Servants Not Celebrities – Part Four

 Matthew 24: 44 – 47

Astronauts David R. Scott and James B Irwin were the focus of worldwide attention July 30 through August 1, 1971. Having landed on the moon in their spacecraft Falcon, they proceeded to set unimaginable records. They had explored 17.4 miles of the moon’s surface in their electric car. They were doing what mankind had dreamed of for centuries. As a result of their heroic exploits their names would forever be etched in the annals of space travel.  Virtual deification awaited them upon return.

After piloting their spacecraft on their 250,000 mile journey back to planet Earth, James Irwin noted, “As I was returning to earth I realized that I was a servant —- not a celebrity. So I am here as God’s servant on planet earth to share what I have experienced so that others might know the glory of God.”

A primary characteristic of a servant is he is under authority.  Philippians 2:8 says of Christ, “He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”  Christ’s optimum obedience is noted in this same passage in that He was “obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”  Our Master, Jesus Christ, was under authority and so should we be.

When it comes to examples of servanthood consider Pilate and Jesus. When Pilate had a matchless opportunity to perform a service at the trial of Jesus he called for a wash basin and washed his hands of the entire affair. With the approach of Jesus’ crucifixion amid His quarreling apostles Jesus called for a basin and washed their feet. Which do you aspire to emulate?

Jesus’ presence is not just for our comfort, but for His control over us.

When we are under His control, we are under all that is His.

A wealthy antique collector whose only son and wife had died some years before also died.  He left a large estate containing many valuable antiques. His meticulous will detailed how everything was to be disposed of.  According to the provisions of the will, a well-publicized auction was set.  Major collectors came from great distances.  Their disappointment was visible when the first item offered was an amateurish oil painting of the son of the deceased.  The first bid came only after considerable prodding from the auctioneer.  $25 was the first bid.  The auctioneer knew how to motivate bidders and soon got a $50 bid.  Bids rose:  $100, $125, and finally $150.

With the awarding of the painting, an envelope was to be opened according to the instructions of the will.  The brief note therein stated, “All that is here belongs to you.  He who gets the Son gets it all.”

If we have the Son of God, we have all that is under His authority.  We have it when He has all that is under our authority.

The Lord is mindful of the actions or lack thereof of those who profess to follow Him. He has a good memory. “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (Hebrews 6:10).

Trust the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.

Servants Not Celebrities – Part Three

Matthew 24: 44 – 47

All co-servants, check yourself on this one text.  Jesus said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” (Matthew 6:33).  Much is said about spiritual authority without really knowing what it is.

Spiritual authority is the authority to serve, authority to put yourself last, authority to say no to the world’s idea of self-promotion. Jesus has told us His secret … and we are authorized to imitate Him. To obey means putting yourself at the whim of the needs of others, to give up your rights and humble yourself, leaving the promotion and control up to God.

Aficionados of old war movies know the winner of seven Academy Awards “Bridge Over the River Kwai.” Filmed in 1957 this film directed by David Lean won Best Picture of the Year. Anyone having seen it will never forget the theme music. Remember whistling it?

This epic is the story of prisoners of war held by the Japanese in the Kwai valley. It depicts how they were tortured and abused. At times their exploitation is gruesome. Their miserable state is graphically portrayed.

There is another account of the events that happened there the secular media would not dare tell. It is a book entitled “Through the Valley of the Kwai” by Ernest Gordon.

It also depicts the brutality suffered. It further accounts the infighting among the group as an outgrowth of their sense of frustration and futility. However, it tells the  true story of how one member of that tortured company had a New Testament. Lacking anything to do, an enlisted man asked that a portion be read one day. Soon all the men were listening. It transformed the camp completely. Infighting stopped and kind reactions resulted from mistreatment. One day a train load of wounded Japanese soldiers stopped in the compound. Forgetting all about themselves the prisoners comforted and ministered to them. They said they were merely doing what Jesus taught we should do to our enemies.

As spiritual prisoners of war we too need to respond in a like manner.

Here is another test: Jesus said, “I am come to seek and to save that which is lost.”  Then He added, “As my Father has sent Me, even so send I you.”  Are you sharing your faith in Christ in such a way as to try to encourage people to receive Him as Savior?

Yet, another test is found in II Corinthians 5: 19, 20. Therein, He said we are His ambassadors.  This role we can’t fulfill without Him and He won’t fulfill without us.

It is God’s word — “the word.”

It is God’s work — “reconciliation.”

It must be done in God’s way — “God… pleading through us.”

It really is not about us.

Concisely the following is our responsibility: “You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him” (Deuteronomy 13:4).

Servants Not Celebrities – Part Two

Matthew 24: 44 – 47

Everybody serves somebody. We are all under authority. Some refusing to be under the authority of no one become subject to their own strong will. A mother exhorted her adult young son regarding his strong self-will saying, “Remember it’s not about me.” To which he replied, “It is about me.” He was living in a “Me tight” world.

Richard Foster: “Whenever there is trouble over who is the greatest, there is trouble over who is the least. That is the crux of the matter for us, isn’t it? Most of us know we will never be the greatest; just don’t let us be the least. Gathered at the Passover feast, the disciples were keenly aware that someone needed to wash the others’ feet. The problem was that the only people who washed their feet were the least. So there they sat, feet caked with dirt. It was such a sore point that they were not even going to talk about it. No one wanted to be considered the least. Then Jesus took a towel and a basin and redefined greatness.”

