“Govern Yourself The Heart of a Servant” By Brother Kenneth Ray March 18th,
2012 I get frustrated when people talk about something like everybody knows what that means, so here are some definitions: Serve—to do services or duties for, service to: aid, assist, help. (b) to give obedience and reverent honor to God. Servant—a person devoted to another or to a cause. Jesus came in the form of man and took the form of a servant. So God came to men from Heaven in the form of a man called Jesus. He didn’t feel it was beneath Him, but that it was necessary. If you could be able to somehow look behind the flesh and bone, like a curtain, you would have found God Almighty. He didn’t come to be exalted; in fact, He made Himself of no reputation. People were able to recognize Him because they that heart. He could have just Jedi mind-tricked you into doing what He wanted you to do, but he took on the mindset of servanthood, and He kept this mindset until the giving up of the ghost on the cross (Philippians 2:7). So, what is at the heart? The Bible tells us that Jesus did many things: healed (gave sight to the blind, made the lame to walk {Matthew 21:14}), forgave sins (Matthew 9:6), brought people back from the dead (John 11), He came to a man that was waiting for somebody to put him in a pool to be healed, and He healed him (John 5:1-9), He saw a man who had climbed a tree because he was vertically challenged, and met his needs (Luke 19:1-6)… At the core of all of these actions was the seeing of people’s needs. Jesus was able to not only see the whole crowd had needs, but see each person in the crowd and see their unique, individual needs. It was not cookie cutter ministry, but custom care for the soul who was in need of it. The heart of a servant is to see exactly what people’s needs are, asking questions, seeking… You may be able to say, “Oh, I talked with ten people.” Did you minister to them? “Well, I gave them all the same Bible study…” How much quality time do I give people? 1 Corinthians 9:19 …I have made myself servant unto all… It was a choice he made. This was a free-will offering, more than money. 1 Corinthians 9:20-23 …that I might by all means save some. Not everyone is going to make it. “I don’t like talking to people,” Okay, then pray for someone else who does. There is something that disqualifies you from sharing with some people; maybe you’re from Grayslake, and the other person is from Wildwood. You may see the need, but do you (1) have what it takes to meet to need and (2) will you allow God to move through you to see the need met. Look at each opportunity as just that, an opportunity (not a burden, not a chance to cash in, not a box to check, not a feather in your cap), and each time as brand new and for the first time; always with fresh eyes, even if you know the person. Nothing ever happens the same way twice. Jackie Martin. None here know Ms. Martin. She was my teacher in high school. She was my eleventh grade home room teacher, my chemistry teacher, my environmental science teacher, she was the editor of the school paper (which I wrote a sports column for), she was my sponsor for National Honor Society, and she was my career counselor. Now she’s also my Facebook friend. Now, in a classroom, you think maybe different students are on different levels and abilities to learn? Yes, I would say that is fair to say. Because of this a teacher will have to come up with more than one way to present the information because we learn in different ways, and sometimes will be one-on-one. That teacher went out of her way to make the effort because she became a servant to the class, unlike professors who, if you don’t get it, tell you maybe you shouldn’t be in their class. It is much harder sometimes to teach or minister to the crowd that is given to you than the crowd that you know how to teach. I spoke with a brother yesterday at Bass Pro Shop, and he told me of a co-worker who has had someone near death. He told the woman that if she needed someone to share salvation with her loved one, that he could go do that for her. Romans 6:17-18 …Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. Free will comes back to choice. Jesus made a choice, Paul made a choice. You and I had to make our choice. Will it be like Jesus and Paul were free and chose to serve God? At the heart of it all (1) it was center of their being, with real meaning. (2) it was not self-serving, but to do service or duties—aid, assist, help—others. (3) they were willing to be a person devoted to another (Jesus) and His cause. My reason is to give obedience and reverent honor to God. It doesn’t have to make sense, it will make the difference. Sermon notes by Pete Shepherd |
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