As a Servant

Abundant Life • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

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Abundant Life Sermon Series

Talking about how we come to know and experience the abundant life of Jesus…because Yes, please! And not just for ourselves, but so we can lead others into his life as well.

Last week was first of a three-week look at how we experience life of Jesus through our identity - who we are because of Jesus.

Baptism is sacrament where we claim our identity in Jesus Christ - that’s what it means to say that we are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Began with talking about being baptized in the name of the Father - that we now have an identity as his adopted children, you are a daughter of God, I am a son of the Heavenly Father.

As his children, we are to do what he does - which is to love others into the family of God - we love them into the family of God by loving as if they were already part of family…just like God did with us.

Today, we’re looking at the being baptized in the name of the Son, in the name of Jesus the King - and requires that we understand what kind of King Jesus is.

Prayer / Scripture - Luke 22:24-30

Greatness in the Kingdom

I suspect, like most folks, I am loathe to give up something that I’ve been really looking forward to.

I did not want to give up my trip to Texas the other week - I was excited about going to hang out with my college buddies, they’re great guys. Never dreamed winter weather in Texas would be issue

I was already packed, I’d checked in for my flight. And then, warning signs came. I get an email from my mom expressing her concern. I start watching forecast closer - wasn’t going to be warming up as soon as I’d hoped. My college buddy texts me a website that shows all the road closures in area. Ugh.

So with great reluctance we decide to postpone. Gave it up.

My issue was weather related, but because of Covid - this has been a year that has caused same sorts of disappointments for just about everyone - travel plans, wedding plans, family visits, just getting to go out to events (or play in) - sports, concerts, graduations…list goes on.

Kind of disappointment Disciples are about to experience in our passage today.

this story takes place on night of the Last Supper - Jesus and his disciples are gathered for Passover Feast in Jerusalem.

Little do they know that in less than 24 hours, Jesus will be arrested, raced through an absolute farce of a trial (two trials, actually), flogged, sentenced to be executed, and that sentenced carried out - he will be dead by crucifixion before the sun sets the next day.

Here’s thing - week started with such promise - everything they’d hoped for was finally beginning to happen!

Jesus’ primary message was about the Kingdom of God, and the fact that it has come, it’s here and now

Disciples had come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, the King who would usher this Kingdom in

For several years they’d been traveling around fringes of Jewish culture, in rural areas - region of Galilee

But now, Jesus is at last making his way into Jerusalem, the capital, center of Jewish life, power, influence. And he did it in a very public way.

Day we celebrate as Palm Sunday, Jesus made his way into Jerusalem, riding a donkey - just like the prophets of Old had said Messiah would do

Then, Jesus challenged entire temple system as being corrupt. Jesus was assuming that he had authority to make that sort of challenge - turning over tables of money changers, those selling animals for sacrifices…This is my Father’s house!

Throughout the week crowds gathered around him as he taught in temple courts - religious leaders constantly challenging, testing him - and they would always end up looking foolish for challenging him. Of course, disciples loved it!

Disciples were eager with anticipation - it’s finally happening! Jesus is asserting himself as true Messiah, promised King of the Jews, chosen by God, to rule over Israel.

So, what do they do? They start dreaming about what that’s going to mean. If Jesus is going to take his rightful throne, what does that mean for them, his closest followers? Ones who were chosen by Jesus himself?

Start to fight among them. Who’s greatest? When Jesus establishes his royal counsel, who will get what positions?

Jewish culture was an honor / shame culture - where you sat - in synagogue, at dinner party, in relationship to king - indicated where you ranked, what honor you held.

When Jesus came to sit on his throne (which is what they were anticipating), who would sit on his right? On his left? Those were prime seats. And who would sit furthest away? Who was least important?

This is what they were fighting over. Once again, they’d missed what Jesus had been trying to teach them.

King is Suffering Servant

In Kingdom of God, greatness looks very, very different from world’s view of greatness.

In world, honor comes from being above, being more important, being one who gets to decide, who gets what they want, who gets to have nicer things, those who win.

Greatness is being better than, smarter than, having a higher rank, being stronger than, better-looking, being more moral, having more friends, more followers, getting more likes.

Or, as Jesus puts it, those who lord it over, who have the authority, say-so. Those who call themselves benefactors - a benefactor was one who doled out favors, always from vantage point of power.

But not you, according to Jesus. That’s not how it is in the Kingdom of God - in my kingdom.

In the kingdom of God, everything is flipped upside-down. The youngest is greatest, not the eldest.

You want rule? To be great? To have honor? That starts with serving. Letting others have say so. Looking to the needs of others first. Placing yourself below others.

Jesus reminds them that this is exactly how he has been with them.

He asks them, who is greater, the one at the table or one who serves?

It’s a no-brainer question - it’s the one at the table. Jesus is one who’s at the table. He’s leader, their master, teacher. And yet, Jesus tells them, I’ve been a servant to you.

Earlier that evening, Jesus had gotten up from the table, taken off his outer robe, taken a towel and a basin and filled it with water…and one by one, had washed the feet of all twelve of his disciples.

That was the dirty, thankless job of the unnoticed servant. The guy who was supposed to be invisible until you needed something.

Peter was so bothered by Jesus doing this, he decided he needed to defend honor of Jesus - Never, Jesus, you shall never wash my feet.

Jesus’ response - if you don’t let me wash you, you have no part with me.

