Names of God (Part 19) – Jesus is the Servant of All

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Names of God

(Jesus is the servant of all)

Good Morning and Welcome to Jesus Church

We are on week 19 of looking at who God is…

• Looking at His character
  • Looking at how he operates towards us
  • Looking at what we can expect & anticipate from him
• These names are found throughout the Bible
  • But are most easily understood through Jesus our Immanuel
  • God with us

Today we look at a story of a mom… who just wants the best for her boys

• But in that causes all kinds of drama
  • And like always Jesus uses it to teach those he loved
  • About how to leader… through being a servant to others

Matt. 20:20-28

Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.
And He said to her, “What do you wish?”
She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”
But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” (They say sure… how hard can it be)
They said to Him, “We are able.”
So He said to them, “You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.” (And this is where the drama begins) And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers.

• Now I don’t think the 10 were mad at these 2 for asking this question
  • Along with there mother who is the definition of helicopter parent
  • Right… these guys are in their 20’s
  • Mom is still speaking on their behalf
• No the reason the 10 are mad… they didn’t think of it first

But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you (and I speak that to us as well…) but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— JUST AS the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Matt. 26:39 (Prayer of Jesus)

He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

Today as we look at the names of God

• I want to focus on Jesus as the Servant of All
  • Because even though we know that not everyone has been saved
  • No one can say they haven’t been served

[Pray]

Story – Line Leader

The first leadership role I remember was in 1^st Grade

• Mrs Love was my teacher at what is now Pure Heart church
  • Back then it was the school with the crazy palm trees
  • And I was excited to be the line leader for the week
• Every school day would start with lining up outside & reciting
  • Pledge of Allegiance (American/Christian flags)
    • My job included…
      • Making sure everyone was inline for the pledge
      • First to door for recess
      • Insure line was straight
      • End of recess to let everyone know
      • When line was straight, back to class
        • Challenging
• So finally get to tell classmates what to do
  • And I never wanted my week to end
  • I loved everything about it
    • I only wished I could be the line leader at home as well
    • Boss my little sister around
    • Mrs. Love – created a monster

But notice that my 1^st grade concept of leadership

• Was the opportunity to tell people what to do
  • And its crazy… but there are full grown humans
  • Haven’t moved past a 1st grade concept of leadership
• Think leadership is ability to tell people what to do/when to do it
  • I had a business partner years ago… horrible decision
  • Said “I want to be the boss so no one can boss me around”
• In our culture even leadership is painted as bossing people around
  • I mean… what do you call the guy in charge… Boss
  • And what do we call it when someone tells everyone what to do
  • BOSSY… Its in the name

Jesus contradicts cultural idea of what leaderships about

And he presents a totally new way to lead & live

• The entire Discussion is in context of 12 disciples over status
  • James and John… probably around 20 years old
    • Either the mom makes this happen on her own
    • Or… two grown men convinced their mom to speak for them
    • Either way: I’m sure they wish story was left out of the Bible
  • But Mom asks if her boys could be in a position of power
    • To be the top of the followers
    • To be the best and most important of the 12
• And honestly this is just a reflection of classic guys – want to be…
  • The man… The captain
  • Respected… Looked up to… Influential

So you can imagine how would this would make the other 10 feel

• Like I said… They aren’t made at the request…
  • They’re just mad that they didn’t think of it first
  • Wish they would have called their mom
• So the 10 start taking out their frustration on each other
  • And u know the truth of discussion was all about who should be top
  • B/C all 12 want to be
  • In charge… The elite… socially superior

And Jesus does what Jesus does… makes it a teaching point

• Tells them all to sit down and shut their mouths and says…
  • “I don’t have to tell you about current leaders of today”
  • “YOU KNOW… godless leaders use influence to lord over people”
• Eugene Peterson – “Authority goes right to their head”
  • They think they are something special… look down on others
  • They think they’re great & exercise their authority over people
• Jesus makes it VERY clear… “But yet it shall not be so among you”
  • At that time the boys shoulders probably dropped
  • Thinking… maybe none of us made the cut…

Because in this time: The Greek concept of leadership

• It was all about status
  • Example: In the Greek mindset…
    • To be a leader & not be able to act like one… what’s the point
    • To be a leader was to not be bothered by unimportant people

• • This is what the disciples culture had taught them
    • Didn’t just exist in Jesus day,
    • This is alive and well in culture today

So Jesus speaks to us as to the disciples

It shall not be so among you “Jesus Church”

• Jesus is teaching us His way of living and leading
  • Greeks idea of serving
    • Service had no value at all – for the little people
    • Only reason culturally to serve others was for more influence
    • Greeks served only to get something
• Jesus flips the script with a totally new perspective on serving
  • Says “Whoever wants to be great, must be a servant”
    • Disciple would have never heard those words used together
    • Greatness and serving?!?!

Notice… Jesus is okay with people wanting to be great

1 Tim. 3:1

“He who desires to be a bishop (Leader), he desires a good work”

• Not bad to be in a position of influence
  • “He who desires to be first… let him be your slave”
  • God has no problem with people wanting to be first
• God wants you to win in this life
  • He wants you to be a person of influence
  • He wants you to lead people
• Our society tries to make us believe that everyone wins
  • Don’t keep score in little league – everyone’s a winner (what a joke)
    • Went to my daughters 8^th grade promotion
    • I have never heard of so many awards in my life
    • There was a math award for talking too much in class
  • We now have Pastors who have bought into cultural thinking
    • To the point where they believe culture over the Bible
    • Can’t be hell because everyone wins
• I’m sorry… but that’s not true
  • Everyone is not a winner
  • But God wants us to win in this life
  • Rom. 7 tells us God wants us to “Rule and reign in this life”

But notice what Jesus says about greatness

Matt 20:26

Yet it shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.

