How to Be Genuinely Concerned for Others

They're teaching and they have a lot of fun, head on down to their door.

Not for the bad news, ladies and gentlemen, here comes Brian.

Thank you, brian.

I was grateful for some of these girls, I mean week after week after week, not just Brian, but that entire team boy.

We love them.

We need them now.

Please don't delay me any further on the bad news.

The bad news is this you've got a problem, you've got a problem, you've got a problem and you've got a problem and you've got a problem.

In fact, you've all got a problem.

And here's the thing.

I know what it is.

It's not because I'm a mind reader, it's because I have the same problem.

The problem is this when it comes to other people and other people's problems and other people's issues, we care, but not that much.

We care.

We do care, but just not that much, which means we're partly concerned but not genuinely concerned, which puts us out of whack with Scripture and the very character of God.

I think about the people whose comments I read on the web and because I know it's on the internet, I know I can trust it.

They were asked why they didn't care more.

One person said why don't I care more?

Well, an alien abducted my concern and I'm not asking for it back.

Another said why don't I care more?

Well, my care meter hit zero and there's no mechanic in sight, so forget it.

Another one said why don't I care?

Well, the ship of my concern just sailed without me, too bad.

And finally, the fourth person said why don't I care?

Well, because the interest that I had just packed its bags and moved to Mars.

Well, that's sort of funny, but it's not, because what the world needs, and what God has called us to, is to be fully concerned for others.

Fully concerned for others.

Genuinely concerned for others, genuinely concerned for others.

I was minding my own business, doing a personal study in the book of Philippians what an awesome book and I bumped into some verses.

In the second chapter it says but I hope, in the Lord Jesus, to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition, for I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare, for they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.

Well, there it is, that phrase genuinely concerned.

Did you catch that?

I was intrigued because Paul didn't say you know I got plenty to choose from.

He didn't say I have a few.

He said I have no one else of kindred spirit who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.

No one else, really, paul, really no one else, apparently not Turns out.

People who truly care are rare.

Doesn't that strike you as odd?

People who truly care are rare.

I mean, showing some concern is easy, so easy.

Even a five-year-old could do it.

I'll never forget when five-year-old Ava was out at the campground and she had two bags of popcorn, one for herself and one for her little sister, emma.

And, as five-year-olds sometimes do, she tripped and the contents of one of those bags of popcorn almost was entirely empty.

There was a few cold crusty kernels left in there.

But she pops up with a big old smile on her face and says that's okay, emma can have this one.

She hands her the little bag with nothing in it.

You wouldn't be guilty of caring that way, would you?

Well, why is this such a big deal?

What does it look like to be genuinely concerned for others and where do you get it?

And again, why is it such a big deal?

It's a big deal because if we don't get this right, if we don't learn to genuinely concern for others.

Be genuinely concerned for others.

We cannot please Christ and we will not serve others well, it's that important.

So what is the road to this genuine concern?

Where do we find it?

What do we got to do?

Well, we find the answers to this mystery in the same chapter I was hinting at earlier, philippians, chapter 2.

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

Would you open your Bible there to the second chapter of Philippians?

We'll be looking at verses 3 through 11, and we're going to pause right here and now to honor the Word of God by standing, if you're comfortable, as we read this familiar passage together.

Words are on the screen.

Let's stand, if we can, and read Philippians 3 through 11 together.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but, with humility, consider one another as more important than yourselves.

Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus who, as he already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but empty himself in the form of a bondservant and being born in the likeness of men and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, he healed us.

For this reason also, god highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the Father.

Thank you, and would you be seated?

I think this passage gives us two keys for becoming genuinely concerned for others, two keys.

Key number one if you're taking notes and I hope you have that note-taking page there, I find that it helps me to track a little better hang on to what I'm hearing.

Stop trying to be somebody.

Look at verse three.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility, consider one another as more important than yourselves.

You know it's interesting.

Our culture is all about getting that 30 seconds of fame right.

I mean, the entire social media machine is based on our insatiable appetite to be somebody, or at least appear that we're a somebody.

I'll never forget a Moody Radio event I was at and we all had our little name badges on and people were running around and this one lady came up to me and she didn't quite have enough vision in her glasses and she's squinting her eyes and she looks at my badge and she goes oh, I was trying to find somebody important.

Now process this.

This lady was trying to feel important by meeting someone who was important.

By contrast, philippians 2.4 says do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

But that's our culture.

We're all trying to be somebody, hopefully somebody famous on YouTube.

The inaugural success index is a study of American views of success, and the study found 92% of respondents believe fame and fortune come closer to society's definition of success.

In a study conducted by the Pew Research Center among 18 to 25-year-olds, researchers found that even getting rich is less important than becoming famous.

After studying a group of 1,000 16-year-olds, a team of UK researchers determined that more than half had no desire to go into any kind of a profession that didn't involve becoming a celebrity Process that, in Psychology Today, robert Fuller, writes.

