Serving as Jesus Served

Introduction:

There’s a clever young guy named Somebody Else. There’s nothing this guy can’t do. He’s busy from morning to way late at night just substituting for you.

You’re asked to do this or you’re asked to do that and what is your ready reply? Get Somebody Else to do that job; he’ll do it much better than I.

So much to do in this weary old world—so much and workers are few. Somebody Else, all weary and worn, is still substituting for you.

The next time you’re asked to do something worthwhile, just give this ready reply: “If Somebody Else can give time and support, my goodness, so can I.”

Stop giving Somebody Else your job. Become a servant and watch what God will do for you, because He can also do it through you. You will discover it really is more blessed to give than to receive. What kind of servant are you?

One aspect of the life of Christ that is often given attention but still seemingly neglected is the aspect of his service

Service was the heart of all of the things that Jesus did

He could not please the Father without serving

He could not be great as we know him, without serving

Jesus served, it was literally the foundation to the life that He lived that resulted in the redemption of sinful man

And the obvious correlation to walking as Jesus walked is the correlation of service

Those who claim to be followers of Christ can not follow him apart from service

To not serve, but to claim to follow Jesus is akin to claiming to fly and not having wings

It isn’t plausible

I would submit this morning that there is a relationship between serving and greatness

Not because it sounds good, but because it is what we see Jesus teach

To be a servant is to be great, and to be great is to be a servant

The are two sides of the same coin

All followers of Christ are called to serve, not in the same capacity, but to serve

And this call to service as a follower of Jesus comes on the heels of a request by two of Jesus closest companions James and John

Jesus’ Dialogue with the two (vs.35-40)

Explanation

Mark 10:35–40 ESV

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.” 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.” 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.”

Jesus’ Dialogue with the two (vs.35-40)

Dig into the selected text:

The dialogue begins with a request by James and John

To be great

To sit in the seat at the right hand and the left hand of Jesus was to sit in a seat of authority and power

It was a seat of significance

Their request is significant too if you think about it and it is revealing of their hearts, isn’t it?

These two men are trying to beat the other men to the punch of acquiring the power of sit at the right and left of Jesus

They are concerned with their role and their significance in the events that were set to unfold

And so they seek Jesus’ approval to be the primary ones who serve side by side with him

Jesus responds to the two

“You do not know what you are asking”

And then he poses a couple of questions to them pertaining to their request

Jesus knew what they didn’t know

That He was not there to set up an earthly kingdom but to be a sacrifice for the purpose of redeeming sinful man

The cup he was to drink was the wrath of God when he was baptized under the judgment of God

In the OT the picture that being under water revealed was that of being surrounded by calamity and destruction

And for Christ the calamity that he was set to face was bearing the burden of God’s wrath in his sufferings and eventual death

The dialogue continues as the two insist that they are able to do just as Jesus does

They are ready to fight alongside Jesus in the battle aren’t they

Only they don’t get the reality of the situation, Jesus was not setting up an earthly Kingdom

He was establishing a spiritual kingdom through His life, death, and resurrection

The dialogue ends with Jesus answering their question

So after all that, Jesus tells the two men that not only will they suffer a similar fate as He does, but that the request to be seated at the right and left hand of Jesus is not for Jesus to grant

But what is interesting about these two particular men asking this question and Jesus responding by telling them that they will suffer is not only did they suffer as Christ told them, but just a fact about it is James was the first martyr for Christ and John was the last apostle to die after being tortured and left for dead on the island of patmos

Illustration

Illustrate your point:

Selfishness is the opposite of greatness

No selfish person can be great in the kingdom of God

If the kingdom of God is being built up by people who like James and John are more concerned with their own greatness than the greatness of Christ or others, then God’s Kingdom is not being built

Today, in the church we must understand what is at stake

The church today can not function if it is being built by individuals who like James and John pursue their own greatness or that pursue nothing at all

What best equips the church to reach the lost? Serving others

What best enables the church to grow those who make up the body? Serving others

We must seek not our own good and glory, but others

Jesus’ Dialogue with the twelve (vs.41-44)

Explanation

Mark 10:41–44 ESV

41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 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. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.

