"Overcoming Selfishness" Sermon, Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr.

now how many people in here would be willing to admit that you know you're selfish keep the hands up let me see that I'm not looking for the hands that's up I'm looking for the liars whose hands are down the reality is all of us have some level of selfishness in us amen can I get an amen right there I can look back over my life and see periods and times when I've been selfish now for those of you who didn't have your hands up obviously you don't see yourself as selfish and most selfish people don't see themselves as such if there's any question in your mind about whether or not you're selfish ask your spouse I'm sure they'll be able to tell you well that's somebody close to you if you're not married I asked my wife if I was selfish she began to text me a series of here's what she said to me I don't understand this first one it's when when what I want for dinner after a meal has been prepared morning something different for dinner after the meals been prepared I come home and I don't want what you have already eaten and I don't want which other no-no-no alright here's another one turning on the light when I walk into the bedroom late at night and you're asleep but if I'll have the lights I can't see Oh use a flashlight I didn't know I know now okay alright god I got you would you prefer not come in the room at all okay nevermind that was selfish to himself let me pull it back let me pull it back let me pull it back let me put it back I'm sorry I'll take it back okay hold on let me go and turn the TV on early in the morning when I'm asleep over here's what she wrote this is all I can think of because you have worked on this a lot well I'm trying I know there were times in my marriage when I walked home she'd be watching TV I grabbed a remote control to change the channel over what I wanted to watch study all saying also me I need to say ouch but some of y'all do the same thing but gods working on me I'm doing better and I'm here today to talk Oh amen I'm doing better and I thought we should talk about this because I believe there's several selfish people on your row Amen if everybody say Amen you don't nobody know I'm talking about you I thought we should talk about it because it is a it is an issue in our culture it's an issue in the world where people live selfishly we live in the midst of a culture now where people think it's all about them it's all about me what makes me happy and really the reality is selfishness will put to there a person's own agenda desires and ones above what's best for everybody else Wow go ahead pastor that's deep and it's a problem because it makes its way not only it's not only prevalent in our culture's prevalent in our communities and it's prevalent in our schools and prevalent in our families and in our marriages and with our kids it's prevalent with it's prevalent in the church you can tell it when you come to church because people are fighting for parking space fighting for seats in the sanctuary but not in this sanctuary now but in our previous building people would fight for seats in the meanest they'll I'd say they had seats and they didn't handle seats in there when really when you are a believer when you are a disciple of the Lord the real mentality ought to be sacrificed you ought to be lik thinking of others and and giving to others instead of fighting for a parking space we ought to be saying no you take the parking space matter of fact it ought to be so prevalent in our in our church and in our hearts and in our lives with how we treat each other we ought to be saying to each other in our cars you go first no you go first no you go first but the reality is people are so selfish to want what they want that a lot of people will even get up and leave before churches over so they can get out of the parking lot before everybody that's the heat that is the height of selfishness what if everybody did what you did whatever everybody decided to get up and leave before the benediction so they could get a beat on the park and on the part on the traffic in the parking lot what if everybody did that I'm asking you all a question it is the height of him it is the height of selfishness to get up and walk out at the most sacred time of the service it is the height of selfishness to come and receive from this church month after month year after year decade after decade but never become a part of the ministry and join to put something back there's a lot of people at this church that come that are not members they don't belong on nobody's Church ladies come and receive the benefit of ministry we're putting nothing back in that selfish this selfish for you to come and be a member of the church and call yourself a minimum good standing tell people you are a member of the First Baptist Church of Glynn now and put it on your resume but you ain't in no ministry gone and talk past it's selfish to complain that you can't get your kids in the sunday-school during service when the problem is we don't have enough teachers to help make it happen but you complain about itself as I'm rolling all right here then I'm just something I'm going on it's selfish selfish selfish Wow that's the youth young adult and children and youth pastor like their director the definition of selfish means to be devoted to the caring of oneself only you're devoted to taking care of yourself that's all you care about is yourself me myself and I some of you are very selfish on your job it's not about advancing your business or company it's all about advancing your career here's what I've discovered Psalm 75 jotted down don't have time to turn there verse 6 and 7 Psalm 75 