Attitude of Service

Good morning everyone…It is so good to see you all this morning. I am excited to get to be here and look at God’s word together this morning. Right now we are going to say goodby to our amazing kiddos as they go back to their teacher and have their amazing class. Then of course we have those of you that are joining us online. I want to welcome you here with us this morning as part o our extended Spiritual family. We love that you have chosen to join us digitally, but we would love to have you here in person with us even more. If you are in Ogle county, please consider joining us some Sunday morning in person.

Ok, so I want to tell you a little story about a John. John attended a small church in a large town. This church, we’ll call it Calvary. Calvary had an attendance of around 65 people and Calvary had a handful of people that were really involved in the life of the church. They would come to the meetings and they would serve in various capacities and they seemed to be very solid Christians. However, there was something that seemed to happen at Calvary. You see, there were these monthly business meetings at Calvary, and at these meetings there would be some pretty heated discussions that would come close to yelling matches it seemed like. What is even stranger is that the people that were yelling were the people that were pretty involved in the life of the church. They were the Sunday School teachers and the ones that were financing a large part of the church through their business and their various contacts. So Joe attended this church and attended these meetings and Joe didn’t understand what was going on. Joe also served as a teacher and served to take care of the grounds, and various other roles within the church.

Well, unfortunately there was a situation that caused John to leave Calvary. After a coupe of weeks, he began attending Bible Chapel that was just down the road from Calvary. After attending Bible Chapel for a while, he noticed something different about himself as well as everyone else around him. You see, Bible Chapel was far from perfect, every church is. But at Bible Chapel people seemed genuinely excited to be there every Sunday. One day while talking to a friend from Calvary John realized what was going on. You see, at Calvary people were serving, and many with great attitudes. However, John noticed that his own attitude changed since he had been at Bible Chapel. He realized that while he was serving at Calvary, he was serving for himself, not for the Lord. Sure he, along with many others at Calvary would say that were serving the Lord, but in reality they were only interested in serving if it was convenient for them, or if it was something that would make them look good in the community. You see, Calvary was full of self-serving Christians, and John was very guilty of this attitude. You see, John realized that since he was part of the “core group” or the “in group”, he learned how to expect and even demand for things to be done for him. While at Calvary church had become all about John. However, at Bible Chapel there is a different attitude. You see, at Bible Chapel John is finding joy in serving others. John even noticed that it seemed like everyone else had this same attitude. No one was serving in some legalistic, or opportunistic focus....everyone is serving because they are finding joy in serving.

Here is what is sad…These two church, while I have changed the names to protect the innocent, and guilty, are very real churches. These two churches are actually churches that I have personally served in. While at Bible Chapel there was an excitement to serve others that just did not exist at Calvary. At Bible Chapel there was an attitude of sacrificial serving. This attitude was contagious and spread throughout the community. You see, when asked if they would serve in some capacity, the people of Bible Chapel would almost always answer with, “I will”…

This morning we are going to look at that difference and I hope you will be challanged to search your own heart of service as we look at the

Attitude of Serving

Remember as we have talked over the last few weeks we have acknowledged that the Lord is more concerned about your heart than your actions. In other words, you can do all the right things, like they were at Calvary, but if your heart is focused on yourself then all of your amazing actions are worthless. However, if you serve someone else in a seemingly simple way with a heart focused on the Lord, then that action is worth everything. Remember, early on in this series we said that a right heart will be followed by right actions. That’s really important to meditate on personally. Am I doing things with a heart for the Lord, or am I doing things becuase they need to be done? That’s a different perspective if we are honest isn’t it? I mean, there may be times when we do things because they need done, but those things can still be done with a heart for the Lord can’t they?

So this morning we are going to look at a couple of scriptures, and we are going to talk about a couple of examples, and we will hopefully we will see how to have the...

Heart of a Servant

Well, that is a great idea isn’t it. I mean if we are talking about our hearts and we have talked about having a heart of growth and a heart of worship, then looking at the heart of a servant should give us some pretty good guidance…especially if we look to Jesus as an example, so let’s do that this morning. Let’s take a look at

Jesus’ Teaching

We will see that Jesus teaches his disciples how to be a servant. This is actually a great story with the disciples and a mom…and you know how moms can be :) So what we have going on here is the mother of James and John is asking Jesus for a special favor for James and John…I mean she just walked right up and said, “Promise me that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom. Let’s be honest thats a pretty bold request, and Jesus felt the same way. Jesus told them that they can’t handle what is about to happen. Now for a couple of proud fishermen, they can handle anything so they jumped up with a, “Yeah we can do it”. Of course the other guys heard this and that started a bit of a fight between the disciples. In the midst of their arguing Jesus said this...

Matthew 20:25–28 (ESV)

But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Ya’ll this is a passage that I feel like is overlooked many times. I think we read this and we say, yeah…other people shouldn’t lord it over me. This week I read another persons modern take on this passage and I want to share it with you and you will likely get a little uncomfortable, and maybe even respond with a, “thats not fair”, but bare with me becuase what we are doing is trying to see our hearts and discover if we have a heart of a servant, or a heart for self. Ok, here we go

“Hey church members: I know that the world says put yourself first. Look after number one. But thats not the way you are supposed to do it. Stop complaining about the music style and what you want. Stop demanding church leaders to do things the way you would like them to be. Stop trying to get your way in a church meeting. Instead, put others first. Put your desires last. Become a servant instead of a whiner and complainer.”

Now that is for sure a pretty hard take there, but it kind of makes sense. Do you remember the churches that I told you about earlier…This is the type of comment that could challenge people from either church. You see, the church that is filled with people that are serving for self can be called out by this statement, and hopefully repent of their attitude. However, the church that is filled with people that are serving the Lord can be reminded of how easy it really is to fall into a place of serving for self. that is what Jesus is telling his disciples here. The cool thing is that Jesus didn’t talk about serving…Jesus served.

You see, there is a time later in life on the day that Jesus will be betrayed. Jesus and the disciples are together and they are having the final passover, and this is the meal that Jesus will introduce the Lords supper. Ok, so they are there and they have just finished eating when Jesus gets up and takes off his robe and grabs the towel and pours water into a big bowl. Then what Jesus did was uncalled for…Jesus began washing the feet of the disciples. Now, they were not all very excited about this, as a matter of fact there are some words said here initially. The thing is that Jesus actually walked about washing these mens feet…even Judas, who he knew was about to betray him and cause him tremendous pain. Jesus took the dirtiest job…the job that was reserved for the lowest of the low in every household. That is the job that Jesus took…Now, let’s take a look at what Jesus said after he did that. Look over at

John 13:12–17 (ESV)

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? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 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. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Did you catch what Jesus just did. He told them earlier that whoever would be great would be a servant. Then he just showed them what it looks like to be that servant. he took the role of the lowest servant and literally washed their feet. Jesus showed the heart of a servant in that moment.

Now that’s not all becuase Paul had a little something to say as well later on. Lets take a look at

Paul’s Teaching

So you will remember Paul as the guy who started his life studying and knowing all of the right things to do. Paul knew so much that he supported and encouraged others to throw stones and kill Christians. However Paul’s life changed when he had an encounter with Jesus while he was traveling. That encounter was so powerful that his entire life changed…So after that encounter Paul was so bold that God used him to spread the message of Jesus’ death burial and resurrection all over the known world at that time. Later Paul wrote letters to various churches that he planted all over and one of those churches was in a place called Philippi. Today we are going to read a portion of that letter becuase Paul makes a pretty bold statement when it comes to our attitudes. Now, keep in mind that while Paul is writing this, he is in jail and facing death. Paul was more concerned about the churches and Christians everywhere else than he was concerned about himself. Lets take a look at what Paul says in

Philippians 2:3–4 (ESV)

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Remember Paul is sitting in jail as he is writing these words proving that he is also living them out. He then goes on to talk about focus. Look at...

Philippians 2:5 (ESV)

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

Now, I want to be a little nerdy for just a second here. You see, in the way the word mind is written in the greek there is a more nuanced way to look at this. Let’s look at the N.E.T.

Philippians 2:5 (NET)

You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,

You see there…You should have the same attitude. In other words, you should use the same type of thinking that Jesus had. Well what was that thinking…what was that attitude? That was the attitude of a servant. We read here that Jesus’ heart of a servant took him to his death…even death on a cross.

Philippians 2:8 (ESV)

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

You see…Paul made it clear…Jesus made it clear…We are to serve others.

Ok, so its pretty clear and Im not telling you anything you don’t already know this morning. So, lets do a little something special. I want to ask everyone in here to open your bulletin and grab your connect card and hold it up in the air right now. If you don’t have a connect card then someone will walk around and give you one. I want everyone to have that card and you are going to write something on that card this morning.

You see, I wonder what it would look like if every person in this room made a commitment this morning. I wonder what it would look like if every person in this room right now, and every person joining us online would commit to serving 2 hours during the week. Now, for some of you that would be easy, right? I mean some of you would say that you already serve more than that right now…So, let me rephrase my question…What would it look like if every person in this room served for two hours during the week with the heart of a servantThat would mean serving in a way that mimics the heart of Christ. Do you think you can do that? Well, this week here is what I am asking of you all. I am asking you to write down on your connect card that you will commit to serving this week. I want you to write down how many hours you are will commit to serve others this week, this could be at church or this could be picking up trash in Leaf River. The what and where you are serving others is less important than the attitude you have while serving others. Now, Im not going to check up on you, that is between you and the Lord, but I would love to see everyone in this room commit to serving others this week…again, not out of obligation, but from an attitude of gratitude for Christ. So after you have made this commitment to the Lord, I want you to take your card and and place it in the connect card basket as you leave this morning. Remember, no one is checking up on you, but I want you to offer these hours to the Lord as an act of gratitude and I want you to say, I will have an attitude of serving.

Listen, if you re here this morning or joining us online and you are wondering why a group of people would commit to serving others for 2 hours this week, then I would love the opportunity to tell you all about that reason. You see, a few hours this week is literally only a token of what Jesus has done for each and every one of us here. If you have never experienced Christ love and grace then all of this talk about serving others is really nice talk, but doesn’t quite hit the same way for you. So let me ask you…what would it look like if you were to make a commitment to the Lord. What would it look like if you were to accept the grace and forgiveness and joy that is being offered to you from Christ. If that makes you wonder a little, then this week I want to ask you to connect with me. If you are here this morning and that interests you a little, then I want to ask that you write that on your connect card and drop it in the basket with everyone else this morning. If you are here and there is something God has been showing you lately, then please feel free to share that as well.

Let’s pray