More Like Great Service

MORE LIKE GREAT SERVICE

(All my sermons use illustrations for www.sermoncentral.com and the scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted. )

In a popular televison commercial for a large insurance company that claims you can name your own price, the customer asks, “But will I still get good service?” The reply is “uh, more like great service.” Now, if your like me, you can truly see that service in the world we live in, is NOT what it used to be. Good service is difficult to find. Our world is all about SELF, we are told to bathe in self-indulgence, self expression, and self-celebration. So pamper yourself, indulge yourself, promote yourself. But Jesus tells us DENY yourself. When was the last time you heard a commercial say: “Go ahead. Deny yourself and have the time of your life.” But that is exactly what the Bible tells us to do. Scripture is different from what we are told in the world.

The least are the greatest (Luke 9:48)

The last will be first (Mark 9:35)

Consider others better than ourselves (PHP 2:3)

& Honor others above ourselves (ROMANS 12:10)

The truth is, that we were called to provide GREAT service, and not worry so much about how we are being served. So many people come to church and wonder what the church is going to do for them, THEY FAIL TO UNDERSTAND, you are the church. God calls us to serve one another, not sit back and be served. This morning I am going to reflect on 7 aspects of a good servant, please follow along.

# 1. A TRUE SERVANT IS RESPECTFUL of his boss, our master Jesus Christ John 12:26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

PRAYER

God has a use for everyone one of us here this morning. Each of us has a task to do, a path to follow, and a Master who is watching us, guiding us, and leading us. A true servant must understand that they are blind to what they should do, we must FOLLOW, Jesus. We show Jesus RESPECT, by following and not by trying to take the lead. Jesus tells us plainly, if we FOLLOW, then God will HONOR us.

One author puts it this way:

Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each looks like every other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing. Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This alone is amazing.

If nearby and listening, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field.

Attached to her halter is a small bell. It lets her blind friend know where she is, so he can follow her. As you stand and watch these two friends, you’ll see how she is always checking on him, and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk

to where she is, trusting that she will not lead him astray. When she returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, she stops occasionally and looks back, making sure her friend isn’t too far behind to hear the bell.

Like the owner of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need. Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others see.

So first a True Servant must show RESPECT, then:

#2 A TRUE SERVANT MUST REALIZE, A servant should see other people through the eyes of Jesus.

Luke 8:42-46 As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. 45 "Who touched me?" Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you." 46 But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me."

Do we as God’s tools, as a servant of God and Jesus, see other people through the compassionate, searching eyes of Jesus, or are we oblivious of the needs of people because we just don’t look? Even in the crowd, Jesus saw a need. A true servant strives to realize the needs of those around him. It may not always be obvious, but I guarantee if we strive to realize we will become the servants that God wants us to be. The story is told of an elderly woman named Norena, who lived in southern Florida. When a hurricane hit that area, her home was one of many that was severely damaged. Norena received an insurance settlement, and the repair work began. However, when the money ran out, so did the contractor, leaving an unfinished home with no electricity. Norena lived in her dark, unfinished home - without power - for fifteen (15) years. You see, my brothers and sisters, the astonishing part of this story is that the hurricane was not Katrina but Andrew - a hurricane which struck in 1992. She had no heat in her home when the winter chills settled over southern Florida. She had no air conditioning when the mercury climbed into the 90’s and the humidity clung to 100 percent. She did not have one hot shower. Without money to finish the repairs, Norena just got by with a small lamp and a single burner.