Last night in Light Force we had our 3rd worship night. And they just keep getting better.
The first two I was really self-conscious about who was and wasn’t there. (Easy to do when only a couple people show up!) This one I was just focused on making it a great night.
We had a fun game to kick things off. (Ping pong baseball will be back!) Then Jimmy did a great job leading worship. I may be biased, but I think Jimmy is one of the better worship guys out there! Our students are lucky to have him and I hope they recognize how good a job he is doing.
For the talk I spoke from John 13. This was kind of a blend of a talk I heard from Andy Stanley at YS and a fantastic video that ESPN did on Tim Tebow, winner of the 2007 Heisman trophy. What I liked most about this talk (Ha! It’s my own talk, of course I like it) is that it started from a very positive angle… you are a person of power somewhere in your life… and helped students answer the question, “What do I do with the power I have?”
What do I do with my power
John 13
Hook: Who are the power people in your lives? (People who make the rules; who decide what you can and cannot do.)
Ask students…
Political Power = influence + force
Examples: Principals… In the politics of school, their title gives them influence, plus they have the power to do make sure their influence is backed up.
President of the
Social Power = influence + activity
Examples: Musicians… a musician is granted social power over an audience when we pay money to hear him/her sing a song. He influences the actions of the attendees, he tells them when it starts and when it ends.
Captain of a school sport… the captain of a basketball team has influence over the other players and with the coach, and he has the game to back it up on the court.
The point: In our lives we are granted all different types of social power.
At school…Maybe you help your group of friends decide what to do. Maybe you express your power by determining what clothing is cool or what video game is hot or what sport to pick.
At home… Maybe you know that your attitude towards something will sway how your other siblings feel about something. Or you know that you have the social power in your family in some other way.
The question isn’t “Do I have power?” It is “what do I do with the power I have?”
Big idea: What happens when God has made you the most powerful person in the room? (At school, on a sports team, with your friends, or your family.)
What are you going to do with that power? How are you going to influence things in your life?
Book: In John 13 we’re going to see the answer to that question.
– the setting… The Last Supper
– the time… a few hours before Jesus
– the group… Jesus with his closest friends
– the meeting… a feast in His honor
John 13:2-3
– Jesus knew he was the most powerful person in the room.
o These people had acknowledged it
o His Father had told Him so
o And so he had to decide…
§ In this moment… What am I going to do?
§ Am I going to accept the power for my own glory?
§ Am I going to take the power to make myself look better?
Here’s the thing…
– This is a moment that happens to you and I.
– We are influential, we have social power… and we need to decide what to do with it.
– And the decision we make in that moment determines what kind of person we are.
v. 4-5 Jesus knew he had all the power, and he chose to do something with it which made no sense…
– Jesus chose with all the power in the room to wash his disciples feet.
– He could have accept the power. He could have asked them to wash his feet, to serve him, to bow to him, to make his name great.
– But he chose to serve them.
Why did he do that?
– Peter wanted to know the same thing.
– Peter wanted Jesus to be King and Ruler of Israel.
o He wanted Jesus to usher in the
o He wanted to be Jesus’ right hand man in the
§ No King would wash his subjects feet!
Here’s Jesus’ response to Peter…
v. 12-17 Jesus knows that there will be times in your life when you will look around the room and you will know, you are the most powerful person in the room.
Ephesians 2:10, “You were created in Christ Jesus to do good works.”
Jesus shows us that when we are the most powerful person in a room, we are to use that moment to leverage it to glorify others.
– To lift up others.
– To empower others to do good works.
Look:
The example of Tim Tebow…
– Put aside what you think of Florida Football
– Put aside the fact that
– Put aside the fact that you like
– Watch this clip as a fan of football
– And when you watch this, look at what Tim Tebow does when he suddenly realizes that His Heavenly Father has made him the most powerful person in the room.
Video— Tim Tebow
Took:
When you are the most powerful person, leverage it to glorify our Master.
When was the last time you wer criticized for being..
– Too humble
– Too charitable
– Too useful to your community
In the moment when we are told we are powerful…
How do we reflect that that we are here to serve our master?
To exercise power for your own strength is a sign of weakness and not power.
Mark 10:25.. For even the son of man did not come to be served but to come and serve.
PRAY
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