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WEEKLY
Volume 4 Number 12
16 August 2009
A Servant’s Heart
(Message delivered by Rev Hien Nguyen at the
Worship Service, 2:00 pm, Aug 16, 09)
Text: John 12:24-26
Being enslaved to their sinful human
nature and worldly mindset, people in this world neither like nor want
to be servants. They want to be bosses or kings, exercising authority
upon others. They want to be superior and the greatest, and not inferior
or the least. They like to be served, and not to serve. Even Jesus’
disciples, having followed the Lord Jesus Christ for about three years,
asked Him, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matt
18:1); and they were angry when the mother of James and John came along
with her sons to the Lord, worshipped Him and asked Him to grant her
sons the seats beside Him in His kingdom, one on His right and the other
on the left (Matt 20:20-21). Our Lord had to teach them, “Ye know
that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they
that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be
so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your
minister (diákonos); And whosoever will be chief among
you, let him be your servant (doúlos): Even as the Son of
man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister (diakonéo)
and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matt 20:25-28). Then, we
should not be surprised when the people of this world do not want to
hear of or to have a servant’s heart. However, we should not wrongly
think that being a servant or having a servant’s heart before God, we
have to deny high positions in society. A servant’s heart is our Lord
Jesus’ heart, who is God and Lord but humbled Himself and came into this
world as a man, even a servant (doúlos) and “became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil 2:7-8). David was a
king, but he did serve (hupēretéo)
his generation (Acts 13:36). Dear friends, you can be doctors,
scientists, scholars, CEOs, or VIPs in this world, but you can still
have a servant’s heart before God when you deny your own “self” and have
our Lord’s humble and serving attitudes in your hearts. Then, what does
a servant’s heart mean, and how can we have a servant’s heart?
Servants
There are several terms in Greek that
mean “servant.” Today we only learn three terms more related to our
service to the Lord and to one another:
Diákonos
has 31 occurrences; the KJV translates as “minister” 20 times, “servant”
eight times, and “deacon” three times. The deacons in this sense were
helping or serving the bishops or elders, and this is why they were
probably called deacons. They did not, though, possess any ruling
authority as did the elders. Tychicus was called a deacon (minister) in
his relation to Paul (Eph. 6:21; Col.
4:7). The care of the churches fell upon the deacons as the helpers of
the elders who held distinct offices
(Zodhiates). The Greek verb is
diakonéō, which means to serve, wait upon a table like Martha
(John 12:2), to do anyone a service, to help someone directly
like Onesimus to Paul (Phil 1:13), to be assistant of someone
like Timothy to Paul (Acts 19:22), and to minister to someone’ needs,
“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to
another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Pet.
4:10). Our Lord Jesus “came not to be ministered unto, but to
minister (diakonéo) and to give his life a ransom for
many” (Matt 20:25-28). How humble He is!
Hupērétēs
literally means under, beneath a rower. It means a
subordinate, servant, attendant, or assistant in general. The
subordinate official who waits to accomplish the commands of his
superior (Zodhiates). If you and I are Christ’s servants in His
kingdom, we have to submit to Him and His commands as our King, “My
kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then
would my servants (hupērétēs) fight, that I should not be
delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence” (John
18:36). The preachers or ministers of God’s Word must submit themselves
to the authority of God’s Word as to God’s Himself, as “ministers
(hupērétēs) of the word” (Luke 1:2) and “the ministers
(hupērétēs) of Christ” (1 Cor. 4:1; cf. Acts 26:16).
Sadly, many preachers or ministers of God’s Word nowadays do not truly
submit themselves to the authority of God’s Word nor to the control of
our Lord. How about you and me?
Doúlos
has 125 occurrences; KJV translates as “servant” 118 times, “bond” six
times, and “bondman” once. Doúlos means a slave, one who is in
a permanent relation of servitude to another, his will being altogether
consumed in the will of the other. Generally one serving, bound
to serve, in bondage (Zodhiates). Our Lord Jesus humbly submitted
His will to His Father’s will unto death as a servant, as slave, “But
made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant
(doúlos), and was made in the likeness of men (Phil.
2:7). Paul also said, “Paul, a servant (doúlos) of
Jesus Christ” (Rom. 1:1), and Peter did the same (2 Peter 1:1) and
Jude (1). Those who want to serve the Lord must have the same humble
submission, “And the servant (doúlos) of the Lord must
not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient”
(2 Tim. 2:24). Our Lord Jesus says, “And whosoever will be chief
among you, let him be your servant (doúlos) (Matt.
20:27). To be servants among our brethren does not mean to please them
but to serve them according to God’s will and Word, “if I yet pleased
men, I should not be the servant (doúlos) of Christ
(Gal. 1:10).
Then to be a servant of the Lord, we
have to submit ourselves to Him and His will and to the authority of His
Word, and to serve one another according to His Word. Are you and I
willing to do that?
Serving the Lord or Sin?
Our Lord still challenges you and me,
“If any man serve (diakonéo)
me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant
(diakonos)
be: if any man serve (diakonéo)
me, him will my Father honour”
(John 12:26). Many may be honoured by men in this world,
but not by God. If you and I want to be honoured by God, we must serve
our Lord Jesus Christ, follow Him and be where He is.
