The Marks & Motivations Of A Servant

Turn with me if you will in your Bibles to the gospel of Mark. Gospel of Mark chapter 10. Mark chapter 10 beginning in verse 35. And as you turn there this morning, we'll be the discussing the marks of a servant and the motivations of a servant.

We're gonna camp quite a bit on this portion of scripture in the Gospels from Christ interaction with the disciples, but we will go elsewhere in scripture, too. But we're going to look at the marks of a servant and then what are the motivations?

That motivate somebody who serves. My first introduction to the importance of servanthood was 28 years ago in 1987. I was between my sophomore and junior year in college and I was 1987 the summer of 1987.

I was at a eight week long training camp and He's not here this morning, but Bobby Dunn was with me at the time and I went there, you know, I was a young Collegiate who was on fire for the things of God and I went to the eight-week training camp for kind of like a twofold Purpose intense Bible study and all-out evangelism.

Great eight weeks doing Bible study and evangelism. This is gonna be terrific. Little did I know that we had to do some service. Like how unspiritual is this? I thought to myself we have to serve and so being at on the we were at the campus of UMass Amherst and the different teams we had team leaders and for the Gals and different team leaders for the men separate, of course.

But we ate we ate together and somebody had to clean up somebody had to wash the dishes. And guess who was washing the dishes. I thought what is this? This is a Christian training ground for evangelism and intensive Bible study and here I am in the kitchen washing dishes.

That was my first introduction to Servanthood and the importance of serving others. I remember we made we we try to make it fun. There's probably pictures of Bobby and I they'll probably surface somewhere somewhere on the internet.

But because we we just wanted to study the Word of God. We just wanted to go out and do evangelism and here we are in the kitchen washing dishes. So we took we were given these aprons there were the throwaway aprons the plastic ones, you know.

So it's kind of make it fun. We would take the bottom of the apron and kind of Stretch it and it would have little frizzes and flowers on the bottom of it. So if you can picture that image of Bob Dunn and I with frizzy aprons.

But that was my first introduction to servanthood and I thought okay there's more to the Christian life than just Bible study and evangelism. It's serving and being a servant to others. If I were to ask you Think of somebody without mentioning the person's name but think of somebody in your life over the years who you would classify and Qualify say this is truly a servant.

And as you think of this person, what would you say were some of the marks? of this person that characterize them as a servant. Think of somebody in your life over the years who has Displayed a servant's heart.

What would you say were some of the characteristics or marks of this person that characterize their service? Yes. Okay, unselfish very good in the back. Janet. Oh great point they did it eagerly not a grudgingly.

Marie. Unconditional. Okay, so they were unselfish. They did it eagerly unconditional. Gary. What's that humble humility somebody else at the hand up. Caleb, what's that they love the word great Joanie.

Okay, so many times their service was a matter of inconvenience, but they wouldn't tell you by the way, I'm being inconvenienced. Very good. Great qualities and we're gonna look at at this morning. Let me read for you and we'll look at some other passages of scripture.

But we're in Mark chapter 10 verses 35 to 45 and then as we move to other portion of scripture later in our study I'll have you do some reading also beginning in verse 35 and James and John the sons of Zebedee came up to him and said to him teacher We want you to do for us.

Whatever we ask of you. He just stopped right there that that alone should just strike you as. And he said to them hmm. Interesting response by our Lord. What do you want me to do for you? And they said to him grant us to sit one at your right hand and one at your left in your glory.

Jesus said to him you do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink? Or to be baptized with a baptism. Baptism with which I am baptized. And they said to him we are able.

And Jesus said to them the cup that I drink you will drink and with the baptism with which I am baptized you will be Baptized but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant but it is for those For whom it has been prepared.

And when the tenor heard it They began to be indignant at James and John. Jesus called them to him and said to them, you know That those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles Lord and over them and their great ones exercise authority over them.

But it shall not be so among you but whoever would be great among you must be your servant and Whoever would be first among you must be slave of all for even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom.

For many I was listening and I would encourage you if you have time to do it. It would be worth your time going back ten years. 2005 Ligonier National Conference and the particular message I was listening to the theme that year was Five keys to spiritual growth and one of those five keys that was highlighted during the conference was service Servant hood being a servant and one of the messages was from Derek Thomas and he had some interesting things to say.

He Based upon this passage just he said some funny things. But it kind of made the point and I wanted to share those with you. He said in contrast to the world's perspective the wisdom of the world and what is Jesus telling the disciples here, but if The disciples were to what write their own books so to speak.

Some apostle obviously wrote in the New Testament, but if they were to write the best sellers of the day how you would make a Successful life not so much being a servant but using the wisdom of the world.

