Gospel-Centered Service

*THREADS

Introduction

This is our DNA as a church family:

Our mission is to glorify God by making disciples through gospel-centered worship, gospel-centered community, gospel-centered service, and gospel-centered multiplication.

This is not just a church strategy, it is the DNA for discipleship:

Worship is the fuel for discipleship.

Community is the context for discipleship.

Service is the overflow of discipleship.

Multiplication is the goal of discipleship.

Request (35-37)

Requirement (38-41)

Prerequisite (42-45)

Request (35-37)

Requirement (38-41)

Prerequisite (42-45)

35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”

Your kids ever come to you and ask you to sign a blank check like this?

If you say “NO” you look like a mean parent, if you say “YES” you may have just agreed to allow your son borrow the chainsaw to trim his brother’s nails.

James and John (Sons of Thunder) pretty bold guys. You see it in their request.

Even their request underlines the issue Jesus will need to expose in their hearts. They were asking to BE SERVED. But in order to receive what they are asking they would need to be the servers.

But Jesus is smart:

But Jesus is smart:

36 And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”

In my mind Jesus is just shaking his

Remember, they are on their way into Jerusalem

37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38 Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John.

32 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them.

And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33 saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

Curious - didn’t they just hear Jesus? How could they have just heard Jesus and asked what they did?

38 Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking.

In my mind, Jesus is just shaking his head.

Before we shake our heads too, don’t we tend to do the same thing as James and John?

Here is the reason why so many Christians struggle in their walk with Jesus.

Selfish expectations

Isn’t it the case that we sometimes follow Jesus and the only time we “get close” to him is when we want something?

Test- your prayer life. Three reasons we pray: 1) Guilt 2) Need 3) Love

What if James and John ONLY spoke to Jesus when they wanted something?

ILLUST - We all have THAT friend that only calls when they want something from you? When they call you end up sending them to voicemail? If you don’t know what I’m talking about - YOU are probably that friend!

Jesus can, does, and wants to meet our deepest need and longings,

Misguided assumptions

Misguided assumptions

James and John had this misguided assumption that Jesus was taking his merry band of men into Jerusalem so he can take on the Roman government and establish an earthly kingdom - EVEN THOUGH Jesus had just told them he was heading to Jerusalem to die.

Our assumption today is that following Jesus makes life easier.

no more relationship problems

work is easy

Kids are always good

Jesus was pretty clear - following him would likely mean following him into suffering.

The solution to both is to let Jesus root the YOU out of you and set the TRUTH in you.

Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

Here Jesus is asking James and John if they are willing to follow his example. If they want the number two and three spots in the Kingdom, are they willing to follow the number One, Jesus into his suffering and death?

There are a few times throughout the Bible when “drinking the cup” referred to receiving blessing, joy, or happiness. But most often the concept was used to describe God’s wrath.

Here Jesus is using baptism to describe an entrance into death (this is what baptism symbolizes).

James and John cannot do exactly what Jesus will do - he will drink the cup of Gods wrath for the salvation of sins, he will enter death once for all as a payment for sins, but they will followJesus (according to historians) into a similar suffering and death.

It doesn’t seem as though the boys really understand what Jesus means because they are willing to follow him.

41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John.

no kidding!

Don’t think the disciples were upset because they were more holy than James and John or that they wanted James and John to foster a more compliant servant-like attitude.

They were most likely upset because they wanted the positions of honor themselves!

James and John were part of the the Inner Three

Peter was left out of this request

Mark most likely got the majority of his information for his gospel from Peter.

Obviously, all of the disciples have the same heart issue of wanting to be served rather than to serve. Otherwise, they would not have been indignant at the brother’s request.

Jesus needs to call a huddle.

42 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.

“lord” = dominance

They were familiar with worldly rulers dominating them. Roman oppression was everywhere.

Herod the Great tried to have Jesus killed, but instead killed every boy two years and younger in Bethlehem.

His son, Herod Antipas, had John the Baptist beheaded.

43 But it shall not be so among you.

You, as followers of Christ, must be MARKED

But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.

“it” - the thinking that the mark of greatness - the end goal is to be served.

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Servanthood

D. L. Moody once said, “The measure of a man is not how many servants he has, but how many men he serves

The economy of God’s Kingdom is drastically different from the world’s.

The world around us expects to be served - byproduct of a consumer culture.

ILLUST - anyone ever work as a server, a waiter, or a waitress in a restaurant? Or in the service industry?

