Christ Jesus and Servanthood

Good morning and welcome to the Panhandle. I pray you are enjoying this series on servanthood. Again this series is based on the book Developing A Servant's Heart by Charles Stanley. Christ Jesus came as a suffering servant, high priest, and glorious king. When it came to the servanthood of Christ Jesus we see several examples of this in the Gospels, even unto death on a cross. Servanthood, the cross and death for God/man it flies in the face of what the world teaches. Only the lowly should be servants, like the untouchables in India, not great kings and certainly not God. And really, who willingly goes to their death when they are innocent of all wrong doing? Well let's dig into today's study and find out what this is all about.

G. Gert Behanna, converted at age of 60, went around the country speaking, wrote the book THE LATE LIZ, in an interview “You know I travel around speaking for God and in the process I’m forced to use gas stations restrooms which are almost always filthy. I used to complain about that to God. I’d say, ‘Lord, If I’m your servant, how come I’ve got to use these dirty restrooms?’ One day in the midst of this kind of complaint, He seemed to say, ‘Gert, I come into this restroom too, right after you. (Matthew 25:40) "The King will reply, ’I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” From that moment on, she said she never left a public restroom without cleaning a mirror, wiping the tile sink and picking towels up off the floor. After all that, she’d say, “There You are, Lord. I hope it’s clean enough for You.” Thereafter, instead of bemoaning the mess she found, she began to think of the person who would be coming after her.

Last week we started looking at Christ Jesus’ example of servanthood in his sacrificial death on the cross. If you remember Christ Jesus had told his disciples that His time to be glorified had come and in order for this to happen he had to like a grain of wheat die and be put into the ground in order to save us.

This week we will look at the second example Christ Jesus gave us of sacrificial servanthood here in John 12:20-27. Psalm 22, which is a prophetic psalm linked very closely to the crucifixion of Jesus, has in it this phrase: “I am poured out like water” (Psalm 22:14).

I. Poured out Like Water

The very life essence of Christ Jesus was poured out like water. During His life, He poured Himself out on all those who were hungry and thirsty for the things of God. He gave of Himself freely to all who came to Him in need.

He said to a woman by a well in Samaria, “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14).

In His crucifixion, blood and water mingled freely in flowing from Christ Jesus’ side. He willingly gave His life, His blood to be “poured out” for the sins of the world.

The purpose of being “planted” like a grain of wheat or “poured out” like water is a sacrifice, but look at what happens when you give sacrificially. Notice there is a great blessing to others, and yes there is reward for you. In the case of a grain of wheat being planted, the result is not merely the death of the grain of wheat, but an abundant harvest—the single dying grain produces “much grain” (John 12:24). And in pouring Himself out, Christ Jesus intent was that His own spirit become a “fountain of water springing up” (John 4:14).

Death or sacrifice in itself is not the goal.

Being a servant is not having a martyr’s complex—a desire to die just for the sake of dying. It does not mean that you have to live a life of object poverty. Your life is to be poured out in loving and faith–filled service over and over so that others will continually benefit from your sacrifice.

In pouring yourself out to others, others are open up to experience greater life. You, in turn, experience a more purposeful life. The end result is not a moot death but a glorious everlasting life with the God Head. Anything you sacrifice in an act of servanthood to God—anything you do as an act of your faith in and love for God—will result in something positive and beneficial to all involved.

Among the many benefits of servanthood are these:

• A radiant excitement in your life for God and for all things that are good

• A healing in your life

• A difference in the lives of those whom you serve

• Inspiration and motivation to those who benefit from and who witness your generous

service

• A more fruitful life, both in the natural and supernatural realms

• Think back over times in your life when you knew that you were filling a servant’s role for

another person. How did you feel? What were the results in your life and the other

person’s?

• Think of a time or experience in which someone acted as a servant to you—meeting

a need in your life or helping you in a very specific way. How did you feel? What was the

result in your life?

2I2. Like Master Like Servant

The disciples of Christ Jesus had as time went on a clear understanding of their role as servants, but it was not until after Christ Jesus' death and resurrection.

Note how the disciples described themselves:

• “Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1)

• “James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1)

• “Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:1)

• “Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle” (Romans 1:1)

• John wrote at the outset of the book of Revelation, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which

God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place.” (Revelation 1:1)

The Greek word that is generally translated as “bondservant” in the New Testament is a word that was also used to refer to the “lower rowers”—the galley slaves who were kept in chains below the decks of large ships. They did the exhausting, difficult, and unseen work of rowing vessels across the seas and through the storms. There is absolutely nothing glamorous about being a “lower rower.” There is nothing about this image that brings about the praise and admiration of others, since the work goes mostly unrecognized and unrewarded by humankind. Yet this is the word that the disciples used to describe themselves in their work on behalf of others; they saw it as an honor to be a bondservant of Christ Jesus, a lower rower in the work of God’s kingdom.

This concept of success is completely inverted from that of the world’s standard. The world tells us, “The successful person is the one at the top, the one who is most visible, most admired, most talented, most accomplished.” The Scriptures tell us that in God’s eyes, the successful person is the one who is willing to be a lower rower for the benefit of others and for the sake of the gospel. How do you imagine it would feel to be a lower rower on a ship in the first century? How does it feel at times to be a lower rower in the kingdom of God?

The disciples recognized, even as Christ Jesus did, the blessing that came from being a bondservant. They knew that their efforts in the spirit realm were cause for joy because they were helping others to find eternal life in Christ Jesus. Paul wrote to the Philippians from a jail cell, “If I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all” (Philippians 2:17). The disciples fully embraced their role as servants. They knew it was to be their calling and identity. This was not because they were leaders of the church, but because they were following in the steps of Christ Jesus, the first and foremost Servant of God.

Some people seem to have concluded that it is only pastors or other members of a church staff who are God’s servants. In reality, any person who has accepted Christ Jesus as Savior is called to be a servant of God. To be God’s minister to others in particular areas of need, at particular times, but always with a mind and a heart motivated toward generous service. Nobody is excluded from service. We each are called to serve God and to serve others in need every day of our lives. God has already identified the precise ways in which He desires for you to serve Him and, thereby, fulfill your purpose in life.

Ephesians 2:10 tells us: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. We are called to be servants today, and to have the heart of a servant as our hallmark, regardless of the area in which we serve the church or the role we fill. Servanthood is to be our attitude and our motivation as we follow Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.

Service is the doing of good works as God leads and directs through the power of the Holy Spirit. The works are there for us to do. Our responsibility is to obey God, even as Christ Jesus obeyed the Father, and to serve Him with our all of our lives—every last grain, every last bit “poured out” to Him and to others.

How is the Lord challenging you to reevaluate your concept of service? In what ways is the Lord challenging you to engage in more active servanthood?

Once again thanks for dropping by, may the Lord bless and keep you and yours.

Biblesurfer