He said this for example, Peter James and John the three the inner three could write mountaintop. Experiences with Jesus could be one title of a book. Another title could be from the Apostles. From the disciples of our Lord from fishermen to apostasy the secret to success.

Totally Contrast to the idea of servanthood. Another title he said might be Leadership skills from those who have made it to the top. Or he said even of Peter when when he made his classic confession of Christ Peter.

Who do people say that I am? Who do you say that? I'm you're the Christ the Son of the Living God and Jesus said to him what upon this rock. You are Peter upon this rock. I will build my church. Peter might decide to write how to be number one by rocky.

Possible title. Judas who was the accountant could possibly write if he wanted to quote Investing for eternity how God doesn't want you to be poor or the disciples could write. Nobody remembers who came in second.

But that is the wisdom of the world that is not what Jesus is. Trying to display and teach them here in this account. Now what strikes you as I read through that account. Why is it so striking that James and John would would ask Jesus this question would ask them specifically.

We want you to do something for us. Why would that be so striking any thoughts? Who are they asking? Who's the master? The Lord Jesus and the disciples are Telling him what to do that alone should be should strike us.

But it's also on the heels of I didn't read it on the heels of what Jesus had just told them to do. Which is he makes it even more Striking if you look back at verse 32 with me and they were on the road going up to Jerusalem and Jesus was walking ahead of them and they were amazed and those who followed were afraid and Taking the twelve again.

He began to tell them what was to happen to him saying see we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles and they will mock him and Spit on him and flog him and kill him and after three days he will rise.

And James and John said what they said. They just missed it it went over the proverbial head here. And this is not the first time by the way that Jesus is telling them what's about to come in terms of his crucifixion and his resurrection, but their concern was You know, we we want to be first in the kingdom.

This is actually the third time that Jesus Tells him of his upcoming Crucifixion and resurrection after actually back in chapter 8 the first time he told him if you jump back quickly there with me back in chapter 80 first told them about his Death and resurrection right after Peter's confession in verse 27 you are the Christ or actually verse 29 Peter answered you are the Christ and Then beginning in verse 31.

He told them for the first time there about What was going to happen to them to him in his death and resurrection and then the second time he told them again jump in chapter 9. This is the second time he foretells his death and resurrection in verse 30 of chapter 9.

They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know for he was teaching his disciples saying to them What was he teaching them the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.

They will kill him and when he is killed after three days, he will rise but they did not understand the saying and were afraid to ask him and They came to Capernaum and when he was in the house, he asked him.

What were you discussing on the way? So as he's teaching them about his upcoming crucifixion and his resurrection, they're talking about something. You would think maybe it's oh he's gonna be crucified or he but he promised to be risen again.

No verse 33. Were you discussing on the way Jesus asked for a 34, but they kept silent. He got caught with their hand in the cookie jar so to speak for on the way. They had argued with one another about who?

Was the greatest. Should echo some of what we discussed last week when we looked at the sovereignty of God not in salvation. But in ecclesiology in the doctrine of the church. We're in the Church of Corinth.

People were saying well, I'm of Apollos. I'm I'm of Cephas. But well, I'm more spiritual than you two because I follow Christ. Paul said who are we we're just servants of Christ. But here they were arguing who was the greatest.

So in our text in chapter 10, this is the third time He had been telling them after Peter's confession after the second time He told them on their way on the road and they were Arguing who is going to be the greatest here the third time He tells him in Mark chapter 10 That I'm gonna be crucified gonna be flogged and mocked at and spit upon.

I will rise again the third day and James and John come to him after he just said this to them. Not the first not the second but third time Lord grant this well, I'm we're telling you what to do. Now what strike that's striking there first of all that they're asking the Lord Jesus he's the master.

He's the one who commands and they're to obey not the other way around. But then what's striking is the other disciples response. Verse 41 when the tenor heard it they began to be indignant is It because they were more Humble than the other two.

Why were they so upset? Do you think because what? They wanted to be for us. Yeah. They too wanted because earlier in the text in the second time in chapter 9 It was all of them arguing amongst each other.

In other words, they were saying They beat us to him. We were thinking the same thing. It wasn't because they were you know. Well, these guys are very arrogant to ask Jesus of this. So, what are the qualities that we can gather from here, what are the marks of a servant because Jesus contrasts What the world's wisdom is when he says in verse 42, you know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles Lord it over them and their great ones exercise authority over them.

But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant. Greek word the Aconos where we get the English term for Deacon the opposite of a deacon which literally is a servant and then he Increases the heat a little bit Jesus does in verse 44 and whoever would be first among you must be your doulos your slave Slave of all and here's a clincher in verse 45 for even The Son of Man referring to himself for even the Son of Man.

