Make Me a Servant

Pastor Keith Hassell

Foundation Scripture: Hebrews 2:10-12

I. God desires to bring many sons to glory

II. Four types of glory

A. Man’s glory: Doing my work in my name. My work. I get the credit.

1. Nimrod and the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:4): “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is to the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

B. False glory: Doing my work in God’s name. My work. Give God the credit.

1. Abraham and Ishmael.

C. Stolen glory: Doing God’s work in my name. God’s work. I get the credit.

1. Lucifer

D. God’s glory: Doing God’s work in God’s name. God’s work. God gets the credit.

1. Jesus (John 17:4): “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.”

III. God perfects His sons through suffering until things are done His way and He gets the credit.

A. Abraham became the father of faith through faith and patience

B. Jacob became Israel through suffering

C. Joseph’s dreams became reality after twelve years of suffering unjustly

D. Moses became deliverer after 40 years in the wilderness

E. David became king after being persecuted by Saul

F. Jonah obeyed after 3 days in the belly of a great fish

G. Jesus was made perfect through suffering (tempering of His human nature by His divine nature)

IV. God is more concerned about the character of His sons than He is with the ministry of His sons.

A. God called Moses into the ministry at the burning bush and yet tried to kill him as he journeyed toward Egypt to fulfill God’s call. Why? He accepted God’s call without abiding by the conditions of God’s covenant word to circumcise his son.

B. Charisma may get you there, but it takes character to keep you there.

C. Character is what you are under suffering.

D. Good coaches know they must train their athletes under adverse conditions in order to build character that can win in the heat of competition.

E. James 1:2-4: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

V. The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32): The journey from “give me” to “make me”

A. The prodigal son left the father’s house saying “Give me!” but when he became a true son to the Father when he returned home saying, “Make me!”

B. A prodigal son is a son whose attitude toward the Father is “Give me!”

C. A prodigal son is a son who wants the privileges of sonship without the willingness to serve.

D. The older brother was a prodigal that never left home. He also had a “give me” attitude. He said, “Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet You never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.” (v. 29)

E. A son who can wear the ring, robe, and sandals of a son and serve the Father truly is the one whose attitude is “Make me a servant!”

1. Philippians 2:5-9 Jesus took on the form of a servant

2. Galatians 4:1 “Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.”

VI. Invitation: The true journey home to the Father begins when you are willing to say to the Father: “Make me a servant!”

A. Lay aside the selfish attitudes

B. Stop doing your work in your name.

C. Stop doing your work in God’s name.

D. Stop doing God’s work in your name.

E. Begin doing God’s work in God’s name. This is the heart of a true son who lives as a servant.