The Servant King

Serving Like the King: Lessons from Mark 10:45

Bible Passage: Mark 10:45

There is a man in my community in prattsville that just recently passed away, his name was mark bennings. He owned a heating and air company that I actually worked at 2 years ago, and he had to haul these big hvac units on top of these roofs sometimes so he had a big crane. When I was still at sweet home church in prattsville, we were buliding a new fellowship hall and it was winter time when we were putting the roof on and setting the trusses. finish telling story about serving.

Jesus declares His purpose: He came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. This passage introduces us to the paradox of the Servant King, showing us that true leadership and greatness are found in serving others.

The Potlatch — Pacific Northwest

Among Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest, important leaders held ceremonies called potlatches.

A powerful person or family would accumulate valuable property and then host a massive gathering where they would distribute gifts to other people.

giving away more could actually make you more prestigious, not less.

A host might distribute blankets, food, valuable objects, and other property. Potlatches were connected to things like marriages, funerals, inheritance, names, rank, and rights. The guests receiving gifts also served as witnesses to the host's claims and status.

So imagine two powerful dudes basically competing:

Chief A: “I can afford to give away 500 blankets.”

Chief B: “Cool. I'll give away 1,000.”

This is intresting, in todays society you need to have money and people serving you to be considered great or powerful, lets read some of the scripture and find out what this means.

1. Serve in Humility

Mark 10:42–43 “And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,”

greatness in Gods kingdom is completely inverted from what the real world sees as being great. Whoever aspires to claim glory or praise must adopt the posture of a servant. Hence why it is telling us that in order to acheive greatness you must become a servant.

Your life should not look like others that don’t follow Jesus, you should not blend in with the crowd.

The pathway begins with rejecting self-centered ambition and viewing others as more significant than yourself, which means attending to their interests alongside your own (Phil 2:3–8). This mindset shift is grounded in Christ’s own example—he possessed divine status yet “emptied himself” by taking on the form of a servant (Phil 2:3–8). Jesus modeled this through tangible action, washing his disciples’ feet and establishing this as the pattern his followers should replicate (John 13:12–17).

those who exalt themselves face humiliation, while those who humble themselves receive exaltation (Matt 23:11–12). Clothing yourself with humility toward others and humbling yourself before God positions you for his exaltation at the proper time. Crucially, in God’s economy, service itself constitutes greatness rather than being merely a path toward it—the distinction matters fundamentally.

This inverts worldly standards by making “servant of the Lord Jesus Christ” an honorific title, with spiritual leaders becoming other-centered disciples who attend to others’ needs, often sacrificially and without seeking recognition2. You exercise freedom not for selfish ends but through love by serving one another (Gal 5:13).

whoever desires to be first must become last and servant of all (Mark 9:35), and whoever humbles themselves like a child achieves the greatest status in God’s kingdom

Jesus contrasts worldly and divine leadership. While the world equates authority with supremacy, Christ redefines it as service and humility. eject the pressure to seek power as the world does and instead embrace a heart that's eager to serve. true greatness is not about being first, but joyfully serving others, a path Jesus has paved for us. see your daily opportunities to serve, even in small ways, as significant in God's eyes.

2. Serve Without Reservation

Mark 10:44 “and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.”

This is one that usually is the big problem with all of us. “ohh well it doesnt fit in my schedule” “Oh I just feel like staying in tonight since I didnt plan to go out tonight.”

Story about my dad with a chainsaw and a member in our church with it storming outside and needed to leave with tree across the road.

The key thing that stuck out to me is yes that even when we didnt want to, my dad told me he said “If you were in his position, you would us to come out here too”

He was exactly right, if I was struggling and in need of help, I would want someone to serve without having it on the schedule

The lord blessed us serving because at the time, we had 7 people living in the house at the time because we adopted some kids and we were all in high school at the time besides me because I was in 8th grade but tell the story about someone paid for all of the girls prom dresses because we were low on money.

Jesus emphasizes the call to be a 'slave of all,' challenging our pride and comfort zones. genuine servanthood is sacrificial, selfless, and requires putting others before oneself. when you choose to serve freely, you reflect the heart of Christ. Suggest that while this counter-cultural choice may be tough, it's a rewarding and impactful way to live. turn this kingdom principle into actionable steps within families and communities.

guess what, that guy we helped has never payed us back or helped us out any and guess what, thats 99% of whats going to happen, because did Jesus get paid back for what he did? and that leads into my last point tonight.

3. Serve Through Sacrifice

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

This is where I ask you the question why do we serve, why should we serve?

Why do we serve if God doesn't need anything from us? It speaks in the bible about how we are but a WORM to christ, why should we serve him?

Because we owe him everything. Through a sacrifice we could never make.

That is why we serve and push through even when it involves sacrifice, IF the stars were made to worship so will I,

If you were made to serve than so will I

This verse encapsulates Jesus’ mission—serving through sacrifice for salvation. Christ showed us the ultimate act of service, his willingness to give his life. find assurance and motivation in Jesus’ example, knowing that you are loved deeply. Maybe you could help others see servanthood not merely as duty but a lifestyle inspired by Christ's love and sacrifice. I Challenge you to let this truth become a driving force for your actions, transforming service from obligation to joyful devotion.