Sermon series: The Doctrine Of The Kingdom Of God
Subject: The Occupation of the Kingdom -- Servanthood

Ephesians 5:21
"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."
Mark 10:35-45
"Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him. "Teacher," they said, "we want You to do for us whatever we ask."
"What do you want Me to do for you?" He asked.
They replied, "Let one of us sit at Your right and the other at Your left in Your glory."
"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"
"We can," they answered.
Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at My right or left is not for Me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared."
When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."
John 13:3-16
"Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He was come from God, and went to God;
He riseth from supper; and laid aside His garments; and took a towel, and girded Himself.
After that He poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded.
Then cometh He to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto Him, Lord, dost Thou wash my feet?
Jesus answered and said unto him, "Want I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt

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know hereafter.
Peter saith unto Him, "Thou shalt never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with Me."
Simon Peter saith unto Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head."
Jesus saith unto him, "He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit; and ye are clean, but not all."
For He knew who should betray Him; therefore saith He, "Ye are not all clean."
So after He had washed their feet, and had taken His garments, and was set down again, He said unto them, "Know ye what I have done to you?
Ye call Me Master and Lord; and ye say well; for so I am.
If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
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 is not greater than his Lord, neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him."
As we have considered the concepts of the Kingdom of God, we are constantly reminded that spiritual laws in Christ’s teachings are in direct opposition to human philosophy and natural man’s thinking!
You must die to live!
One must give to get!
All must lose to find!
You must possess nothing to have everything!
The teachings of Jesus Christ are absolutely radical! And then He could say: "I am the way, the truth, and the life...here is the way, walk ye in it.
And John reminds us: "He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk as He walked" (1 John 2:6).
In Christ’s Kingdom, greatness is not being great! He that is greatest is the servant of all.
The basic trouble in the human situation is that men wish to do as little as possible and get as much as possible. It is only when they are filled with the desire to put into life more than they take out, that life for themselves and for others will be happy and prosperous.
Selfishness versus servanthood, that is the issue!
Wilbur Reese writes with penetrating sarcasm: "I would like to buy about three dollars worth of God, please! Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine.

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I want ecstasy, not a transformation, I want warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want about a pound of the eternal in a paper bag. I would like to buy three dollars worth of God, please!
And I might add...
Just enough of God to keep me from the fires of hell and assure me a place in His eternal home. Not enough to make me sensitive to the needs of my brother and sister, not enough to make me uncomfortable with my wealth while millions die of starvation...not enough of God to make me a servant, but just enough, please, so that I can be at ease in Zion!
Man’s greatest enemy is himself and his most obvious disease is selfishness!
It was a wise man who wrote: "If I could kick in the seat of the pants the guy who gives me more unhappiness than anyone else, I wouldn’t be able to sit down for a week!
We either must master selfishness or it will master us. Far too frequently in this life we are interested in only three persons: Me, myself and I.
Someone wrote:
"I had a little tea party, this afternoon at three.
’Twas very small--three guests in all...Just I, myself and me.
Myself ate all the sandwiches, while I drank up the tea,
’Twas also I who ate the pie, and passed the cake to me."
Tertullian penned these words:
"He who lives only to benefit himself confers on the world a benefit when he dies."
Another has said:
"The greatest difficulty with the world is not its ability to produce, but its unwillingness to share."
J. B. Phillips wrote a book entitled, ‘When God Was Man’. He re-worded the beatitudes and wrote them this way:
Happy are the pushers and shovers for they get on in this world.
Happy are the hard-boiled for they never let life hurt them.
Happy are they who complain for they get their way in the end.
Happy are the blaze’ for they never worry over their sins.
Happy are the slave-drivers for they get results.
Happy are the knowledgeable men of this world for they know their way around.

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Happy are the trouble-makers for they make people notice them.
No! No! (he writes)
Happy are the humble for they already belong to the kingdom.
Happy are those who know what sorrow means for they will be given courage and comfort.
Happy are those who claim nothing for the whole earth will belong to them.
Happy are those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness for they shall be fully satisfied.
Happy are the kind and the pure for they will see God!
A good many years ago, the Salvation Army, known for its generosity and concern for the hurting of mankind scheduled an international meeting in the mid-west. They were hoping that General Booth, the founder, could be at the gathering, but because of bad health, he was unable to attend.
He did promise to send his message to give them new courage and direction for the decade of service before them.
The auditorium was jammed to the rafters and the crowd waited patiently for the leaders of the meeting to open the telegram and read the message from General Booth.
When the moderator opened the envelope to read the telegram, he frowned as he noticed there was only one word on the page!

