Clarity 10-27-10 “Serving”

Introduction

What do you think of when you hear the word “Service”? It is not typically something that you love to hear is it? How about when you’re Mom or Dad walks over with the words, “Can you help me with…” It kind of makes you cringe. You take a deep breath and try not to think about how this is interfering with your tv show, or video game, or all that homework you have to do.

Serving is not an easy thing is it? We have to put our lives on hold, or at least get uncomfortable for a while to help someone else. It takes away from what we want to do.

Let’s take a look at a few passages of scripture that talk about servanthood.

Christ is our example (John 13:12-16)

Jhn 13:12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, "Do you understand what I have done to you?
Jhn 13:13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.
Jhn 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.
Jhn 13:15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.
Jhn 13:16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

Expectations of service

What can we learn from this passage about serving.

There is automatically an expectation set up for us to follow Christ’s example. It is pretty amazing that a leader in their day would agree to wash anyone’s feet. Much less God Himself! Washing feet is not a fantastic activity even today, but when you think about it during Bible times you may have even more respect for what took place in this passage.

            First of all, foot washing was one of the most demeaning things that a person could do. Think about it. This is ancient times. Roads were merely dirt paths. You would have mud caked to your feet alongside the animal dung that would litter the streets. Cleaning the feet of a person in this time meant that you had to encounter some of the nastiest stuff out there! Jesus didn’t back down from this task though. He showed His disciples that He was above all a servant to everyone.

            Do you get the humility here? God was scraping junk off of the disciple’s feet and wiping them down with a towel that was around his waist. Not only did he force all of his greatness and majesty into a human body, but he stooped lower in service, out of a heart of love.

Jesus lays out what a sacrificial life looks like. First through doing this Jesus shows us that we are to be a servant to all in even the most embarrassing and downright dirty tasks that have to be done. He showed us that being obedient to the Father is the most important thing in this life, no matter what the cost.  Jesus shows us this picture of service just before He is lead to the cross through His obedience to the Father. This was at the Passover feast, when Christ knew He was about to be lead to the cross. Does He want to be pampered before His death? No, He serves others!

What is our motivation for service?

Let’s look at this verse in Philippians 2:

Phl 2:3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
Phl 2:4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Phl 2:5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

Phl 2:6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
Phl 2:7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
Phl 2:8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Why are we supposed to serve others? What is our motivation? The easy Sunday school answer is “Because we are to be obedient to Him and He told us to do it.” Yes, we are called to be His followers, His servants, but is that the only reason? We serve Him just because He said so? Doesn’t that drive you crazy when people say, “Do this, because I said so.”? I want to know why I am doing something.

There is so much more to this than just “Because He said so.” Is that enough? Of course! But God has given us so many more reasons to serve Him that we would be missing the point if we just focused on one particular thing.

We are to serve God and others:

1.      Out of gratitude for the great things He has done for us. When you think about the amazing gift that God has given us you should be completely overcome with gratitude. Living a life forgiven of sin and promised eternal riches is better than any fairy tale or movie plot line. The glories of heaven are for us! What we are promised is bigger and better than ANYTHING we could hope for or imagine in this life. If we truly believe in what God has done for us, why do we not rejoice more often in the abundance of His grace? Why do we not joyfully serve Him with a sense of honor?

2.      Out of a glad heart. When you get jobs, or if you already have one, you will quickly find out that it is miserable working for a bad boss. You endure working for them, but you do not enjoy it. This is not so when we are about the things of God. You can sense His pleasure with what you are doing and how you are serving Him.

Danger in seeking our own glory

Have you ever thought, man, if I do this, it will definitely make me look good? You really start thinking this way especially when you are trying to attract the attention of a certain girl or guy. Here is the issue though. When you start thinking this way with the task the Lord has given you. When you want to bring attention to yourself.

We are to honor God through our service to Him and seek to bring Him the glory. If we seek to lift up our name or get into the spotlight with our service, it is completely worthless. Doing the right things for the wrong reasons makes it a wrong thing. This goes against everything within us doesn’t it? We want recognition, we want people to praise us for a job well done. Being a follower of Christ means that we set aside our desire to be first and set Him up as the one to get all glory and honor.

Challenge

What can we learn from these two passages of Scripture? Humbleness seems to be the theme doesn’t it? Not counting ourselves as having priority, but others. How many times have I thought, “I am better than this, I should be doing something more worthwhile”? Christ got on His hands and knees and cleaned muddy junk off of His follower’s feet. Woe to the person that thinks Himself “Above” any task that is assigned to him.

Phl 2:7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
Phl 2:8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

How obedient do you think you are being in your walk with God right now? Is there something that you think you are too good for? Are you putting yourself above others?

Here is something I would challenge you to do this next week. Start putting others above yourself. When your parents ask you to do something, do it with a joyful attitude. If your brother or sister needs something, get it for them with joy. Focus on serving others for the purpose of glorifying God. It may be something that you can’t stand, but think about how Christ stooped to the lowest level to show love to others.  

Humble yourselves for the purpose of glorifying God and growing in godliness.