Identity - Who am I? I am a servant.
Notes
Transcript
GREET EVERYONE-
GOOD MORNING -
Loved Ones
Jesus Followers
Saints -
Heirs and Co-Heirs of the Kingdom of God
Good Morning Adopted Sons and Daughters of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Good Morning Elected Chosen ones.
If I have not had a chance to meet you; My name is Scott and I am a follower of Jesus and have the privilege of serving Him as the Lead Pastor among the people of Stonewater Fellowship.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
BABY BOTTLES -
TRUTH -
FAITH COME BY HEARING AND HEARING BY THE WORD -
LETS LISTEN TO THE WORD OF GOD!
16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”
26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”
5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
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? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 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. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
PRAYER FOR THIS MESSAGE
is that as we continue exposing what Jesus says about our Identity -
What Jesus says we are and how we are to self Identify - that we would come to understand all that we are claiming when we say “ I am a Christian”
That when we say “I am a christian”
We understand and we walk in the identity of
I am a believer - a Truster of God - The God of the Bible. I believe and Trust the Finished work of Jesus and in HIS resurrection as the ONLY two things that can be done to repair my broken relationship with God - I believe and trust to Such an extend that I have surrendered and continually surrender to His lordship becasue I trust that He came to give me life and abundant life -
When We say I am a Christian A Jesus Follower
I am saying that I am a part of His body - Locked in this living reality of His body for the purpose of Collectively Glorifying Him, Advancing His Gospel and Kingdom as we love each other and the world.
The When We say I am a Christian that we Identify as a Follower of Jesus - A disciple - Fooling our teacher in His very footsteps - and what that means is that we Follow Jesus into His very nature of Love and His central activity of forgiveness.
This morning when we say that we are Christian - That we are part of that Group that belongs to Jesus - Holy and separated out of the world for the very propose of representing Jesus and Making Him know. We wold add and Identifyer fro Jesus himself to our labels of self identification.
and that is one of a salve!
TENSION
This morning I believe that God would have us step into the message of His word that He has for us this morning in a little different order than what He usually has us do.
and That is to identify a possible Major Problem that we all have when it comes to Being Identified as Christian or as Christians as Believers.
That Problem is that we sometimes find ourselves loving the awesome - self affirming - new powerful - The positional identity that Jesus gives us.
We heard some of those this morning - as we said Good morning to each other -
Loved Ones
Saints -
Heirs and Co-Heirs of the Kingdom of God
Adopted Sons and Adopted Daughters of the King
Elected and Chosen ones.
Identity labels of Royalty -
Identity labels of recipients of inheritance
Identity of assurance and Son ship
Identity labels of close loving position
Identity labels of preferred selection over others
Chosen and Elect
There are others - That i did not mention this morning.
Anointed - Temple of God - The dwelling place of the Holy Spirit -
Gifted - by His Spirit and by His Power
God’s workmanship
New Creatures
Priests
I could go on!
I think it is so easy to love those labels of Identity and really easy to take them on as self identifying monikers that we are totally immersed in them and driven by them and feel a sense of empowerment and maybe entitlement by them.
Listen Church - Don’t miss understand what the Spirit of God is telling all of us this morning.
If you are Born again unto new life by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit - A new creature in Christ - Saved from the very wrath of God - Made alive in Christ, saved by grace through God given faith even though your were once dead in your trespasses and Sin - If that is you -
Then all those identifiers are true of you.
You are empowered by His Spirit and you are entitled due to His adoption of you.
And many of us need to walk those out in a much more God glorifying way.
BUT you see there is another Identifying label that we must wear -
It is a label that i don't think has gotten much press in the modern christian world here in the west -
In fact at worst I think most people don’t even know this is the primary label that we must not only take on we must live out.
or at best it is a label that we just don't like and so we move it way way way in the back = So far that we don't even think about it.
and that label is servant -
or better translated
SLAVE -
So as we continue to carry the name Christian and Identify as such - We must understand that under the identifier of Christian lays the Identifier Servant/slave.
I think the reason we don't like this one is becasue its not very self affirming -
It is not very empowering , In fact it is a term that seems to take away power -
A terms that would indicate one could never act on their entitlement.
The problem is that if we don't take that identifying label as the first identifier as Jesus did we will miss use and twist the other labels and life a life that no where looks like Jesus.
This is why the Apostle Paul - in
Romans
Philippians
Titus
Philemon
James - Jesus half brother and church leader in His letter
Peter in His second letter.
Jude in His letter
and John - The Best friend of Jesus
All of these would Identify them selves as Slaves of Jesus.
Why? Because Jesus had authority over their whole life.
God says through His words
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
The depth of that Scripture is this -
Is we confess - Which simply means agree -
If we agree with God - That Jesus - The Risen Eternal Jesus that is defined and described in both the Old and The New Testaments -
If that Jesus is LORD.
in the New testament - the word LORD means Master - Decider of Life and Death -
If some one is master of your life to the point of deciding not only how you live and die but if you live or die without recourse or appeal - They have all authority.
And when they have all authority - When they are master - who Every is under that Authority - is servant/Slave.
Everyone -
UNPACKING
This is the cool part about Jesus -
Unlike Every other so called leader of ANYTHING RESEMBLING Spiritual.
Jesus modeled if for us -
He spoke it -
16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”
HE then codified it and personally identified with it.
26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
This is why Paul says that Jesus
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
You see Jesus gives us the freedom to serve - He does not force us with tyrannical rule like other have He motivates us becasue of His love for us and what He has done -
Jesus sets us free to become slaves of Him - Slaves and servants of His - Slaves of Righteousness.
So we Choose to be last - We choose to serve becasue Jesus served His father.
Our hear beat must be this -
if you read the new testament what you will find is you will find this heartbeat of those who were followers of Jesus -
They Loves and were devoted to one onother and to Jesus and they Served -
They Served Jesus - They consideriered it all Joy to serve Jesus becasue of who Jesus us and what Jesus had done. -
They Served Jesus in such a way as to please Him - Not becasue He was master although He was -
not to gain any fovors quid pro quoes -
But the people in the church - Serve Jesus, Identify them selves as such and they do so in such a way as to Please Jesus the master.
46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”
Here is what Jesus has Just Said -
Sustaining the storms of life is not about what you know or even about facts that you agree with - Being sustained in the storms of this life are about Following Me - Living the life I have for you to live.
We must live to please our master -
By the very words of Jesus in and through the Scriptures- If you are not living a surrendered life to Jesus - You should be very very concerned about the state of your soul.
and SO we live in the footsteps of Jesus -
That leads us to the question - HWo does this servanthood live out?
Jesus again would give us an example
5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
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? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 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. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
Here is what is happening in this narrative -
Peter - The one follower of Jesus with His foot constantly in His mouth - Is watching Jesus - After the last supper - This is hours before Jesus is arrested and taken to be crucified -
Jesus is watching Jesus do the unthinkable for a leader - He is watching Jesus take his clothes off -
Revealing his underwear - and wrap a towl around HIs waist -
and not only is this breaking an unwritted rule of hierarchies but it is uncormfortable for Pweter.
Jesus begins to wash feet - Something that would normally be done by a servant and at the arrival of guests not after dinner.
Peter sees that Jesus is intending on waching His feet and in a moment of pride says “oh no ya dont”
Jesus says “if I dont then you are out” if you done let me be who I am to you a servant - Then I am not you Lord -
Peter says alright then - wash all of me -
Jesus says - Thats not it - Pay attention!
Now Jesus wasnt primarily washing their feet becasue they were dirty -
Jesus was using dirty feet as a way of giving and example and teaching by doing -
Jesus then says in vs 12-17 - Look here is the deal - I am Master and Teacher of you all and yet I washed your feet - I took on a role that was the role of a servant -
Jesus then says do this to each other - and then says if you are taught it and if you are m servants then do it to each other.
Jesus then Lays down the Paradigm of a servant - Servant is not above the Master
Messenger above the one who sent Him -
You see Jesus was about to send these guys out on a world changing, Culture Shifting - Societal defining mission - with THE message of Hope and they needed to understand what it was to serve -
Jesus then lays down the promise -
Do this and you will be Blessed - Blessed - The same word that means Abundant Joy -
Serve Jesus - and have Abundant Joy!
And there are no limits to what area of our life that Jesus is calling us to serve Him with -
You see there is an area of our life that communicates service more than time does -
more than talent does -
That is Treasure -
The Reason that Treasure communicates more about being a servant/slave of Jesus is becasue of what Jesus says:
Jesus says that Where you treasure is - what you place the monetary provision that God gives you into - There your heart is also
The reason that treasure speaks more to being a servant/slave of Jesus more than anything else -
It’s is a true indicator of where your desires and passions are -
Treasure is one of the most effective ways to begin a discipleship relationship with another person - Invest in them time - Invest in them talents and invest in them treasures -
The Treasure is the investment piece that invests in eternity!
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Why invest in heaven? - Why serve? - Why love others by serving? Why willingly and joyfully submit to Jesus our master as His bond Servant?
Why do we live in such a way that is pleasing to him?
Why are we servants and bond servants and willful and joyful slaves of His?
Because He loves us and Gave himself - all of himself for us and we Live in such a way that responds to His overwhelming love -
A way that looks forward and anticipates being with Him when this life is over and reigning and ruling with Him forever when he Return -
Because He loves us we desire to hear those words -
21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
AS MALLORY AND OUR WORSHIP ARTS TEAM
APPLICATION OR IMAGINE
So we return to Identity -
I am A christian -
Which Means -
I am a Believer - Someone who Trusts God - I Trust that God is ONE - I trust that the Bible is the Word of God - I Trust that All have sinned - Borken in relationship with God - In desperate need for God to reconcile us back to Him Self - I trust the the finished work of Jesus on the Cross by His death paid the penality for me and anyone who turns their life over to HIm - by the Gift of Faith and the power of God Grace and is saved - I trust that when people are regenerated they are God’s workmanship, Created in Christ Jesus for Good works that God pre planned - I trust that Jesus was raised form the dead and concurred death for everyone who trust in Him.
I am A part of His Body - His assembled Body - SO I show up to assemble in large and small assembly - As Part of His body I have a role to play in His body as a reciepiant of His Gifts - As a part of His body I use My Gifts for His glory and for the building of His Kingdom. TO see lost saved and Jesus build HIs church.
Follow Jesus - Follow in His Foot Steps - Into HIs love and Into His Forgiveness
Slaves - 1st and foremost - Taking the washing of Jesus to the World - Representing Him and Making HIm known to the world - Doing as the Master did and taking the message of the one who sent us.
PRAYER TEAM!
MATT AND CARLEY!
