A Servant To Jesus Christ

Romans 1:1 & 16.......

In the idea of Veteran’s Day, I began thinking about a servant of Jesus Christ.......

There are many servants of Jesus Christ......servants willingly devoted to their Lord and Savior!

Many of the apostles referred to themselves as servants...

Peter

John

James and Jude both half brothers of Jesus Christ both referred to themselves as Jesus’ servants!

The idea of servant is a “bond-servant” which has the meaning of a slave, however it is a willing slave.

All of the apostles and followers of Jesus were faithful, willing servants!

They believed in the Gospel message of Jesus Christ and lived it all the way till their deaths.

Imagine taking on a task that you know will lead to your death and possibly your families persecution or death.

You would have to believe that message to be true and right!

These men did!

There are some in that same situation today!

That brings me to verse 16 in Romans 1............Paul was not ashamed of this message!

This has a greater meaning than ashamed of how people view you

This means that he was not ashamed of dying for the truth of Jesus Christ!

Paul had been imprisoned in Philippi, chased out of Thessalonica, smuggled out of Berea, laughed at in Athens, regarded as fools in Corinth, stoned at Galatia........

Ridicule, criticism, physical persecution, threat of death, could curb Paul’s boldness in his belief that the Gospel of Jesus was true and right!

Acts 23:1-11................Paul had been arrested in the temple in Jerusalem for preaching..........they brought him before the council.

We pick up as Paul stands before the “high priest” Ananias (not the one in the Gospels). This one was the cruelest and corrupt high priests ever.

As we read Paul does not shrink back at all.....

They eventually let Paul go, because of the Sadduccees and Pharisee’s dissension/difference on the resurrection of the dead.

Ironically, both of these groups served on the council (Jewish supreme court), mostly Sadducees because of their wealth.

The Sadduccees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, but the Pharisees did.

The Sadduccees would mock the Pharisees for that and that is why they disputed here because Paul used that to his benefit.

After this, The Lord come to the side of Paul and told him to take courage because he would go to Rome.....back in Paul’s letter to Rome that was his desire......... Romans 1:9-10 “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.”

The Lord Jesus assured Paul that he would witness at Rome.

A servant willing to go to all these places that despised Jesus and testify of Jesus as Lord and Savior!

Rome would not have been the place to go as a Christian, Nero was the emperor and he hated Christians.

He was an evil man and would eventually have Paul beheaded.

It is believed Nero set fire to his own city Rome, to blame it on the Christians and began a conquest to persecute all Christians.

To be called to Rome to be a witness to Jesus Christ would definitely be a death sentence, at the least it would mean severe persecution!

Paul, a willing servant of Jesus Christ! This report says a lot about Paul, but it says more about the message!

I think about our veterans and think about how great the idea of this republic and is worth fighting for, even to die for!

How much greater is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Paul’s devotion to the Gospel says a great deal about Paul but more about the Truth of Jesus Christ!

According to the actions of these apostles and Christians in the early times of the church, speaks volumes to the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It is the power of God unto salvation unto those that believe!

To those that truly believe, understand the importance of this Good News, it is important because has eternal consequences!

There is no other reason for living and that is what these servants knew and preached and taught everywhere, without fear!

This is maybe a little bit of a stretch, but I wanted to read Jesus’ prayer for the disciples in John 17:6-19......

The world hates them because of Jesus......Jesus said in John 15:18-19 “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”

These disciples were sanctified (set apart) by the truth of Jesus as the Son of God and Messiah,

They were set apart for the Father’s will just as Jesus was! \

Therefore the world hated them!

What does it take to go all out, to surrender all to the Gospel truth of Jesus?

Belief that the Gospel is the Power of God unto salvation, the only truth/reality that there is!

Think about how many missions we take on, but there is only on cause/mission that has eternal consequences!

The apostles, faithfully lived out their lives for Jesus’ sake, not worried about the physical outcome but faithfully, willingly to up the task!

This says a lot about the apostles, but to me it says more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ!