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“God’s Servant is Not a Wimp”
/Developing the Heart of a Servant/
Emmanuel Bible Church
October 20, 2002
Pastor Scott Thielen
Text: Mark 1:14-45
\\ Idea: Jesus served with compassion and conviction, and so should we
! Introduction
!!! Hook
Everybody has at one time or another been in dire straights.
Jobs were hard to find, money was tight, and you had to settle for work that was less than desirable.
~~ /For example, there was a time in my life when I needed to add a second job to make ends meet.
I paid my own way through college by working.
I bought my own car, paid my own rent, had no one to help me out financially.
It was up to me, so I took a second job as a janitor.
There were times, on my hands and knees cleaning toilets in an office building, when I wanted to be doing anything else.
/
Let’s take a few moments to share about *your* experience.
*What was the job or position that you /had/ to take, but wished you didn’t need?*
!!! Need~/Common Ground
You know, a lot of people think of a servant as the person on the low end of the ladder to success.
We look down on servants in our culture.
We think of them as weak, less educated, unsophisticated.
To serve someone else is unnecessary for us.
In fact, we want other people to serve us, don’t we?
We think to ourselves, “How sad that he is working here.
If only he would apply himself, he could get a much better position.”
Being a servant in the USA is thought of as a sign of weakness.
But in God’s world, being a servant isn’t like that at all.
God’s servant is not a wimp.
Jesus is often pictured in the minds of people as being a weak man, a helpless person who got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
But God says, “No way!”
Our society is enthralled with popular musicians, professional sports people, movie stars, politicians, etc.
To many people, position is everything.
We never hear about the janitors who clean the opera house, or the people who do the laundry at retirement homes, or the men and women who take care of countless children while their parents work each day.
Why don’t we hear about people like these?
Because our culture doesn’t find anything fascinating about these people.
We want to hear about the super-rich, the super-powerful, the super-achievers.
And yet, notice that without the humble servant whom no one knows, these superstars would not even exist.
Our stereotype of the servant is that he or she is weak, helpless.
But Jesus shatters that stereotype.
Because in God’s world, /it is the servant who is most near to the heart of God. /Does a servant have to be necessarily weak?
Can’t a person serve without being wishy-washy or spineless?
!!! Transition
We’ve just begun a series of messages about how to be God’s servant.
Jesus Christ came to be just that, God’s servant for humanity.
And as we read through Mark’s account of Jesus’ life, we cannot help but see the amazing ways Jesus served God by serving us.
But that’s not all.
Just as Jesus came to serve us, we are to serve others in His power and in His name.
And that’s not easy to do.
So we continue each week to learn something important about the way Jesus served, and then ask Him to help us follow in His footsteps as we serve one another.
This morning we turn to Mark 1:14.
! Jesus Demonstrates His Authority
Jesus rewrote the book on servanthood.
Because while He came as God’s servant, He didn’t fit the stereotype people expected.
As Jesus began His public ministry, He chose to demonstrate His authority, not His vulnerability.
Let’s take a look at four ways Jesus demonstrated His authority.
!! 1. Authority Over Destinies (1:14-20)
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.
“The time has come,” he said.
“The kingdom of God is near.
Repent and believe the good news!”
As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen*.
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” *At once they left their nets and followed him.
When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.
Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
!!! Explain
The first thing Jesus does is to exercise His authority over the lives of some fishermen.
It had been about a year since Jesus spent time with Simon and Andrew.
They were curious about this new guy, and so they spent time with Him, getting to know Him.
But they were still fishermen.
We don’t know a lot about their relationship with Jesus over that year, but we do know that they were more and more intrigued with Him.
But today, Jesus drew a line in the sand and challenged them to take another step of faith.
Now think about this.
Jesus had a plan for these guys.
He gave them a year to let it sink in, but now it was time for more commitment.
And so He begins to reveal that He has a plan for their destinies.
If they would follow Him, Jesus would teach them something far greater than catching fish… He would teach them how to catch people’s hearts.
To make that promise meant that Jesus believed He had the power to do so.
!!! Illustrate
*Marine Recruiter*—When the recruiting officer sets up his table at the career fair in the high school, he isn’t just killing time.
He has a plan.
He wants students to know that the Marines are the proud, the few.
“The Marines,” he says, “are an outstanding way to grow up, to become an adult.”
And he makes a promise.
“If you will come serve your country for several years, the Marines will pay for your education and teach you skills that will make you a better person for the rest of your life.”
The reason that officer can make that promise is that He speaks with authority.
It has nothing to do with whether the person has a booming voice.
It has everything to do with the authority given him by the Marine Corps.
And that’s the way Jesus came… with authority.
Authority from God the Father to make a promise that would revolutionize the lives of a few fishermen.
Jesus came to serve, but to do so required God’s authority.
!!! Defend
Some people say that the reason these men left their professions and followed Jesus is because He was a charismatic man with an irresistible personality.
People were powerfully drawn to Him.
So He must have been manipulating or deceiving them.
If that’s true, then explain to me why these men and countless others have gone on to give their very lives for the name of Jesus Christ.
When they had nothing to gain, they all stuck to their story.
No, the reason they followed Him had nothing to do with mind games and everything to do with God’s authority.
!!! Apply
Although you and I were not there that day, Jesus has the same authority over our destinies and has made the same promise.
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