Writer: J.C. Thompson Project Supervisor: Nick Diliberto Artwork: Creative Juice Graphic Design Editor: Tom Helm Created by PreteenMinistry.

Transcription

1 THE POWER OF INFLUENCE LESSON 3 Writer: J.C. Thompson Project Supervisor: Nick Diliberto Artwork: Creative Juice Graphic Design Editor: Tom Helm Created by PreteenMinistry.net 1

2 THE POWER OF INFLUENCE Lesson 3: How to Be Great Bible: Mark 9:33-37; Philippians 2:1-11 Bottom Line: If you want to be great then be a servant. SUPPLIES Opening Game 4 blindfolds for the ninjas on each team Room with 4 corners 4 separate sets of different colored balloons (place each set in a corner of the room) Fill one balloon in each corner with something fun (confetti, flour, a toy of some sort, etc.) Teach Video clip from the movie Patch Adams - Small Group Timeline for every student Pen or pencil for every student Create a copy of God s Viewpoint timeline on the wall or floor. Make the timeline by using masking tape to make a long line. Write each of these words on a blank sheet of paper Best, Average and Worst. Place the Best sheet of paper just above the front of the line. Place the Average sheet of paper just above the middle of the line. Place the Worst sheet of paper just above the end of the line. 2

3 TEACH OPENING Welcome back to our series called "The Power of Influence. We've talked about what influence is and last week we talked about how we are supposed to deal with authority whether the leader is lame or awesome. Today we are diving into one of my favorite pieces of history from when Jesus was here on earth. Before we get started, I want to have a little fun. OPENING GAME: NINJA WAR Supplies: 4 blindfolds for the ninja on each of the 4 teams Room with 4 corners 4 separate sets of different colored balloons (place each set in a corner of the room) Fill one balloon with something fun (confetti, flour, a toy of some sort, etc.) How to Play: Split the group into 4 teams and send each team to a separate corner of the room. Designate one Ninja per team. Place a blindfold on the Ninja. Place the balloons (about for each team) in the 4 separate corners of the room. Players pop the balloons of the opposing team without getting touched by a Ninja. Players who get touched by a Ninja are eliminated. Ninjas cannot touch balloons with their hands. Last team to have a balloon left that is not popped wins. If a team pops a balloon with something fun inside, that team is automatically declared the winner. 3

4 TEACH (Slide 1: Cover) How incredible was that? Did you have a blast playing that game with us? Did anyone feel bad for the Ninjas? Anybody wanted to stop and try and help them out? Yeah, me neither! How many of you were you looking for the balloon that was filled? Did you focus so much on that balloon that you forgot what was going on around you? Did any of you come up with a strategy, or did you jump right in and start without coming up with a game plan? In our story today, something happened to the disciples that was pretty similar to how you may have approached our game today. Today we are talking about a piece of history written by a guy named John Mark. Now John Mark wasn't a disciple of Jesus, but he was mentored by Peter, who was a disciple of Jesus. John Mark wrote in great detail of the struggles of some of the disciples, especially Peter. His book, Mark, was written to show us that a relationship with Jesus is the most important aspect of faith and that relationship is what really changes us. Relationship not orders or following the law is how influence changes people. (Slide 2: Mark 9:33-37) In this particular story, found in Mark 9:33-37, Jesus had just cast out a demon that the disciples couldn't cast out. They asked Him why, and He told them that it could only come out by prayer. Imagine learning this information from Jesus. The disciples have seen Him do tons of miraculous things and they've been able to do some as well. Then, he tells them that this whole spiritual thing is way more complex than they ever thought. Maybe they were intimidated or even afraid of this information. Then as they were walking, Jesus said that the Son of Man was going to be delivered into the hands of men and be killed. When He is killed, after three days He would rise. The disciples didn't understand a word He was saying and were too afraid to ask Him. A little further down the road, we come to verse 33 in Mark 9. Read Mark 9:33-37 (ESV): And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" But they kept silent, for on the way they 4

5 had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 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." And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me." Jesus asked them what they were talking about while they were walking. I'm sure the disciples were a bit embarrassed. They were just told two pieces of information: There are spirits that can only be cast out by prayer and Jesus was teaching them about some guy getting taken and killed and coming back from the dead. They didn't understand any of it. But instead of thinking long and hard about the lessons that they should be learning or even just praying for understanding, they were talking about who was going to be the greatest. This is probably a bit like our game. You had ninjas, regular balloons and special balloons. Who focused on special balloons? Ask preteens to raise their hands. Who focused on popping as many balloons as possible? Who focused on guiding or not getting touched by a ninja? Who wanted to win? Sometimes we get so focused on one thing we lose track of what s happening right in front of us. The disciples expected a leader who had all the money, all the power, all the jewels, all the success, and all the honor from the people. And because of that, they dreamed of having all of those things, too. I'm sure that you are in a similar boat. I mean don't we think that if we do the right thing, follow God, read our Bible, pray, and give our money and time to God, that our lives will be more successful? They were dreaming of power, success, status and honor after the two events that they just witnessed. How embarrassing. I love this teaching though, because it's so Jesus. Instead of saying, "How in the world are you not thinking about the last two things that you've just experienced? How can you be thinking about who is going to be the best? Instead of those things he tells them exactly what to do to be the best. What did He say? (Slide 3: Jesus Formula for Greatness) If you want to be the greatest, you must take last place and be a servant to everyone. 5

