ONE: SERVE

Sunday, April 26, 2015

INTRODUCTION:

We have had Disney's “Aladdin” out for the past couple of week. Young Aladdin finds anoil-lamp in a cave. As he cleans it, a genie appears. The genie is a being with "phenomenal cosmic power in an itty-bitty living space" and a prisoner of the lamp. He must serve whoever holds the lamp. Basically, the genie is an all-powerful slave to much weaker masters. He must do the bidding of the one who holds the lamp. He cannot argue, he cannot disobey; he must comply. Isn’t that ironic? The master has no real power, yet he commands unlimited cosmic power. The slave is greater by far than the master.

That scenario is NOTHING like what we find in Scripture, actually the polar opposite—a point that is missed by most. Christians who are not actively serving Christ don't get the point--the point of Christ's coming to our world. My guess is that many Christians who are serving don't get the point, either. And maybe if we do get the point, it is something of which we can easily lose sight. Jesus tells us that he, the Son of Man, did not come to be served on the earth, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:43-45). If He served, then His people are to serve as well, I would like for us to consider three truths about our role as servants of Christ.

1. Our service is expected by Jesus. (Matthew 25:14-30)

There are two Greek words translated “servant” in the NIV which merit some attention. The first is diakonos, the origin of "deacon." A diakonos is one who serves by waiting upon someone else. The main thrust of a diakonos is the job to be done, not the relationship between the waiter and "waitee." A waitress or waiter is a diakonos; waiting on tables is one image. Doing anyone a service, ministering or administering, is diakonos service. The key to diakonos-type service is that someone is helped. Someone's needs are met.

This is not always the case with the other kind of servant, the doulos. A doulos is a bond-servant or bond-slave. For those of you who remember your American history, a bond-servant is like an indentured servant. People in Europe would find an American sponsor who would pay for their trip. In turn, the traveler would work for the sponsor until the debt was repaid. Meeting needs or helping someone really is not important to the doulos, just submission to the master's will. The doulos's will is consumed in the will of the master. The relationship between master and doulos-slave is important. Words that mark the doulos are service, obedience, devotion, subjection, submission. All activity carried out by the doulos is directed by the master. Permanently. There is no discussion between Lord and slave; directions are carried out. Aladdin's genie is of this variety.

In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus tells a parable about a master and three of his bond-servants. The master is going away, gives each servant certain amounts of money and then left. Two put the money to work and make more; the third hides it and gives back his undeveloped money. The master commends the two productive servants and punishes the lazy one. Now usually, the application of this parable is that God the Father is the Master and the servants are the church. Each one will do something with what he or she has been given or God will take it away. That will work. I want us to examine something else though.

In this parable, what information are we missing? Jesus doesn't tell us that the master gave any commands about investing or spending the money. Why? Because of the nature of these servants. They are his own servants, bonded to him permanently. As slaves, they know that they should anticipate their master's best interests. The third slave says that he knows the master is hard. He knows the master has certain expectations.

He is a bad servant because he didn't strive to meet his master's best interests. Had he acted upon his knowledge of the master, had he paid any attention to his master's unspoken expectations, he'd have been called good and been rewarded.

The application I'd like to make is that the two servants who were true to their purpose--seeing to their master's happiness and best interests--were counted faithful. The one who did not serve his master, as he knew he should, was punished and cast out. Our master tells us that we are to serve him and him alone. No one can serve two masters; just one (Luke 16:13). Moses said to Israel in Deuteronomy 10:12-13, “What does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees.“ Serving Him with everything leaves nothing for another master. And we do what he expects us to do. We love. We share. We learn. We teach. We give. We worship. We pray. We care. We evangelize. To ignore these basic functions as bond-servants is to bring on the wrath of the master.

The first truth is that our service is expected by Jesus. Second . . .

2. Service makes us like Jesus. (Philippians 2:5-9)

Eddie greatly admired his grandfather. As a matter of fact, he idolized him. He wanted to be just like grandpa when he grew up. His grandfather had been a successful architect. As a young boy, Eddie began drawing houses and barns and buildings. His father told him that grandpa had been in Scouting, and eventually achieved Eagle Scout. Eddie got started in scouting and began working toward Eagle Scout. Grandpa had played baseball as a young athlete. Eddie started practicing throwing, catching, and hitting and joined Little League. As a high school student, Grandpa had sailed through with straight A's all four years. Eddie burned the midnight oil to achieve equally impressive grades. Eddie's grandpa had gone to one of the finest universities in the country and had graduated with honors in architecture. After graduation, Eddie enrolled at the same university and worked hard to acquire the same degree. Upon entering the real world, Eddie was faced with numerous decisions, and each time his choice was based on what his grandfather had done. What were Grandpa's hobbies? Interests? Accomplishments? Favorite foods? Then they were Eddie's as well. Was Eddie just like his granddad? After a lifetime of emulating him, probably as much like Granddad as was humanly possible. Following in someone's footsteps makes a person much like the one who made the original footsteps.

