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.
From way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill. Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit. He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward this young man, everyone is saying to themselves that you can’t blame him for what he’s going to do.
It takes a long time for the deacon to reach the young man . The church is utterly silent, except for the clicking of the man’s cane. All eyes are focused on him. The minister can’t even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do.
And now this elderly man drops his cane on the floor and lowers himself and sits down next to Bill and worships with him so he won’t feel alone. Everyone chokes up with emotion. When the minister gains control, he says, "What I’m about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget.” Let us never forget how Jesus lowered Himself to be our Savior.
He is a Lowly Savior and:
II. HE IS A LIVING SAVIOR:
A. “He walked out of the grave they laid Him in.” That cannot be said of any of the founders of the religions of the world. Where they were buried, their bodies still lie in death.
B. But Jesus was placed in the tomb and was raised 3 days later.
1. “For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you.” 2 Corinthians 13:4 (NASB).
2. “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25 (NASB).
C. Paul wrote, “Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.” 1 Corinthians 15:1-5 (NASB). No cross no burial, no resurrection would mean no salvation.
D. He is not just a memory; not just a notable figure of history. He is current, vital and alive. To trust a dead savior is as helpful as putting trust in a rock.
E. Bill and Gloria Gaitherlearned that in the late 1960’s while she was expecting a child.
They were going through some terrible times. Bill had been seriously sick, their music had been attacked as not being spiritual. On new years eve night, Gloria sat in a dark room experiencing a time of torment and fear. She said, “I sat alone in the darkness thinking about the rebellious world and all of our problems - and about our baby yet unborn. Who in their right mind would bring a child into a world like this?”
She was at the height of her fear and then something happened. She said, “I can’t quite explain what happened in that next moment, but suddenly I felt released from it all. The panic hat had begun to build inside was gently dispelled by a reassuring presence and a soft voice that kept saying, ‘Don’t forget the empty tomb, don’t forget the empty tomb.’ Then I knew I could have that baby and face the future with optimism and trust for I had been reminded that it was all worth it just because He lives.”And she wrote: “How sweet to hold a newborn baby, and feel the pride and joy he gives; but greater still the calm assurance, this child can face uncertain days because He lives. Because He lives I can face tomorrow, because He lives all fear is gone, because I know He holds the future. And life is worth the living just because He lives.” (Sermon Central).
This lowly Savior became the mighty Living Savior and also
III. HE IS A LOVING SAVIOR:
A. His grace and love I don’t deserve.”
B. The Bible makes that clear:
1. He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, Titus 3:5 (NASB).
2. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB).
C. If we had 10,000 lives 10,000 years long We couldn’t pay price; earn it; deserve it; to try would be as successful as trying to by a Rolls Royce with Monopoly money.
D. We just cannot buy or earn what His love freely gives!
1. Sincerity doesn’t pay, self-sacrifice doesn’t pay, strenuous effort doesn’t pay.
2. So, what can wash away my sin? Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.
E. It would take a mountain of love to die for the world with its corruption, self-centeredness and sin. Let me illustrate that kind of love. R.C. Buckner, a giant of a man, lived about 100 years ago in Texas. He had a very tender heart for children, so he established Buckner's Children's Homes all across the state. The children called him "Papa Buckner" and would run up to him every time he visited. He would always take the time to pick up each and every child and give them a hug.
One day he was visiting one of the homes and was hugging all the children when he noticed a little girl who was standing with her face against the wall. He discovered that she had been seriously burned in an accident and had a terrible scar on her face. He went over to her and asked, "Sweetheart, don't you want Papa Buckner to hug you?"
Without turning around she snarled, "No, I'm too ugly." Papa Buckner knelt down, picked her up, turned her face gently toward his, looked right into her eyes and then planted a tender kiss right on the burned portion of her face. Then he said, "Sweetheart, you are beautiful to me, and you are beautiful to God."
The God of the universe bent down and kissed the scars in our lives when He sent the Savior to the world. In spite of our deformities and blemishes, He wraps His arms around us, turns our face toward His and says, "You are beautiful to me!" (Mark Opperman).
In addition to being a Lowly, Living, Loving Savior
IV. HE IS A LIFE-CHANGING SAVIOR:
A. “My life is greater, ‘cause I serve a Savior.”
B. “He loves us as we are but He loves us too much ro lea\ve us as we are.
1. “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:1-4 (NASB).
2. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB)
C. Such was the experience of an old fellow who testified, “I ain’t what I oughta be, I ain’t what I wanna be, I ain’t what I’m gonna be, but praise God. I ain’t what I usta be.”
D. When Jesus saves, He changes us. He gives new hearts, new minds, new lives. Nothing stays the same when Jesus saves.
E. Many years ago there was a village in which there lived a number of men. They would stay up late at night and drink, smoke, gamble, and fight. Only one woman lived in the village. She was a prostitute. After a while she became pregnant, and as she was giving birth, she died.
None of the men knew who the father was so they all decided to raise the baby. At first they put the baby in a cardboard box with some rags but soon one of the men walked down into the valley and bought a crib. Another man purchased a warm baby blanket. Another found some clothes.
The men took turns holding the child and feeding him. At night they rocked the baby to sleep. Since they focused on the baby, they stopped fighting and drinking. They needed money to feed the baby so they stopped gambling. They worked hard in the fields so that they could provide for the baby. After a period of time, they realized that the baby had completely changed their lives.
The baby chased away the anger and meanness and darkness in that village. Now, there was another baby that came into a world of darkness to bring Divine Light. His name is Jesus and He was born to die for a debt He didn’t owe so that we might be released from a debt we could never pay.
You and I cannot repay Him but we can serve Him as we make His name known, as we serve others in His name and as we dedicate our time, talent and treasure to Him for His use as He sees fit. Don’t you think it’s time to say “Yes” to Jesus as He calls you? Will you determine that with full surrender and total commitment, you will serve Him?
