The Marks Of A Great Christian – Serving
I read a story the other day that took place in time of the Revolutionary War - our war for independence. A man dressed in civilian clothes was riding past some soldiers who were repairing a defensive barrier. Several soldiers were working while another was shouting orders at the men. The men who were working looked exhausted. The rider stopped his horse and asked the man who had been shouting the orders, “Why aren’t you helping these men?” The man who had been shouting the orders replied with great pride, “Sir, I am a corporal and I don’t do the work of a private.”
The traveler apologized, dismounted and proceeded to help the exhausted men work on the barrier. When the job was done, he returned to the corporal and said, “Mr. Corporal, I have learned that I should never ask a man to do a job that I was not willing to do myself no matter what my rank.” With that the man mounted his horse and rode off. The name of the traveler was George Washington – who was at that time, the commander-in-chief of the Army.
I don’t know if this story is true – but it does make a point. Serving others is important – no matter your position in life.
Our text for this morning comes from Matthew chapter 20.
“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)
Jesus has called us for a purpose. He has called us to serve one another. In fact He tells us – if we want to be “Great” we must become a servant.
WHY SHOULD WE SERVE ONE ANOTHER:
1. Because we were created to SERVE.
The Bible says that the reason that I was saved was for good works. Ephesians 2:10 says,
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV)
Circle “created in Christ Jesus for good works”. This is a message for all Christians. We who are in Christ Jesus are here so we can do “good works.” If you are a Christian, you were created for service.
2. Serving is evidence that I belong to CHRIST.
The Bible says that as Christians, “We should bear fruit to God.” Romans 7:4 (NKJV) In fact the Bible goes on to say,
“My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples.” John 15:8 (HCSB)
God says that the way that you know that you’re a part of the body of Christ is that you serve others. It’s the proof. A non-serving Christian is a contradiction in terms. There’s no such thing.
3. Serving others is the way to SERVE GOD.
No matter what you’re doing you need to ask the question: "Why am I doing this?" An even better question is: "Who am I doing it for?" Are you doing it for the Lord? As a Christian everything you do - is to be done to the glory of the Lord! "The Bible says:
“Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord.” Colossians 3:23 (HCSB)
Everything we do is to be done as if it is done for God. When we serve others we should picture that we are serving Jesus. He said,
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.” Matthew 25:40 (HCSB)
As I said earlier – you will be known by your fruit. Humble, willing service to others is the same thing as service to God
4. Serving is the best use of my TIME.
Here’s a riddle for you. We each have the same amount – but we each have a different amount. What is it? T-I-M-E!
We each have 24 hours in each day. Yet each of us have a different life span. 1 Corinthians 15:58 in the Message Bible says:
“Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 (MSG)
If you’re in Children’s nursery ministry and you change a diaper, it’s not without value. If you pick up a piece of trash on your way into Sunday morning worship, because you say, “Someone walking in who needs to know Jesus might be turned off by this,” that’s not worthless. It’s of value. If you open a door for someone who needs help, and you do it in the name of Jesus, it’s not a waist of time.
The Bible says, whatever you do, if it is done to the glory of God, it all counts. It’s not so much what you do, it’s a question of who are you doing it for? Are you doing it for God’s glory? What’s my attitude?
Time is something that all of us have. What makes a great servant different is the way they use their time. Are you using it to serve others or are you using it to serve self?
5. Serving gives my life PURPOSE.
By serving others we find out who we really are. Mark 8:35 in the Message Bible says:
“Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self.” Mark 8:35 (MSG)
I don’t pity people who are up to their neck in service. I happen to know that those have found value to their lives. In fact, they are the people who are most alive. If you’re not serving, you’re not living; you’re just existing.
Service makes life meaningful.
Now I want us to look at –
FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF A GREAT SERVANT:
1. A great servant is HUMBLE – What is humility? It is not thinking less of yourself – it is thinking of yourself less. Humility is when you’re so focused on serving other people that you don’t even think about yourself. The Bible says:
“Be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5 (NKJV)
2. A great servant is COMPASSIONATE – Sympathy is when you say, ‘I’m sorry you are hurt.’ Empathy is when you say, ‘I hurt with you.’ But compassion is when you say ‘I’ll do anything I can to stop your hurt.’ Jesus is our example of compassion. In Matthew 14 it says;
“And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.”
Matthew 14:14 (NKJV)
3. A great servant is FAITHFUL – A servant obeys God, not out of convenience, but conviction. God requires us to be fathful.
“Moreover it is required in a servant that one be found faithful.”
1 Corinthians 4:2
John Wesley had as his motto, "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can."
4. A great servant focuses on HELPING OTHERS –
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.”
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (HCSB)
Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s, who died in 2002, once appeared on the cover of their annual report dressed in a knee-length work apron holding a mop and a plastic bucket. Here’s how he described that picture: “I got my M.B.A. long before my G.E.D. At Wendy’s M.B.A. does not mean Master of Business Administration. It means Mop Bucket Attitude.” Dave Thomas got his M.B.A. from following the model of the Master.
5. A great servant is not SELF CENTERED – A servant puts God and others before himself. Jesus gave up everything to come to earth to save us. The Bible says:
“Jesus gave up everything and became a slave when He became like one of us.” Philippians 2:7
Many people aren’t willing to give up anything - but our savior was willing to give up everything for us.
An elderly man in a hospital kept calling out for his son. He asked the nurse several times during the day, "Has my son arrived yet?" The older man told her that the son had called and he had said he was on his way. As the day wore on - there was no sign of the son. When the nurse saw a tired, anxious looking young man in the hall near the older man’s room - she grabbed him and rushed him to the bedside. "Your son is here," she whispered to the patient. She had to repeat the words several times before the patient’s eyes opened. He was heavily sedated because of the pain he was going through. He dimly saw the young man standing there. He reached out his hand and the young man tightly wrapped his fingers around it, squeezing a message of encouragement. The nurse brought a chair and set it next to the bedside. All through the night the young man sat holding the old mans hand, and offering gentle words of hope. The dying man said nothing as he held tightly to his son.
As dawn approached, the patient died. The young man placed the lifeless hand he had been holding all night on the bed. Then he went to notify the nurse. While the nurse did what was necessary, the young man waited. When she had finished her task, the nurse began to say words of sympathy to the young man. But he interrupted her. "Who was that man?" He asked. The startled nurse replied, "I thought he was your father." "No, he was not my father," he answered. "I never saw him before in my life. When I came in yesterday after work, I had been visiting a sick friend down the hall." "Then why didn’t you say something when I took you to him?" asked the nurse. He replied, "When you rushed me in there I knew that the gentleman needed his son and his son just wasn’t here. When I realized he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, I knew how much he needed me..."
A Great Servant is not Self-Centered. A Great Servant is concerned about helping others - no matter the cost.
You can be a Great Christian - by being a Great Servant for Christ.
