Marks of a Godly Servant - A Loyal Servant
Marks of a Godly Servant • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Intro
Intro
Last week we spoke about the first mark of a Godly servant…
The Mark of Faithfulness to a task…
We concluded that 4 attributes made up this faithful servant:
A faithful servant is a gift (I believe one of the blessings God gave Abraham in verse 1, was this faithful servant to accomplish a monumental task)
A faithful servant has a history of trustworthiness (Abraham put this man in charge of “all that he had” - Abraham took it a step further and gave specific details to what he needed done. The faithful servant can handle the details and not complain because more instruction is given.)
A faithful servant keeps his word (This servant swore to Abraham and did as he swore)
A faithful servant shares his master’s vision (He wouldn’t have been successful had he shared his master’s vision on what and how this task should be accomplished)
Today we look into the second mark of a Godly Servant…
The Mark of Loyalty…
We majored on the fact that Abraham’s servant was faithful to his task by being trustworthy, a man of his word and sharing his master’s vision for how to accomplish the task…
Today we focus on his loyalty to Abraham…
There is a difference between someone who is a hard worker that can be trusted to get the job done and someone who is loyal…
Loyalty is a step further into faithfulness…
I believe loyalty was the catalyst to Eliezer accomplishing this monumental task the way he did...
Illustration:
John Kenneth Galbraith was a noted economist in the early 1900s who was called upon by many dignitaries to help sort the economic markets. He wrote the following story in his autobiography about his housekeeper:
“It had been a wearying day, and I asked Emily to hold all telephone calls while I had a nap. Shortly thereafter the phone rang. Lyndon Johnson was calling from the White House. ‘Get me Ken Galbraith. This is Lyndon Johnson.’ ‘He is sleeping, Mr. President. He said not to disturb him.’ ‘Well, wake him up. I want to talk to him.’ ‘No, Mr. President. I work for him, not you.’ When I called the President back, he could scarcely control his pleasure. ‘Tell that woman I want her here in the White House.’”
Emily the housekeeper understood an important truth—she was a servant to one man and obeyed his wishes explicitly. Her loyalties were to Mr. Galbraith alone. What a great example of a true servant.
Faithfulness is doing what is right…
Loyalty is staying with who is right…
Faithfulness ministers to the what…
Loyalty ministers to the who…
1. The Loyal Servant Serves with Absolute Allegiance
1. The Loyal Servant Serves with Absolute Allegiance
In the 67 verses of chapter 24, Abraham’s servant is referred to as “servant” or he says, “My master” referring to Abraham 34 times...
It was unmistakable where the allegiance of this servant lay…
There was no misunderstanding of who the servant was and who the master was…
Eliezer was not trying to usurp Abraham’s authority in word or action...
He was committed to a task and was loyal to his master to complete that task...
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
14 Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. 15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Examples:
Daniel stayed loyal in communication with God despite threat of death
“He kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed… as he did aforetime.”
Job was loyal in suffering
“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.”
Nehemiah was loyal to the burden God gave him
“So built we the wall… for the people had a mind to work.”
***Loyalty is not just attempting to get a job done...
Loyalty is following getting the job done as if you were the one requesting the task be done...
Eliezer did talk behind his master’s back:
34 And he said, I am Abraham’s servant. 35 And the Lord hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.
HE COULD HAVE SAID:
My master is a coward… he was afraid of some Egyptians and said his wife was his sister… Then told his wife to also say he was her brother...
And then years later, he did it again! He was afraid of a man named Abimelech and said his wife was his sister again!
Not only is he a coward, but he’s a liar!
My master isn’t a leader… he listened to the voice of his hurting wife and had a child with his maiden...
He didn’t know how to run his house and let discord between people in his home be present
Eliezer could have said, “My master is a cowardly liar who can’t rule his own home and is a weak husband. He is a fornicating man who doesn’t have a backbone to lead.”
But instead, Eliezer was a loyal servant to his master… He CHOSE to speak words of kindness and grace...
a.) This servant was Loyal to Abraham’s vision
10 And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.
No delay, no hesitation…
When Abraham says “go”, he went...
b.) He was Loyal to Abraham’s time
56 And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.
2. The Loyal Servant’s Prayer is Selfless
2. The Loyal Servant’s Prayer is Selfless
12 And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: 14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master
There is a great deal of loyalty bundled up in verse 12...
*Have you ever been given a task and prayed for help to complete the task:
So you could be respected?
or so you could do your job well?
or so you could get a raise?
or so you could get a promotion?
Abraham’s servant prayed to God, knowing that God didn’t just have his best interest in mind, but he had his master’s best interest in mind also...
He didn’t ask for “kindness” toward himself...
He asked for kindness toward his master...
He goes on in his prayer to ask for detailed instruction for an answered prayer...
***These are prayers that you would expect Abraham or Isaac to be praying...
But they are prayers that Abraham’s servant is praying...
What a loyal servant!
We spend too much time living for self...
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
3. The Loyal Servant Puts the Missions Before the Meal
3. The Loyal Servant Puts the Missions Before the Meal
33 And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on.
Errand: a mandate or order; something to be told or done
This servant was so loyal that he refused to eat before he communicated his errand...
49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?
34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
Conclusion:
You may say that you want to be loyal to your husband or wife and you should be
You may say that you want to be more loyal to your church and you should be
You may say that you want to be more loyal to your employer and you should be
But guess how you can become loyal in every area of your life at once?
Become more loyal to God...
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
