TEN TRAITS OF A VITAL CHRISTIAN
Trait # 6 Exhibits Christ-Like
Servanthood Matthew 20:17-28
"Mama
Nellie" Yarborough founded the Mt. Calvary Holy Church on Otisfield Street
in Dorchester, MA, in 1962. She single-handedly created a tight-knit
congregation that looked to her for moral, spiritual, and daily strength. Mama
Nellie won't reveal her exact age, but at 70-something, her strength and energy
have not waned despite inner city life's hardships," wrote Christina
Wallace. This petite Southerner believed that one person can make a difference."
She became
a Bishop in her denomination, a school principal, and a community activist. To
her colleagues and friends throughout greater Boston, she is known as a
faithful servant of Jesus Christ, which she has been since she was fifteen."
Mama
Nellie has repeatedly proven her servanthood. Though she was a Bishop of her
denomination, it only took a phone call for her to rush to the side of an
ailing parishioner. She led a neighborhood watch group on Saturday nights,
scolding prostitutes and trying to drive them out of the area. On Thursday
nights and Saturday mornings, she served hot meals to dozens of homeless people
from the basement of her church, organized health workshops for women, etc.[1]
Mama
Nellie exhibited Christlike servanthood toward all who crossed her path daily.
From a very young age, she understood that the call of a disciple is to follow
in the footsteps of their master. Her infectious heart of love and obedient
life of servanthood touched many lives.
In our series, the Vital Christian Living, we have worked
through the five traits of a Vital Christian. They are: 1. A Vital Christian
experiences God's Empowering Presence. 2. Engages in God-Exalting worship. 3.
Practices the Spiritual Disciplines. 4. Learns and Grows in the community. 5.
Commits to Loving and Caring Relationships. Today, we will look at Trait #
6, A Vital Christian Exhibits Christlike
Servanthood. Matthew 20:17-28
I. Biblical Understanding of Servanthood.
In a power-hungry and egocentric world,
servants or serving are considered weak and demeaning. But that's not how God
views it, and He showed the power of serving by sending Jesus Christ, His only
begotten son, who became a humble servant of the people He created. The
dictionary definition of servant is "a person ardently devoted to another
or a cause.
We often think of servants as people
hired to do domestic duties or people as government servants hired to perform
government duties. As Christians, we are God's servants. We are called to be
devoted to God and to carry out His mission obediently. In the Bible, the words
"servant," "service," and "serve," in various
forms, occur well over 1,100 times in the NIV.
Many persons in the Old Testament are called "servants," among them some well-known ones: Abraham, Jacob, Moses (40 times), Joshua, Samuel, and David (more than 50 times). Some heathen kings, like Nebuchadnezzar (Jer 25:9) and Cyrus (Is 45:1-25). Some prophets like Isaiah and Daniel. The Jewish elders saw themselves as servants of the God of heaven and earth ( Ez 5:11), and some women like Ruth, a foreigner(Ruth 3:9), and Hannah. Mary, Jesus' mother, saw herself as a humble servant of God (Lk 1:48). The Book of Isaiah contains the "servant Songs" ( Is 42:1-4, 53:12). In the Book of Acts, Jesus was referred to as God's servant four times (Acts 3:13, 26; 4:27, 30).
When Jesus walked this earth, his
devotion was to the cause of his heavenly Father, and his example was one of a
faithful servant. He fulfilled his call with faithful consistency, showing his
disciples the fullness of his love through many acts of servanthood. The
prophet Isaiah prophesied Jesus as God's chosen servant in Isaiah 42:1-4.
In
the N.T, Jesus quotes the same prophecy verbatim after healing a large crowd
that came to him and said this was to fulfill what was spoken through the
prophet Isaiah. Matt 12:18-21. You can check these passages at home.
There is nothing to be ashamed of in
calling ourselves God's servants. God calls all of us to be His servants in his
vineyard whether we are in a full-time ministry, a 9 to 5 job, a stay-at-home
parent, currently unemployed, retired, or not working at all. We all are
recruited to serve God, which is the greatest privilege. Let's humbly display
the badge of honor as God's Servants.
II. A Vital Christian Exhibits Christlike
Servanthood
A vital Christian practices
God-honoring servanthood in every life and ministry relational context. Jesus exhibited
such servanthood to everyone who crossed his path throughout his earthly
ministry. Here are some acts of his service: He fed the hungry crowds, healed
the sick, restored the dignity of women, reached out to social outcasts, and
raised people from the dead.
After predicting how he would be
delivered to the chief priests and crucified for the third time, he established
a road map to greatness through servanthood. Two of his disciples wanted to sit
on the left and right sides of Jesus when He established His Kingdom.
One of the most dramatic expressions
of Jesus's service to his disciples came during the Last Supper before his
departure to the cross. Let's picture the posture of this Servant, King Jesus.
He knew the Father had put everything under his power, so he got up from the
meal, removed his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After
that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet,
drying them with a towel. John 13:1-5
Exhibiting Christ-like servanthood
begins at home. A word for Men: How are you serving your wives and children? As
couples, we look for ways to lighten each other's load. Here are some ways at
Hope Church for you to excel in Christlike servanthood. You can serve on the
worship team, the media, as trustees and deacons in the hospitality ministry
and missions. We can also take this Christlike servanthood outside the church
into our communities and the world.
III. Evangelism Through Christlike
Servanthood.
Jesus exhibited his servanthood with
a foot-washing ceremony before going to the cross and culminated His love for
humanity with his crucifixion on the cross. We could draw some principles from
Christ's death on the cross to guide our evangelistic efforts. We will learn
how we should do ministry in the Apostle Paul's letter to the Christians in
Philippi. Phil 2:5-10 (NIV)
"In your relationships with one
another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did
not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather,
he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in
human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by
becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross! Therefore, God exalted him
to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at
the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on
earth and under the earth." Let's observe some principles of
Evangelism here.
Paul exhorts us to have "the
same mindset or attitude that Jesus had. What is this attitude? Christ made
himself nothing. The Greek word kenosis used here connotes, "Jesus emptied
himself." He emptied himself or voluntarily laid down his glory as God's
Son and willingly entered into the human experience, being made in human
likeness.
In Evangelism and the Way of the Cross, author
Andrew F. Bush notes, "In this act of joining us in our humanness, he
affirmed the value of all humanity. Particularly, as we think of refugees and
others in need, by laying aside his claims of power, Jesus identified with the
weak and marginalized. In the crucifixion, he affirmed their value."[2] In Servanthood Evangelism,
we see value in every person, whether native-born, immigrant, or refugee. If
Christ loved them enough to die for them on the cross, what can we give up to
share that love with others?
