we're able to devote more time in our lives to study, more time

to learning about you, following you, praying to you.

Father, we pray that we'd be encouraged and help us to walk in our daily walk.

Father, we fall short.

Father, we ask that you forgive us.

We ask that you continue to guide us, help us to find the right path.

Father, as we go through this service tonight, we ask that you strengthen these young men

who are leading this service, calm their nerves, uplift them, encourage them.

Help us all to come forth tonight and strengthen them and encourage them as well.

Father, we thank you for all the opportunities we have at this church.

We thank you and we love you.

In Christ's name, amen.

Tonight we'll read the first verse of Jesus Loves Me.

Yes, Jesus loves me.

Yes, Jesus loves me.

Yes, Jesus loves me.

The Bible tells me so.

I'll be reading Mansion Over the Hilltop, first and third verse.

I'm satisfied with just what you owe, a little silver and a little gold.

But in my city where the reds and blues shine, I don't want a gold one, that silver one.

I've got a mansion just over the hilltop, in that bright land where we'll never grow old.

And someday yonder, we'll never more wander above the streets that are pure as gold.

Don't make me bored, kids, where you're lonely.

I'm not discouraged.

I'm never bound.

I'm just a pilgrim in Terpsichore City.

I want a mansion, a royal crown.

I've got a mansion just over the hilltop, in that bright land where we'll never grow old.

And someday yonder, we'll never more wander above the streets that are pure as gold.

God is so good, first and last verse.

God is so good, God is so good, God is so good, He's so good to me.

He answers prayer, He answers prayer, He answers prayer, He's so good to me.

He cares for me, He cares for me, He cares for me, He's so good to me.

I love Him so, I love Him so, I love Him so, He's so good to me.

I have a prayer, please allow me.

Dear God, thank you for this day and all your many blessings.

Thank you for allowing us to gather here tonight to learn more about you.

I want to ask that you please be with the sick and shut in.

You know their needs more than we know how to ask, dear Lord.

I want to ask that you be with the speakers tonight and that they speak in spirit and in truth.

I want to ask that you help calm their nerves and guide them in the words that they say.

I also want to ask that you help us leave here tonight and be living proof of a loving God and help us to be lights for you.

I want to thank you for Jesus and the gift of eternal life that we have because of Him.

In His name we pray, Amen.

The first scripture reading tonight will come from Philippians 2, 3-5.

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself.

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also the interests of others.

Let his mind be in you, which was also in Jesus Christ.

Good evening.

As a lot of you know, a lot of others as well as me in this building tonight have graduated just a few weeks ago.

I had so many people come congratulate me, and I wanted to repay those people by writing them a card, or more specifically, my mom did.

I haven't had the time yet, and this is a convenient place, so I just want to say thank you to this whole congregation.

Yeah, throughout my final year in high school, I've been trying to recall and make memories where I've been inspired by something someone has said.

I did this to try and continue to grow and maybe find myself in a deeper way.

Throughout life, we learn of the constants, like change or the flow of decisions we are presented with daily.

One decision I had recently was whether to stand up here and to talk to you guys about the Bible.

More specifically, the verse that was read before, Philippians 2, verses 3 through 7, if we would all turn there.

Philippians 2:3–7

Paul writes,

Tonight, I want to focus on the phrase, do nothing from selfish ambition.

When we hear the word ambition, we usually think of something positive.

We want ambitious students. We want ambitious athletes. We want people around us that are ambitious to improve themselves.

We are constantly told to work harder, do more, and become better than we were yesterday, and there's nothing wrong with that.

The problem with ambition comes from when many of us may be living our lives just chasing that one achievement.

We think if we get the right job, make enough money, earn enough recognition, or gain enough respect, then we will finally feel complete.

The thing is, every worldly accomplishment will eventually fade, and even these life-changing things today will eventually become ordinary to us.

That's because in life, our focus was never meant to be on how high we can get on the social ladder or in your career.

As Paul tells us, that instead of constantly looking inward, we should look outward to those around us.

