Introduction: One of the features of the Bible that I love is how people basically haven’t changed much in the past 6,000 years. Jn 3 shows that well. First, open to Mk 9:33ff, a scene 2 years later. Just kind follow along with me there.
The disciples are on the road to Capernaum, having an argument over who’s the greatest. Once they arrive, Jesus asks them what they’d been discussing, and they’re too embarrassed to admit it. But Jesus knows. He tells them that to be first meant they have to be willing to be last. He takes a child - someone who didn’t seem overly important to the disciples - and stands him next to Himself. He says whoever receives this child in His name receives Him as well; that to be the greatest, they have to be the servant of all.
It’s not Jesus’ first lesson to His disciples about being servants. John is there. He’s taking this in. He’d been a part of the argument about greatness. Remember, it was John and his brother who requested first class seats in the Kingdom of heaven. So, John’s response to this pretty well spells out the lack of servant attitude he was wrestling with: (v38) "Teacher, we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." He’s not one of us...
Can you hear what he’s saying? “He doesn’t fit in. He’s not in the group. It’s a pride issue. John couldn’t imagine how anyone could do good and not be a part of their group! Sound familiar?
We could get pretty far with that - spend the morning on it -- We tend to get into groups, whatever groups that might be - congregations, SS classes, cliques that we form, ministry teams, things we belong to -- good groups that do good things. Then, we begin to wonder how anyone outside of “our group” could be right with God or could be on “our level” or could be pleasing God with what they do!
That’s where John was. He was taking Jesus’ statement about real greatness and saying, “Yes, Lord, but there’s someone trying to steal some of our thunder! He’s trying to upstage You ... and us!” OK, that was John 2 years after this text in John 3 we’re looking at here today.
Some 2 years earlier, there was another group of proud disciples. They were followers of JB. And that takes us to Jn 3…
John 3:23-26
Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized. (This was before John was put in prison.) An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan--the one you testified about--well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."
JB’s ministry has been going on with constant success for over 6 months now. The impact of it will be felt for years. His practice of immersing people as they turn from their sinful lives in some ways resembles some of the ceremonial washings that the Jewish rabbis prescribed for people. You can almost hear an indignant Jew approaching some of JB’s followers and saying, “You guys think you’ve cornered the market on repentance with this baptism thing -- what about that new guy Jesus? His disciples are baptizing people too -- and they’re drawing some pretty big crowds.” When they hear this, John’s disciples come running to their leader.
It’s an ugly game we play. We place people on pedestals - rabbis, JB’s, preachers, SS teachers, you name it. We take pride in being a part of a group, to a point where we even encourage rivalry between congregations and within congregations. I want you to look with me in Jn 3 and learn how that kind of rivalry comes from 2 things: pride, and an enemy who’s trying to bring you down.
But we’re also looking at a great servant here. These last-recorded words of JB betray the sterling quality of His character -- that same character that caused Jesus to say, “Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than JB.” JB was great because he was a great servant to Jesus.
Joke - Most everyone has heard some of the work of comedian Jeff Foxworthy. He has defined what it means to be a “redneck” with his famous “You might be a redneck if...” Others have taken up the idea to describe other unique people. For instance,
You might be a bad cook if…
• you look in a cookbook to find out how to boil water.
• your kids know what exactly “peas porridge in a pot nine days old” tastes like.
• when you BBQ the kids won’t come outside, instead they stand inside the screen door watching you
• the dog goes to the neighbors’ to eat
• the EPA requires that all your garbage cans be marked with large bright red ’biohazard’ symbols.
• you know dinner is ready when the smoke alarm goes off
You might be a caffeine addict if…
• you believe that the coffee bean is a vegetable
• you’re on a first name basis with Juan Valdez
• you can name the five flavors of JOLT
• you drink decaf by accident and slip into a coma
• you regard the fact that your hands are shaking as a good sign
• you go to sleep just to wake up and smell the coffee
• your dog’s name is Folgers
OK, the point of these is simple. This morning, I want to describe for you what a great servant looks like. Your job is to run down the list and see if that describes you. If it does, great! You’re a great servant. If it doesn’t, then great, now you know what to work on to be one!
We’re a lot like the disciples were - we don’t always understand what it means to be a great servant. So we’re going to answer that question with the help of JB. Just read it with me...
