The basis of this series is from Nelson Searcy and The Journey Church, however this message is my own.
The Challenge of Servanthood
John 13:1-5, 12-17, 34-35
When we Serve, We Humble Ourselves
When we Serve, We Lead Others
When we Serve, We Love God
Slide
Good morning.
Welcome to Hickory Creek.
We have been reading through the New Testament as a church and discussing some of the primary teachings of the New Testament over a 9 week period.
Today marks the halfway point for the messages in this series and we are almost half way done with the readings.
How is everyone doing so far?
If you would like to join us then please pick up a reading plan at the resource table in the foyer.
Well, over the past weeks we have discussed the New Testament teaching on
Love
Generosity
Perseverance
And today we are going to talk about the challenge of Servanthood.
Slide
Now when I say the word servant, what image pops into your head?
Maybe a butler?
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Or a maid?
The image that pops into your head is probably not the picture of
a fortune 500 CEO,
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or a man fit for the cover of GQ magazine
or a woman dressed in an evening gown.
When we think of servant, we are thinking someone who is
lower class,
not educated or
a person of little authority.
But Jesus turned the idea of servanthood on its head.
He said in
Matthew 23:11 - The greatest among you will be your servant.
Not the lowly, not the least educated, not even the best dressed, but the greatest among you will be your servants.
That is typically not the picture we have in our heads of servants.
But He is calling us to greatness by calling us to serve others.
Turn with me to John 13 (p. 763)
Slide
We are going to look at an incredible example of Jesus serving and see the effects of our service so we can face the challenge of servanthood and serve as the Lord would have us.
We are going to focus on several passages from this chapter and I want to begin with
John 13:1-5
1 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.
2 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
The first effect that happens
When we Serve, We Humble Ourselves
Slide
It is sometimes humbling to us to serve others.
It is humbling because people may look at us differently.
But that is why we need to serve, because we need to humble ourselves.
We need to recognize that it is only through Christ that we can accomplish anything and as we serve others, we are humbled and able to realize that.
Listen to John 13:3 again.
3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power,
He had all things in his control.
He had all power and could do all things.
He could choose not to go through with the plan to provide salvation.
But he said, “Not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)
He could have others serve Him while he was on earth, but he said,
The “Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45)
But He didn’t.
What did the God of the universe who was fully in control of all things do?
John 13:4-5
4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
The job that was lowliest in the land. It was often done by a slave.
But Jesus took this role upon Himself.
This is in contrast to a conflict the apostles were having not too long before this night.
Mark 10:35-37, 41
35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask."
36 "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.
37 They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory."
41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.
They were concerned about themselves and how others saw them. They didn’t want to serve, but to be served. They needed to humble themselves.
True Humility comes from having a proper perspective of who we are.
Christ had no misconceptions about who He was.
He was not concerned about how others might perceive Him
He was God in the flesh and had full control of everything and yet He humbled Himself.
Philippians 2:6-8
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death-
even death on a cross!
Christ served us and humbled himself.
He was not lesser for it
He was not concerned that others might view him as inferior.
He knew who He was and was concerned only with what the Father wanted and how the Father viewed Him.
Transition - Application
We need to know who we are in Christ and be concerned about how the Lord sees us and not about how others see us.
When we have a heart that is concerned with how God sees us, we are going to serve and have a proper humility, not a false humility.
It is by stepping out and serving others that we are going to gain that proper humility.
So when we serve, we humble ourselves.
The second effect that happens
When we Serve, We Lead Others
Slide
Look at
John 13:12-17
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. 13 "You call me ’Teacher’ and ’Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Jesus set an example for us and when we serve, we set an example for others.
That is leadership.
There are so many people that think leadership is power to order others to do your will.
That is dictatorship and authoritarianism.
Christ had the power to dictate and just make others do his will.
But ultimately He chose to lead by setting an example in serving.