This world that we try so hard to fit in with is not our home.

Living by these things can be difficult, because naturally we think about ourselves first.

We think about our schedule, our plans, our goals, and our problems.

But Christianity has always called us to something higher. It calls us to serve and to notice people around us.

I think every one of us has gone through moments where life felt heavy, and where we've been afraid.

Matthew 6.27 says,

Which of us, by being anxious, can add a single hour to his life?

Now we can just try and be tough and trek through our life, distant, and try our best to be calm and collected at all times.

But God never intended his people to walk through life alone.

Sometimes, however, we allow pride to get in that way.

We worry about what people think of us, how we look, what people say when we aren't there.

And you get so up in your head about the people around you that you continue to live alone,

no matter how many people are walking there right there with you.

You can feel so lost at times, and without help, you go back to that vice that you swore to get away from,

and you hide from your loved ones.

You go to that place that you would normally stay away from.

You hang out with those bad influences on you, or become that influence.

You could get so used to being away from the church or away from God, you don't speak up about him.

This ambition can convince us that we are supposed to carry everything by ourselves.

It can convince us that our image matters more than our character or the people around us.

As we leave here tonight, I want to ask ourselves one question.

What are we really ambitious for?

Are we ambitious for recognition, success, and the approval of others?

Or are we ambitious for Christ?

Because one day, every accomplishment we have will fade away.

Every award, every title, every achievement will eventually be forgotten.

But the lives we touch, the people we serve, and the faith we live out for God will matter long after we're gone.

Let us follow the example of Christ, who showed us that true strength is not found in lifting ourselves up,

but in humbling ourselves before God.

Amen.

I'll fly away.

I'll fly away.

I'll fly away in the morning.

I'll fly away.

Just a few more weary days and then I'll fly away to a land where joys shall never end.

I'll fly away.

I'll fly away, oh glory.

I'll fly away in the morning.

When I die, how good I am, I'll fly away.

To Canaan's land I'm on my way.

To Canaan's land I'm on my way, where the soul never dies.

My darkest night will turn to day, where the soul never dies.

No sanctuary there's found, no church here denies.

Where all is peace, there is love, and the soul of man never dies.

I'm on my way to Bethlehem, where the soul of man never dies.

Where there will be no barricade, where the soul of man never dies.

No sanctuary there's found, no church here denies.

Where all is peace, there is love, and the soul of man never dies.

Let's pray.

Dear God, thank you for this wonderful day that you've given us and the opportunity to gather here this morning and this evening to worship you and to learn more about you.

Thank you for all the young men that are leading our service tonight.

Thank you for their courage, and thank you for the example that they are to everyone here tonight.

Help us to look out for other people's interests over our own throughout our everyday lives, and help us to keep a proper image of ourselves and don't over-inflate ourselves.

Help us to be humble servants of yours like Jesus showed us, and it's in his name we pray. Amen.

Good evening. I'll be reading from Matthew 5, 14-16.

You are the light of the world, a city that is set on a hill, cannot be hidden.

Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Let's sing Higher Ground. Just so you know, this is the newer version that we've learned recently, so some of the notes are prolonged.

You get two parts.

I'm pressing on the upward wave.

Once I'm leading every day.

It's a great mass, I'm on the ground.

Lord, let my feet be on higher ground.

I'm worthy of whate'er be said.

I live on earth in a simple way.

Higher way than I have found.

Lord, let my feet be on higher ground.

I want to stand at the utmost height.

And catch a gleam of glory bright.

But still I'll praise Him again.

Lord, lead me on to higher ground.

Lord, lift me up and let me stand.

I live on earth in a simple way.

Higher way than I have found.

Lord, let my feet be on higher ground.

If you will bow with me.

Dear Lord, thank you for this beautiful day that you've given us to gather together here tonight.

Lord, be with those that are sick and shut in.

Also be with those that are struggling and need a helping hand.

Be with us tonight to be present during this evening service and to grow and learn from it.

Be with us as we go away from here, but don't let us forget what we've learned here.