Jesus’ Dialogue with the twelve (vs.41-44)

Dig into the selected text:

Jesus senses the rising disunity among the 12 and seizes the opportunity to jump in and teach the disciples about true greatness

And he actually does so from a negative example

The example of what greatness is according to the world, or another way to put it is that he teaches was greatness is not

Jesus teaches on true greatness

Gentile Model

Ruler

A Position of leadership

Title does not make one a leader

Lord Over

A Position of power

Giving orders does not make one a leader

Those who are great

A Position of Prestige is leadership

Fame does not make one a leader

Exercise Authority

A Position of Privilege is leadership

Having rank does not make one a leader

Jesus Exhorts the Disciples

“It shall not be so among you”

Jesus teaches on true greatness

“Whoever would be great among you must be your servant”

Servant-diakanos

one who voluntarily renders useful service to others

“Whoever would be first among you must be slave of all”

Slave-doulos

one who forfeits his own rights in order to serve any and all

Illustration

Illustrate your point:

Jesus very clearly calls his disciples to not think of greatness in terms of how the world defines it, but instead gives them something better

In fact, Jesus tells these men that those in the world who believe that they are great based on their own understanding, in fact are not great at all as it pertains to God’s Kingdom

For the disciples then, and for followers today, there is no room in the Christian life to not serve others

Every believer is called to the stewardship of service

In will not look the same for every believer, but there is no excuse for anyone to not serve in the Kingdom of God

And this isn’t just because of what Jesus taught, it is also because of what Jesus exemplified

Jesus’ Example (vs.45)

Explanation

Mark 10:45 ESV

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.”

Jesus’ Example (vs.45)

Dig into the selected text:

There is no discussion when it comes to the greatness of Christ

He truly was great and is great

And in his greatness, he was a servant

He set an example to be followed of service and sacrifice

Jesus is the greatest in the Kingdom of God

Consider the reality that He was the only One who was able to do what man needed more than anything else

The magnitude of his service is unmeasurable

The stakes were high and the transaction was paying the high price of redeeming sinful man, appeasing the wrath of God, through his sacrificial death

Had Christ not come to serve, we would still be dead in our sins and trespasses

We would still be enemies of God

Illustration

Illustrate your point:

There is a chance this morning that we look at the sacrifice of Christ and think “Of course he did that, he’s God”

But God’s Word is clear that He chose to willingly serve at the expense of himself

It was literally why He came

And if we are willing to be honest this morning, many of us have a salvation that looks more like “Somebody else can do it” than “Send me I’ll go”

The obvious question is what if Christ functioned that way? Somebody else can redeem sinful man, not they couldn’t

And maybe, just maybe there is an area of service where if you don’t heed to call to serve as Christ has served then it won’t get done

We may be tempted to think this morning, my service to Christ and others isn’t like his was because it isn’t life or death as it was with Jesus and redeeming sinful man

But what if it is? What if availing ourselves to God in whatever capacity necessary leads to the salvation of even one soul

Would you do it? But how do you know Pastor J that my service will lead to someone’s salvation?

I don’t know it, but I do know that not serving surely isn’t leading to anyone’s salvation

Application:

This conversation started with a request for greatness from two of Jesus followers and it culminated with the highest of challenges, to live for the benefit of others

To willingly give of ourselves for the sake of the Gospel and other people

You may be tempted today to settle for less than greatness in the Kingdom of God, you may think I don’t need to be great, I just need to get there

False humility is a great tool of the devil

Notice that there was no in between when Jesus spoke to his disciples

Not, some will serve and be great, some will not serve and be less great, so pick which is you

Jesus said, the Kingdom of God functions differently and those who serve are great

And if you don’t want to be great in God’s Kingdom, I am not sure you fully understand the magnitude of Christ’s service to you

You can spend the entirety of your life serving and not fully repay Christ, and that is why it is a good thing that we don’t have to repay Christ

But out of devotion and love for what He has done, we serve

It is the natural response of a grateful heart

Conclusion:

Serve as Christ Served

Don’t strive to be great, strive to be faithful

You can’t be faithful without serving

So serve as Christ served; willingly, humbly, sacrificially, obediently, for the betterment of others

Serve as Christ served