He showed that He cared about the disciples
He was willing to humble himself and serve them so he could lead them in a way that they would follow.
Good Leadership
is about being ahead of those you are leading and showing them the way to go
is about setting an example and showing your love and care by serving them.
Is about being willing to sacrifice for the good of those you are leading
Good leadership is happening when people will voluntarily follow you not because you have authority, but because they know you care and will not lead them to a place of harm.
And they know that because you have served them, you have sacrificed, you have put them ahead of you.
Are you willing to serve others so you can set an example for them and lead them?
Think about that as we continue.
The last effect we find is that
When we Serve, We Love God
Slide
John 13:34-35
34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
1 John 4:21
Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
When we serve, we are showing our love for people. When we love people, we are showing our love for God.
Serving shows we love God.
If we are unwilling to serve our neighbor, you will have a hard time convincing someone that you love God.
John tells us in
1 John 3:17 that – “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?”
If we have the ability to serve others, and choose not to, how can the love of God be in us?
Application
Are we using the gifts God has given us to serve others, to show our love for the Lord?
Do the people in your workplace recognize you as a person who serves or as a person who is looking to be served?
Do your neighbors know you as someone who is willing to help them or as someone looking for others to help you?
Are you willing to willingly lay aside your rights to serve others, to put them ahead of you, or you afraid that if you lay aside your rights people will look at you as weak?
I want to tell you that voluntarily laying aside our rights is not a weakness.
In fact, I would argue that it takes great strength to be able to do that.
That is what Jesus did.
Jesus was not weak.
Jesus was willing to serve even those who did not deserve it.
Are you willing to do that?
Are you willing to serve those who don’t even deserve your service?
The crabby coworker who is always complaining. Would you be willing to take them to lunch sometime and serve them?
How about that neighbor who is not the most friendly. Would you be willing to fix them a meal and bring it over to them to let them know you were thinking about them?
Salvation for the non-Christian
Maybe you are unable to take this step because you have never had Someone serve you when you didn’t deserve it.
You didn’t deserve what Jesus did for you.
Romans 5:8 - While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
The only way we will ever be able to serve in a manner that is acceptable to the Lord, is to have the love of the Lord in us by receiving Jesus as our Savior.
We need to receive Christ to experience his love and his service to us.
If you have never received Jesus as your Savior, you will have an opportunity in a moment to do that.
Strength for the Christian
But maybe you have received Jesus as your Savior, and you are still struggling with serving others, especially those who don’t deserve it.
My suggestion to you is to take a step in humbling yourself by serving that person who is popping into your head.
Fix them a meal, take them to lunch, shovel their driveway, or mow their lawn.
Invite them over for a cookout, invite them to church, bake them some cookies, or invite them over for some coffee when you see them.
Serve them in the power and strength of the Lord.
If we want God to continue to grow us and work through us and in us, we have got to take the steps that he places in front of us.
We are going to pray.
We are going to pray to receive Christ if you never have before and
We are going to pray for the strength to take a step of trust in the Lord
To Humble ourselves,
to set an example in leading others, and
to show our love for the Lord,
by serving the person or people that the Lord is placing in our minds or in our path this week.
If you are thinking, forget it, I am not going to do this, I am not going to humble myself for this other person, I want you to realize that if you refuse to humble yourself, you can count on the Lord humbling you.
“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 14:11
Trust the Lord to use your service and your humility for His glory.
Bow heads
I want to ask you to bow your heads for a moment.
If you are here this morning and you have never made a conscious decision to receive Chris as your Savior and would like to do that, I would just ask you to make eye contact with me this morning before we pray and I lead you in a prayer to receive Christ.
If you have received Christ as your Savior, but you feel like you just aren’t strong enough to take a step of serving that person that the Lord is placing in your mind right now, I would ask you just to raise your hand and I want to pray for you to be strengthened in the Lord to take that step this week.
Pray.
Stand with us as we close in worship by singing step by step.
