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Health & Fitness

The Plan: The Forgiving Servant

If we want to be used by God, we have to come to God without conditions.

Do you want God to use you in a supernatural way to bless someone else?  If that is going to happen, you will have to allow Him to use you to bless someone who doesn’t like you – or someone who has hurt you.  You can’t come with conditions.  I encourage us all to allow ourselves to be used for ministry however God wants.

Sometimes it is easier for us to focus our ministry efforts elsewhere, sending money or supporting people to go overseas, than it is for us to reach out right across the street.  There is plenty of need right here in San Diego.  Here are some of the statistics concerning our city:

  • 100,000 homeless people
  • 130,000 out of work
  • 15% living under the poverty line
  • One of the most used ports for human trafficking
  • 15,000 cases of reported domestic violence (where only about 10% are reported)

Our vision is Pervasive Hope, to bring hope everywhere, even into these dark situations.  Today we have  3 campuses, 800 community groups, and 140 outreach ministries, but our vision is to have people volunteer, give, and pray until we have 10 campuses, 2400 small groups, and 500 outreach ministries by the year 2020.  That’s a lot of folks doing a lot of ministry, and it requires us to be humble servants.

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In Jesus’ culture, when someone visited someone else, s/he would bathe and then walk in sandals along a dirt road so that his/her feet were immensely dirty upon arriving.  The house would provide a servant at the door with water and a towel to wash the feet of the guest.  Or a rabbi might have a student (disciple) to wash his feet.  But in John 13, the Rabbi Jesus washes the feet of His disciples.

So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?  You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am.  If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.  For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.  Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.  If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” John 13:12-17

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Jesus’ example to us was one of servant leadership and He expects us to follow the example He set.  His example shows us to serve those beneath us and those who betray and hurt us (as He served Judas, knowing in advance of his betrayal).  God does not want us to place conditions on our servanthood.  He wants us to be open to serving whomever He wants, wherever He wants!

The God of the universe wants to come into your life, lift you up, give you opportunities, cleanse you of your sin, and give you new hopes and dreams, but you but you have to surrender; these things happen on His terms, not yours. Just imagine the abundant life He has in store for you once you have surrendered to Him!

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,…   Ephesians 3:20

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