So I'm asking you as your Lord to stoop down in humility to a level of service. For even I the Son of Man you want to know how much I've stooped down. I laid aside my throne in heaven left heaven and came down here to earth in the form of a bondservant for even the Son of Man came not to be served but To serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

So I think Gary highlighted earlier you go Gave some great qualities and marks of a servant. The first one I would say that sticks out is humility. The disciples were not humble. They were arrogant. They were proud.

They wanted the best seats in the house in the kingdom, but Christ says no for even the Son of Man. We can go back to Philippians 2 we don't have time where Paul highlights that great Christological passage the kenosis where Jesus Christ humbled himself and took on the form of a bondservant.

So Christ is for even I the Son of Man humility is the first quality and mark of a servant. But the second one is as we see connected here in verse 45 He came to not to be sure but to serve in the second part to give his life as a ransom for many.

That's ultimately he's talking about his sacrifice on the cross. Self-sacrifice is a second mark of a servant. Because you're not thinking of self there's going to be some sacrifice involved In serving other people.

So those are the first two qualities. I would say based on this text Humility and sacrifice self-sacrifice third, I would say this. Then I think somebody touched on it is There's a willingness. So humility is a first mark self-sacrifice.

Thirdly, there's a willingness. I think Lucy you said eager. They're eager to serve. Correct? There's an eagerness. Unselfish yes, so if flaws one from the other there's self-sacrifices. There's a there's an eagerness a willingness to serve.

Or I think the general also said that don't do it grudgingly, you know, it's like ah Do I really have to do this? There's a there's a tremendous eagerness and willingness, but here's a clincher. The willingness is there despite the lack of recognition.

Despite the lack of personal reward. It relates they all intermingle. It relates to being humble and self-sacrificial but a true mark of a servant is their willingness to serve in an eagerness not grudgingly because I Might not get recognized for this.

Might not get recognized for this. Let's turn to Luke 17 and If somebody can read from verse 7 to 10 Luke chapter 17 verses 7 to 10 so the first mark of a Servant is humility. The second one is self-sacrifice as we saw in the account here with Christ and the disciples and here we're discussing a Willingness and eagerness but highlighted primarily by the fact that there might not be recognition in your service 7 through 10 if somebody can read that nice and loud.

Thank you question Christ asked there Verse 9 does he thank the servant? What's the implied answer? No, why is that it's his duty. He was done what was commanded of him. Just as the Lord asked of us and so the attitude should be the attitude of verse 10.

We are unworthy servants we have only done what was our duty as Joel said so it's a willingness to serve. Without necessarily being recognized now. That's not to say that if somebody serves us or we see somebody serving in the body that we shouldn't go and encourage them.

You know, don't use your gift of encouragement say, you know, good job, but you really were only doing what was your duty? But it's okay to go to encourage somebody and say, you know. You know in private and and say I commend you for serving this person in the way that you did but the point is the attitude of the one serving is Is not to be done with you know, I want to be recognized or else.

I'm not gonna serve. It's otherwise it will be done as Janet said grudgingly. It won't be done eagerly and willingly. Let's look at another reference on this Colossians chapter 3. Let's turn to Colossians chapter 3.

And we're gonna read three verses there verses 22 through 24. Colossians chapter 3 22 through 24. I'll have somebody read that also. Gary go ahead. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Let's draw out some qualities that are listed there some characteristics of a servant what things are highlighted there the Apostle Paul is saying context is.

Actually slaves bond servants to masters, but what are some qualities that are highlighted there? In this text. Yes. Sincerity, okay. With sincerity of heart. Thanks, Deb verse 22. What else? Heartily.

Doing it heartily verse 23. Yes. Willingly and the same idea. Excellent. But let me ask you this. Why is this person doing was serving sincerely? Why is this person serving heartily based on the text because they're doing it as unto whom unto the Lord.

Remember that two messages pastor Mike did on Hell. The last of the second one he did he won't turn there. Matthew 25 he talked about the The reality in each the eternality of hell. You know that the wicked will be cast off into hell and the righteous Into eternal life, but the context was remember what Lord when did we do this to you?

Well when you when you gave them drink. When they were hungry when I was in prison. They were in prison as long as you did it to the least of these you did it to me. So when we serve we're serving someone else.

We're serving the body. We're serving a specific need. But it's ultimately we're serving the Lord and so if we have that attitude of service. Then we will be doing it. Sincerely. We will be doing it heartily and notice verse 22 also.

Not by way of I service as people pleasers. If you do it to please people then you're going to be expecting something in return. That's natural the flesh feeds on that. So not as people pleasers, but as unto the Lord.