The default in the world around us is the expectation to be served.

Because the world’s economy is based on self, the only time someone would serve is when they are forced to or paid to.

So the greatest in the world is the one who can force everyone else to serve them or has no need to be paid for service.

It’s different in God’s Kingdom economy. Instead of serving out of oppression or payment, the service is done out of love.

Because God’s Kingdom is based on love the greatest in the Kingdom is the one who loves the most.

ILLUST - Two takers can never get enough. Two givers always have.

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Servanthood

D. L. Moody once said, “The measure of a man is not how many servants he has, but how many men he serves.”1217

Not only does Jesus say we must be servants to each other (a term that was generally used for one who served at tables), but we must be slaves of all.

Slaves = have no rights.

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.”

“Implicit in this statement is a bold challenge reminiscent of other sayings of Jesus: those who readily accept Jesus’ ransom ought also accept his example of service”

Flip your mindset from served to servant.

The world around us expects to be served.

Two options: be served or serve.

Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.

Philippians 2:5-8

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Are you better than Jesus?

Humility and service go hand in hand. You cannot serve some and be proud. For in that case you are not serving them - only yourself. 

ILLUST - I bought you something I like. 

Humility is the necessary mindset to truly serve.

Serving can become a source of pride.

Either we believe we serve better than others therefore we should be recognized.

We see others serving in a way or place that we wish we could serve and we are jealous.

Sometimes we just need to let Jesus know how awesome we are and where he should use us.

The real test is whether we can serve in secret or do we need a platform and audience to serve.

ILLUST - God had to change my idea of serving him as a pastor while I spent time at the dealership

* I had to learn that if I can’t serve God where he leads me to serve than I am not really serving God I am serving me.

Don’t let fear or failure stop you from serving.

If I’m concerned about the former, we may not see the latter. If we are concerned about the latter, the former will take care of itself.

Don’t let fear or failure stop you from serving.

If pride is a major reason people don’t sacrificially serve, the other is fear.

Satan would love nothing more than to make you ineffective.

Satan would love nothing more than to make the church ineffective.

Satan doesn’t care whether you fall into pride or fear - both make you ineffective.

fear of failure

fear of inadequacy

I don’t have anything to give.

10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

Satan would love nothing more than to make the church ineffective.

It is a fact that each of us have been given a gift.

Satan doesn’t care whether you fall into pride or fear - both make you ineffective.

If we are told to use our gifts, and Jesus modeled and calls us to serve, than to NOT use our gifts in serving means we are not growing in our discipleship.

Ex. Life Groups have mission as part of DNA

We need to flip the conversation - most churches guilt people into serving - here are our needs, what can you give? When really, as the body of Christ, we should recognize God’s leading people to be a part of us and ask, “how has God gifted you?”

ILLUST . I could really use three hands, but I don’t look at my foot (with no opposable thumb) and ask it to do the work of a hand. 

I am less concerned about filling our service needs in our church than I am about Jesus reshaping our hearts as servants of His church.

If I’m concerned about the former, we may not see the latter. If we are concerned about the latter, the former will take care of itself.

People serve either out of fear or out of love. When we serve out of love we display God and give opportunity to bring life

Serve for an eternal impact.

In v45 Jesus gives us both the motivation and the mission of serving.

give his life as a ransom for many.”

Ransom - used only here and in Matthew’s account

The ultimate act of service is to give your life.

The whole point of Jesus coming to serve was so you could be saved.

Not all serving has the same impact.

Serving yourself has an internal impact - you feel better about yourself.

Serving others (inside or outside the church) has an eternal impact.

Doesn’t matter how big or small.

*Our IMPACT teams*

Conclusion

“Implicit in this statement is a bold challenge reminiscent of other sayings of Jesus: those who readily accept Jesus’ ransom ought also accept his example of service”

If Jesus came to serve, and I’m a follower of Jesus, do I really consider myself a servant? So where am I serving?

Is there a fear to be confessed?

Is there a failure to be released?

If Jesus served selflessly, and I’m a follower of Jesus, do I serve selflessly?

If serving cost Jesus greatly, and I’m a follower of Jesus, how uncomfortable am I really willing to get to serve like Jesus?

If Jesus served to make an eternal impact, and I’m a follower of Jesus, am I looking to make an impact for the gospel or an impact for myself? One way may make you feel more sanctified, but the other sees people saved!