A Serving Savior
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Palm Sunday is the day of celebration of the recognition of Jesus as our Lord. Palm Sunday was possible not because Jesus was a Lord that ruled over His people and demanded of them their loyalty. In fact it was the exact opposite. Palm Sunday happened because Jesus was a humble servant. Jesus was put on a cross because He served all around him. Jesus cared about the least of these and served all people. Palm Sunday is not a celebration of a King who overthrew the Roman government but is rather a celebration of a King with a heart to serve. Jesus fulfilled the law and the prophets, not by bringing an army to overthrow governments, but by using a humble heart to overthrow the power of the world. Palm Sunday is a reminder for us that we have a Serving Savior. The Pharisees and Sadducee’s plotted against Jesus because he disrupted their very livelihood. Jesus would have been rewarded and even encouraged if He came in and built an army and told them they would overthrow Rome, instead though Jesus had a vision for changing the hearts and eternities of those around him. Jesus did not care about changing their temporary position but their eternal position. Today we will be in Philippians 2:5-11
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. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
In this Scripture we will see three aspects of our Serving Savior. First Jesus was a Humble Servant, Second He was an Active Servant, and Third He was An Elevated Servant.
A Humble Servant
A Humble Servant
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.
Could you imagine being the most powerful person walking the face of the planet and yet holding yourself as lower than everyone else? Picture this, Jesus is at the beginning in creation when man is created.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
26 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.”
Although Jesus was the same form as God He was Humble on this earth. Look at the Scripture in reference to Jesus.
51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.
While Jesus physical body was formed in the Virgin womb of Mary, His spirit had been from the beginning. From the beginning of time Jesus was here with humanity, He then came to earth. Could you imagine how he could have spoken to any elder giving Him guidance? Yeah man I appreciate your advice and all but I was here when your great, great, great, great, grandpa was born. I’ve also see some of the stupid things you have done so I’m just going to do things my way. That is not the Jesus we worship though is He? He is a humble man. Jesus was born into a manger, lived the life of a normal man, suffered pain as a human being, and died a sinners death although he had never sinned. That is the humility of our Jesus. How is your humility? Do you serve in humility making all others as more important than yourself?
Walter Cronkite recalls the following incident: Sailing back down the Mystic River in Connecticut and following the channel's tricky turns through an expanse of shallow water, I am reminded of the time a boatload of young people sped past us here, its occupants shouting and waving their arms. I waved back a cheery greeting and my wife said, "Do you know what they were shouting?" "Why, it was 'Hello, Walter,'" I replied. "No," she said. "They were shouting, "Low water, Low water.'" Such are the pitfalls of fame's egotism.
Our Savior was foremost humble. He considered you as more important than Himself. You and I were more important to Him than His own life. How can that be? How could one be so in love with pure strangers that He gives His life for them even when they do nothing but show their animosity towards Him? Humility is the heart in which Jesus lived and calls us to live. As we observe Holy Week this week it starts first with Humility. Look at the Humility of Jesus, He even rode in on a Donkey and not on a Majestic horse as he could have. What does the Scripture tell us about humility?
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Jesus did not come with the anticipation of Gold, or Silver, instead He came into Jerusalem and found ways to serve others. Jesus life was about making others more important than himself. If we are to be little Christs’ we must learn to serve in humility. Jesus was not simply Humble, He was active.
An Active Servant
An Active Servant
Not only was Jesus a Humble servant, He was an Active Servant. Jesus did not wait for things to happen He set out every day to Honor God. Jesus spent His days and sent His Disciples out to find areas to serve. Look at what the Scripture says:
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. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Jesus served, He was active in God’s plan for His life. Jesus humbled Himself then began serving in the way that the Father called Him to serve. Often times we are ok with being servants as long as God send us exactly what He wants us to do or who He wants us to serve. Very few people go out of their way to seek areas to serve. The life of Jesus on this earth was drastically different then He sent His disciples. Are you seeking areas of serving. Are you waiting until Sunday to serve? How are you serving in your Home, Neighborhood, Schools, and workplaces? We must first be humble and understand that God has called us to serve others. Then we must be active in serving others. It is easy to serve others that we love or want to be around. We are called to seek out ways to serve others that are not in our close circle. Jesus was very active in His world seeking out ways to serve others. We must act
Several years ago, I heard the story of Larry Walters, a 33-year-old man who decided he wanted to see his neighborhood from a new perspective. He went down to the local army surplus store one morning and bought forty-five used weather balloons. That afternoon he strapped himself into a lawn chair, to which several of his friends tied the now helium-filled balloons. He took along a six-pack of beer, a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, and a BB gun, figuring he could shoot the balloons one at a time when he was ready to land.
Walters, who assumed the balloons would lift him about 100 feet in the air, was caught off guard when the chair soared more than 11,000 feet into the sky -- smack into the middle of the air traffic pattern at Los Angeles International Airport. Too frightened to shoot any of the balloons, he stayed airborne for more than two hours, forcing the airport to shut down its runways for much of the afternoon, causing long delays in flights from across the country.
Soon after he was safely grounded and cited by the police, reporters asked him three questions:
"Where you scared?" "Yes."
"Would you do it again?" "No."
"Why did you do it?" "Because," he said, "you can't just sit there."
The reason that people laid down their coats and waived Palm branches for Jesus was because He served them. Jesus was active and sought out ways to serve. Often times we are too busy to serve others and we will do so at church as our obligation but I challenge you. Take this next week and see what ways you can serve others. What does the Scripture tell us about being active in serving others?
13 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.
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.”
45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
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.
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Quit sitting there and expecting God to do great things, get active in the things that God is doing around you. Seek out ways to serve others and do your best to outdo each other in doing good. Jesus was a Humble servant, He was an Active Servant, and this resulted in Him being an Elevated Servant.
An Elevated Servant
An Elevated Servant
The result of Jesus’ humility and active service was that God has elevated Him. Read the scripture. Philippians 2:9-11
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Palm Sunday was just the beginning of the ascribed Worship Jesus would receive. Jesus was active in serving the Father and doing so led Him to the cross. After the Cross Jesus would then be elevated and seated at the right hand of the Father. I have to tell you that it is cool being looked up to on earth and it is nice to get the accolades. I don’t want any of those though. You know what I am looking for? I want God to say that He is proud of the work I accomplished. I want to put my treasures on the fire and see all of it survive. I want to see others lives changed and their families to succeed. I want this even if it means more of my time, more of my energy, more of my money. I want to be Elevated by God. The only way to be elevated by God is to make yourself a servant here on earth. You see Satan went the opposite way and so many people go the same way. They want to be elevated now. They want to feel great about themselves now, they want the rewards now, they want things that wont last. They seek their own gain at the expense of others and do not care to seek the humility and active servitude that God calls us too. Where are you? Are you in a life of wanting to be elevated now or seek your own benefit? Are you seeking to make others more important, elevating them and their needs above your own?
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Are you seeking to honor God? Your actions now determine where your heart is and the things you desire.
21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.
27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.
Those who humble themselves and serve others making others more important than themselves will receive great rewards. I will close with this story:
I often share stories of my kids and how they do something bad or how me or their mother react to something. Today I get to share a moment that I am so proud of. Our kids will often times get little surprises from my wife, whether it be a toy, candy, something that makes them feel special. It never fails though when we do so if we do not get the exact same thing for the boys or one gets a little more than the other an argument breaks out. The other day the kids all got some candy. The younger ones went to open their candy and it went all over the floor. No problem if its dad right? 5 second rule applies all is good. Mom though never lets them eat off the floor. They were required to throw their candy away. Rhaynee spent all afternoon at the store and was too tired to go back. Hunter saw that his brothers were sad and He split his candy with them knowing that they would get more later and likely would not share with him like he shared with them. I was so proud of him in that moment. Guess what dads get to do when their kids do something like that? That’s right, Hunter rode with me to help me unload some trash and I took him for some extra candy and a drink. He did so well and I was so proud of him that I gave him more because of his love for his brothers.
This is the same way the kingdom of Heaven will be like. If you spend your time focusing on yourself and what you want, you will likely get the things here and you will experience an enjoyment of those things. They however will not make it when the world is destroyed. If you spend your time helping and blessing others and seeking to honor God. Your reward in Heaven will be great. We serve a Savior who was a Humble Servant, An Active Servant, and is now an Elevated Servant. Do you seek the same thing?