So we're to serve heartily willingly eagerly not grudgingly. Despite the fact that we might not be recognized and the reason we are able to do that is because our motive is as unto the Lord as I'm serving somebody else.

I'm doing it as unto the Lord. All right. So humility self-sacrifice and a willingness to serve as unto the Lord. Another thing that I think Joanie highlighted when I asked the question What are some qualities that you've seen in servants in your life?

I Label it availability. So not only having the willingness to do it the availability to do it. Now sometimes when we're asked to serve where there's a need We might not be available. And so if you recall what Joanie said is it sometimes it's not convenient.

I remember one of my mentors Had said to me unfortunately, sometimes in the Christian life our theology of God is not biblical and What he was meaning to what he was saying to me explained. It was like we Say we serve the God of the Bible.

But in our own image God that our God is a God of convenience so if it's Convenient, then I can serve. I will serve. I'm willing to serve but it's not convenient. I'm not available I just don't have the availability to serve.

So availability is very important. Especially when it's not convenient. When I'm not don't have the availability to serve, but I want to go out of my way to serve others I will do that. Another quality I would say mark of a servant.

I would say is a couple more that I have is someone who is observant. Why do you think maybe being observant is an important aspect of being a servant to other people? Yes. Okay, okay, so you'll see the need.

Thank you Lucy another hand I saw Marie. Okay, same thing. Okay, great minds think alike right Corey. Yeah Marie. Okay, good point. So it helps to observe what others needs are because it takes you away as she said from looking inwardly at your own Problems your own issues and becoming self-absorbed and self-focused.

Excellent. So observing the needs of others another one. I have is kind of relates to observe. Being observant is taking the initiative. Sometimes servants might not necessarily take the initiative. But if they're asked to serve in a particular manner, they say sure they're willing and available but sometimes when you're able to be observant and not focused on self, but focused on the needs of other people then there's a willingness and a Negerness to take the initiative to before even being asked to see a need and to take the initiative to meet that need.

Think of it from Christ perspective going back to our classic passage in Mark 10 for him even the Son of Man came Not to be sure but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many in Christ coming to earth to serve and To sacrifice.

Whose initiative was that what's that? Whose initiative was Christ coming with his own in the sense? It was his own because in John 10, he said no one takes my life from me, but I laid down on my own authority.

But then he also says this command I've received from my father. So it's the father. It's his own initiative. But it's also that in the Trinity the father's initial sending the son and the son saying yes, Lord I will go obediently to your command so in the same way as we serve we're to have that attitude is to to take the initiative and to be willing to serve Others as we observe their needs.

All right, any further comments or questions about some of these marks of what it means to be a servant. Humility sacrifice. Willingness availability being observant taking the initiative to serve people.

All right. Now let's discuss the second part. Motivations turn with me to first Thessalonians if you will the first chapter verse 9 Motivations of a servant so we looked at the March one of the things that characterize a servant which Are pretty straightforward and obvious.

But what will motivate somebody to serve? What ought to motivate somebody to serve. Obviously we touched on this a little bit it's not so much to get Recognition, it's not so much to get reward. Then what is the proper biblical motivation.

If somebody can read verse 9 of chapter 1 there, that would be great excellent. So Paul's reporting concerning the Thessalonian Church. The believers there they repented they turned to God. That's repentance from idols.

For what purpose. To serve to serve whom the living and true God. Now, what is the ultimate purpose of salvation? Would you say if somebody asks you you're discipling somebody say, you know, I'm so excited that God saved me but I've been studying the Bible and I've been wrestling with this idea.

What's the ultimate purpose of salvation? What would you tell that person Larry? The glorified God what. Okay, I'm gonna go further. What text of Scripture would you take them to to say? Okay, this is the purpose of salvation is to glorify God.

Ephesians 2 excellent. Ephesians 2 maybe even started Ephesians 1 right. Ephesians 2. We see that it is we were dead in our trespasses, but God and in Ephesians 1 if you that great classic Portion chapter verse 3 to 14, which is one full sentence in the Greek.

To the praise of his glory to the praise of his glorious grace to the praise of his glory repeated three times so ultimately the purpose of salvation is to glorify God, but there's other secondary purposes to salvation and one of them as we see here is to serve.

God saved you to bring glory to his name because you couldn't save neither of us any of us can save ourselves. It just shows that we were dead and only by his quickening. Could we be able to turn to Jesus Christ in faith and repentance, but he also saved us to serve.

The motive therefore for serving one another and serving the Lord is in light of what he's done for us and saving us. So I serve. Not for the recognition of others. But in recognition rather of what Christ has done for me in terms of saving me in my salvation.