or 67 says promotion doesn't come from the east west or south promotion comes from God what does that mean that means it's not about you putting yourself up in front pushing yourself out front making yourself so important it's not about that what this message is about and what the gospel is about and what being a servant about and we're being promoted by God is about is serving others putting others first putting others in front of you and God in due season elevating you and the thing about when God elevates you can't nobody pull you down before many people it's all about what you want what makes you happy what satisfies you what appease is you let me take these few moments that I haven't talked about three things number one let me talk about the danger of selfishness can we talk about the danger is right here verse three says let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit there it lands up the to danger selfish ambition and conceit selfish ambition to campaign for a position putting yourself forward selfish ambition marching yourself making as though you are all that selfish ambition means to promote yourself conceit means to have a vain opinion about yourself high taters I want you to lean over your neighbor I know you think you I know you think you all that but you're not all that go here tell them you ain't all that tell your neighbor you are not all that did y'all tell them okay all right maybe that's not a nice way of saying it let me put it this way let's put it this way just reword it I know you think you're that and a bag of chips but ain't nothing but two chips in your bag go ahead tell me pastor why you say that here's why I say this you're not all that because if you die life goes on if you die the company keeps on going if you die the church is not going to stop if you die ain't nobody gonna stop living because you died but yet some of us feel as though we're all that and we're so important and we're so high and mighty and so significant but the reality of the fact is you are not all that the Bible says in second Timothy chapter 3 that men are lovers of themselves more than levels of God we love ourselves more than we love God that's selfishness the one who wakes us up every morning gives us the activities of our limbs protect us when we could be dead God has protected us from so many things that we didn't even see that he protected us from but we're so focused on ourselves we are so selfish that we don't even take the time to say thank you for what you did for me all week long the spirit and attitude of men today are like so many in the Bible akin in Joshua chapter 7 who was told with the children of Israel when you when you conquer Jericho destroy everything wipe everything I don't keep nothing but akin when the children of Israel went into Jericho after the walls came tumbling down and they went and they were supposed to destroy everything aching that one Joker that one felt akin saw a Gucci sweater that he wanted to keep for himself that's what it says he he saw some Babylonian garments that he decided to take and keep him you took her back to his tit and hid it among his stuff so that when the children of Israel went to the next battle they lost because there was sin in the camp one person with the spirit of Selfridges can mess up a whole family one father one husband who models Selfridges in front of his family in front of his children and then you wonder why your children are so selfish they got it honestly because they watched how you have behaved one mother who instead of setting the tone in the house and setting the spirit of the family with her selfish attitude wonders why her children behaved so selfishly they got it honest look how selfish y'all are y'all can't even say amen to the truth it is a danger it is a danger somebody ha let's say it's dangerous turn to your neighbors say it's dangerous it's dangerous to think the world revolves around you it's dangerous to keep pushing yourself forward promoting yourself selfish ambition vain opinion thinking more highly of yourself than your - but here what Paul says to the Philippian church he gives them point to some directives he gives them some directive somebody say directives he gives us a solution how do we handle well how do we deal how do we deal with our selfishness what do we do to get out of this Selfridge mode that we have and who we are I'm glad you asked the question because he gives us several models of what we need to do here's the first thing he tells us in verse 3 he says it says in verse number 3 let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit but in lowliness of mind so there's the first director have lowliness of mind somebody say have lowliness of mind lower your thinking of yourself stop thinking that you're all that recognized here's what you gotta say instead of thinking you so good so bad so awesome so annoying it so gifting so mighty so strong instead recognize this have loneliness of mind and here's what that means it means that without Jesus I am absolutely nothing that's what lowliness of mind means lowliness of minds it says instead of me looking down on other people loneliness of mind says there but by the grace of God goes I had it not been for God's grace I'd been told from the flow of I being messed up from in every capacity that's what lowliness of mind means lowliness of mind means I need Jesus every hour every moment every day I need them on my job I needed one I'm raising my kids I need him when I'm loving my spouse I need him in church I need him in every component I need do I need lowliness of mind means without God ordering my steps and orchestrating my days and living leading my life I'm going to be a jacked