Many do not want to be servants of
any, but actually, if they are not the servants of Christ, they are
servants or slaves of their sinful “self,” sins, worldliness, or even
Satan. Our Lord Jesus says, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant
(doúlos) of sin” (John 8:34) and God’s Word confirms,
“While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants
(doúlos) of corruption: for of whom (or what) a man
is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage” (2 Pet. 2:19).
Many are slaves to their own sinful nature with sexual lusts, sinful
desires or bad temper. Many are slaves to their selfishness, proud
ambitions, and they cannot deny themselves nor submit themselves to the
Lord and God’s will and God’s Word. Many are slaves to worldliness and
materialism, running after up-to-date fashion and modern lifestyle and
hi-tech models, saying, “I cannot live without it.” Many are
slaves to drinking and smoking or even drugs and they cannot live
without it. Many are slaves to worldly pleasures and entertainments, to
movies, video games and pornography. Many cannot live without their
friends. Many are slaves to unbiblical beliefs, practices and
superstitions and saying that they have to keep those practices or
rituals and do some good works in order to be saved. Sadly, outside the
Lord Jesus Christ, their souls cannot find true freedom and true
salvation. True freedom must come from God’s Word and our Saviour Jesus
Christ alone, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples
indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free…
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed”
(John 8:31, 32, 36).
Our Lord Jesus, with much love,
gentleness and meekness, calls you and me to serve Him as His servants,
using the term, diakonos, but if you and I have been delivered
from the bondage of sin and our sinful nature, we must “become the
slaves” (doúloo) to God, “Being then made free from sin, ye
became the servants (douloo) of righteousness. …But now being made free
from sin, and become servants (douloo) to God, ye have your fruit unto
holiness, and the end everlasting life” (Rom 6:18, 22).
Dear friends, I would rather be a
slave of the Lord and His Word, that lead me to holiness and everlasting
life than to be a slave of my sinful nature, worldliness and Satan, only
leading me to destruction. How about you?
Having a Servant’s Heart
Then what does it mean to have a
servant’s heart and how to have it?
Die to Self, Sin, and Worldliness:
Our Lord Jesus says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn
of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die,
it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and
he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal”
(John 12:24-25). If you and I are not willing to deny ourselves and to
take up our cross daily, we can neither follow our Lord nor serve Him
acceptably, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and
take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). If you and I
are still enslaved to sin, self, worldliness, we shall not be qualified
to serve our holy Lord, who requires us to be separated from sin and
worldliness and to submit to His will and His Word. Many who claim that
they are serving the Lord but according to their own will, plan, way and
worldly methods will be rejected when our Lord comes, “Not every one
that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;
but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many
will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy
name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many
wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew
you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matt 7:20-22). A
servant’s heart is a heart that can say, “I am crucified with Christ:
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life
which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who
loved me, and gave himself for me… But God forbid that I should
glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is
crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gal 2:20; 6:14).
Have a Faithful and Humble Service to
the Lord and Others:
Last week we learnt about a faithful heart, and we are expected to be
faithful to our Lord and His Word unto death (Rev 2:10). Our Lord Jesus
says, “No man can serve (douleúso) two masters… Ye
cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt 6:24). We must be servants or
slaves of one Master alone, who is our God. If you and I have a
servant’s heart, we shall serve Him faithfully unto death.
A slave does not expect thanks from
his Master, “Doth he thank that servant because
he did the things that were commanded him? I
trow not. So likewise ye, when ye
shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are
unprofitable servants
(doúlos): we have done that which was our duty
to do” (Luke 17:9-10). Then, we should not be discouraged when our
time, labour of love, or our service to the Lord and to others are not
appreciated. The Lord knows and He will honour and reward us, “For
God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye
have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints,
and do minister” (Heb 6:10).
A slave is not his own, but his
Lord’s. If we think that worshipping God or giving offerings to Him is
doing God or our brethren a favour, we do not have a servant’s heart
before the Lord. We come to worship the Lord, not only to fulfil our
duty as a slave to his Master, but also to receive more blessings from
Him, who is worthy to receive our thanks, praise and all we have. When
we give our offerings to the Lord, we just sincerely thank God and
acknowledge that all we have are from Him: good health, good
opportunity, good skills and good jobs, “A man can receive nothing,
except it be given him from heaven” (John 3:27). We can never
out-give our God, who has saved us, preserved us, taken good care of us,
guided us and blessed us, “God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is
able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all
sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work” (2 Cor
9:7-8).
A slave does not complain or murmur
against his Master. If you and I complain or murmur, we do not have a
servant’s heart, “Do all things without murmurings and disputings”
(Phil 2:14).
A slave does not mind a humble duty or
task. Our Lord Jesus humbled Himself and washed His disciples’ dirty
feet, saying, “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as
I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant (doúlos)
is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he
that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them”
(John 13:15-17). If you and I only want to be served and are not humble
enough to serve others, even with a lowly task, we do not have a
servant’s heart.
Conclusion
It is great to serve the Lord and
others because of love. David said, “mine ears hast thou opened
(bored)” (Ps 40:6) like a servant who wanted to serve his Master
for ever because he loved his Master (Exod 21:6). May God’s love
constrain you and me to serve Him and one another faithfully and humbly
according to His will and His Word and His way until our Lord comes.
Amen.
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