A Servant's Heart (Updated) Series

A Christian’s Heart

“A Servant’s Heart”

Watch on YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw1m_S5FE9c

We’re continuing through our study on a Christian’s heart. This study is about those heart qualities that every Christian should and needs to have in their life.

Why is it important to have such a heart? As I explained in the introduction to this series, it’s because the condition of the heart determines who we are (Proverbs 4:23), and how we relate to others (Luke 6:45).

Today we’ll be looking at having a heart of a servant, which Jesus said should be our overall goal if we want to be great in the kingdom of God. Now, this isn’t something I made up, it is something Jesus said.

To His disciples, Jesus said, “Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:26-28 NKJV)

Now, to explore this whole idea of having a servant’s heart, Jesus says we need to look at Him and how He came to serve instead of being served. And there’s no better place to see the servant heart of Jesus than what the Apostle Paul says to the Philippian church.

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it 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. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 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 in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11 NKJV)

But this whole concept of Jesus the Messiah coming as a servant isn’t a New Testament teaching. This whole idea of Jesus the Messiah coming as a servant is found throughout the Old Testament as well.

“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.” (Isaiah 42:1 NKJV)

“Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. Just as many were astonished at you, so His visage was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.” (Isaiah 52:13-14 NKJV)

We’ll look further into what Isaiah said about this servant in Isaiah 53, where the coming Messiah is referred to as the suffering servant.

But for now, let’s look again at what the Apostle Paul wrote about the servant heart of Jesus.

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it 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. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8 NKJV)

There are three things about the heart of Jesus the Messiah that I see in this passage that should then be said about our hearts. First, a servant’s heart is a humble heart.

1. A Humble Heart

“Made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant.” (Philippians 2:7 NKJV)

And then in verse 8, Paul tells us that Jesus humbled Himself.

Word “reputation” literally means to pour oneself out, that is, Jesus emptied Himself from being influential or being recognized as Lord, and instead took upon Himself the form of a slave.

That is what a bondservant does, he or she relinquishes their own rights in order to serve their master. In this instance Jesus relinquished His rights and position in order to serve His heavenly Father by serving others.

We see this literally played out for us when Jesus picked up a bowl of water on that last Passover meal and washed the disciples’ feet. Jesus chose to take upon Himself the lowest position in a household. Not just a servant but the lowest servant in the hierarchy. It doesn’t get any lower than this.

“He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.” (John 13:5 NKJV)