• So serving will lead to greatness… and greatness is for serving
  • I will serve you, and you might call me great for it
  • And I will use that greatness to serve more

• These are the kids of leaders Jesus is looking for
  • And this is the kind of life that we are to live
  • So the mindset of a servant is…
    • I might win… might have success… might be first
    • But the reason I’m first so I can be the first to serve

TAG: NOW IF WE END SERVICE HERE – WE’VE GOT PROBLEMS…

Because the key to being a greater servant…

Isn’t hearing a sermon on being a greater servant

• I think at times we’ve gone about it all wrong
  • Because we all have a least a little dictator inside of us
    • Roaring to get out
    • Like sometimes as a dad
    • I’ve looked at my 2 kids… “Cause I said so and I’m in charge!!!”
      • We all have a degree of it
• So we leave the sermon on servanthood thinking…
  • I have got get it together
  • I need to start getting low like Jesus says
  • And we all get our serve on for the next few weeks
• We start serving each other… its great
  • But after the 6 weeks… only ones still serving are the real servants
  • And we haven’t gained anything
    • Just a momentary attempt to live out scripture

Key to servant hood isn’t just motivation for a few weeks from a sermon

• Start getting coffee for all your employees
  • They start complaining about it no having enough creamer
  • You get mad because they are so ungrateful
  • Next thing you say forget it… this isn’t working
    • I think we’ve all been there
• B/C a couple of weeks of kindness in the NAME OF SERVANTHOOD
  • It’s not the point

Power to serve isn’t in the message of servant hood

• The key to servanthood is in the person of Jesus
  • Today I’m not preaching on servanthood
  • I’m preaching on the servant of all

And what changes everything comes from 2 words Jesus says: “Just as”

Matt 20:28

Just as the Son of man did not come to be served…

• You wanna be Great – Be a Servant… Wanna lead – Be a Slave
  • So Jesus is linking greatness to servanthood… 1^st place to last place
    • It’s a dichotomy
    • Seems backwards
    • Counter intuitive
  • What is Jesus talking about… This just seems impossible
    • How do I do this
    • I’m just so good at thinking about self first
    • In fact I’m a professional at thinking about me
• But Jesus wants us to learn how to use success to serve people
  • And the truth is… on your own – That is not possible
  • Ya – You might last for a week… maybe even 6 months
    • But you cannot sustain it on your own

You gotta catch what Jesus says here… “Just as” not “Just do”

• Far too many of us live by the Nike motto, “Just do it”
  • Problem is we just do it with…
  • Read scripture, listen to preaching, have prayer time
  • Think I’m just gonna do it
    • 16 years old, preached my first sermon titled “Just do it”
• Preacher Preaching on servanthood… it makes sense… I see the point
  • So I’m gonna… JUST GONNA DO IT
    • I’m gonna Serve more
    • I’m gonna Volunteer more
    • I’m gonna Help more
• Everyone’s gonna see a change: coworkers/Employees/Boss/Spouse
  • I’m gonna pray… gonna read… gonna tithe…
  • I’ll do… be… attain… accomplish… win… finish
  • You’ll wear yourself out and get sick of hearing what ur gonna do

Because Scripture doesn’t say “just do” but “just as”

In the world around us so many think the power is in “just do it”

• To get what you want – JUST DO IT
  • And then we take that mentality and apply it to God’s kingdom
  • It’s all up to me… don’t need anyone or anything else
  • Seriously… a lot of Christians with a Messiah complex
• Power isn’t in “Just do”… the power is in “Just as”

Matt 20:28

Just as the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many

If anyone deserved to be served it was God coming as a man

• Yet this same God who created you… came down to serve you
  • Just as… that’s the power
  • How am I going to use influence & authority to serve others
  • Its not in us to sustain that on our own
    • But it’s in Christ… and there in lies the power
• Can you imagine if people came to church like Jesus
  • Jesus came to earth with legal right to be served by his creation
  • Yet he laid down rights to be served and did the serving
• If we could just come to church like Jesus came to the planet
  • It would change everything

And you have every justification to come to church to just be served

• Life is throwing grenades at you all week
  • Dealing with life
  • Taking care of your family
  • Dealing with problems
  • This is my me time… my down time
• Ya you can come to just sit and enjoy… But you’ll also miss it
  • B/C you’ll end up ineffective and unfulfilled in the body of Christ
  • And one day you’ll realize this isn’t working
    • Why people give up on church

November & December have more suicides than all other months combined

• Not because there is more pain
  • Its b/c they’re more aware of everyone else’s joy around them
  • They close in on pain, hurt and despair and isolate themselves
• Human nature is to isolate
  • When hurting, last thing we want to do is give and serve
    • Best thing to do is to serve and talk about Jesus
    • When I serve.. I get served
• Danger in attention and sympathy… quickly becomes all about me
  • Nothing wrong with attention or sympathy
  • But it can’t be the point… b/c its focused on you
• Focusing on you will not fix you…
  • More you focus on you the less you become like Jesus
  • But focusing on Jesus changes everything

The answer is in serving “Just as”

• Jesus laid down his life, to pick it back up
  • Healing is in the giving of what you want
  • If you want a hug, start giving hugs
  • If you are in pain, start helping others in pain
• And then watch it come back to you
  • Because this is the paradox to the kingdom of God

Repeat: Don’t just do, Do just as