What serving God looks like

The person

God's love in action our love is in reaction

All of what God does for him and because of that this is what he does for him.

The reason people do not serve God is they do not appreciate what he has done for them.

You have to start with Jesus as your motivation and your example.

1 What God has done for me is my motivation for what I do for him 2 who God is to me is my motivation on who to be for him.

This is why people are not effective and empowered and do not enjoy and it turns into work

Once we get with what God has done for this is the natural results and attitudes and motives that flow from him through you into the ministry

We look at Jesus as example and motivation than we see that God does through his servants

To help them have judgment to ascertain the truth to know what is true to be able to look at zues and Jeus and know who is right.

To have answers to why were are here instead of questions

The Spirit of a Servant

Here Isiah is talking to Israel and they are in a broken state and the leadership failed from the land they were choosing the wrong leaders without the answers and there were people standing up and saying I got the answer.

The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.

For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counsellor, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.

Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.

He said don't look to them

Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

And here the Lord said behold my servant.

Behold the lamb of God

We know this is talking about Jesus christ matthew 12:17-21

He said If you want to know what a leader looks like look at my servant If you want to know who will help you who to listen to look to my servant.

You know the word leader is used 3 times 1 referring to christ

Example 2 times referring to christ 8 times total

Servant 502

When the Lord wants to depict who to look to and who to follow he said shows himself a servant.

Who do you follow The one the Lord has chosen Jesus

Now here is where I want to transition it.

We are all of us called to a position of leadership. Some more some less but if you are a Christian you are called to a place of leadership.

Every Christian has general leadership.

Go ye into all the World preach the gospel.

We are on World that is going to burn. We are on a plane that is going down and we are sitting at the exit row. We are ready willing and able to assist those to the exit to spare their life.

Hew said let your light so shine before men

A leader is one that holds the light shows the way and helps others get to the right place a leader is one who is not out for himself but he understands he has a responsibility greater than himself.

He says the lifeboat is this way . You are in darkness come to light.

Than there are those that have direct leadership

Than there are those that have direct responsibility and specific people.

Husband leadership over a wife

Father

Expanded leadership

Sunday school class , you are a manager, or a director , Pastor

Maybe you lead those that lead.

So how do we do that effectively ?

How we do we do that pleasing to God ? To the glory Of god?

Well we say that the way is servant leadership

That is the example Christ left us.

That is the way of the master

He came not to be ministered not but to minister.

But often times when we say servant leadership we do not know what that means.

It means we help others and that is about it.

But in this passage we can see what that means on a deeper level

On a spiritual level

We can see his motivation of a servant, we can see his disposition of a servant , the inner motives and attitudes of a servant.

Were there other leaders had failed and they had failed Jesus would succeed and these principles of his life would be a pattern for us.

This is a roadmap for who we need to be behind the curtain to be a Godly example of a servant leader.

A Spirit of Dependence Is 42:1

Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

I want you to imagine you are working for a farmer and he tells you to go plow a field. You get out there and the plow breaks. Who do you look to ?

Do you look to the people around you ?

Do you look to yourself ?

If you are going to be a servant leader you have to be a servant.

It does not just mean you are a servant to others but primarily you are a servant to God.

You see Jesus was this way he surrendered the privileges of God hood in many ways to be a servant to God.

He stepped off the throne of Glory

Surrendered the privileges of his God nature and depended on his father

php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

He became dependant on God and he set aside his divine powers and trusted in God he did not make the stone bread . He depended on God

If you have this attitude as a leader

It gives you great peace.

I have a question leader How are things going ?

Who do you look to when things go wrong?

The things in your jurisdiction that are not going well

Were is your hope in fixing those things?

Well I would lead in this direction . But my kids don't want to.

My wife doesn't want to.

My church does not want to do that thing you told me to do so until they change I can't do it.

I want you to know The Lord will uphold you

He made sure Jesus had everything he needed to accomplish what he called him to do.

As you see needs in the church places where leadership is needed.

Why do you not step up to lead?

Well I am unsure of myself

Are you unsure of God ?

Well I do not have what I need . Does God have what you need.

What if something goes wrong ?

Can he uphold you?

How does this work practically?

Piano player. Ok I can do it.

How did go not very Good.

What did God show you ?

I need to practice more. I need to depend on him more . And I have to work with others better.

I need to do what he wants me to do and depend on him more and he shows you were to depend on him in the same are that the plow breaks.

Many times we see a need and we feel inadequate to fulfill the need so we do not even consider if God may want us to do it and if he does he will uphold us.