6 Did you catch that? Jesus is telling you how to be the greatest follower of Jesus ever known. He said: If you want to be number one, you have to be last and be a servant to all. WOW. I don't know about you, but that gives me a goal to shoot for. If you want to have influence, real influence that changes people and motivates people to do good things, Jesus says you need to become a servant. Not smarter or more athletic or better looking or more organized or a better speaker, but instead you need to become a servant to ALL! If that s not enough check out this passage of scripture from Philippians 2 (Slides 4-6: Philippians 2:1-11) Read Philippians 2:1-11 (MSG): If you ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don t push your way to the front; don t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death and the worst kind of death at that a crucifixion. Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth even those long ago dead and buried will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father. It s pretty clear what Jesus is asking the disciples to do. Not only did He tell them but He also did it himself! He talked the talk and walked the walk. (Slide 7: If you want to be great, be a servant.) 6

7 If you want to be the greatest leader of your generation, then be the greatest servant. If you want to change the world, be a servant. Some of you may not believe this whole Jesus thing, and that's ok. But I believe you totally are on board with what Jesus said here. If more people looked out for others, rather than themselves, this world would be a totally different place. In fact, you have people in your own lives that care more about you than about themselves. Think about it. Who in your life puts you over themselves? Maybe a step-mom or step-dad who is trying as hard as they can to make you feel comfortable even though you are resisting it. Or maybe you have a grandparent who is caring for you because your parents chose not to or are just having a rough time right now. Or maybe it's your mom or dad or a teacher or a coach or one of your awesome small group leaders who shows you that this world is bigger than Youtube fame, Instagram likes, high fashion, athletics, and Hollywood. There is a movie that I love. It's an old one, but it's a good one. It's about doctors people that we view as incredibly professional and smart. But this movie was about a doctor who wanted to help patients way more than he wanted to be viewed as a doctor. Patch Adams got his license taken away because of his use of humor in the hospital to help patients feel better. So he started treating patients at his home for free. The board called him in to send him to prison because he treated people without a medical license. Here is his interaction in front of the board. Check out this clip from a movie called Patch Adams. (Play Video Clip - Patch asked the board when they became more interested in the prestige and perks of being a doctor than the fundamental reason for becoming one, to help others. Love always works. If you want to be first, you have to be last. End in prayer and dismiss to small groups. (Slide 8 Cover) 7

8 SMALL GROUP Supplies: Timeline for every student Pen or pencil for every student Create a copy of God s Viewpoint timeline on the wall or floor. Make the timeline by using masking tape to make a long line. Write each of these words on a blank sheet of paper: Best, Average and Worst. Place the Best sheet of paper just above the front of the line. Place the Average sheet of paper just above the middle of the line. Place the Worst sheet of paper just above the end of the line. World s Viewpoint Worst Average Best God s Viewpoint Best Average Worst Give a copy of the above timelines to each student. Have them write down how the world and God would describe people on the three different points on the timeline. Preteens briefly describe in writing what the worst, average and best people would be like according to the world s viewpoint. Next, they would briefly write down what the best, average and worst people would be like according to God s viewpoint. Once everyone is finished, have students share what they wrote down. Next, describe a situation and have preteens run to where God would view that behavior. Have them run to where they think it would fall on the line. Here are a few situations you could talk about (be sure to come up with more on your own): Joining in to make fun of another preteen at school Telling others to stop making fun of the teacher Not doing your homework Giving your lunch to someone that doesn t have any 8

9 Seeing something wrong happen but doing nothing Discuss the following questions: 1. Why did we reverse best and worst on the two viewpoints? 2. Are there things that could put you in first place in both categories? Why or why not? 3. Which line are we more focused on? Do we want the qualities that the best people have on the first line? Or do we want the qualities the best people have on the second line? 4. What are some actions you can take to begin to live for God s viewpoint rather than the world s viewpoint? 5. How many things do you think would fall in the middle of the line according to God s viewpoint? (This is a very challenging thing to think about, but I m sure it would promote some great discussion.) 9