Servant

By Mark Cameron

"Whoever serves me; and where I am, my servant also will be.  My Father will honor the one who serves me." John 12:26.

Too many people come to Church three times primarily.  They're Baptism, they get married, and they have their funeral service at the Church.  The first time they throw water on you, the second time rice, and the third time dirt!

Sometimes Church can be a boring uninspiring routine... but don't blame it on God.  Today we will see that when being comes before doing, the Church can be a fulfillng and affirming place to attend and belong.

Jesus clearly states that servants follow the Lord.  It's never the servants prerogative to tell the master what he will do.  To follow Christ is to be led by the Spirit, to make choices with His wisdom, to live for Him to do what He would have you do.  If we were really honest with ourselves, what we want is for Jesus to follow us around and bless what it is that we have chosen to do with our time and our resources.  But that is not Jesus command to us today.  Today Jesus gives the challange, "Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be."

Look at what God has placed into your life today and ask yourself, "If Jesus were given this life of mine, what would he do with it?  Where would he go?"  Would Jesus be trying to get popular with that group of people at school?  Would Jesus be spending so much time at work?  Would Jesus skip an opportunity to pray with His disciples because of a TV show?  would Jesus have a hard time squeezing in the needs of the poor and  homeless?

Servant in our English New Testament represents the Greek doulos, (Bondslave).  Sometimes it means diakonos, (deacon or minister); this is strictly accurate.  Both words denote a man who is not at his own disposal, but is his masters purchased property.  Bought to serve his masters needs, to be at his beck and call every moment, the slaves sole business is to do as he is told.  Christian service therefore means, first and formost, living out as slave relationship to one's Savior.

What work does Christ set his servants to do?  The way that they serve him, he tells, is by becoming the slaves of their fellow- servants and being willing to do literally anything, however costly, irksome or undignified, in order to help them.  This is what love means, as Jesus himself showed at the last supper, when He played the servants part and washed the disciples feet.

When the New Testament speaks of ministering to the saints, it means not primarily preaching to them but devoting time, trouble and substance to giving them all the practical help possible.  Only the Holy Spirit is training us in love, we are not fit persons to go to college or a training class to learn the know- how or particular branches of Christian work.  Gifted leaders who are self-centered and loveless are a blight in the Church rather than a blessing.

What are you doing in service to your Lord that will out live you?  Ephesians 2:10 states, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

You say, Mark, I am saved by Grace not by works and I would say Amen to that.  Remember however that while we are saved by grace alone, the Grace that saves is not alone!

The great violinist, Niccolo Paganini willed his marvelous violin to city of Genoa on condition that it must never be played.  The wood of such an instrument, while used and handled, wears only slightly, but set aside, it begins to decay.  Paganini's lovely violin has today, become worm-eaten and useless except as a relic.  A Christian's unwillingness to serve may soon destroy his capacity for usefulness.

Servants follow the Lord

Servants are found where Jesus is working

Servants will be honored by God