Lead young people , lead children , lead dad , lead christian worker , Lead mom.

We are empowered with his spirit

No leadership qualities are adequate and sufficient without the spirits empowerment.

He said without me ye can do nothing.

With the spirit of dependence

We pray Lord I know you want me to go and plaw this field

But without your direction

Without your provision

Without your sending people for me to labour with I cant do it.

Without your wisdom without your strength.

How many of you guys are going to be preaching in masters club ?

Without his spirit his anointing it will be dry as dust.

And without his spirit it will not change and direct the children's lives.

So get ahold of God and recognize without him I am nothing I am dependant on him.

A Spirit of Confidence Is 42:1

Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

Mine elect

Chosen to hold an office or position distinct from everyone else.

To set apart for office or service

No one else could do what Jesus was chosen to do.

God died to save everyone he loved the world he desires to see the world saved but he chose 12 men to disciple. And then out of those 12 there were 3 peter james and John and out of the three, there was the disciple whom Jesus loved.

1Ch_28:4 Howbeit the LORD God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he liked me to make me king over all Israel:

Gal_1:15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,

But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

Jerimiah

Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant,

This is not calvinism

It is that God separates some people and chooses them for certain things and if you know that you will have a spirit of confidence.

Jesus before all people questioning him and telling him born of fornication

Jerimiah in the stocks

Paul being stoned and arrested.

Listen God has called you to lead and he put you there

He sent you out to the field and said plow.

He is the one that commissioned you called you and sent you nad upholds you and will equip you.

Say I do not believe it. Who called you to be a father to your child. Did you pick him out of a million dna tadpoles say I want that one ?

If you know he called you to lead that you can lead.

Because you and servant to God and he told you to go plow that field.

God called me to be your mother, your father your husband. If you are her husband you are called to be her husband.

He called you to go into all the world to let your light shine.

Bother do you believe that ?

As long as I am questioning whether I am the right person to pastor the church I can't serve you right I can't be a servant leader until I know God put me here to serve you he told me to do it.

But when I got that

Than nothing else matters My master sent me to this field. With you guys to get it plowed.

Listen God put me here and he put you here. Why he wants us to labour in this city to bring people to him , to build up one another. To be a blessing to this city.

He wants me to help you help others help others bring glory to him.

I know that do you know that?

At this job , this church, this child, theios man this woman.

And look at the text

mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth

It was not begrudgingly. It was not because there was no one better

He delighted now you delight

I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

In a leader we need competence but we need confidence.

You know were that confidence comes from?

And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

Jesus was not worried about what others thought whether they listened or did not listen how they reacted.

He was not looking to them for affirmation or confirmation.

A Spirit of Meekness Is 42:4

humility

He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

Now the Lord did cry alout

Joh_7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

Joh_8:38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father:

for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

This commandment have I received of my Father.

So what is this saying here

He would not cry Cry a place of force , or need , or desperation

It was not him that he was drawing attention to but the father.

He would be in the spirit of humility.

This is not about me this is not about you

This was so different from the self promoting religious workers of today.

He was not after headlines.

Cast thyself down the angels will take you up and imagine the papers the next da Jesus jumps off temple angels catch him.

Listen he did not seek the crowds as a matter of fact, he saw them as a hindrance, so he stopped the multitude feeding and when he did the crowd dwindled he saw that as more beneficial. Only 120 watched him ascend to heaven.

He was not after popularity. He is ok that there was less secular history written about him than some other leaders of his day.

You think about The Lord in heaven there are cherubims around his throne and they have six wings only two are to fly.

The other ones are to cover their face.

Not about me it is about him my face might distract you from his glory. At the throne you should not be considering anything about me you should be focused on him.

Cover their feet not about my movements but his movements.

They were content with hden service.

This leadership cant be about you.

Thue servant leadership is not about me but about my God.

I am not here in my own name I am here in my father's name.

I am not looking for you to think I am great but for you to think that my father is great.

I am not going to cry not about my emotions. It is about how he feels

I am not going to lift up my voice I am going to let you hear the voice of God.

Listen, do not be so loud you drown out the voice of God.

Spurgeon one time said a person came to him as he preached said what a great preacher he said he went home and wept and preached again that night the same person said what a great saviour

John the baptist said

He must increase, but I must decrease.

How did that happen he went to prison.

Than it became about the Lord jesus and what he was doing.

