A Pleasing Servant

A PLEASING SERVANT

TEXT: JOHN 12:24-26

INTRODUCTION: A ragged boy with a violin under his arm once roamed the streets of Europe. A famous musician hearing him play, and learning that the boy had no home, nor family, took him under his wing.

He became a father to the boy and taught him all he knew about the violin. The boy practiced faithfully.

Then came the night of his first performance. He played so well that after each number the applause was deafening. But for some reason the boy didn’t pay any attention for the huge ovation. He kept his eyes turned upward and played on and on.

The audience was mystified at his strange behavior. Finally, someone remarked, “I don’t understand why he is so insensitive to this thunderous applause. He keeps looking up all the time. I’m going to find out what is attracting his attention!”

Moving around the concert hall the man found the answer. There in the top-most balcony was the old music master. Looking over the railing toward his young pupil, and nodding his head as if to say, “Well done my boy, play on.”

The boy played on seemingly unconcerned whether the audience liked it or not. He was playing to please his master only.

Let me ask you, are you pleasing your master the Lord Jesus Christ today/tonight? Are you looking up at Him. Is He nodding His head in approval to you?

How can we be pleasing servants?

I. WE MUST BE SURE OF OUR CONVERSION

Look at I John 5:9-13;

1 John 5:9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.

1 John 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

1 John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

1 John 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Look at Judas Iscariot, he was one of the twelve, part of the inner circle.

1. He was there when Jesus healed the lame, gave sight to the blind.

2. He saw Him raise the dead.

3. He heard the greatest preaching from the greatest preacher of all time.

4. He learned from the greatest teacher that ever taught.

5. He saw Him calm the storm with three words, “Peace be still.”

6. He was one of the twelve that Jesus sent out to preach.

7. He took one of the baskets filled with fish and bread and helped feed the 5000.

Yet after all this (and much more that I’m sure was not recorded) Judas was lost. And you know something, none of the disciples suspected a thing. Judas was even the treasurer.

One the night Jesus was betrayed we read in; John 13:21 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.

John 13:22 Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.

John 13:23 Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.

John 13:24 Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake.

John 13:25 He then lying on Jesus’ breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it?

John 13:26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.

John 13:27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.

John 13:28 Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.

John 13:29 For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.

John 13:30 He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.

They had no clue, they never suspected a thing with Judas.

Remember the parable of the wheat and tares?

Mat 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: