Serve like a King
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Into and Tension
Into and Tension
Series [Selfless Love]
Leading up to Easter | Greatest act of Sefless love world ever seen | to be selfess - we look at the one who was selfless.
even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
When Jesus said this - Completely counter cultural - Let’s look at why
Title: Serve like a King
*pray*
Big Preach - Stay with me - Going somewhere.
All way back to beginning - Genesis - God created everything - was good.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Image mean?
Hebrew = Se-Lem = Likeness
Gives us characteristics of God - to do what?
Have dominion = Rule - Cultivate - Make better - Spread His Character over teh world.
buuuut - we didn’t - Took apple - Knowledge of Good and Evil.
God punishes Man, Woman, Curses Serpant. Promises Someone to crush Satan.
Enter Old Testiment.
History mistakes + Sin - God turning toward Isreal - Isreal turning from God.
Yet - God sticks with them - Brings them out of Egypt - Gives promise land - Fights thier battles - Passes judgement on Sin.
One point - still wasn’t enough - Isreal wanted Human King to Rule.
Heard it said - God didn’t want Isreal to have a king - He did - Just didn’t want it out of wrong heart.
Deut says “You may set a king over you, whom YAWEH will CHOOOSE” - But what happened?
They wanted to choose.
But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
Sin was not wanting a king - Sin was motive being wanting a king.
They wanted a king to Judge them / fight their battles / and be like all nations - to blend in.
And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your king.
I think we have the same problem today;
These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.
We want to boast | To be King | Reminds me of someone
*lion King Video= I just want to be king*
We’ve traded serving for Spotlights
Humility for Heirachy
Serving others to serving ourselves - Why?
Because launched into a culture that does just that | Trained in it |
Made in image of God - to display characteristics of God.
Instead - follow our flesh - We rule like our flesh does - baited by the enemy, falling to our desired.
Flesh nature - bait of satan changes definition of how to “rule”
= Instea of Mercy, Forece.
Love, it was vengence
Instead of laying down our lives, it was protect it at all costs.
But God always wanted a different way - a Kingdom way
So what happens?
Kings get appointed - Good and Bad - Mainly Bad - All through Chronicles - Until Finally - No more kings.
Everyone had failed.
“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up.’ ”
Let him go up? Who? have to think about it
*Translation Story*
400 years of silence. no miracle,s no talking. nothing
Perspective = Your grandfathers, grandfahter heard nothing from God.
During this time;
Rome taking over | Supressing everyone | Isreal not allowed to Worship
until a guy
Judas Maccabeaus = Hammer of Jews = Gave religious Freedom - Many thought Messiah - Won by MIGHT - Turned out, wasn’t
Herod took over king | Not legitimate | Ruled with Iron Fist | Rome’s Puppet.
Then, A baby and a manger - Born in the Messy Middle.
God’s Perfect Image |
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
Not just Human who had been Given Dominion | but GOD - Left Heaven/divinity for Dust - to SHOW us how to RULE in HIS KINGDOM | What it really means | and to provide greatest act of selfless love
We are going to walk through some of his ministry, but let’s Fast forward.
John 13 - Jesus Public ministry ends, private starts.
Where are we? Upper room, just before Passover - hour has come.
During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God,
Notice; Judas had already decided to Betray = Jesus knows his.
And He NOW HAS AUTHORITY.
When I became Sales Manager - and I got the Authority
All through History | Adam and eve | Kings | King David, who used authrority to kill someone to cover up Sin.
Authority does funny things to people.
Now - Son of God KNOWS He has ALL AUTHORITY.
What does he do? Call down angels?
Gets up | Outer garment off | Takes towel, ties around waste - Pours water into basin, begins to wash disciples feet.
You know who dressed like that? Bondservants and Gentile Slaves.
Comes to Peter.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 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.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”
Completely counter-cultural to EVERYTHING THEY EVER KNEW ABOUT HOW A KING SHOULD RULE.
Peter - Not just my feet- ALL OF ME.
next bit interesting;
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.”
Why? Don’t need to be saved twice | Walk, get dirty - walk in dirty world - just have to wash your feet.
[Lords Prayer] - Forgive us our sins.
Jesus then says - you call me LORD and I AM - yet, I washed your feet - now you go and wash 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 want to reflect Jesus, Serve like THE King.
So what do we need to know (Super Practical)
Serving others is NEVER BENEATH YOU.
Think about Jesus;
Divinity serving Humanity | To say you can’t scrub a toilet, is to say your above GOD.
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,
Everyone wants to use BIG SPIRITUAL GIFTS | Start with Humility
2. Humility is a two way Street
Peter = No way = What is it? Pride
Somoene mowed our lawns…
3. There is always a blessing in Serving
Verse 17 - Blessed are those that do it.
Serving others takes time, compassion & Sacrifice | Root of Sefless love is choosing to SERVE another, and Jesus.
Serve out of Joy, obedience, but Always leads to a blessing
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
4. You’ve been given a gift to give
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
Listen;
Jesus served entire world by dying on cross | Defeated death hell, grave - took dominion over all heaven and earth.
Sent helper - HS to live inside you.
Every time deny flesh to act with force, hatred or vengence and choose to serve JESUS, Serve Others, Humble yourself;
you display a little bit of Heaven here on earth.
remember prayer; on earth, as it is in Heaven.
You have chance through Holy Spirit to show HEAVEN through Selfless love.
We Chance to show heaven through Selfless love - how?
Not by elevating yourself - by humbling yourself.
Sefless love is not a nice idea or cool tagline.
its the way you can
- give GLORY to the Father
Bless yourself
Advance God’s Kingdom
You’ve been given Authority by Jesus to display Jesus.
Started Beautifully | going to End Beauitfully,
it can be beautiful right here in the messy middle - by choosing to humbly serve one another.