Now, Jesus was clearly teaching that we need to be cleansed by Jesus - our sins washed away.

But there’s another sense that if you don’t receive this, this whole idea of servanthood, you’ll never be able to be a part of who I am, what I’m about.

After he washes their feet, he tells them - I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. If I, your Master am doing this - you, as my follower - you’re not above this, you’re not too good for this. You should do it as well.

And Jesus had just communicated it to them in another way. When they were sharing the meal, he took some of the bread, he broke it and declared to them…This is my body, given for you. And then he took his cup…This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

In many ways, this language is strange to us. But Jews lived at time when practice of animal sacrifices was commonplace - wasn’t just their practice, all sorts of cultures…Canaanites, Greeks, Romans.

They would have known he was referring to himself being the sacrifice. That he was going to serve them in most absolute way possible, by laying down his life for them (my body, given for you. My blood, poured out for you).

Mark 10:45 - For the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

In Kingdom of God, greatest comes not from being over others…more than, better than, getting what you want - it comes from humble service…looking to what others need, what’s for their good.

The King comes not to lord it over, he comes as a suffering servant.

It is tragic and beautiful irony that when Jesus hung on cross, a sign Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, ordered to be put on cross, that declared his “crime”. The sign read: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.

Pilate was trying to mock the Jews - look, here’s your King. And yet, he unintentionally proclaimed the truth of what kind of King Jesus is. Jesus, the King, comes to us as suffering servant.

This was Jesus’ life and ministry - if we miss this, we miss who Jesus is. And we miss what it means to be baptized in his name. To belong to him.

We Are Servants

When we join with Jesus, when we are baptized in name of the Son, we join with him in becoming servants as well. We are servants of King.

Last week, we saw that alluded to in our passages in Romans - we share in his sufferings in order that we may share in his glory.

Jesus affirms same thing here - you will serve and suffer like me - but you will also be great, you will share in my glory and power, vv. 29-30:

I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Issue isn’t whether we should desire or pursue being great, having honor or glory - question is how we achieve that greatness. What does true greatness look like in Kingdom of God? True greatness has face of a servant.

We have to be honest about fact that we resist this. We are very much like the disciples - we want the greater than, the better seat.

We may not have to have seat right next to Jesus - but we sure don’t want the one furthest away!

Why I was loathe to give up my travel plans - I want what I want. There’s so much in me that resists embracing identity of a servant.

Ways we resist (pg 3)

Chuck Swindoll, tells story about going on a canoeing outing with his son - through an outfitter, other people there, as well as the guide. They’re all there along the bank of the river, getting their gear. Guide is going through instructions, safety guidelines. While he’s doing that, Chuck has got his eye on the canoes - he’s noticing that nicer canoes are over this way…so he starts inching his way over to the nicest canoes, so they can be sure to get one. Later it dawned on him that he was not reflecting heart of Jesus, heart of servant.

Isn’t that our tendency? We’re working on group project - want glamour job, one with power tools. No one wants dirtiest job, boring repetitive one.

We want best seats at the game. We want the massage - not to be giving it!

Happy to give out of my abundance, my old stuff, things I don’t want or need anymore. The nicer, new stuff - not so much. I’m happy to serve if it fits in with my schedule or it doesn’t ask too much of me.

Problem is, when it comes to our call to follow Jesus - to deny ourselves, pick up our crosses there’s no giving “just a little.” There’s really never a good time to go to the cross.

Being like Jesus

This is what made Jesus so beautiful, so wonderful - so great.

He literally had it all - and he willingly gave it all up. Philippians 2:3-8

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

He didn’t hang on to his divine advantages, he didn’t use them to his advantage, he let all those go, he made himself nothing...to serve us.

I find this part so fascinating - it doesn’t say he took on nature of a human, in likeness of servant. It’s opposite, he took on very nature of a servant, made in human likeness.

His whole nature, his whole character was that of a servant. Who humbly obeyed his way to death…even death on a cross.

I hope and pray we’re genuinely humbled by who Jesus is - that as we take time to look at him, who he is, what he’s done for us…that’s true greatness.

Not just humbled, but stirred, transformed - me, too! I want to be great, Jesus, just like you.

I am baptized in your name, Jesus. You’re a servant. Me, too.

I want others to get a taste of that same love, experience what your Kingdom is all about. I want others to know that life, that abundant life.

There’s really only one way to be a servant. To serve. To look to the needs of others. Look to their interests before your own.

It’s so hard because it so goes against our inclination. But here’s wonderful thing - it doesn’t have to be big things.

Matthew 10 - if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of my disciples, they will not lose their reward. Just a small, intentional act of serving another.

Let me finish with this, Mother Theresa: I never look at the masses as my responsibility. I look only at the individual. I can love only one person at a time. I can feed only one person at a time. Just one, one, one. You get closer to Christ by coming closer to each other. As Jesus said, “Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it to me.” So you begin…I begin. I picked up one person…The whole work is only a drop in the ocean. But it we don’t put the drop in, the ocean would be one drop less. Same thing for you. Same thing in your family. Same thing in the church where you go. Just begin…one, one, one! At the end of our lives, we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made or how many great things we have done. We will be judged by “I was hungry and you gave me to eat. I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless and you took me in.”

Intentional act of serving someone else every day…paying them a compliment. Giving them a helping hand. Seeing the need - let me get that for you...

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