Serve Selflessly

Exhortation: Serve Selflessly

Jesus Christ, the Ultimate Servant of the Almighty God

We are not born again just as children of God, but also as servants of God and His bondslaves of love. Just as Jesus, the greatest servant of all, came to serve, we are born again in Him to also serve selflessly. Although Christ was God’s only Son, He was also His Father’s beloved Servant sent to carry out His Father’s will on earth. The Bible says Christ was formed, chosen,

and raised by His Father as His beloved, righteous, and obedient Servant in whom the Father delighted.

Isaiah 49:5–6 (NKJV)

5“And now the Lord says, Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, So that Israel is gathered to Him (For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, And My God shall be My strength),

Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”

Matthew 12:18 NKJV

18 “Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.

Acts 3:26 NKJV

26 To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”

Isaiah 42:1 NKJV

1 “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.

Isaiah 53:11 NKJV

11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.

Jesus is the Ultimate Servant!

Jesus Christ, the Ultimate Servant of the Almighty God

We are not born again just as children of God, but also as servants of God and His bondslaves of love. Just as Jesus, the greatest servant of all, came to serve, we are born again in Him to also serve selflessly. Although Christ was God’s only Son, He was also His Father’s beloved Servant sent to carry out His Father’s will on earth. The Bible says Christ was formed, chosen, and raised by His Father as His beloved, righteous, and obedient Servant in whom the Father delighted.

Philippians 2:5–8 NKJV

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

To Serve Selflessly Like Jesus Takes a Different Mindset!

Jesus served His Father perfectly through His absolute obedience, and He served humanity selflessly by offering Himself up as the Lamb sacrificed to bring them redemption. All believers are commanded to have the same mind as Christ, and we, too, as God’s bondservants, must humbly obey God in selfless service even to the laying down of our lives As Jesus was a light to the world, we are also His light to the world so the people may receive salvation. That’s a very different mindset from the world!

John 12:23–26 NLT

23 Jesus replied, “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. 24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. 25 Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. 26 Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.

We Need That Servant Mindset to Be a True Follower!

The only way to serve Jesus Christ is to follow

Him in His servanthood. We must be where He is to the point of laying down our lives; we must not love our life in this world but love Him. Without servanthood, we lack the perfection of Christ in heaven.

Philippians 2:6–7 (NKJV)

who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,

but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

Jesus Became a Bondservant!

The word bondservant in Greek is the word doulos. Doulos has the meaning of being a slave, bondman, man of servile condition; one who gives himself up to another’s will in service, or one who is devoted to

another to the disregard of one’s own interests.

This is the definition from Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology: In the New Testament, doulos is frequently used to designate a master’s

slave (one bound to him) but also a follower of Christ (a “bondslave” of

Christ). As Christ was a bondslave to God to do His will by abandoning His own, we are Christ’s bondslaves to serve selflessly and sacrificially. We’ll continue this next week