First and Last
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One of the ways that you can tell when God is at work in a church is by paying attention to how hard the enemy is working against Him in that church. We talked a little bit about that last week.
But this week, I want to look at another, more positive, way for us to see God at work in His church.
But there’s another way to measure the fruit of the Holy Spirit within the body of Christ, and that’s by looking at the growth of service within that body.
First of all, I should note that God works in His church by working through individuals in the church.
As each of us draws near to Him, He draws near to us.
And if that is what’s happening in your life, you cannot help but be changed.
We have seen some very positive changes in this fellowship during the past year or so.
I have watched individuals within this church become prayer warriors
I have watched some develop a heart for outreach to the often-neglected elderly residents of Autumn Care Nursing Home during our monthly visits.
have seen others grab hold of the foundational ministry of outreach to our community.
And I have been encouraged to see a core group of people who are eager for Liberty Spring Christian Church to become a mission-minded church, regardless of the challenges we face in doing so.
All of these things have something in common, and that common element is one of the measuring sticks I use to determine whether God is still at work here.
All of these things demonstrate hearts devoted to service for Jesus Christ and His church.
Now, we often think of serving the church in terms of committee membership and the like.
And committees have their place — indeed, the church would not function efficiently if there were not people involved in planning, administration and the like. And it’s clear that we need the help of people with such talents to help enable the work of the church.
You see, our committees and our boards are there to serve the work of the church, not the other way around. And the work of the church is to serve others.
Today is a joyful day in the life of Liberty Spring Christian Church, because today we will ordain two new deacons, two men who have responded to God’s call to service — not by agreeing to serve on a committee, however important that committee might be, but by agreeing to be true servants to this fellowship.
But before I call Dave Chipman and Michael Harris up front for their ordinations, let’s take a look at what it means to be a biblical servant and see how that differs from that other type of service, important though it may be.
Turn with me, please to , starting in Verse 17, and we’ll see what Jesus had to say about the matter.
Now, in Matthew’s account, the section we are about to read comes right on the heels of Jesus offering a soft rebuke to Peter for a slightly impertinent question about how the disciples would be rewarded for having left everything to follow Jesus.
Twice, He said that the last would be first and the first would be last. But He had also promised that the disciples would sit on 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel.
So, clearly the disciples would receive a great reward.
And then, beginning in Verse 17, Matthew notes that Jesus has set His face toward Jerusalem, where he would perform the ultimate act of service by giving Himself as a sacrifice on the cross for the sins of mankind.
17 As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them,
18 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death,
19 and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.”
It’s always a bit odd to me to read this passage, because we know that the disciples were surprised by everything that happened in Jerusalem.
Jesus had been telling them — and I think He spoke pretty plainly here — what would happen all along.
He would be betrayed into the hands of the Jewish religious leaders, who would then hand Him over to the Romans for crucifixion. But then He would rise again on the third day. He would win the victory over death.
But the disciples — much like most of us, myself included — were often a dull bunch, and they always seemed to be a bit deaf to what Jesus said to them.
We see a great example of that deafness — or at least tone-deafness — in what follows.
20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him.
The sons of Zebedee were James and John, two of the disciples who were closest to Jesus.
When I worked at the newspaper, there were a couple of times when I received a phone call or visit from a mother on behalf of her 20-something child, asking if we would hire them as a reporter.
To say that I was not impressed with this approach would be an understatement. Suffice to say none of those “candidates” was ever hired.
It should come as no surprise that Jesus handled the situation with somewhat more grace.
21 And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.”
So Mom comes up to Jesus right after He has said He’s on His way to suffer and die on a cross and asks that her sons be given the positions of honor in His Kingdom.
I don’t know about you, but I like to think that I would have been mortified if I had been one of these guys.
“Mom, STOP! Leave Him alone! Jesus, we’re good. Just forget she said anything about that.”
But then Jesus directs a question to James and John, and their answer suggests they had known exactly what their mother was going to ask.
22 But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to Him, “We are able.”
Now Mark records that Jesus had given these two guys a nickname — Sons of Thunder.
So the picture you should be getting here is that the Sons of Thunder have asked their MOTHER to try to get Jesus to commit to giving them places of honor over all the other disciples, who, by the way, are standing around with steam coming out of their ears about now.
Some Sons of Thunder. Maybe MOM was the thunder.
Anyway, Jesus is ever full of grace, and instead of the smackdown that these three probably deserved, He gives another gentle rebuke.
23 He said to them, “My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.”
24 And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers.
Ya think?!
After all this time hearing Jesus teach about the first being last and the last being first, after all this time hearing Jesus teach about His upside-down Kingdom that will be inherited by the poor in spirit, the disciples are still jockeying for position.
So it’s time for another lesson.
25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them.
Now, this is the world we know. Wealthy people make the decisions. People with clout have authority. The strong control the weak.
But that’s not the way it is in the Kingdom of God.
26 “It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant,
27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave;
“So, James and John, do you want to be honored in the Kingdom? Then make yourselves slaves to the others. Give yourselves up to the will of another in service to Me.”