John 3:27
To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven…”
You Might be a Great Servant if You…
I. Acknowledge Your Gifts are from God
JB, being a great servant, realized that the following he gained was because God had given it. The success he saw as an evangelist was “given him from heaven.” He wasn’t personally threatened, because it wasn’t his ministry in the first place.
When you understand that your gifts and abilities are from God...
• You realize that they’re not your gifts given for your fulfillment, but God’s gifts given for you to use for Him.
• It keeps you from becoming proud of yourself, because you realize that anything you’re able to do, any good that comes from your effort, is really God’s doing
• you aren’t threatened when someone else begins to receive recognition
• you can be at peace if God sees fit to remove those gifts or abilities
If you ever wonder at the success God gives you when you’re doing something for Him, don’t look in the mirror. (Jm 1:17) “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
You Might be a Great Servant if... you acknowledge your gifts are from God
You might be a great servant if you...
II. See Yourself as an Intimate Friend of the Groom - the Best Man
John 3:28-29
You yourselves can testify that I said, ’I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.
JB could have talked about being Jesus’ cousin through Mary; about how he was the fulfillment of the last words in the OT. Instead, he used a word picture that emphasizes a position of service - a "best man."
The “friend of the groom” played an important role in the 1st cent. Jewish wedding. He negotiated on behalf of the perspective groom (and his father) with a representative of the bride’s father. Arrangements had to be made to pay a work compensation (“mohar”) to the bride’s family because they would be losing her labor in the home, and a dowry had to be paid to the bride’s father. In other words, you’d want someone who was going to look out for your best interests! JB saw himself in this position. He was looking out for Jesus’ best interests. That was his joy.
Serving Jesus meant Jesus wasn’t just his CEO, Jesus was his honored friend that he was privileged to serve. There was no boss vs. underling rivalry; no “if I don’t do this I’ll lose my job” attitude.
Too many people look at being a Christ-follower as some business arrangement or contract for personal gain. No wonder they look like they’ve been baptized in vinegar! They’re here, but it’s just to keep their end of some business obligation.
The word here for “friend” is the word for “brotherly love.” That’s what motivates great service for Jesus -- a genuine, intimate relationship with Him. If you need some motivation to serve Jesus this morning, get out of the contract - start with a more intimate relationship with Him.
You might be a great servant if... you see yourself as an intimate friend of the Groom.
You might be a great servant if you...
III. Find Your Joy from the Groom’s Joy (v29)
The "friend" accompanied the groom on his wedding day. Once he was all dressed up, the groom would walk to his bride’s house. From there, they’d walk back to their new home together for several days of feasting with their friends. The “best man” would stand and wait for the groom to return with his bride and officially begin the wedding feast. When the groom returned with his bride, the party began! It was a happy time.
-Ill - I’ll never forget when my bride appeared at the end of the aisle. I smiled a big smile -- couldn’t help myself! There were a lot of people happy for different reasons that day, but I was happy that I was taking Carrie Leigh Hart to be my wife! The groom’s joy comes because of the bride -- she belongs to him! Every wedding I’ve been at, the best man stands off to the side once the bride arrives. If he has a right attitude, he takes his joy in the groom’s joy!
JB said, “That joy is mine, and it is now complete.” - to hear that my mission is accomplished, that people are flocking to Jesus now instead of to me, now my joy is fulfilled! That’s great servanthood.
We need to work at this sometimes. Paul reminded the Corinthians they needed to:
1 Corinthians 3:1-6
Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe--as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.
-Ill - John Brodie, former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, was once asked why a million dollar football player should have to hold the ball for field goals and extra points after touchdowns. Brodie said, "Well, if I didn’t, it would fall over."
The Church works when there are enough people in it who are willing to hold the ball so someone else can kick the field goals. They’re called great servants.
You might be a great servant if... you find your joy in the Groom’s joy
You might be a great servant if...
IV. You Have Wisdom to See His Plan Come Together (v29)
John 15:15
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
Our friendship with the Master means we’re more than just servants. He has let us in on His plan. He’s let us know what His business is all about. A great servant is one who recognizes God’s plan at work. JB was saying, “I love it when a plan comes together! It’s working! That’s what this is all about!”