There are many verses that deal with patterning our lives after the life of Christ. Let's read Philippians 2:3-9 together.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6Who, being in very nature[a] God,did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;7rather, he made himself nothingby taking the very nature[b] of a servant,being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man,he humbled himselfby becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! 9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,

There’s not a lot of explanation needed for these verses. Paul encourages us to take the example of Christ, the humble servant. He served, so let us serve as well.

Throughout the gospels, Jesus comments on the nature of his ministry, his example, and his followers. Listen to these verses:

Matthew 10:24-25. "A servant (doulos) [is not] above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant (doulos) like his master (kurios)."

Mark 10:43-45. "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." We follow the example of Jesus as servant to all. He has served us.

Luke 22:26-27. "Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves."

Just as Eddie sought to be identical to his grandfather, we should seek to be just like our Servant-Savior Jesus Christ. As we look at Jesus' ministry, we see him meeting needs all over the place. He washed feet. He fed crowds. He healed the sick. He spoke kindly to the outcast. He taught. He lived. He loved. He served.

When we serve, we are the most like Jesus that we can ever be. This passage in Philippians teaches us that he emptied himself of all he valued—he took no more notice of his own wishes and desires and gave up everything. When we lay down our own personal desires and consider others' needs more important and then work to fulfill those needs, we are staying true to the pattern Jesus has set for his followers. He was obedient to God the Father as a Son. He loved his people and wanted to help them. When we serve others, whether it is because it is our duty, or because we just want to help, as doulos or diakonos, our service makes us like Jesus.

Truth 1: Our service is expected by Jesus. Truth 2: Our service makes us like Jesus, and, finally, Truth 3 . . .

3. Our service is rendered to Jesus. (Matthew 25:31-46)

In the last sixteen verses of the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew, Jesus teaches his disciples that he is served when they serve others. These are familiar words, but let's read them together, Matthew 25:31-46, because they express this thought much better than I can.

Whatever we do to the least of one of these brothers, we do to Jesus. We are all children created in God's image. How we treat his children is how we treat him. When we go to a restaurant, we expect that the service we receive will be the same, no matter if the server knows us or not. We expect that when we go to the emergency room that the doctors and nurses will care for us regardless of if they have ever met us before or not. When we serve others, it doesn’t matter if we have

A proverb from the fourteenth chapter says, "He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God." Earlier in Matthew, Jesus says that whoever receives his disciples, receives him. Serving God's people, meeting their needs (remember diakonos?) equals serving God directly. Whatever form our service takes, that service is rendered to Christ Jesus, our Master and fellow Servant.

We serve HIM. That should affect the manner in which we serve. It gives us drive, passion, and motivation to keep working. Paul wrote to the Romans, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord”(Romans 12:11) and to the Ephesians, he said, “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people”(Ephesians 6:7).

CONCLUSION:

RECAPITULATION:

Our service is expected by Jesus. Our service makes us like Jesus. Our service is rendered to Jesus. He is our Lord, our Example, and our Savior. If we aren't serving, we don't get the point. God is the Master, not the genie. We are the servants of the Most High God. We carry out His will.

CHALLENGE:

For you who are serving . . . Thanks. You’re teaching. Leading a group. Fixing the mower. Cleaning the storage shed. Organizing supply closets. Preparing swamp coolers. Playing in the praise band. Hosting during our refreshment time. Painting. Edging. Leading a ministry. Plunging. Baking. Sending cards. Making visits. Sharing meals. Scrubbing. Sewing. Shopping. Clearing snow. Spreading fertilizer. And a lot more. Few of these jobs have any glory or notoriety. Don’t become weary in doing good.

For those that aren’t or haven’t yet . . . Come on! There are literally dozens and dozens of ways for you to serve God by serving others.

Customized class. We examine your spiritual gifts, your heart, your abilities, your personality, and your experiences to find your best ministry fit, your spiritual sweet spot.

God is not a “genie of the lamp,” that exists to make our lives peaceful, prosperous, and easy. Let me remind you this morning that He is not the slave. He is THE Master. As He wills, so should we obey. He is a loving, caring Father who wants us to come to Him with requests, but He is also the Master who has purchased us and made us His own.

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