Series: The Upside-Down Kingdom

Title:  Kingdom Living is Serving Others

Recap: Your kingdom Come, Kingdom Living is Loving Your Enemies

Jesus had moments where He talked to His twelve disciples away from the crowds. This is one of those moments.  Jesus informs them that He is going up to Jerusalem and that He will suffer greatly, He will die there and on the third day He will rise again from the dead. 

His disciples greatly misinterpreted what He meant by this, for they were persuaded that it was at this time He would establish His kingdom on the earth by overthrowing the Roman Government and taking His rightful place on the throne among men. 

Therefore, the mother of James and John ask of Jesus to make her two sons sit one on each side of Jesus as He would begin His earthly reign.  They knew not what they were asking. 

James, John along with Peter who were invited to witness Jesus on the mount of transfiguration.  They alone were also invited to witness Jesus raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead. Even in the Garden of Gethsemane it would be those same three disciples who were allowed to see Jesus in His agony. They must have thought they were really something to have the audacity to ask Jesus this question.  

Apparently, they had allowed these experiences to get to their head as they pursued those prominent positions in the kingdom.

            Jesus tells them in a very loving way:

Matthew 20:26-28

²⁶ It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, ²⁸ even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Servant – (KJV) minister diakonos - one who executes the commands of another, esp. of a master, a servant, attendant, minister; the servant of a king.

As followers of Christ, we are once again called upon to live our lives counter culturally.  We are in this world, but we are not of it.  Jesus forbids His disciples to not to be like the gentiles by lording over each other with authority.

Instead, Jesus emphasizes servanthood.  He tells them that the way up is down. 

Hence Ernie Rettino & Debby Kerner (Psalty)

If you want to be great in God’s Kingdom Learn to be the servant of all

This is an upside-down kingdom. 

            Solomon was right when he said in

Ecclesiastes 1:9

What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.

Because people living today continue to strive to get to the top just like James and John did. Success according to the world’s standards requires one to achieve, to push forward, to excel at any cost, to acquire, to gain and the list goes on and on…

Often worldly success is accomplished at the expense of others. But Jesus said if you want to be great then you must learn to serve.   Notice Jesus does not condemn them for wanting to be great, but rather reproves their approach to greatness. 

The way to be great in God’s kingdom is very different from being great in this world.  We are called to servanthood.

What does it mean to serve?

 diakoneō  - to be an attendant, to wait upon. Serving is putting the needs of others before oneself. 

Experience Mission - Serving others means making space for their existence and seeing them as valuable and worthy to serve and be served, simply because God views them that way.

In the bible we see examples of Jesus doing just that.

Serve Beyond Your Fear

Matthew 8:1-4

⁸ When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.² And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” ³ And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 

Jesus had compassion and the power to heal even the most despised and outcast individuals. Jesus was willing to touch and interact with those considered unclean, defying the social norms of his time.

You did not touch lepers lest you become unclean.  Lepers were to stay in an isolated community and yell uncleans when people passed by.  Yet we find a leper in desperate need of Jesus’ healing touch and was willing to do whatever it took to receive his miracle.

Jesus did not shun him away, but listened to his request, touched him, and made him whole.

Jesus did not fear getting what the man had, because He knew what He had.  That is, He had the power of the living God working in Him and through Him. 

In a similar way, as believers in Christ we need not to fear when it comes to serving others.  For we know that

1 John 4:4

 ⁴ Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 

We must not fear of catching what the world has for we have God’s power working in us.  We must serve beyond fear.

Serve With Intentionality

         John 4:4

         ⁴ And he had to pass through Samaria.

         (NKJV) ⁴ But He needed to go through Samaria.

Technically there were other ways to get to Jerusalem rather than going through Samaria.  Geographically speaking Jesus did not have to go through Samaria though it was the shortest path to Jerusalem.

For most Jews would have chosen to detour east, avoiding the hated Samaritans entirely.  Everything about the Samaritans would have been unclean.  The Jews would have considered the Samaritans less than human. They would avoid going through their towns, buying from their markets and so on…

So, when Jesus said He must go through Samaria, He was going there intentionally.  He would often say He can only say and do what He saw His Father say and do. 

He was intentional about going through Samaria so that He could meet with the woman at the well who desperately needed an encounter with the Master.

By going through Samaria to serve the woman at the well, Jesus is willing to cross cultural divides. 

Serve by Listening

When Jesus gets to the well, He meets the Samaritan woman and they have a conversation.  They first talk about water (which is the reason a person comes to a well). He tells her:

John 4:13-14 

¹³ Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.

 He then proceeds to read her mail.  He tells her to go and get her husband, which she does not have.  She has had five husbands and the one she is currently with is not her husband. 

Jesus being the Son of God and full of power, could have called down fire from heaven to consume this woman for her treacherous ways.  But she was the reason Jesus had come through Samaria. 

John 3:17

¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 

He heard her out.  He listened to her side of the story.  Because He did, we have learned so much about this woman. 

            She came in the middle of the day to draw from the well (avoiding people)

            That she was a Samaritan and that they had no dealings with Jews.

            She had a greater need than drinking from the well; she must drink from the giver of life.

            She was married but is not married.

            She believed that the messiah was coming.

            She had influence in her town as many come to hear Jesus speak.

Jesus served this woman by listening to her, ascribing value to her.  When we give people the opportunity to share their story, we are valuing them. 

This led to Jesus sharing the good news of the gospel with her, mainly that He is the Messiah that she has been waiting for.  

When we give people the opportunity to share their story, we can then serve them the good news of the gospel.

Serve When It Cost Something

If serving is putting the needs of others before oneself, then Jesus served perfectly.

In Jesus' time, foot washing was a common practice in Palestinian homes as a sign of hospitality. It was especially common because people wore sandals and walked on dusty roads. 

The host would provide water for guests to wash their feet, but a servant or the host's wife would wash the feet of guests.

However, Jesus washes the feet of His disciples not the servant of the house. Illustrating to all His followers an example of servant leadership.  He was willing to humbly lay down His right to be served so that He might serve the needs of those around Him.

But more than their need for clean feet was their need for a clean heart.  Jesus would once again put the needs of the people before His own. This is the main reason Jesus went to Jerusalem it was to serve humanity in such a way that would cost Him everything. 

Hebrews 12:2

² looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus endured the cross, so that we can be forgiven of our sins that our heart would be right before God. He willingly laid down His life, He willingly preferred the needs of humanity over His own, He served even though it cost Him His life.

Serve for the Glory of God

            Jesus lived a life of servant hood ultimately to bring glory to the Father.

                  John 13:31

³¹ When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 

His main ambition in life was to live in such a way that glorified God the Father.  That should be our ambition as well. 

1 Peter 4:7-11

⁷ The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. ⁸ Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. ⁹ Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰ As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: ¹¹ whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

We are encouraged to use the gifts that God has given us to serve one another for God is glorified in this type of love towards one another.