One of the expectation of the messiah is the he would be a servant…

Isaiah 42:1

• Christ “The Servant”. One of the most important things to understand about Jesus, he came as a servant.
• It is a title, but also – and very importantly - a part of his character

How does that look?

Jesus was born a baby and had to grow and learn. Just like everyone else.

Hebrews 5:5-10

Hebrews 5:8

• Learned obedience
• Perfected
  • Obedience, servanthood is what moulds us, shapes our character
  • Jesus did His apprenticeship before receiving the Kingdom

Hebrews 9:12-14

Jesus wasn’t passive, he presented himself to God in a certain way.

• Jesus offered himself to the eternal Spirit (to the HS)
  • It begins as an attitude, a way of positioning ourselves spirituality but has practical implications
• Jesus in the Garden. “Not my will but your will be done”
• Example: Couldn’t stop swearing and blaspheming, tried so hard. So ashamed I would feel sick.
  I began to seek God about His purpose and present myself as a servant, and invest in where I believed He was leading scripture began to come alive and it changed my thoughts, and my words too.
  The two are connected. Service and character build on each other

Servanthood also releases us into our calling and gifts.

2 Tim 2:2 Faithful men – faithful in what? I suppose faithful in service, servant hearted people not people with superstar gifting.

• Old All Blacks mantra – A Champion team will always beat a team of champions
• Likewise servant hearted people will always be the last ones standing in faith. Especially when sacrifice is called for
• Example: Training work dogs. Some of the most intelegant and skilled animals. The worst thing which can happen is the dog abandons the farmer at a critical time when moving stock. I had one which would chase rabbits, never used him for important tasks.
  Servanthood must be faithful to be responsible.

Romans 12:1-2

• Offering ourselves living sacrifices. This is also an essential part of our calling,
  • Reasonable service, not demanded. It’s an invitation.
• Transformation and responsability is the effect

It is not about productivity or filling a role, it is about the transformation that the HS can do in the lives of people when their hearts are set on cultivating a servant nature.  

• This doesn’t mean we become mindless robots, doing everything we are told. I do not want to set you up for abuse here:
  • In fact as you become a servant of Christ you become less available to the demands of people.
  • Jesus “must be about my Father’s business” really sets the tone. People were always looking for Him and placing demands on Him. He was frequently disappointing people’s expectation. The Father set His agenda.

• Hear me carefully – I am not asking you to volunteer somewhere. Let’s put aside for a moment the work and activity which needs doing
  • What I am asking you is don’t give up. Don’t grow weary of offering ourselves to Christ because this is the vehicle which unlocks His grace and applies His transformation and resurrection to our lives…
  • Acts of service directed at Christ and not for attention etc. He takes notice. He is looking for people like this

Servanthood, really is Jesus’ love language.  

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In the Old Testament there is the account of Elijah and Elisha, as we follow these two men and watch the impartation of a prophetic office we see the dynamic of servanthood unlocking the calling…

1 Kings 19:16,19-21 The Call of Elisha

• The mantle – a symbolic gesture.
• Elisha became the servant…

Later when Elijah is going to die, they walked through an amazing process.

2 Kings 2:1-14 Account of Elijah taken up in Chariot

Remember these are two very accomplished prophets now. Elisha is ready to assume the ministry and position of Elijah.

They both understand the protocols of the Holy Spirit.

• Vs 9,10 What do you want – double portion given to the heir.
  • If you see me – what do we look for? A true servant won’t lose sight of the master
  • Elijah is doing his best to distract of discourage Elisha
  • They are enacting something, a prophetic journey perhaps?
• Stay in Gilgal – The place of circumcision. Sanctification.  Keeps eyes on the master
• Stay in Bethel – “House of God” where visions of angels happen. Keeps eyes on the master
• Stay in Jericho – Battle where the walls fell down. Spiritual warfare. Keeps eyes on the master
• On to across the Jorden, chariot of fire and whirlwinds. Keeps eyes on the master
  • Then nothing happens until…
  • “My father, My father…”
  • He goes from his role of servant to Son. The mantle falls, the inheritance released.
• The religious leaders at the cross are confused when Jesus cried “Eli Eli, Lama Sabacthani”
  • They know this story and think he is calling Elijah, an interesting connection when you consider Jesus the servant at death is about to claim His kingdom.
  • Fostering a servant heart is what unlocks your calling, and makes it a reality.
• Elisha as a servant kept his eyes fixed on the master, not distracted even by good things, and the Spirit of God rested on him as it was with Elijah
• Jesus at the cross – the suffering servant, undistracted remains focused on the Father 

Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho are all places we might visit in our Christian journey, but the place of transformation is at the Jorden with the master. Keeping our eyes on Him, undistracted

It may mean dramatic sanctification, dreams and visions, or spiritual warfare and power.  It is easy to get caught up in that and become blinded – dazzled by it, and in the Elisha account there were prophets who stayed there.

Surely signs and wonders are more important, what I am doing is far too important…

Even really good things can be a distraction

• Jesus is a person. Always remember the call is from a person to another person
• When someone calls to you, the voice leads to the person doing the calling. Jesus calls us to follow
  • Hide and seek – kids giggling. The sound leads to the person
• Following Jesus the servant certainly means servanthood and acts of service, because that is who Jesus is. This is where we inevitably find Him

John 13:12-17 Here Jesus is washing feet – a very low servant position

2 Kings 3:11 Elisha “poured water on the hands” – a very low servant position

Jesus says: “In as much as you did it to the least of these My Brethren you did it to me”

• JC may have ascended to heaven, but His body is here. We find him present in each other
• While Jesus is the object of our service, it does impact our relationship.
  • Do we treat each other as the hands and feet of Christ?
  • Our servanthood is how we honour Christ in our midst, it is how we partner with the HS activity among us. One of the key ways grace is transmitted.
  • I am convinced, before we can be the hands and feet of Jesus, we must learn to wash the hands and feet
• I hope we can build this into our life together as a faith community

VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naRCfl8oCos

• The profound effect of that simple act of service. “Treat others as you want to be treated”
• Everyone else was focus on one thing – winning
  • His willingness to take a servant position, that young man had his agenda set by Christ and saw the opportunity nobody else did
• He acted as a servant: By washing hands and feet he became Jesus hands and feet

Mark 9:35 Be a servant of all