Fame promises an escape from whatever ghetto we're in, real or imagined.

It deters detractors and may even squeeze a few crumbs of recognition from those who have begrudged us a smile while we were clawing our way out of nobody land.

The thing is, you can't be genuinely concerned for others while promoting yourself at the same time.

Right, we need to let go of this idea of trying to be somebody.

Like people who've been let go of a job, we've got to let go of the notion of trying to be somebody.

Philippians 2.3,.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility, count others more significant than yourselves.

Stop trying to be somebody.

See, here's the nasty truth.

This is where the rubber meets the road.

When we're consumed with trying to be somebody, we fall prey to the devil, and he tells us that we're not enough, not good enough, not anything enough.

The enemy always tries to convince us.

There's something more.

We need to do Something more.

We need to be Something more.

We need to prove there's something we've got to be if we're going to be.

Prove there's something we gotta be if we're gonna be somebody.

I got news for you, though Because of Christ, you already are somebody.

In fact, in Christ, you are right now all the somebody anybody could hope to be.

In Christ, you are all the somebody anybody could hope to be.

This is how you know.

You are already somebody.

This is what the Bible says about you right now if you know Christ as Savior.

Ephesians 1.4 says he chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love.

2 Corinthians 1.21 and 22 declares Now he who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God.

Be holy and blameless before him in love.

2 Corinthians 1, 21 and 22 declares Now he who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

2 Timothy 1, 9 speaks of God who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to our own purposes, his own purposes and grace, which was granted to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.

And there's more, much more.

God is actively at work on your behalf, right this minute, right now, in this room.

Romans 8.26 says now, in the same way, the spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray, what to pray for, as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Psalm 103, 3 and 4, who pardons all your guilt?

That's God.

Who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with favor and compassion.

And then one verse further, verse 5, who satisfies your years with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

I want to pause right there for a recap.

It's worth doing.

God says of those who know Christ that he now let's ponder this chose us, establishes us, anointed us, sealed us, saved us, called us and, as if that wasn't enough, he intercedes, pardons, heals, redeems, satisfies, renews.

Can I please get an amen?

Thank you In Christ.

You are already all the somebody anybody could hope to be.

Now, the thing is, god made you a somebody, and here's why so you could serve everybody, not so you could enjoy your time on YouTube.

Key number one is stop trying to be somebody because you already are somebody, but key number two is start serving everybody.

Look at Philippians 2, 5 through 8.

Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus who, as he already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a bondservant and being born in the likeness of men and being found in appearance as a man.

He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, death on a cross.

Wow.

Servers serve.

Servants serve Consistently, indiscriminately, gladly.

Servants are obedient.

The Greek word used here, doulos.

It means somebody who gives himself wholly to another's will.

Someone who belongs to another you don't even belong to yourself.

Someone who belongs to another you don't even belong to yourself.

A bond slave without any ownership rights of their own.

1 Peter 4.10 says as each has received a gift, use it for themselves, use it to serve one another.

God made you a somebody so you could serve everybody.

Say, okay, that sounds good to a point, but come on, aren't you pushing things just to put here Johnny boy, we got to serve everyone.

Come on, no one can do that.

That's hyperbole.

Or for the super spiritual.

Well, hear the words of Christ in Mark 9.35.

Meaning there isn't a single person sitting here in West Sub this morning who I'm not obligated to serve.

I owe that to every one of you, and the same is true for you.

There isn't a single person in Elmhurst or Bensonville or Villa Park or Addison or Lombard or North Lake who doesn't deserve our service.

Not one person in your family, your extended family.

Not one person on your street.

Not one person at work.

Not one person that you will share a lane with on the expressway this week, not one who is outside the list of those God would have you to serve.

A wealthy man had a servant that he kind of kept in charge of his stuff.

And the servant came to him one day and said you know what I'm quitting?

And the boss said but why?

Ah, you don't trust me.

Well, that's not true.

I do trust you.

You have keys to all five of my cars.

You have keys to the house.

I've even given you a key to my safe.

And the guy says yeah, but I've tried every key you've given me and not one of them fits in the safe.

So you don't trust me.

That story begs the question can God trust us to serve others, some a little or wholeheartedly?

How much of a servant are you?

God made you as somebody so you could serve everybody.

Warren Wiersbe cautions.

You have to decide whether you're going to be a servant or a celebrity, whether you will magnify Christ or promote yourself.

The moderator of a church in Melbourne, australia, years ago, was introducing J Hudson Taylor with a flattering introduction all of his accomplishments and when the founder of the China Inland Mission finally stepped into the pulpit, he quietly said Dear friends, I am the little servant of an illustrious master.

Wow, consider where serving others eventually took Jesus, by the way.

Philippians 2, verse 8, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, death on a cross.

Philippians 2:8

Ultimately, every act of service that you and I do is an act of dying.

We die to our preferences, we die to our comfort, to our likes, our ambitions, our dreams.

