October 08th, 2025

"What is Jesus Looking For?"
What does God want from me? What does Jesus want for His Church?
Those sound like key questions that anybody who is a Believer or has been in Church for a long time would want to know! Right?
I hope that you would want to know.
The answers that we find from Jesus Himself might surprise you.
1. He wants Disciples
Absolutely — but I am the disciple of a Servant.
Jesus said to the Disciples: "I am among you as one who Serves."
Among the disciples who should have been servants and should have been serving Jesus,
Jesus was serving them!
He also said: "If I, being your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you are to wash one another's feet."
To call yourself a Disciple is to become a Servant --
just like the Master who calls us is the Servant and LORD.
2. He wants Leaders in His Church
Of course — but notice the Qualifications as described by Jesus.
"The leaders of the Gentiles lord it over them and their great ones exercise authority."
The World values titles and power.
"But it will not be so among you."
"Whoever would be great must be your servant and whoever would be first will be servant of all."
The only title is Servant and the place of prominence and power is Last.
"And to give His life as a ransom for many."
I do not truly follow in Jesus' steps until serving has become a Sacrifice.
3. He wants me to do something great for His Name and for His Glory.
In our media-conscious and branding culture this is where the photo op or vlog would capitalize.
But listen to Jesus:
"When you give Alms, don't let your right hand know what your left hand is doing. Give your Alms in secret."
The Glory truly goes to Him when we do it anonymously
and the picture is empty of my "photo-bombing" on God's Glory.
Also hear Jesus in Matthew 25:
"Whatever you have done for the least of these my Brothers, you have done it unto me."
If I had KNOWN that it was being done for JESUS — of course I would have done it or done it better!
Exactly why Jesus honors service done to the Humble is because that’s where He dwells
and calls us to be.
4. He wants me to do Something for my Neighbor.
Absolutely.
BUT the whole point of the story of the Good Samaritan was to redefine what doing “Something Good” was
and redefining who is “my Neighbor.”
Ultimately Jesus is the Good Samaritan who sacrifices All for us
who are His enemies fallen into the ditch of sin and despair.
Luke 10:37
“... And Jesus said to him, ‘You go and do likewise.’”
I thought a lot about these things in North Carolina.
I wasn’t there as “Pastor Steve” or even as a pastor from a church.
I was there swinging a hammer (imperfectly) in the name and love of Jesus.
People didn’t need to see some kind of name tag or air of respectability.
They needed to see Love — and they needed to see JESUS.
But it is not about being on a Missions Trip or serving with a group called Samaritan’s Purse;
it’s about Loving God and Loving People --
and getting out of the way so that they can meet Jesus.