up tow up from the floor up joker having lowliness of mind not only lowers yourself but it says right here you esteem others do y'all see that esteem others better than yourself and listen here's what here's what that directive means it means well you have lowliness of mind it means that instead of putting comparing yourself to other people and saying you're better than somebody you you make other folk better than you let me let that soak in for a minute that's how some of us do many of us compare ourselves and the scripture warns us don't compare yourself with yourself don't compare yourself with other people amen but instead esteem others look at others has better let visit bow to them when you steam others you say no you take the lead no you you be the leader you make the choice you make the decision it is it is putting others in a better situation than yourself but he didn't stop there when he talks about this directive he not only says that you should have lolis of mind but in verse 4 he says let each of you look out not only for his own interest but also for the interests of others he's in other words he says give consideration to other people is that something you can do can you give consideration to others can you at least consider what somebody else may want there are more people in the ship than you there's more people and I'm guilty because my wife said I'm guilty of shame I made dinner the family then they then I come home I don't want what she to me I'm guilty he working on me but the reality is I'm saying to myself if I bought the food I ought to be able to care what I want for him but that selfishness that selfish I'm acknowledging it's selfish I need to learn to eat what has been prepared I'm working on me I'd knowledge I have issues I do I keep telling y'all I'm a jacked-up Joker I'm jacked up I'm the president of the jacked up ministry I'm the pastor the jacked up Baptist Church I'm jacked up he working on me I'm working I haven't gotten there yet and it worked hard all day dealing with y'all working all day when I come home I want to eat something that I want to eat I'm working on me yeah it's gonna take a while just me it ain't gonna happen overnight and it definitely ain't gonna happen tonight somebody say he working on me he worked I'm a work in progress pray for me point to me in the seat on my behalf say lord help him I have periods and seasons years but God's working on me that I have to begin to give consideration to what other people want even though I do pay the bills I have to give consideration to what other people it's not all about me you know how they feel and ain't about me I'm preaching to myself right now you're on trying to make I'm trying to make myself believe what I'm preaching right now y'all get that in the morning sometime I got to hurry up act like I got all day how do I do that because it is a problem it's a challenge it's a challenge y'all it's a challenge it's a challenge it's a challenge because you think it's all about you but then he shifts into how we can do it the directive is not only to have a loneliness of mind and to us to give considerations to others but the directive also is to change your thought life somebody say change your thought life and he starts at verse 5 look at verse 5 he tells us let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus do y'all see that if you're going to stop being selfish you have to have a different state of mind and he says you need to have the mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus verse 6 who being in the form of God did not consider your robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men slow down let me show that to you for just a moment he had the mind of Christ Jesus had the mind that we need to have he demonstrated what selfishness looks like and he made himself of no reputation that's what it starts off with he he humbled himself and made himself of no reputation it was not about his reputation he took the form of a bondservant you have to take the form of a servant now here's the deal we have people lining up to be leaders but we don't have a lot of people lining up to be servants you got to have the mindset to be a servant and it that attitude of servanthood plays the piece of importance no matter where you are no matter what you do and so you know you got to be a servant somebody say be a servant I knew I was going to be preaching about this so yesterday I was trying to be as a servant around the house when different things was happening around the house I tried to be a servant I mopped the kitchen floor yesterday come on show several passes in love my daughter said dad why are you mopping the floor which didn't make me feel good it was her way of saying I'm not used to seeing you do that dad that's because I'm out working hard to bring the money in to pay for the floor I see you're not feeling like my mother drifts here I had that you have to change your mindset of being a servant it's about serving looking for opportunities to serve there plenty of opportunities to serve they're not absolute they don't disappear they're always there there are always opportunity to grab the mindset and say let me serve and Jesus here says the scripture says about Jesus that he made himself of no reputation cooking taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men here's what that means he was God wrapped up and he was God and yet he wrapped himself up in human form he lured himself from his throne and glory and came down through 40 and 2 generations and he lowered himself and became a man being found in appearance as a man verse 8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross he served so much that he's willing