Title: The Example of Servant Jesus
Contents
Sunday Sermon 08/02/09 Matthew 10:44-45 “Jesus Who Came as Servant”
In the world, the greatest is the greatest, but in the faith, the one who serves is the greatest. So faith is living a life of paradox. The greatest example of a paradoxical life is Jesus. Jesus, who came as a king who served only as a king, was willing to give Himself as a ransom for many. Although he came as a king, he chose to serve, and Jesus was the serving king who gave his life to save many people. So, serving is the privilege of a royal people like Jesus.
The biggest ministry of Jeonju Woori Church in August is remote island missions and service. Going to an island can seem romantic. We can say that we are going because it is wonderful to undertake ministry with the scenery of the seaside. But the reason we go is to serve. We are going to serve God and serve our brothers and sisters of faith. The Lord is not pleased with us being a great community here or a place of comfort and comfort in our faith. God is pleased when we become the people we serve. When we follow Jesus and become servants, we are living fully doing the will of God. Let service be done in all of your lives, not just in remote island service. Just as Jesus came as a servant, we must stand as servants.
In John 13:14, Jesus said, “As Lord and Teacher, I have washed your feet, so you also ought to wash one another's feet.” Unless we are greater than Jesus, we must be foot washers like Jesus. It's not that I wash because I'm low. Matthew 23:11-12 “He that is greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
The principle of the rule of the kingdom of God is service. In this land, strong people rule. A person who is capable and competent will rule. But the kingdom of God is governed by those who serve. The kingdom of God is where the person who rules the most becomes the greatest. Jeonju Woori Church must also allow this kind of God's rule to unfold. We have the same dreams and thoughts. The church is growing and reviving. It is to accomplish the work of the kingdom of God. In order for these expectations and dreams to come true, we must stand as servants.
Tommy Temi's book "The Heart of a Servant" said that humans have a DNA of service. There are dozens of trillions of cells in our body. The eye has the cells of the eye, and the hand has the cells of the hand. All these cells work for the benefit of the whole body. Eye cells promote the functioning of the entire body, not just for your own eyes. Since all cells in the body do not act selfishly but move for the good of the whole, it is said that each cell has “DNA of service”. However, he adds that if you do not move for the benefit of the whole body, but only for yourself, it is more likely to be cancer.
Serving is God's way of running the kingdom of God. God's method must be worked in the same way in the church that God rules.
Then, we will examine what kind of attitude is necessary for serving.
First, to serve is to give up the right to enjoy.
Philippians 2 explains in detail Jesus' service. “For he, being in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as robbery, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human form, and being found in human form, humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. ”
How did Jesus' service appear here? There are two explanations, one is that he appeared in human form and the other that he became obedient to death. In other words, Jesus gave up his right as God.
The Constitution emphasizes that human beings have basic rights as human beings. If human beings have the right they deserve, Jesus also has the right of God as God. But Jesus gave up his right to be God.
[Example] It happened in a small town in Indiana state in the central US region. A brain tumor was found in the head of a 15-year-old middle school student named Brian. Since surgery was not possible, he was dependent on radiation and chemotherapy. Radiation and chemotherapy are difficult processes that even adults cannot tolerate. As a result, the boy's body became thin, and all his hair fell out. At a time when adolescent pride was strong and he was very interested in his appearance, the pain of his unusual appearance made it even more difficult for Brian. It was at this time that Brian's classmates volunteered to help him. All the students went to their parents and asked them to get their hair cut with a friend. This was so that Brian wouldn't be the only student without hair when he came to school. To the parents, the friends said, "I want to make sure that Brian doesn't feel embarrassed when he comes." When the student came to school, it was hard to tell who had cancer or who was normal.
Growing your hair is a right. How mature is the appearance of letting go of the right to grow your hair and the right to want to grow your hair? This is not what happened in the church. It happened at school, and it happened to a 15-year-old middle school student.
When the community moves like that, when we see the pain of one member and let go of our rights, the community can come to life. Let's not say we serve something else. When I let go of my rights, God's new work of life takes place there. The community will be able to show true service.
Second, service comes down from the status of a king to a servant.
People think it's a privilege to enjoy. They want special treatment and benefits. I think that how much you enjoy determines your status and position. So, it is the human heart to want to enjoy more if possible.
However, serving is not about enjoying all you can enjoy. True service is possible when you give up your current position and leave it. Serving that begins at eye level is true service. Serving without participating in the other person's eye level or the other person's weakness is meaningless service.
In the position of a king, education at eye level is not possible. You can be merciful, but you are not in a position to serve. It was the service of Jesus' eye level that He Himself took on a human body to save the weaknesses of life. He showed the disciples what true service is by being under their feet to wash them.
It is said that the president treats not only the professors but also each student with that kind of interest. When I asked how he could do that, he said shyly, he was just pretending to be Jesus a little.
Come down to serve. Just as Jesus showed the image of serving at the feet of his disciples, serve in low places. Don't say you don't like it, and don't complain. Don't complain that I don't show up. You are God's people who were created to serve. Jesus said that he did not come to be served, but to serve. Are we so used to receiving that we do not understand that we are being served? Seriously serve. Serve the Lord, serve your neighbor.
Third, serving is obedience to the end.
Jesus obeyed God's command to the end. To say that you were obedient to the end means that you were obedient to the point of death on a cross. The night before the cross, while praying so earnestly on the hill of Gethsemane, “He asked for this cup to pass, if possible.” He knew the pain of the crucifixion and the scorn and contempt of people, so he asked him to let it pass. At the end of the prayer, the Lord said, “But do not my will, but your will.” Although the Lord did not want it, he obeyed the will of God even to death.
We cannot be obedient like Jesus. Because we cannot die on the cross. Because Jesus paid for our sins on the cross. Obedience to death on the cross was a service that only Jesus could do.
So what does it mean for us to be obedient to the point of death? It means to be loyal.
Not only do I do the best I can with what I am currently undertaking, but I also do it to the end.
While carrying out our ministry, there are times when we are willing to do it, and there are times when we don't vomit. If our emotions determine our service and obedience, it is not true before God. It's just obedience to myself, to serve myself.
If we do not consistently carry out our ministry, it means we are not completely obedient.
The greatest weapon of Jesus who came to redeem the world was service. Let's read verse 45. “For the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” For a world that does not know how to serve and does not serve, Jesus understood service as a weapon that can fight the evils of the world.
We have the weapons Jesus gave us. It is a weapon of service. May you be the ones who take this weapon and use it to shape the world inside and outside the church.