week 5 – Jason Castro

by: todd veleber

We are wrapping up this “I Am Second” series this week.  I hope you guys have caught the vision that there is more to life than being first.  In fact, first wasn’t even a position you were designed for.  We’ve been saying, “I am second” is all about putting Jesus Christ first in your life and tonight we’re going to see that it is also about putting others first.  So maybe that means “I am third” but we don’t have bracelets for that.  Or maybe you should just think I am last when you see your “I am second” bracelet.

And this is hard for us, right?  It’s hard to be unselfish and value other people more than ourselves.  But like we said last week, a lot of Christianity seems opposite or backwards from how the world thinks.  So you guys will be in a continually struggle over what system you will follow – who you will believe.  Will you go God’s way or the world’s way?

I introduced you to Jason Castro, who went from being a nobody to being a somebody.  He’s kind of an overnight success thanks to a little TV show called American Idol.  He was on season seven and finished in fourth place.  After Idol, he signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records and his self-titled debut album was released on April 13, 2010.  How do you handle such a rise to fame?  How do you live as second as you’ve made it to the top of the music world?  Let me let you hear his story…

Did you hear how he summed up his life goals?  The last thing he said was that he wanted to be a servant of all.  That is Jason’s number one priority – to live as second so that Jesus can be first.  I did some reading on his life and Jason has participated in numerous charities and ministries and has even served on multiple mission trips to Russia.  He’s putting into practice what he believes.

Jason learned to use his talents for God’s glory.  He put God first so that Christ could be glorified through Him.  He quoted from the Bible by saying, when I was weak, Jesus was strong in me.  I love how He learned the power of being second.  He learned that living life was a waste if it was simply for himself.

What does it mean to be second… one very practical application is by serving others – putting God and others before you.  Let’s be honest.  A heart for serving others, isn’t probably what we want to hear about.  Most of us, if we’re honest, we would rather be served.  We want to be first so others will serve us.

And when I say “we” I mean me.  I’m not just preaching a message to you that I’ve totally mastered in my life.  I have a strong passion to serve, but it is something I always have to work at.  How many of you struggle with selfishness?  You’re not alone.  The ones that didn’t raise their hands there’s going to be a new support group next week called Big Fat Liars.  Everybody struggles with selfishness.

Mark 10:43-45 See what Jesus says – we will be different.  Being a Christian is all about being different.  Being second, not first.  And he goes on to say that the way you really become first is by being last – being second.  We become great – not in the world’s eyes, but in God’s eyes, by serving God and serving others.  And why do we do this?  Because this is the example Jesus set before us.  He set aside being number one to take on our sin and die in our place.

Good News: Serving others shows your priority.
If we are living as second, when we serve, it demonstrates to those watching that Jesus is number one in our life.  The Bible says that when you and I serve it also strengthens our heart because that’s what we are created to do.  Ephesians 2:10 The reality is that when you and I do what He wants us to do, it helps us remember that we are living as second.  When you live your life the way God wants you to live that’s good news and you’re doing what God wants you to do.

Bad News: Serving others isn’t a natural reaction, it’s a choice.
It’s not natural.  I don’t wake up in the morning and go, “Another day to serve!”  I don’t do that.  Most of us, we want to be served by other people.  Serving doesn’t come naturally just like trying to live as second doesn’t come naturally.  It’s goes against the world’s way of life.  But here is the Biblical challenge, Philippians 2:3-4, “Don’t be selfish.  Don’t live to make a good impression on others.  Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself.  Don’t think only about your own affairs but be interested in others too in what they’re doing.”  What I want to communicate here in the bad news, that this isn’t a natural thing, serving is a choice.

Good News: Serving others leads to significance.
You want a significant life, you serve.  If you’re in here tonight, I don’t care where you are spiritually, if you are a Christian, if you’re a follower of Christ, if you’ve said yes to God and you’re facing your life to God’s way, let me say this to you.  One of God’s primary goals is to make your character like the character of Jesus Christ.  You’re never more like Jesus than when you serve.  Jesus came and He lived His life to serve.  Servanthood derives from who God is.  It’s not just a passing idea.  It has to do with the very essence and nature of God.  If you’re a Christian, God is trying to mold that servanthood into you.  And that same quality that made Jesus the light of the world so that when somebody looks at your life as a Christian they see the splendor and the glory of God.  That’s why you serve.

Maybe you’re here tonight and you’re not a Christian or you’re a struggling Christian.  Your faith is not that intimate.  You’re not growing spiritually.  Can I suggest something to you that might be hard for you to hear?  But if you’re not growing sometimes you need to hear some things.  Here’s what it is.  Maybe your faith has become just about you.  That your faith is too self-focused.  At first it kind of goes unnoticeable.  Then there’s this slow separation between you and God.  Suddenly you’re far from God and you don’t sense His power or His presence and you wonder why your life doesn’t work.

Can I tell you that one of the answers to struggling spiritually is to serve.  No matter where you are spiritually – a committed follower of Christ, a person who is just checking out Christianity, or somebody who’s kind of fallen away or struggling or something like that.  Nothing helps you learn your position as second more than serving.

And that is why we give you opportunities like Jesus with Skin, Disaster Relief, the two ms mission trips – one here in Tallahassee and one in Mississippi.  These are all awesome opportunities for you to practice living second – serving others – going on mission for God.  I encourage you to continue to live your life as second so God can be first.