Serving on Empty

Introduction

Well, good evening!

If you have a Bible, take it and open it with me to the Gospel of Mark. We’re still in the first chapter of this book.

And listen, if you would, as you turn there with me…let’s stand and read this passage together.

Starting in verse 29. It says this:

Mark 1:29–34 ESV

And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them. That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

Thank you, you can be seated.

[Prayer]

Listen, how do you respond when you're exhausted? Maybe its after a long day of work, or parenting, maybe it was school—what’s your first instinct when you get home?

Most of us, we look for rest, right?…a quiet room, a comfortable chair, maybe our phone, or a meal. But what happens when rest isn’t an option? What happens when the phone rings…or when a need pops up…when someone asks for help?

It’s in those moments…when we feel empty or drained…its in those moments where our willingness to serve is really tested, right?

If you’ve been with us as we’ve walked through Mark chapter 1, we’ve been introduced to the urgency and the intensity of Jesus’ ministry right from the beginning. Mark, he doesn’t waste any time. By verse 1, he’s declared that Jesus is the Son of God. By verse 11, Jesus, He’s already been baptized, affirmed by the Father. By verse 13, He’s been tempted in the wilderness. And then—immediately—He begins His public ministry: preaching the gospel, calling disciples, healing people.

And then in verses 21 through 28 (we looked at this last week), Jesus teaches with authority in the synagogue. He casts out an unclean spirit. People are amazed—not just by what He says, but by what He does. His fame starts to spread quickly. The momentum builds. The crowds are growing.

But then something very human happens—Jesus leaves the public eye and He enters a private home. That’s where our text begins today. And what we see here is something very powerful…something deeply challenging: Jesus continues to serve—even when it’s hard, even when it’s private, even when He’s exhausted.

We find Jesus at the end of a very long day. Again, He’s just preached in the synagogue, He’s cast out a demon…and now He enters a house—maybe finally a chance to rest. But instead of stopping, He keeps serving. He heals. He cares. He gives.

This passage, it shows us a Savior who doesn't serve out of convenience—but out of compassion. And if we wanna follow Him, we have to learn what it means to serve when it’s hard, when it’s private, when it’s draining…just like Him.

This isn’t just a story about miracles—it’s a picture of Jesus’ heart. And it’s a challenge to us as well. Because listen, following Jesus means learning to serve like Jesus. Not just when it’s easy, not just when we feel strong—but even when we don’t.

And so this evening, we’re gonna look at three different ways we see Jesus serve here in this passage—and we’re gonna look at what those things teach us about living a life of sacrificial love in today’s world…a life worthy of the gospel.

Our three points, if you’re taking notes:

Number 1, Serve in Private

Number 2, Serve When Drained

And then finally, Number 3, Serve People, Not Comfort

And so, if you’re there with me…let’s look at this first point together.

I. Serve in Private (vv. 29-31)

Point number 1, serve in private.

Look at verses 29 through 31 with me again:

Mark 1:29–31 ESV

And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

Again, if you were with us last week, Sam walked us through the last passage…and what we saw, it was Jesus in the public eye. He had just performed a very public miracle in the synagogue by casting out a demon…which of course astonished the crowd. It showed He had a supernatural kind of authority. His name was spreading around Galilee.

But notice what happens next—He leaves the public space and He enters a private home, the house of Simon (or Peter) and Andrew (his brother). The transition from public to private, it shows us something essential about Jesus here: His compassion, it wasn’t limited to just the crowds. He’s just as willing to serve behind closed doors as He is on center stage.

John Calvin, he wrote this about our passage, “Christ, by healing the mother-in-law of Peter, showed that no part of human life was beneath His attention.”

Jesus didn’t overlook the small, domestic situation just because He had done something grand in the synagogue. To Jesus, ministry in the home mattered just as much as ministry in the public square.

Mark tells us that Peter’s mother-in-law, she had a fever—possibly a serious one, because fevers in the first century, they were oftentimes life-threatening. And so, when the disciples brought the matter to Jesus, He didn’t hesitate. There wasn’t any dramatic performances—there wasn’t a show. All we see here is gentle, personal compassion. It says:

“And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her…”

There’s no spotlight here. No crowd. No applause. But there is ministry—faithful, powerful, personal ministry.

Matt Chandler put it this way: “Jesus doesn’t need a stage to show compassion. He’s just as present and powerful at your kitchen table as He is at the altar call.”

Jesus raises her up, and immediately, she begins to serve them (v. 31).

Some might see this as a secondary detail—but I think it’s super meaningful. Jesus’s healing wasn’t just physical restoration—it led to a renewed participation in community and service.

John Piper, he said: “Jesus doesn’t just save us from sickness or sin—He saves us for something: to join Him in service.”

That’s what we see here, right? Peter’s mother-in-law, she wasn’t healed just so she could lounge around in comfort. She was healed—and as a result, she served. That’s the pattern of grace: we’re saved to serve.

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Right? We’re saved for a purpose!

This scene (back in Mark), it should cause us to ask: Do we serve only when it’s seen, or are we willing to serve in private? Behind closed doors, in homes, in small conversations, with no audience—are we showing up like Jesus did?

Alistair Begg he challenges us: “The measure of your service to Christ, its not found in how you act when people are watching, its found in what you’re willing to do when no one else is.”

It’s easy to prepare for the platform. But Jesus prepares His people for the kitchen, for the hospital room, the quiet visit, the unseen burden.

Jesus models servant-hearted love in the small, unseen spaces. His ministry in Peter’s house, it reminds us that the most Christlike service, its oftentimes the least visible. He calls us to serve in private—when it’s just one person in need, when no one else is watching, when there’s no crowd to impress.

And so, let me ask you:

Are you willing to serve in the places where no one else sees but God?

We live in a culture that a lot of times equates significance with visibility. But Jesus shows us that some of the most powerful ministry happens in private—again in the home, around a sickbed, during a quiet conversation, in the simple act of prayer or encouragement.

Are you serving your family—your spouse, your children, your aging parents, those in your church family—are you serving them with the heart of Christ, even when it’s unseen or under-appreciated?

Are you faithful in the “small” things—hospitality, meal trains, text messages of encouragement, cleaning up after others—when no one else notices?

Do you see your home as a place of ministry, not just a place of escape?

One preacher said this (I can’t remember who it was):“God’s most glorified in us when we’re most satisfied in Him—not in public, but in the ordinary rhythms of life.”

True greatness in the kingdom of God isn’t measured by stage presence, its measured by servant presence—especially when it’s quiet, when its hidden, when its hard.

So this week, ask yourself: Where can I serve someone in private? Who needs a touch of Jesus’s compassion, not in public, but in personal ways?

And remember—Jesus sees every act of private obedience. What’s done in secret, He rewards (Matthew 6:4). The world may not applaud it. But heaven does. And listen, its not that we do it for reward…that’s not our motivation…We do it, because we’ve been served ourselves…we’ve been healed in the same ways Peter’s mother-in-law was…and guys, as a result of that changed life, we wanna serve like Christ.

But understand that Jesus does see you. He sees what you do! We serve for an audience of one! Amen?

And so, that’s the first point…serve in private, when no one else is watching.

II. Serve When Drained (vv. 32-33)

Point number 2, serve when drained.

Look at verse 32 and 33 with me again. It says this:

Mark 1:32–33 ESV

That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door.

This passage, it continues in this narrative, giving us a little more detail. It says, “That evening (so the same day) at sundown…” Why sundown? Why’s that so important? Because the day its specifying here, it was the Sabbath. And we know, Jewish law…they were prohibited from traveling…from healing until it ended. And so, the people waited…but when the sun dipped below the horizon, they came in droves.

Just imagine the scene for a second…Jesus, He’s already preached…He’s cast out a demon…He’s healed Peter’s mother-in-law…its been a full day, right? Most of us, we’d call that a job well done and just clock out…But not Jesus.

It says at sundown…and so, when the body naturally begins to kind of wind down, the demands on Jesus, they ramp up: “The whole city (it says) was gathered together at the door.”

John Calvin, he wrote this about our passage, “The Son of God submitted to be overwhelmed by a multitude, not for His own glory, but for the good of others.”

Jesus didn’t withdraw—even when He was physically drained. He welcomed the needy, He welcomed the weary to Himself.

Mark’s wording here, its intense: “all who were sick or oppressed,” “the whole city was gathered.” This isn’t a trickle of visitors—it’s a flood. Jesus was pressed in on all sides. Yet He didn’t turn them away. There’s no frustration in Him, no signs of irritation.

Matt Chandler, he says,“Exhaustion is not a sin. But it’s often the context where real ministry happens.”

Jesus was truly human—He grew tired (John 4:6), He needed rest (Mark 6:31), and yet here, He chooses compassion over comfort, again and again.

And this is a vital truth for us: Real ministry happens on the margins of our strength. It's rarely neat or scheduled. People’s needs don’t wait until we’re rested. And Christ shows us: loving others often means us giving out of weakness.

Listen, serving when drained, its not a sign of poor boundaries—it’s a sign of Spirit-filled compassion. Jesus isn’t enslaved to the crowds, but He is fully surrendered to the Father’s will and He’s deeply moved by human suffering.

One preacher said: “The example of Christ is not to crush us, but to compel us—to lay down our lives for others, even when it hurts.”

Jesus doesn't collapse from exhaustion in this moment, but He does feel the weight of His calling—a weight He’ll carry all the way to the cross. This scene, its just a preview of Calvary: a Savior surrounded by desperate people, offering Himself without hesitation.

“Love, its the overflow of joy in God that gladly meets the needs of others—even when it costs us.”

Listen, we all have limits, right?—and there’s nothing wrong with rest (Jesus Himself, He retreats to pray in verse 35…We see in Scripture our need to rest). But the default of the flesh, its to reserve our energy for ourselves…But listen, the call of Christ, the call He places on our life, its to pour ourselves out for others.

Let me ask:

Do we only serve when it fits our energy level, or when it fits God’s timing?

Are we available to people when we feel spent—or do we hide behind busyness or burnout?

When we’re tired, do we still move toward need—or do we retreat from it?

Yes, we need boundaries. But guys, we can’t use boundaries to excuse indifference. Jesus shows us that love doesn’t wait for ideal conditions. Ministry often shows up when you’re already tired.

Jesus served when others would have said, “That’s enough.” His body was weary, but His heart was full. He shows us what it looks like to live not from our own strength, but from the compassion of the Spirit and the mission of God.

So when you’re tired and tempted to shut down—remember the Savior who kept the door open. And remember that you’ve been called to the same kind of work.

Serve others even when you’re drained.

III. Serve People, Not Comfort (v. 34)

Point number 3...serve people, not comfort.

Verse 34:

Mark 1:34 ESV

And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

And so again, after a long, very exhausting day, Jesus doesn't pull away—He continues to serve:

It says, “He healed many…He cast out many demons.”

Mark’s repetition here, of the word “many,” its significant. The need was overwhelming, and yet we see Jesus meet those needs.

And listen, I love the twist we here. It says:

“He would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.”

These details, they reveal something very important: Jesus wasn’t driven by fame or comfort. He didn’t allow demons to declare who He was because their version of recognition, it would just distort His mission. He wasn’t seeking attention—He was seeking to obey the Father and rescue people, one by one.

In his commentary, John Calvin wrote: “Christ was unwilling that His glory should be proclaimed by the mouths of the wicked, nor would He allow His kingdom to be advanced by the noise of devils.”

Jesus, He’s laser-focused on the Father’s plan. He refuses to take to shortcuts. He chooses people over personal comfort, obedience over applause.

In a moment like this, it would’ve been very easy for Him to settle into popularity. The crowds adored Him. People were amazed. Demons—even in their rebellion—recognized His authority. But Jesus doesn't let comfort dictate His course, right?

And that’s the thing with comfort. Comfort’s one of the great enemies of gospel movement. The second we build our ministry around safety, we’ve stopped following Jesus.

If we’re honest, we’re constantly tempted to shape our lives around ease—around comfortable routines, risk-free relationships, service that fits neatly into our calendars. But that’s not the way Jesus models things for us.

Every healing we see in this account, it cost Jesus something: time, energy, presence, compassion. He gave and he gave and he gave—not because it was easy, but because He loved people more than He loved His own comfort.

I mean just let that sit for a moment.

This is the gospel-shaped pattern of life that we’re called to: not self-preservation, but self-giving.

The call to follow Jesus is a call to die—to die to safety, die to comfort, die to the self-sovereignty that we all crave.

I mean this verse, it forces us to examine our own lives: what actually shapes our service?

Are we willing to follow Christ when it costs us rest, or our reputation, or our routine?

Do we silence compassion because we fear inconvenience?

Are we more driven by people’s needs or by our need to feel secure?

Alistair Begg puts it this way: “If your Christianity costs you nothing, it’s worth exactly what you’ve paid for it.”

Jesus served people—not comfort, not convenience, not fame. And guys, as His followers, we’re called to live the same way.

That doesn’t mean we never rest. But listen, it does mean that comfort, it can’t be our god. We serve a Savior who gave Himself to the cross. And so for that reason, we can give ourselves to others. Amen?

Jesus could’ve chosen comfort. He could’ve soaked in the fame. But He didn’t. He chose people. He chose obedience. He chose the hard road that led to your salvation and mine.

And so the question’s pretty simple…its personal: Are you serving Jesus—or are you serving your own comfort?

Because in the kingdom of God, love always chooses people over ease. And that’s exactly why Jesus says in Matthew 4:19:

Matthew 4:19 ESV

“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men (or fishers of people).”

Or in Mark 12 where He gives us the greatest commandment.

Mark 12:29–31 ESV

Jesus answered (when asked, “What’s the greatest commandment.”) , “The most important is [this], ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ [And] the second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Are you loving your neighbor…are you loving each other in the same ways you do yourself?

Closing

Listen, we’ve walked through a day in the life of Jesus. From synagogue to sickbed to a city gathered at the door, Jesus served relentlessly.

He served in private. He served when drained. He served people—not His own comfort.

And so, the challenge comes to us:

Will you serve like Jesus—even when it’s exhausting?

That means serving in your home, when no one sees or says thank you. It means stepping toward people when you feel worn out or when you’d rather withdraw. It means putting aside your comfort—your schedule, your convenience, your preferences—so that others can be loved, and lifted, so they can be led to Christ.

Guys, you won’t just drift into this kind of life. It’ll cost you something. This is what it means to follow Jesus: to live a cross-shaped life of daily, sacrificial service. Not because it’s easy—but because it’s what He’s done for us.

And hear this clearly: This call to serve, it doesn’t start with your strength—it starts with grace.

Because before you were ever called to serve Jesus, He served you.

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” —Mark 10:45

The same Jesus who healed Peter’s mother-in-law, who touched the sick, who cast out demons—that same Jesus went to the cross for you.

He bore your sin. He carried your shame. He took the wrath you deserved. And He rose again so that you could have forgiveness, and freedom, and eternal life.

You don’t earn that by working harder or serving more. You receive it by faith—by trusting in Jesus Christ as your Savior and King.

Listen, we don’t serve to get love—we serve because we’ve been loved.

Let His love fill you. Let His example shape you. Let His Spirit empower you to serve—when no one sees, when you’re exhausted, when it costs you something.

Because that’s how He served you.

Amen?

Let’s pray!