Be with us as we go out, being the best disciples we can be.

And Lord, thank you for all the many blessings you've given us.

And thank you for your love that you have for us.

And thank you, most of all, for your Son that came and died on the cross for our sins.

And thank you for everything that you do for us.

In Jesus' name, amen.

Scripture reading before Matt comes up will be Galatians 6, 9 through 10.

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do all good, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

In Galatians 6, 9 through 10 it says,

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in season we will reap if we do not give up.

So then, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are in the household of faith.

This passage reminds me about farming.

Paul talks about reaping harvest, and we know that the hardest part isn't the harvest, it's everything that comes before it.

The planting, the waiting, the work that no one sees.

To start, Paul points back to something he said in Galatians 6, verse 7.

Galatians 6:7

Do not be deceived. God is not mocked. For whatever one sows, he will also reap.

If you sow selfishness, impatience, and indifference toward others, that's what grows around you.

But if you sow kindness, generosity, and faithfulness, that will also produce a harvest.

A harvest of relationships built on trust, a harvest of characters that look like Christ, and a harvest of a life God can use.

Every single day, whether we realize it or not, we are planting something.

Every choice to do good or bad is a seed going into the ground.

Paul's point is that we shouldn't think those seeds don't matter just because we can't see them growing yet.

The ground doesn't show you much right after you plant, but that doesn't mean nothing is happening.

We like the things we do to be seen.

Social media has made it so that we think if something isn't posted, it almost feels like it didn't happen.

We want likes, recognition, and validation.

In that mindset, it can come into our faith.

But Paul says the reward for doing good doesn't come from the people, and it comes from God.

And that changes everything.

In Matthew 6, verses 3-4, Jesus says,

Matthew 6:3–4

When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

so that your giving may be in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

God rewards what no one else even saw.

That means the homework you helped someone do, God saw it.

The time you didn't repeat gossip when you could have hurt someone, God saw that.

The moment you chose to show up and volunteer, God saw that.

Paul tells us not to grow weary, we don't need an audience, and we just need to be faithful.

Paul closes by telling us to do good to everyone.

In Matthew 5, verse 16, Jesus says,

Matthew 5:16

Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works,

and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

They don't give glory to you, they give glory to your Father.

Our good works aren't meant to build a reputation.

They're meant to point people toward God.

Every time we choose to do good, even when it's hard, or when no one's watching,

or toward people that may not deserve it in our opinion,

we are showing the world a picture of who God is.

A God who is patient, a God who is generous,

and a God who loves us when we have nothing to offer Him in return.

I'm 17, and I don't have everything figured out.

But I know that God doesn't need me to be older, or to be more experienced.

He needs me to start planting seeds right now.

He just needs me to be willing.

If you need to respond to the gospel today, or if you have a prayer request,

please come as we stand and sing.

Jesus came in all, all to Him I owe.

Sin had left a prince unsane.

He was hit by a stone.

And with me for the throne, I stand in complete.

I'll lay my trophies down, all down at Jesus' feet.

Jesus came in all, all to Him I owe.

Sin had left a prince unsane.

He was hit by a stone.

If you did not get the chance to take the Lord's Supper, you can exit.

The rest of us, we're all going to sing You Are Holy.

I believe that's room 118 in the back.

You are holy.

You are mighty.

And you are worthy.

Worthy of praise.

I will follow.

I will listen.

I will love you.

All of my days.

And I will sing to you.

And worship the King.

I will follow.

I will listen.

I will love you.

All of my days.

And I will sing to you.

And worship the King.

I will follow.

I will listen.

I will love you.

All of my days.

And I will sing to you.

And worship the King.

I will follow.

I will listen.

Dear God, we thank you for this day.

That we get to learn more about you and praise you.

And that we thank you for tonight.

And Cooper and Maddox's Devos.

And we thank you for you allowing us to do that.

And having these opportunities.

And we stick with us.

And guide us through this week.

And comfort us.

And put us on the right path.

And we thank you for your son.

In Jesus' name, amen.