I Serve A Savior

We are all servants of something or someone. We are either enslaved to the sin we have committed or we are servants of Jesus to Whom we are committed. Serving either one is a personal choice. No one can force your service to either master. No one can prevent your service. But whom will you serve? “ "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” Matthew 6:24 (NASB). Whom will you serve? As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Some folk don’t take to the idea of serving. They would rather be served. The world has it all backward about serving and greatness. The world says, “A man’s greatness is based on how many are under his authority and serve him.” Jesus would reverse that and equate greatness to serving others.

It takes humility to serve. It takes compassion to serve. It takes self-confidence to serve. It takes alertness to serve. It takes unselfishness to serve. And it takes a choice to serve.

Whom will you serve? When the Hebrews= and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:14-15 (NASB).

Choose whom you will serve. As the song said, “I serve a Savior.” Think through that with me: what kind of Savior do we serve?

I. HE IS A LOWLY SAVIOR:

A. “God sent His only Son to save us.” But He sent Him to a humble, lowly town, family and position in this world. No finery, no nobility, no earthly riches or fame or status.

1. He was born in an obscure village, not Jerusalem.

2. He was born to a virgin maiden, not a noble princess.

3. He was laid in a manger, not a fine, velvet lined cradle.

B. But indeed He was God’s Chosen Redeemer sent to save us, and to save us at all costs.

1. Remember that although He existed in the form of God, He “did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8 (NASB).

2. "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” John 3:17 (NASB).

3. When he was criticized for associating with sinners, tax collectors, Samaritans, prostitutes and other outcasts, He declared, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10 (NASB).

C. To save means to rescue, to protect, to store up, to preserve. That’s what Jesus came to do for us. I read this awhile ago,“If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent an economist. But, our greatest need was forgiveness and redemption, and, therefore, God sent a Savior!” (Sermon Central).

D. there was no room at the inn. Had Joseph been a man of distinction and Mary an obvious aristocrat, room might have been made. But the whole lowly setting for Jesus’ birth was part of God’s plan to provide an approachable Savior.

1. He became poor so we could be rich!

2. He became lowly so we could be lifted up!

3. He became the Son of man so we could become children of God!

4. He became sin that we might be righteous.

E. James Westervelt told the story of Bill which illustrates the lowliness of Jesus. Bill has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college. He became a Christian while attending college. Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church. One day Bill decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair.

The service has already started, so Bill starts down the aisle looking for a seat. People are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything. Bill gets closer to the pulpit, and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet. By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick.