The Importance of Maintaining a Servant Attitude
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
Text - Luke 17.7-10
7 “Now which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him after he comes in from the field, ‘Come immediately and recline at the table to eat’?
8 On the contrary, will he not say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink’?
9 He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he?
10 So you too, when you do all the things which were commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’ ”
Title - The Importance of Maintaining a Servant Attitude
Background
Background
The parable
the parable shows how a master and servant properly relates to one another in real life
the master gives instructions and the servant simply obeys
the master does have to return the favor by attending to the servant’s need
the servant does not have the expectation of being served by the master, except to keep serving
The purpose of the parable
Jesus gives this parable in relation to the instructions he gave earlier (Luke 17.1-6) concerning forgiveness - Luke 17.3-6
3 Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
4 And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
6 But the Lord said, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you.
“be on guard”
“rebuke your brother if he sins”
“forgive your brother if he repents”
“have faith”
The message of the parable
rebuking a sinning brother and forgiving a repentant brother is a Christian duty
admittedly, it is easier to rebuke (out of anger) that to forgive
it is even harder to forgive repeat offenses
it takes faith to do so (forgive)
This is our Christian duty - this is how we are supposed to live
when we do this, we are at best “unworthy servants”
to declare oneself as “unworthy servant” is an expression of a servant attitude who -
understands his duty
does not expect a reward for doing what he is supposed to do
The main idea
The main idea
Many churchgoers have the wrong idea that everything we do as Christians entitles us to rewards -
going to church
doing ministry
attending meetings and fellowships
taking care of one another
It is the twisted psychology of modern life -
entitled children - they help in the house for rewards
entitled students - they study for the sake of awards
entitled workers - they do their job description and expect more than their pay
True servants in the church are becoming fewer and fewer because more and more christians are giving in to the modern concept that Christian life is all about enjoyment, and if you are not “having the time of your life” then you are not living the christian life.
note - the prodigal son spent all his share of state in parties while his brother worked hard in their father’s house
Having the servant attitude is important for a number of reasons
it reminds us of the true purpose of this life
it humbles us
it teaches us to wait
The true purpose of this present life is to please God, not ourselves!
The true purpose of this present life is to please God, not ourselves!
In the parable of the vine and the branches Jesus said - John 15.8
8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
In the book of Revelation, John heard these words in heaven - Re 4.11
11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”
KJV says - “…and for Thy pleasure the are and were created”
the grk word is “thelema” - the will of God is the seat of both His pleasure and His purpose
Paul says to the Philippians in Phil 2.13
13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to desire and to work for His good pleasure.
the life that we have as believers is God’s creation
the life that we have as believers is God’s creation
those who are in Christ are God’s new creation - 2 Corinthians 5:17 “17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
we are God’s workmanship - Ephesians 2:10 “10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
This is what Paul was teaching in Ephesians 2.1-10 / Eph 2.4-10
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 so that in the ages to come He might show the boundless riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
verse 3 shows how God worked salvation in us -
He made us alive together with Christ
He raised us up with Christ
He seated us with Christ in the heavenly realm
verse 4 declares the purpose of God’s work
so that in the ages to come He might show the boundless riches of His grace
verse 10 shows what we are and what we are supposed to accomplish for God
we are His workmanship
we are supposed to live a life full of good works as God has purposed
in other words - God worked in us so that we will work for Him
Humility is Christ-like
Humility is Christ-like
Humility is the most Christlike of all Christian virtues
Jesus began his sermon on the mount with these words - Matthew 5.3
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus was the suffering servant prophesied in Isaiah 53
Jesus declares this of Himself - Matthew 20.28
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
How? Humility brings us to the place of a servant - like Jesus
How? Humility brings us to the place of a servant - like Jesus
He emptied Himself by taking the form of servant - Philippians 2.7
7 but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men.
How? Humility positions us to become obedient - like Jesus did - Phil 2.8
How? Humility positions us to become obedient - like Jesus did - Phil 2.8
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross.
Waiting on God allows God to do as He pleases!
Waiting on God allows God to do as He pleases!
Learning to wait is the true sevant’s first lesson.
waiting is not idle time
waiting is being ready to receive instruction
waiting is being ready to go into action as soon as the command is given
Jesus demonstrated this to us - John 5.19
19 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in the same way.
Waiting on God means our priority is God’s will not ours
Waiting on God means our priority is God’s will not ours
Waiting on God means we want God to have the preeminence over our life
Waiting on God means we want God to have the preeminence over our life
Waiting on God we are ready to act on His instructions
Waiting on God we are ready to act on His instructions
Like Israel in the wilderness - they only moved when the pillar of fire moved!
Like young Samuel - he learned to wait on God, “speak Lord for your servant hears.”
Conclusion
Conclusion
Doing something in church does not automatically indicate having the servant attitude!
Some do things in church because they like it
Some do things in church out of human obligation
Paul exemplified true servanthood when he said this - 1 Cor 9:13-18
13 Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? 14 So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.
15 But I have used none of these things. And I have not written these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than that. No one shall make my boast an empty one! 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, for I am under compulsion; for woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. 17 For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a commission nonetheless. 18 What, then, is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
he did not use his rights as a minister of God
he did not look at ministry as a sources of pride
He did not preach the gospel for the reward
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