-There’s a real need for the people of God to recognize how His plan works in the Church.
Ill - article by a preacher in Servant magazine, (Jan/Feb, 1989):
I was in the supermarket one day, and a lady came down the aisle whom I could barely see over the top of her groceries. I got somewhat frightened because she seemed to be heading straight for me. She screeched to a halt within a few feet of me, peered over her load, wagged her finger, and said, "I left your church. I left your church".
So I said, "Well, if it’s my church, I think that was a very wise decision. If it’s my church, I think I’m going to leave too."
She said, "Don’t you want to know why I left?"
I said, "No, not particularly, but I think I’m going to find out". And I was right.
She said, "You weren’t meeting my needs".
I answered, "I don’t ever recollect seeing you before, let alone talking to you, let alone knowing your needs. Did you ever tell anyone specifically what your needs were?"
She couldn’t recall that she had, so I raised another question. "Can you tell me, if we have 5,000 people sitting in that church, all with your attitude, how anyone’s needs are going to be met? If you reserve the right to have that attitude, then you must give everybody the freedom to have that attitude. And if everybody has that attitude, who on earth is going to do all the need meeting?"
Standing her ground, she demanded, "Then you tell me who will."
Relieved, I said, "I thought you’d never ask. This is what will work: when people stop sitting in the pew saying, ’They’re not meeting my needs’ and start saying, ’Whose needs can I meet?’ Then needs will be met. When the servant spirit flourishes in a congregation, then they minister to each other as unto the Lord."
That’s the Master’s plan for His people. Great servants recognize how God’s plan works, and they appreciate when it comes together, regardless of who has a hand in it. They appreciate when someone comes forward to be baptized, when someone grows in Christ, when homes show strength, when numbers increase, and they understand why those things happen. It happens because of people who are willing to serve.
You might be a great servant if...
V. You Are Willing to Become Less for Jesus!
If Jesus had called people to be kings and celebrities and national heroes, He probably would have had a larger following. Who isn’t interested in being popular and well-liked? Who wouldn’t like for everyone who sees you to smile and wave and call you by name?
JB reflected on his position in God’s plan and said it this way, “He must become greater, I must become less.- It’s binding. It has to be this way. Jesus’ popularity must grow. The name of Jesus must become more important to people than my name. The news about Him has to spread. And I have to shrink - I have to decrease. I have to blend into the background.”
There are plenty of people who think they’d like to do something really key for the Lord’s work – something that people will note and remember – something that will make a name for them. Would the call to serve Jesus seem as attractive if we were asked to become nothing for Him? What if we were called by God to share the glory of the heroes of the faith listed in Heb. 11?
Hebrews 11:35b-38
… tortured…faced jeers and flogging…chained and put in prison…stoned…sawed in two…put to death by the sword…went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated…wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
I remember in high school how I wanted to be somebody. I wanted to make a mark. I wanted to be significant. Well, Stephen was “somebody.” Stephen made a name for himself. What did he do? Why do we remember him? Because he was the first person to die for Jesus; because he showed grace and forgiveness toward the people who were stoning him to death!
poem: Ruth Harms Calkin - “I Wonder”
You know, Lord, How I serve You with great emotional fervor in the limelight.
You know how eagerly I speak for You at a Women’s Club.
You know my genuine enthusiasm at a Bible study.
But how would I react, I wonder, if You pointed to a basin of water and asked me to wash the calloused feet of a bent and wrinkled old woman day after day, month after month, in a room where nobody saw and nobody knew?
“He must become greater, I must become less.”
You might be a great servant if you are willing to become less for Jesus.
Conclusion: Ill - In the late afternoon in Korea a missionary doctor emerged from the operating room, tired, beads of perspiration on his forehead. His hands trembled with fatigue. He was asked by an onlooker how much he would have received for such a delicate operation in America. "Perhaps $2000," he replied. But then came the question, "How much will you receive from this Korean woman?" The doctor hesitated and then replied, "Nothing but her gratitude, and the Master’s smile."
Would you be satisfied with that kind of pay?
Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” He didn’t say, “that they may see you or think much of you...” But that they might see your good works, and glorify your Father.
We want to you to glorify the Father this morning. There’s only one way to true greatness, and that’s true servanthood. You can be a great servant, beginning this morning....