Remember that the first shall be last, and the last shall be first.
That word, “slave,” there should be a clue about the kind of service Jesus is talking about here. But just in case there’s any question about what biblical servanthood looks like, take a look at the next verse.
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Jesus Christ, the very incarnation of the triune God, came not to BE served, but to serve. And He calls His followers to serve “JUST AS” He served.
How did Jesus serve?
He gave his life “a ransom for many.”
Does this mean we are all called to die for others? Of course not. But it DOES mean we are to die to ourselves. Our service must be about giving for the benefit of others, even at the expense of our own comfort.
But that’s not the radical part of this statement.
Look at that word, “ransom.”
The Greek word here has the sense of paying ransom money for the release of slaves.
So Jesus, the Son of God, made Himself a servant to SLAVES, going so far as to give His very life for them.
Folks, I appreciate everyone who contributes in any way to this church carrying out its mission to go and tell the world about Jesus.
But what I love to see most — and what matters the most in the Kingdom of God — is people feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless and visiting the sick and imprisoned.
‘What matters most in the Kingdom of God is people who do these things in the name of Jesus, the Christ who ransomed Himself to release them from their enslavement to sin.
What I love to see most is people who have committed themselves to this biblical definition of service.
And that’s why this is such a joyful occasion.
We have here today two men who have acknowledged God’s call to biblical service.
They both understand, I hope, that their service to the church will come with some personal sacrifice. Of course, they will not be called to give their very lives, but they nonetheless are following the example set by our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Today, we will ordain two men from our congregation to join the rest of the deacons in service to the church. They have been examined in light of the call to be “of good reputation,” to be full of the Holy Spirit and to be full of wisdom. They have been examined in light of the requirements from , and they have been found to be worthy of this calling.
Their duties as deacons will be to serve the church. At Liberty Spring, we give our deacons some administrative and church leadership duties, as well, but deacons are and always have been servants.
Dave and Michael, will you join me here, please?
Will you, church, accept these two men as deacons, as servants of the church?
Excellent.
Both of these men have acknowledged God’s call to biblical service.
They both understand, I hope, that their service to the church will come with some personal sacrifice. Of course, they will not be called to give their very lives, but they nonetheless are following the example set by our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Deacons are great in the Kingdom of God, not because they have achieved much, but because they have served well.
They are the ones whom the church calls when there is a need to be met. They are the ones the church calls when someone is suffering. They have joy with those who are celebrating, and they grieve with those who mourn.
Deacons must be strong in the spiritual disciplines. They must be committed to reading Scripture and to prayer. They must be ready to teach by their words and their deeds. They must be completely committed to fulfilling their responsibilities to the church.
But the church also has responsibilities to its deacons, especially in light of the leadership structure at Liberty Spring, where deacons also hold the biblical role of elders.
But the church also has responsibilities to its deacons, especially in light of the leadership structure at Liberty Spring, where deacons also hold the biblical role of elders.
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. ()
As leaders of the church, the deacons and elders will be called to give an account to the Lord regarding their service. They help “keep watch over your souls.” This is a hard responsibility, and you can help them with it.
As leaders of the church, the deacons and elders will be called to give an account to the Lord regarding their service. They help “keep watch over your souls.” This is a hard responsibility, and you can help them with it.
You can submit to their leadership joyfully. That will be profitable for you and for them. You can pray for them, asking God to give them wisdom and discernment in the spiritual and administrative matters of the church.
And you can practice your own call to be servants, seeking for ways to help them and your brothers and sisters in the church.
If you will commit to doing these things, please signify so by saying, “We will.”
I have been privileged to get to know these two men during the past year or so. I know they both love the Lord, and I know they both love His church and will serve it well.
Now, I am going to ask each of you a few questions. If you agree to the responsibilities I describe, answer by saying, “I will.”
David Chipman, will you commit yourself to servant leadership of Liberty Spring Christian Church in the role of deacon?
Will you commit to faithful participation in the worship ministries of the church?
Will you commit to faithfully working in the service ministries of the church to its members?
Will you commit to fervent prayer for the church and for its other leaders?
Will you commit to a pursuit of holiness in your personal, public and spiritual life?
Thank you.
Michael Harris, will you commit yourself to servant leadership of Liberty Spring Christian Church in the role of deacon?
Will you commit to faithful participation in the worship ministries of the church?
Will you commit to faithfully working in the service ministries of the church to its members?
Will you commit to fervent prayer for the church and for its other leaders?
Will you commit to a pursuit of holiness in your personal, public and spiritual life?
Thank you.
Now, I would like to ask Jane Chipman and Cynthia Harris to join us here, along with any others here today who have been ordained in the past.
Laying of hands
Prayer
Thank you. You may all be seated.
If you want evidence that God is still at work at Liberty Spring Christian Church, you have it today. He is still calling true servants, and individuals are still responding to His call.
As more of us
What a blessing it is to me to have been a small part of what has happened here today. I hope you all feel similarly blessed by it.
God is good! All the time!