Jump Start # 4194

Matthew 10:24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.”

Throwback Thursday: an article written from the past

A Servant of Christ

Servants—that thought isn’t very appealing to us unless we are the ones who have servants. Sure, it’d be rather nice to have someone bring you a glass of ice tea while you sat in your chair. It’d be nice for someone to take care of your clothes, clean them, iron them, hang them up. It’d be nice to be driven around. Being served isn’t a bad thing. Many moms feel like servants.

Throughout the N.T., God’s faithful, such as Peter, Paul, John, James, and Timothy are referred to as “bond-servants” of Jesus Christ. This was not a demeaning term. This was not something that was considered “low” on the totem pole. It was what they were. They served Jesus. They were servants of Christ. All that they did was to please God.

We’ve gotten away from that expression. We rarely refer to each other as “servants of Christ.” Moving away from this idea has also moved us away from the spirit and the heart of being a servant. Too many want to be served rather than to serve.

There are some reminders about servants that we forget. Consider just a few.

1. Servants put the work of Christ before self. The apostles endured many hardships. The pay was pitiful. The conditions harsh. The treatment often violent. Why did they do that? Because they were servants. Servants serve. They fed the master before they fed themselves. They took care of the master before they took care of themselves. Spiritually that’s translated into the apostles traveling, preaching, teaching in all kinds of circumstances for the cause of Christ. The one who looks for the easy way, the cushy job, the most perks, has lost the spirit of a servant.

2. The work of a servant is often long and hard. Servants serve. Many classes. Many sermons. Many studies. Many discussions. Jesus said that the laborer is worthy of his hire. Sometimes things get mixed up in our heads. We get the idea that God is working for us. God serves us. Wrong. We are the servants, not God. We serve Him.

3. Servants often do thankless jobs. The work of servants isn’t done to receive praise. It is to please the Master. There isn’t much ‘climbing the ladder’ among servants. They do things because it is right and it’s what the master wants. If it is attention and praise, the servant will be disappointed. Servants aren’t praised, God is.

4. The reward of the servant is that they are engaged in the greatest work in the world and what they have done is recognized by Heaven. Their reward is Heaven. Jesus said even a cup of cold water given to a disciple would be remembered. The prodigal remembered that his father’s servants had more than enough to eat. God is good to His servants.

5. The heart of the servant is to love the things that God loves. The servant is interested in the growth of the kingdom. The servant will give up Saturday mornings to serve. He will give up an evening at home to serve. He will stay long after worship has ended to serve. Helping God’s people is his interests. Making things better is his goal. He serves because he loves God.

I feel that some preachers have forgotten that they are servants. The servant will sacrifice personal interests for the kingdom. He will endure hardships, as Paul reminded the preacher, Timothy.

I feel that some elderships have forgotten that they are servants. Some act like bosses. They are good at snapping out orders that they expect others to complete, but when it comes to serving, they are on the short end of that stick. Shame on them. Shepherds serve the flock. There is no way around that.

I feel that some brethren have the idea that they have outgrown the servant concept. They show up, want everything to be perfect and if it’s not, they will complain and possibly even leave. Where’s the heart of a servant?

Lord, make me a servant.

Roger

March, 2014