The more meekness you exhibit it will be more about what the Lord is doing in thier life and how he is helping them and less about what a good leader you are and how helpful you are

As you increase in the spirit of meekness The Lord's voice grows louder and your voice becomes quieter.

Elia said I did not call you go say speak Lord for thy servant heareth.

Would to Gods those we lead would begin to hear God's voice and take instructions from him instead of our voice.

The other day I spoke to church mutual insurance. Three people who were they I do not know if it was not about who they were it was about the company and what the company was doing.

Is it about you or is it about God?

A Spirit of Patience Is 42:3

A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

Reed type of weed grow to 12 feet tall when freshly cut they are flexible but when dried very strong.

But when they are broken they cant reach maturity and be used for anything.

We had them grow beside creek used to bend them over snap them as kids still connected came back a while later they would heal and recover and grow again. But it would take time and they would be behind all the others it took time.

Smoking flax was another plant they used for wicks in the lamp

Smoking means it was not wicking up enough oil for the flame it was just smoldering and instead of giving off light it is giving off smoke

It is obscuring your vision instead of lighting your path

But he did not put it out.

Jesus was patient.

If there was hope he let that hope alive he did not crush it break it say it is of no use.

He brings judgment into truth they have the truth they are smoking there is a glimmer of hope so he brings judgment into that hope.

He cares for the week and the hurting and the bruised

He illustrated this with the parable of the Samaritans

We so often pass by on the other side

We seek a more rewarding ministry else were.

A good question is do you shy away from or seek the person with a special need or problem? Do you try to avoid them or seek them out?

Do you see they have a glimmer of truth a glimmer of hope and try to bring judgment to that truth or do you put it out?

And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,

And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.

And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.

And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?

But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.

For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

The Cost of Following Jesus

And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

I think he said come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden.

When thomas was doubting he did not rebuke him he said reach here touch my side

When peter messed up and his wick burned low in the judgment hall and he went out and wept bitterly. That miserable man The Lord came to him.

he came to him cooked him some fish said Peter do you love me ?

You know what he was doing he was faning that smoking flask he was having patience with that bruised read.

And what a blaze was burning on the day of Pentecost.

Listen if you are going to be a servant leader

You are going to have patience with people like the Lord had patience with you.

You will allow them to heal to mature to recover to get burning again.

You will take that limer of hope and you will fan it.

You will take that bruised reed and you will bind it up.

This is the Lord's field he sent me to plow it he sent these people with me told me to help them plow. These are his servants. I will not be unkind to my fellow servants.

A Spirit of Hopefulness Is 42:4

He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

Wow so convicting.

Listen to get this pessimism and leadership are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

You can't faint in the day of adversity.

If you do your strength is small.

He sent me to plow the field and if the plow breaks I am not going to get depressed.

I am not going to quit

I am not going to complain to the others I am serving with and say the field will never get plowed.

I recognize this is a setback but the field is going to be plowed.

He told me to do it This is my Job and it will get done.

One time I was building a house for a millionaire on the water in Fl it was the last house I built as a contractor before I came to pastor this church it was in december 2006 We were setting beams. And we put them up nailed them together and I was drilling holes in the beams to bolt them to the pilings. My helper Joel was putting the bolts in and bolting it together the bolts are ⅝ the bit is ⅞ He said to me I can't get this bolt in I said it has to just put a bigger bit through the hole. He said it can't be done I said well what are we going to do ? I said this man got a load for hundreds of thousands of dollars to build and you need to get paid and I got a church pastor. What do you propose we do ? Do you really think that all of that is going to be held up because you cant get the bolt in? Or do you need to find a way to get it in. That bolt is going in.

You know what will happen to me some one will leave the church they will move and they will quit maybe they played the piano maybe they did some other important job. Maybe they just look good like A.J. and him leaving is going to hurt the church because who will wear a gingerbread man suit on christmas now?

And I will be tempted to go to bed and cry and say it cant be done

And the Lord will take me and say I did for the church to pay for the church I have had it growing since I left it in the hands of the apostles. This light has never been extinguished.

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Now do you think I am going to let it all stop and come crashing down after 2000 years because A.J. is moving?

A.J. might be big but I am bigger.

Now are you going to keep leading forward or do I need to replace you.

Listen God put you here to do a job do not fail

Do not be discouraged

It is his field it will be plowed even if you drop dead it will be plowed if there are set backs he understands he has a relistic expectation and if the plow breaks he will not expect the same amount of plowing to be done as if it would have been if he provided you with a john deer with five plows.

He is in charge you are his servant now lead.