We die to ourselves.

There's no glamour in it, but God is in it.

Every act of every service, and more than that, he's called us to serve, and it begins the moment we ask Christ to forgive us of our wrongdoing, to help us turn away from the me-monster lifestyle we fall into, to have him be in charge of us.

The Bible word is Savior.

Have you done that?

Or are you just hoping you're good enough?

You're just hoping you'll get into heaven someday, because God's a good God, he's a jolly fellow and he'll let me in.

It's not biblical.

The Bible says believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

Believe what Religiosity?

Good karma, fate, no.

The Bible says if you will confess, that means agree, confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead.

You will be saved, no other way.

God made you a somebody so you could serve everybody, but it takes practice, to be honest.

So let's get practical for a minute here.

If you've got your note sheet, I've got an assignment.

You've got three choices.

You're involved in this.

Now you can choose one.

Number one deliberately let someone else in front of me when I stand in line at the grocery store or Walmart this week.

That's choice one.

Choice number two allow every car I see with a blinker on to move into my lane ahead of me.

Oof, that's a tough one for some of us.

You ever notice, by the way, when you're trying to get up.

You put your blinker on people these days.

They make it harder for you.

What is with that?

They must not go to West Sub.

Choice number three buy dinner for somebody who needs encouragement.

Why not Buy dinner?

Which of those three are you going to try?

See, there's no point in reading our Bibles if it doesn't change us.

There is no point in hearing about serving here at West Sub if it doesn't change us, if we don't do it, if we don't practice it.

So I dare you to choose one of those options, I'm going to go for the let somebody else in line first.

That's sort of hard for me.

I'm fast, I don't like it when people are pokey, so that's going to be a challenge.

I'm going to have to let people in line in front of me.

God made you a somebody so you could serve everybody.

Some of you are parents, and you know what it means to wipe a baby's bottom.

You know what it means to grab a Kleenex and wipe their nose.

Few experiences in life will teach you servanthood, like parenthood, by the way.

Don't you love trying to teach a toddler how to blow their nose?

Say, blow out honey, blow out.

They don't get it.

They don't get it.

And the best moment, though, is when they've got a cold and there's snot coming down, and then there's a big old snot bubble on the end of their nose.

They don't see it, they don't even know it's there, and then you wipe that thing away.

Why?

Because you love them, and if you love them, you've got to serve them, and that goes for big babies like us.

You don't have to be a parent to know what it means to wipe away someone else's tears.

If you care genuinely, you'll do it, and servants, I've noticed, are always looking to help or to heal.

They're wiping off the table, wiping off the dishes.

Some of you have wiped away somebody else's cares.

Some in this room have wiped away others' financial debts helped out.

See, it's not about likes, it's about love.

This idea of serving everybody ought to define the way husbands treat their wives and wives treat their husbands.

I wonder if we had an honest survey here, if we were to ask every wife in this auditorium could you honestly say that your husband routinely serves you?

Guys?

What would our report cards look like?

God made you a somebody so you could serve everybody, including your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your friends, especially friends with disabilities.

Some of you will remember a guy named Bobby who used to attend here at West Sub.

He had significant physical challenges.

His walking was impaired.

For a while it was a walker and then it moved into that motorized cart.

His speech was impaired, he had lots of issues and the older he got the harder it was for him to get around.

Frankly, he wasn't really able to take care of himself even though he lived in an apartment by himself.

But Colin and a few others here at West Sub noticed the need and decided to serve.

Colin routinely drove to Bobby's apartment and took home his dirty laundry there at his own house, brought that laundry back laundry there at his own house Brought that laundry back.

When there was a men's camping outing, bobby really kind of let it be made known he wanted to go.

But how would you pull that off?

The guy couldn't hardly move but Colin decided he needed that experience.

Bobby had never sat around a campfire and Colin decided it was time.

At this point Bobby was really limited, as I say, mobility-wise.

He was chained to the scooter, really couldn't even push open doors.

He was losing arm strength.

But Colin was determined, so he rigged up his van in a way that there was a ramp for the scooter and he figured out a sleeping arrangement for Bobby and he served him all weekend, a weekend that Colin spent mostly looking after Bobby, including every single trip to the bathroom.

Bobby got worse.

Colin never left him.

After long days at work Colin would regularly drive a half an hour to Bobby's apartment and unlace Bobby's shoes, take off his socks, wipe his feet, because Bobby couldn't.

That's who servants are and that's what servants do.

God made you a somebody so you could serve everybody.

Key, stop trying to be somebody because you already are.

Start serving everybody.

Let's pray, lord.

It's easy to say this.

We have to be doers of the word, not hearers.

Only Would you show us who we need to serve, show us what they need and, having received that from you, help us act on that Holy Spirit tip.

Help us to step up and to serve that one and everyone In the name of Jesus, who said I have not come to be served, but to serve.

We pray in that matchless name, jesus, the servant of all, amen.