02/01/22 Praying With JESUS: 40 Days Toward Church Revitalization — Day 21

Mark 9:33-37 (ESV)
33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?”
34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.
35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”
36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them,
37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

What is the primary characteristic a follower of Jesus should display if they expect to be exalted, or known as a great person in Christ’s Kingdom?

 

SERVING IN HUMILITY… Those who lead in any local church should first take on the same clothing as Christ in His incarnation. “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard 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, although he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:3-8). It is not stretching things to suggest that this should be the first mark of anyone who leads in your church family. Do others identify you as a humble servant of others? Ask God to make you more like His Son in this area.

PRAY… Holy Spirit, I plead with You to override my humanity and fill me with Your fruit – love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and gentleness and faithfulness and self-control – so that in all my conversations, and in all my relationships, and in all my patterns of behavior, I will be a humble and delightful servant of blessing to all the people around me. Within the context of our church family compel each of us by Your grace to be devoted to one another in brotherly love in the same pattern by which Jesus demonstrated His love toward us; and cause us to outdo one another in showing honor to each other day after day. Use our humble serving to restore our fellowship and our witness, and to REVITALIZE our church for Your glorious praise. I ask this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.