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INTRODUCTION
a.
The mother of James and John was no different b.
She desired great
things for her two sons - Matthew
20:20-21
a.
Serving in His
kingdom would require great sacrifice and suffering - Matthew
20:22-23 b.
Her request could
only be granted by the Father - Matthew
20:23
a.
Upon which Jesus
used this opportunity to teach an important lesson - Matthew
20:25-28 b.
I.e., to be great in the kingdom one must serve, even as
the Son of Man came to serve [This is a lesson every
Christian needs to remember, yet it goes against what the world
would have us believe. To encourage us in being willing to serve,
perhaps it would help to recall that we have been...] I. WE HAVE BEEN SERVED BY GREATNESS
1.
He came to serve, not to be
served - Matthew
20:28 2.
He served by
giving His life a ransom, dying on the cross for our sins 3.
He serves
even now, as our High Priest who intercedes for us - Hebrews
7:24-25 (“but
Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His
priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able also to save forever
those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to
make intercession for them”)
1.
The prophets
spent their lives in service for our benefit - 1
Peter 1:10-12 2.
Thus we have
been served by men like Moses, Samuel, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah,
Daniel and many other “heroes of faith”!
1.
It was the
Holy Spirit who inspired the prophets - 1
Peter 1:11 2.
He also
inspired the apostles to reveal the gospel - 1
Peter 1:12; John 16:13 (“But
when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all
the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but
whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what
is to come”)
1.
They are the
ones who preached the gospel to us - 1
Peter 1:12 2.
Through them,
we have come to believe in Jesus - cf. John
17:20 (“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in
Me through their word”) 3.
Thus we have
been served by men like Peter, James, John, and Paul, who suffered
greatly in their ministry to us! - cf. 1
Corinthians 4:9-13; 2 Corinthians 11:24-29
1.
They had a
keen interest in the things being revealed - 1
Peter 1:12 2.
For they had
a part in the process of revelation - cf. Daniel
8, 9; Luke 1:11-19,26 38 3.
Thus they too
have ministered to us - cf. Hebrews
1:13-14
1.
Someone
taught us the gospel, others continue to teach us and our children 2.
Some made it
possible for us to assemble, and each week clean up what we leave
behind 3.
In times of
sickness, many have prayed and rendered various forms of service [With so many rendering so
much service, it is easy to feel pampered. Indeed, we have been “served
by greatness”! Do we take it for granted? I hope not. We can
show our appreciation by emulating those who served us. So
let me just offer a few ways that we can...] II. LET US SERVE TO BE GREAT
1.
Unity
among the family of Christ is a treasure to be sought after – Psalm
133 2.
If
it were not so…
i.
Christ would not have prayed for it among his followers (c.f. John
17:23)
ii.
Paul would not have preached about it (Ephesians
4:11-13) 3.
But
since unity is obviously important among the brethren, then we
should do all things within our power to maintain that unity
i.
Serving one another in love
ii.
Constantly searching the Scriptures to ensure we are all obeying God’s
word
iii.
At times, acquiescing to our brethren rather than having a prideful and
arrogant heart
1.
Many have
contributed to your spiritual growth, can you help others? - cf. Ephesians
4:16 2.
Begin by
being present at every service, greeting every one present 3.
Take a
special interest in those who are new, encourage them 4.
Offer to help
teach our children, even if it only means to assist another
teacher 5.
Volunteer
whatever service you can render in the work and worship of the
church
1.
When
our brothers and sisters look around at us, they should see
someone who is glad to be here worshipping God (Psalm
122:1 – “I was
glad when
they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD"”) 2.
We
may not realize how our attitude toward worship can influence
someone else
i.
As others see us singing, if we do it with a smile on our face and a
genuine joy in our heart, that can rub off on others (the opposite
can also be true)
ii.
Those of us who lead in services, if we approach it with a lack-luster
attitude or are unprepared, we can influence the worship of the
entire congregation! 3.
Let’s
all serve one another in glorifying God by worshipping with all
our heart! 4.
By
being here – both physically and mentally!
1.
Has anyone
ever showed you kindness? “Be kind to one another” - cf. Ephesians
4:32 2.
Visit the
sick or elderly in hospitals, and at home 3.
Render
service such as cleaning, transportation, errands, etc. 4.
Minister to
the poor, hungry, or those otherwise in need
1.
Someone led
you to Christ, can you not lead another to Him? - cf. John
1:35-42 2.
Begin by
being hospitable, offering acts of kindness and service 3.
At the very
least, invite to services, offer a Bible correspondence course 4.
Hone your
skills in personal evangelism, seek to improve your ability to
share the gospel CONCLUSION 1.
The important thing is that we be people of service... a.
People who serve others, not just benefiting from the
efforts of others b.
People who are producers, not just consumers 2.
Serving others is not just the path to greatness in the
kingdom, it is also the path to happiness in life: “I have shown you
in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the
weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said,
‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts
20:35)
Glory
to God in the church by Christ Jesus
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