to die he died when's the last time you died oh I'm not talking about physically dying I'm talking about dying - your hopes your wants your dreams when the last time you let what you really want it be put to death for the sake of serving others we thick like there's thick is thick it's hot it's heavy like there's this tension in the room that's many of you can't think of a time did you die to what you wanted I think how much you just put it on the back burner to the next time I'm talking about dying too sacrificing it giving it up in order to serve somebody else I don't I I don't know why I knew that y'all would not be jumping up and down and running around on this message right here but it's life changing and why is that because there's a dividend here's my third and final point there's a dividend somebody say a dividend when you follow the directives when you have lowliness of mind when you give consideration to others when you change your thought life when you lay down your life there's a dividend and this is in verses 9 to 11 therefore therefore because he did all of those things therefore because he humbled himself lowliness of mind game considerations had a different way of thinking because he laid down his life verse 9 therefore God also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those things of in heaven and of those things on earth and of those things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father what does that mean the dividend the reward of selfishness is that God will highly exalt you if you don't ever remember any sermon I ever preached for the rest of my time at this church if you can never remember a sermon that I preached even before now please remember this that the secret to being successful with God the secret to being elevated by God the secret to being promoted by God is sacrificing the secret is being self less instead of selfish and in due season God will elevate you God will lift you up God will promote you and when God promotes you nobody can pull you down God exalted Jesus and gave him a name that was above every name and God glorified him and if you will become self less God will promote you in do Caesar so here's the challenge here's what I'm talking to you about right now here's what I'm saying I'm finished I'm coming to a close I'm bringing my plane in for landing I am coming in for a landing think about from the moment you leave here today for the rest of the day ask God to show you ways that you can be selfless in that selfish ask God to show you ways that you have to stop trying to push your agenda forward stop trying to get it your way all the time ask God to show you ways that you can overcome selfish I'm working on me I'm a work in progress and gotten there yet I haven't arrived but I can thank God I'm not as bad as I used to be I used to come in my wife be watching TV I grabbed him Oh control and change the gym I'm better than that now amen I asked her cannot change the channel no I actually watched the shows she's watching she only watches the home and gardening Channel so I'm watching the home and gardening channel design on a dime property brothers done some bad twins right there the brothers in Van house hunters we sit down and say I wonder which house they gonna pick I would pick number three I think number two no no they gonna pick number one I'm watching house hunters you carry to be now and I tell people one time I'm almost finished one time I tell people this all over the country one time when I was learning how to be selfless and not just changing the channel I remember one time Maryland the University around a basketball team was gonna be playing Duke on it on a weeknight and I'm just like man how am I gonna get to watch the game she go you know I'm trying to do this selfless thing but I found out that she had to be in church that night won't he do it won't he make a way out of no way Hey I gotta hurry up y'all I'm finished but I discovered that God had been working on me cuz while I was watching the basketball game doing the commercials I was flipping over to the Holman stand on your feet and give the Lord a shout today today's dynamic message to ambassador Jenkins is one that has the power to change your life but it can only do so if you have a heart and soul that belong to Jesus Christ perhaps you want to be able to make such a claim but you don't know how it's simple you just have to confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins and rose again with all power your sins now forgiven and you're part of the family of God welcome maybe you're already saved and in need of a church home one that will nurture your growth and development as a Christian or perhaps you were once in fellowship with God but have since drifted away and are ready to return to your first love whatever the case we'd love to have you become a part of the first baptist family simply contact us at 301 773 3600 or visit our website at WWDC glenarden org for more information on any one of our four convenient services for our 100 plus ministries designed to meet your most intimate needs first baptist church of glenorchy where god is developing dynamic disciples you

Channel: Inside FBCG

Views: 71,642

Rating: 4.8752785 out of 5

Keywords: FBCG, Pastor, John K. Jenkins Sr., First Baptist Church of Glenarden, Lord, God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Holy, Grace, Sermon, Word, Bible Study, Baptist, Church, Gospel, Preaching, Ministries, Ministry, Praise, Spirit, Religion, Blessed, Blessing, Salvation, Revival, Holy Spirit, Agnus Dei, Fellowship, Choir, Overcoming Selfishness, Selfishness, Overcoming

Id: Z3bw9ORRySQ

Length: 30min 46sec (1846 seconds)

Published: Wed Feb 25 2015