How leaders and pastors can serve others
Matthew 11:28-30
Come unto me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Come unto me. A call to…salvation… to the weary…to the burdened…to those who have been trusted in works
Learn from me….the call to discipleship
Take my yoke upon you….a call to servanthood
Zeal for servanthood is better caught than taught. Jesus said:
The son of man did not come to be served…
I should be about my fathers business
But Jesus not only taught servanthood, he modelled it
How did Jesus serve his disciples?
By becoming what they needed him to be…
Phil 2:7 and being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on the cross
Paul says I become all things to all men
This means crucifying the flesh
This means denying yourself
Jesus became what we needed him to be, not what we wanted him to be
This applies to us too
We cannot always be what others want us to be…often that leads to compromise, and is indicative of the fear of man
Jesus served his disciples by being committed to doing the will of the Father for his life
This is the best way you can serve others
Often your gifts indicate your call
If it is to give, give, if it is to teach, teach, if it is to prophesy, prophesy, if it is to help, help, if it is to serve in practical ways, serve in practical ways
By being prayerful
Jesus showed us that we best serve others on our knees
That is why we are all called to be devoted to prayer
This is a lifestyle not a meeting
By being Holy
By praying for them
By showing them how to live a Holy life
By teaching them the ways of the kingdom
He taught how to do what they were called to do
He spent time with them
Showed them how to heal the sick
How to treat their enemies
By rebuking and correcting them
By washing their feet
…by refreshing them…
by letting them know they are valuable
By laying down his life for them….
1 John 3:16:
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for each other.
Take my Yoke…of an ox
Part of the born again experience: You WANT to do his will
Principles of Servanthood:
1. An invitation to greatness:
Matthew 20:26-27…whoever wants to become great among you must become your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave
2. Servanthood draws the call of God to you
David…Moses…Elisha…
Philip….table waiter to miracle worker
Every blessing you have from God is to cause you to be a better servant
3. Servanthood is the greatest witness for Christ
Serving others is an expression of love
They will know that you are my disciples
The attitude of the servant determines the atmosphere of the palace…home… restaurant…
how we live and how we treat each other becomes the greatest witness for Christ or the greatest hindrance in the kingdom
That is why most of the New Testament is not about winning souls, as important as that is
It is about living right, walking in love, walking in holiness, righteousness
Because what is the point of winning people if they are not going to live right because we don't live right
Sometimes we are eager to get involved in ministry
But the think we should be most interested in in living right before God and others
Qualities of servants:
1. Servants humble themselves
David …sheep…
1 Samuel 16
Still looks after the sheep even though he has been anointed
2. Servants are zealous for the house of the Lord
- John 2:17 his disciples remembered that is written: zeal fir your house will consume me
3. Servants never try to be equal to the ones they serve
1 Sam 24:6…the lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the lords anointed, and lift my hand against, for he is the anointed of the Lord
Phil 2:3-5 do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.
4. Servants are caring and accepting
1 Samuel 22:2 (david flees Gath and hides in the cave of Adullam) All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader
He accepts different kinds of people
Servanthood should not be something we do but something we are.
it must be a delight
A desire and delight makes the heaviest burdens bearable
Getting up in the night fir your child
This means that
One who serves is not necessarily a servant
It also means that
No one in the kingdom graduates from the ministry of servanthood
It means that in order to serve God and others, we have to persevere
Gal 6:9-10 let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Obstacles to servanthood:
1. Facing difficulties
but Christ was about to be betrayed and about to be crucified yet still brought out the towel
2. Focusing on ourselves
We focus so much on ourselves that we forget the needs of others
3. Fear of man
Fear of failure
Fear of rejection
4. Having experienced disappointment in the past
when you tried to help people but they did not value it
If fear has stopped you from serving, stand and walk to the front. We want to pray for you.