Right here we must see the difference between choosing to serve and choosing to be a servant. When we choose to serve, we are still in charge. We decide whom we will serve and when we will serve. And if we are in charge, we will worry a great deal about anyone stepping on us, that is, taking charge over us.

But when we choose to be a servant, we give up the right to be in charge. There is great freedom in this. If we voluntarily choose to be taken advantage of, then we cannot be manipulated. When we choose to be a servant, we surrender the right to decide when we will serve. We become available and vulnerable.

Self-righteous service picks and chooses whom to serve. Sometimes the low and defenseless are served because that will ensure a humble image. True service is indiscriminate in its ministry. It has heard the command of Jesus.

Mother Teresa said, “I belong to Jesus, He must have the right to use me without consulting me.” That is the spirit of this text: “For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s”  (Romans 14:8).  Being His gives Him the right to use us.

Much of the Old Testament was Jesus’ pre-written biography.  Numerous prophecies told of what He would be and do.  Once on His earthly mission, He could choose to or not to do what was said of Him. Willfully, He was faithful under the authority of God’s Word.  Every believer should be also.

The Father’s will was made known in the Old Testament. Jesus willfully put Himself under that authority.

Isaiah 61: 1, 2a identified specific things Christ was to come to do.  He was obedient in doing them.  We too are to serve under the authority of the Bible.

In Reno, Nevada, I heard of a partially-educated individual who had great faith.  He was asked if He believed in the verbal inspiration of Scripture. He replied, “I sure do. I believe in the verbal inspiration, the adverbial inspiration, the noun and pronoun inspiration, and the conjunctional inspiration of the Bible.” Me too! If you believe it, obey it in doing so you are serving the Lord.

This World Is Not My Home

History is a marvelous mentor. There is no better teacher regarding money than the following. It comes from the lives of some of the wealthiest men of a past era, 1928. Consider the men who were:

President of the largest steel company.

President of the largest gas company.

President of the New York Stock Exchange.

Greatest wheat speculator.

President of the Bank of International Settlement.

Greatest Bear on Wall Street.

These men were considered some of the world’s most wealthy and powerful.

History’s pages have been turned long enough for us to learn from their lives. Consider their end.

The president of the largest steel company, Charles Schwab, died a pauper.

The president of the largest gas company, Edward Hopson, went insane.

The president of the NYSE, Richard Whitney, was released from prison and died at home.

The greatest wheat speculator, Arthur Cooge, died abroad penniless.

The president of the Bank of International Settlement shot himself.

The greatest bear on Wall Street, Cosabee Livermore, also committed suicide.

However in the same year, 1923, the PGA Champion and the winner of the most important golf tournament, the US Open, was Gene Sarazen. What became of him? He played golf until the age of 92, died in 1999 at the age of 95. He was financially secure at the time of his death.

Moral of the story: Play golf instead!

Better still is the Scripture which advocated, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6: 19 – 21).

There is an old hymn that sets that truth to music, “This World in Not My Home”:   

“This world is not my home I’m just passing through
my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
the angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door
and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore
O Lord you know I have no friend like you
if Heaven’s not my home then Lord what will I do?
the angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door
and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”

Creating a New Self-Image

In considering your “Must Do List” consider the example of John the Baptist who had his list in order. Crowds were flocking to him to be baptized. Suddenly his crowds got smaller. Nearby crowds were flocking to Jesus, John’s curiosity came to him to talk about it. John the Baptist said: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3: 30).

That is a short, but all encompassing list. The result is Thy way, not my way. John knew his role and was content to perform it well. We each have a role that is not comparable to that of anyone else’s role. There is contentment in such a resolution.

Most of us play one of three roles: You are, I wish, and I am.

We grow up with people often saying of us “You are” followed by such opinions as smart, dumb, good looking, ugly, mean, polite and the list of variables goes on. We tend to believe what they are saying about us and tend to play the prescribed role.

Soon we look around and start playing “I wish.” This game involves us looking around at others and comparing yourself to them. “I wish I was as smart as, as good looking as, fast as, rich as,” and the beat goes on. Consequently contentment is forfeited.

The third game is “I am….”  It may be a good wholesome spiritual image. If it isn’t you can change. Rather I should say you can be changed. It can be done only by applying the transforming power of Jesus Christ to our sinful behavior and negative emotions. Such is a “me” centered person. If so, aspire to fulfill the John the Baptist model: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” It becomes a “Thy will be done” world, and I am a child of the King of the world. Having established who you really want to be, commit yourself to prayerfully daily recommit yourself to that image. Studying Scripture, listening to the right music, reading the right material, associating with people who build you up spiritually, and praying. Develop your own way of reminding yourself who you are, ie, “I am a child of the King.” You might rephrase that byword, but regardless repeat it to yourself daily or perhaps more than once a day. By doing so you are affirming who you are. This helps your habits to be less self-consuming the more you pursue Christ.

Say, “I AM….” Thereafter as you seek to live by your new self-image life becomes based on faith rather than feelings.

You will encounter no person who will be a greater hindrance to living according to your new self-image than yourself.

If you fail at a point don’t give up, get up. Let failure itself be a support of your future faith. Go ahead and say it again, “I AM….”