That really is the message of the passage we have come to in our text for today..."SUBMIT YOURSELVES ONE TO ANOTHER IN REVERENCE TO GOD."
OTHERS! This was the message of Christ from the passage in Mark which we read in the beginning of our lesson. "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all."
Paul writes in Philippians 2:3-l4:
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."
Selfishness versus servanthood, that is the issue!
Servanthood is the by-product of a submissive spirit! Submissiveness and servanthood result from a reverence for Jesus Christ, for who He was and the example He set is submission. "Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom of many." (Matthew 20:28)

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"For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? Is not he that sitteth at meat? But I am among you as he that serveth." (Luke 22:27)
In Matthew 11:29-30, Jesus tells us something about Himself.
"Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest--relief, ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet--for your souls.
For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good) not harsh, hard, sharp or pressing, but comfortable, gracious and pleasant; and My burden is light and easy to be borne.
Jesus uses the word GENTLE which refers to ‘strength under control,’ it is also used of an ointment which takes sting out of a wound, soothing and calming. (Gentle). And then Jesus used the word lowly, which meant...to be made low. It refers to small and insignificant services by which one can help another. It is the word for SERVANTHOOD!
Paul is telling us in the Ephesian passage that the Spirit-filled life results in a life of servanthood, serving just like Jesus Christ, loving and caring and soothing the wounded along life’s pathway!
Servanthood and humility have not been the most popular subject to preach. The very idea of serving and making oneself a servant is against the human grain!
Remember, there is no competition in servanthood!
Nobody fought over the towel and the wash basin of Christ as He prepared to wash the disciples feet!
Nobody fought with Christ to take His place on the cross!
The greatest act of servanthood in the history of the world is Calvary!
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus;
who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God;
but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men;
and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and become obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
(Philippians 2:57)
And at Calvary, the great truth of servanthood was spoken in derision by those who taunted Him: "He saved others, Himself He cannot save."

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It is true! To give yourself to others in service requires that you deny yourself....your time....your energy....your concern....your attention, and you give your life away for others!
If a man will save others--in any salvation whatsoever--the law he must obey, the stern condition he must fulfill, the lot he must accept is that he cannot save himself!
A little child was brought into a London hospital suffering from a most virulent form of diphtheria. It was seen that all hope of saving his life lay in one operation. That was the sucking up, by means of a tube, of the obstruction in the throat. Although he knew that death was a great probability, the physician, Samuel Rabbeth--young, with a brilliant future opening up before him, willingly stooped over the boy, put the tube in his lips, and sucked out the poisoned pus. He paid the penalty. In a day the fell disease appeared in him; in a week he was dead and the boy lived. "To save others, you cannot save yourself." The matter of sacrifice is at the heart of servanthood.
A deed of self-sacrifice may be costly, it may be heroic, but it will not be one of entrancing beauty, satisfying both mind and heart, unless it is rooted and grounded in love. The sacrifices which ask no questions, count no cost, seek no personal gain, but give all and lose all--this is the heart of servanthood.
Servanthood is characterized by obedience to the commands and teachings of Scripture.
Psalm 19:7-11
"The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is clean; enduring for ever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping them there is great reward."
Servanthood is always performed unannounced!
Matthew 23:12
"But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted."

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Jesus had explained in Matthew 20:26 that true greatness came from being a servant. "But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.
Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant."
Being a servant did not mean occupying a servile position; rather, it meant having an attitude of freely attending to others needs without expecting or demanding anything in return.
Trying to exalt oneself by seeking honor, respect, and the attention of others runs contrary to Jesus’ requirements for His servants. Only those who humble themselves in an attitude of service will find true greatness in God’s Kingdom. To Jesus, greatness comes from serving--giving yourself to help God and others. Service keeps us aware of others’ needs, and it stops us from focusing only on ourselves.
Jesus made this matter of serving very clear in Matthew 25:31-46.
"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.
And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;
I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me."
Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, "Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?
When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?
Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?"
And the King will answer and say to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me."
Then He will also say to those on the left hand, "Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and

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his angels:
For I was hungry and you gave Me no food;
I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;
I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me."
Then they also will answer Him, saying, "Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?"
Then He will answer them, saying, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me."
And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:31-46).
True greatness among the Lord’s followers is only achieved by the humility which takes the lowest place, and the unselfishness which makes work for others the guiding principle of conduct. The greater a man is the more menial is the service which he is ready to undertake.
This passage which we have just read has always brought my soul to its knees! What is the standard of judgment by which God judges? What strikes me at once is the simplicity of the standard! It is helpfulness and kindness to one another, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick. One question only God asks: To what extent have you been a helper, a burden-bearer, a center of active sympathy and service and love in the midst of our hurting world? We are to "bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). "Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." (Colossians 3:12).
Selfishness versus servanthood...this is the issue! Service and serving others is the rent we pay for the space we occupy in this world.
The way to be master is to be servant;
The way to get up is to get down;
The way to receive is to give;
The way to be rich is to be poor;
The way to be wise is to be a fool;
The way to be exalted is to abase yourself;
The way to live is to die!
Our prayer for servanthood:
O Master, let me walk with Thee
In lowly paths of service free;
Tell me the secret; help me bear
The strain of toil, the fret of care.
Remember!
"Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all."