Connect Study - Serving

Serving

The Discipline in Focus

Serving is not something that comes easily to humans. It is difficult to work behind the scenes, be rarely acknowledged while performing lowly tasks. It is often something we have to do intentionally. If we do not constantly seek opportunities to serve (and take advantage of them) then we will find ourselves expecting others to serve us.

Jesus is our greatest example on servanthood and to be a servant we must follow his lead. Often when God chose to connect with humans he did so as a servant. Jesus came to serve not to be served (“even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28). We were lost in our sin and could not on our own find favor with God. Jesus served us by making a way that we might have peace with God.

Serving others is not just something we do, but as followers of Christ it is what we are. As Christians, those becoming like Christ, it is found in our identity. We are servants (check out Matthew 25: 31-46). Serving others includes sacrificing my time and money for someone I don’t know; thinking of others more highly than myself, putting other’s needs before my own, and not expecting any recognition while doing these things.

When we serve the goal is not for our own greatness or recognition, but for God’s glory and our godliness. We serve because we love God and love others. In fact, Christ valued serving so much that he said to the disciples, “whoever would be great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:26).

If Jesus’ life can be characterized as being a servant then our lives must be as well. How do our lives look when compared to the life of Jesus in John 13? In this passage we find Jesus serving the disciples with great humility by washing their feet. The King of King was doing something that was generally performed by the lowliest servant in the household. Jesus calls us to follow his example when he says, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

Scripture
John 13:1-20
Matthew 20: 20-28
Luke 22:24-27
Hebrews 9:14 “how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”
Psalm 100:2 “Serve the Lord with gladness.”




Motivations for Serving (from Donald Whitney)
1.Obedience – Deut 13:4 We are expected to serve. Our first motivation for serving should be our desire to be obedient to God. Not to serve God is sin.
2.Gratitude – 1 Sam. 12:24 How great the Lord has been to us! He has saved us from eternal wrath to eternal satisfaction and joy in Jesus Christ. We should be forever thankful and serve with gladness and joy no matter what the task.
3.Gladness – Psalm 100:2 God wants servants who serve with joy and not with a complaining attitude or with quiet objection. Serving the Lord begrudgingly should always raise a caution as to your spiritual health.
4.Forgivness not Guilt – Isaiah 6 The people of God do not serve God to be forgiven but because we are forgiven. We are not prisoners who serve God to pay a penalty, but we serve as sons and daughters whose Father has saved them from eternal punishment and are set free to serve Him in His house.
5.Humility – John 13: 12-16 We serve with the humility that Christ showed us in washing the disciples feet.
6.Love – Galatians 5:13 We serve others because we love them. Not because of what they can do for us or give us but out of love.

A Practical Response

1.What would be your definition of a servant? If a second grader asked you, “What does a servant do?” what would you tell them?
2.Have you served anyone this past week? What was your motivation?
3.Lets say a leader in the church called you and a friend into their office. He asked your friend to lead a group of students in a bible study or mission project and he asked you to sweep the wow room on Thursday morning when no one was there, how would you feel? What would you rather do? Why?
4.Does your joy in serving come in being recognized or acknowledged or in simply being obedient?
5.What are some ways that you can serve others (parents, siblings, friends, enemies) this week?