So in that sense Servant hood is an expression of gratitude to God. For what he's done in my life in saving me and this is what Paul says in highlights in his report. He says they themselves report. Concerning the reception we had among you and what else do they report how you turn to God for models to serve the living and true God they were known for their service the church in Thessalonica a Serving church a serving person is because that local body or that Individual has come to recognize as a source of gratitude for what God has done for them in saving them.

Yes, I were to thank God verbally and in our prayer life. God Thank you for saving me. Yes, but we can express that by serving him and serving others in the body. So that's a primary motivation I would say for being a servant is in light of God's salvation in light of what he has done for us.

Let's look at another if you were turned back to the Gospels. John chapter 13. John chapter 13 12 Through 16 if somebody can read those four verses chapter 13. This is the beginning of the upper room discourse chapters 13 through 17, but before Jesus Teaches the disciples in John 14 we see what happens here.

You're familiar with this text, but I want to highlight a certain aspect of it. John 13 beginning in verse 12 through 16. Question what was Christ's primary purpose for coming to earth? Primary purpose.

Substitutionary atonement. Yes on the cross substitutionary atonement substitutionary life and fulfilling the plan of the Father the eternal plan of salvation but also. Secondarily not primarily as he shares here is to I mean there are those who teach.

Okay, Jesus was just to be just follow Jesus example. No primarily Jesus came to offer Salvation to those whom God had called and chosen. But then after that and in light of that Jesus doesn't make it clear here not standing in and of itself.

But he I have given you an example. He says verse 15 and notice from the context we I didn't have you read it we know this passage where he washes the disciples feet, but his His Christ even his motive verse 1 of chapter 13.

Not before the feast of the Passover when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the father. What's this next one. Having loved his own who were in the world. He loved them to the end.

Powerful statement of our Lord Jesus Christ. He knew it was time for him to depart from this world. But yet even at the very end He's still loving his own to the end and he demonstrates that love by getting down and washing his disciples feet.

Of course, they did that then because their feet got dirty. They were wearing sandals but what is the point of What Jesus is saying here that we are to serve one another in humility the way he did following his example.

So our motive is to be like Christ is Christ likeness, I Mean ultimately Christ likeness Galatians 5 the fruit of the Spirit those nine qualities love joy and peace. But part of being Christ like is to be like Christ a servant and notice the clenching statement that he makes.

In teaching this truth to the disciples was the last verse verse 16. Truly truly verily verily. I say to you pay attention to what I'm about to say. A servant is not greater than his master. Nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

So second motive that we are to serve not only serve the Lord and serve the body and serve other people. We seek to be like Christ. We seek to grow in Christ likeness. The message I had mentioned earlier that Derek Thomas did about ten years ago at a at the Ligonier National Conference.

He entitled it imitating Christ in servanthood and that's the idea is. When I serve I do it as an expression of gratitude. Thanking God for what he's done in saving me, but I do it also Lord. I want to grow in Christ likeness.

I want to be like you and be conformed to the to your image. So that should ought to be our second motivation is Christ likeness. Third motivation last one of that at that I have. Is it was kind of alluded to earlier when we talked about being observant is meeting the needs of others.

So everyone has needs. I'm always encouraged to see like for example recently you know when there's needs in the body that arise and somebody needs meals whether it's a Newborn baby or there's a surgery happening and I said to my wife I said we need to get on and sign up because those spots fill up really quickly and that's encouraging.

Because it shows that we're willing to serve and guard our way to meet the needs of others. But we all have needs but it goes back to what was highlighted earlier. I mean we have we have individual needs and if my focus is inward and selfish and I think only of my needs I'm not going to be observant of meeting the needs of others.

So what motivates a servant. A servant is motivated by yes in light of salvation in order to be more Christlike. But also looking out to others. What are the needs of other people? How how can I serve other people?

Meeting the needs of other people is a primary motivation in in service. Let's turn to one more passage if you will the last book of the Bible revelation Chapter 1 and Let me look at the verses. Let's read from somebody can read Verses 5 and 6 chapter 1 verses 5 and 6.

Thank you. So based on this text. What was the the there's a few Purposes that this text reveals of why Christ has freed us. What what has God what has he done by freeing us from our sins. What some of the what's the results?

Let me ask you a little more specifically. What has it says in verse 5 that he has freed us from our sins by his blood and the result is in verse 6. In order for what to make us what? A kingdom of what priests.

Okay, what what was a role of priests in the Old Testament? What were their roles in the Old Testament? Yes, Joni. Okay, so they stood before between God and the people as intercessors as yeah between the two excellent what else.