Service In Christ

Attitude of Service

Jesus asked the disciples an interesting question regarding his foot washing. He wanted them to understand the importance of not only being cleaned from sin but also a life of service. It is those that serve that have the most impact on others.

It is not personal accomplishments or awards that you are remembered by. It is how well you served someone you cared for or loved. Let me give you an example: Who were the MVP’s for the last 5 five Super Bowls or World Series? Who one the last 5 Nobel peace prizes? Who were the last 5 actors that won actor of the year? We don’t know the answer to these because they had very little influence in our lives because they did not serve us in any capacity. However, if I were to ask you to name 5 teachers you have had in your life? Tell me 5 people that you like to hang out with? Tell me 5 people who you trust? These are typically not going to be people that have won the above awards, but they are more important to you because they have served you in some capacity.

Jesus attitude to service

Jesus consistently demonstrated an attitude of servitude. Matthew 20:28

Matthew 20:28 NASB95

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 understood that this was His calling in life. Everywhere He went He sought opportunities to serve others. As we look at His ministry we see Him healing the sick, casting out demons, protecting the disciples from storms, raising the dead, feeding the hungry, and ultimately dying for his enemies. He knew that his heart was toward serving others.

Rarely do you find the scriptures recording people ministering to Jesus. His heart was one that was fully devoted to serving others. He demonstrated this in his last hours of life as he washed his disciples feet. This act was one that would show his disciples that they must see others as more important than themselves and look for opportunities to serve. Mark 10:41-45

Mark 10:41–45 NASB95

Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James and John. Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. “But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

If you want to be great, then we must have an attitude of servanthood.

How to have an attitude of servanthood

Serve where you are!

The Lord has provided you ample opportunity to serve right where you are. We must open our eyes to see the opportunities. In order for us to do this, we must take our eyes off of our-self and put them on others. Rather than focusing so much on what we want, focus more on what others around us need.

Love the undeserving

Our typical mode of loving is to love those that we like and are like us. We tend to hangout with those that are close to us and have the same mindset and do the same things that we do.

We tend to avoid people that have bad reputations and live lifestyles of ill-repute. These are the very people Jesus sought out to serve. He ministered to lepers, prostitutes, tax collectors, sick and demon-possessed, and sinners in general.

When churches seek to grow numbers by attracting other Christians they are nothing more than a social club. It is when the church seeks out the lost sinners in an effort to bring them to Christ for salvation and make disciples that the church is functioning as Christ commanded.

This is difficult because it is uncomfortable and sometimes ugly. This is what Jesus did and commands us to do.

Love the Church

God created us for community. It is something we all long for. We all want to belong to something. This is why sports, dance, political groups, bars, and other worldly places have so many followers. The people who belong to these find community in them and love those who participate with them. If the world can give such strong community, then shouldn’t the church be able to give all the more.

We must see one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. We should love one another in spite of our differences and deficiencies. We must learn to love one another rather than fuss about each other.

Desire to be like Christ

Jesus said that just as he did to them they need to do to others. The old WWJD bracelets we use wear were a good reminder of how we should be like him in service. Jesus sought out opportunities to serve. This should be our heart as well.

Action in Service

Jesus did not simply teach servanthood. He displayed it by living it in action. He knew the end goal of His service would result in a follower and ultimately salvation for the person He served.

Jesus was able to see the spiritual need of the individual and able to use physical service to address the spiritual. This is why He spent His time with sinners.Mark 2:17

Mark 2:17 NASB95

And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus associated with people that the religious would not. The religious looked down on sinners and judged them. Jesus saw sinners and ministered to them.

Our action

Many here today would call themselves Christians. The word Christian means “little Christs”. This means that we do the same things Jesus does. A lost and dying world is not attracted to a group of people that claim to be Christians and do not do the things Jesus did. This is why many non-church people refuse to go to church. They see the church as hypocritical.

A lost and dying world is attracted to a church that is doing the things Jesus would do. God has put many men and women in my life that have demonstrated christ-likeness to such a degree that I was drawn to them. I learned from them and continue to learn from them by what they do. I see their love for Jesus and how they manifest it in how they serve others. Tell story of Hazel Green passing out at life Tech. Tell story of Bobby Webb and cancer.

Award of Service

We get self out of the way. Trying to please self is exhausting. It is never satisfied and we can never be blessed when we seek to satisfy self. Only putting Christ in the center of our life .

We get to continue the work of Christ by serving others. Christ started the work and invites us to come along side with Him and finish the work.

In serving others we realize that we are not greater than Christ. If Christ served others when He is the king of kings, then we need to serve others. this demonstrates that we are not greater than Jesus.

John, Volumes 1 & 2 The Key to Happiness

Fourth, what was proper for Jesus to do is proper for us to do. Princes and princesses might consider servanthood improper for their station. But “if the king has stooped to serve, then it is not unreasonable for his subjects to do so also.” Whenever we think our station in life makes it improper for us to humble ourselves in menial service, we should remember the example of King Jesus. A pastor is not too reverend to change a diaper. A father is not too exalted to empty the dishwasher. A professionally accomplished Christian woman is not too highly qualified to teach children’s Sunday school

5. We are living in the purpose God created us. He called us to be servants. We should live in our purpose.