In fact, two of the three Greek words used in the New Testament that we translate as "worship" carry the connotation of service. There's [proskuneo] which means bowing down before that which you worship. Then there's [leiturgueo] which is the worship/service that a priest would do in the temple before the Lord. Finally, we find [latreuo] which is better translated as service.
Due to this fact, tonight we are going to focus on our service to one another as followers of Jesus.
Allow me to give you all a glimpse into my life during my 7th grade - 9th grade years. My grandma, that being my mom's mother, suffered from Alzheimer's Disease, and she and my grandpa came down to Florida to live with my parents, my sister, and I. (I can't remember a time in my life when my grandma did not have Alzheimer's, as she was diagnosed when I was very young.)
Those three years of my life were some of the most difficult times, but they were also the years during which I learned so much of what it means to live a life of humble service. I learned that by watching the way my mom became her own mother's caretaker.
As we enter briefly into this story, I want you to focus on how my mom served with a humble heart that in all things first considered her own mother. She lived a selfless life that looked to everyone else first, and for that I am grateful. You see, these years were no doubt difficult, but I wouldn't trade them for anything.
My grandma would watch Dora the Explorer like a child would. I can sing all the Disney Sing-Along Songs, as we regularly watched them and sang our hearts out. And everyday, my mom would take care of her mom as if she were her mother's mother, bathing her, feeding her, everything a mother would do for their child. Though this time, the child cared for the mother.
In those moldable years of my life, I saw the humility and service of my parents in full force, and for that I am forever grateful.
I always wish I had known my grandmother without Alzheimer's. To talk to her, to hear the wisdom and love she undoubtedly possessed. To get homemade cookies and late night grandma stories. To get into trouble when I was mean to my sister. But I think, amongst the Alzheimer's, I knew my grandma very well. I saw her life being lived out through my mom. My grandma must have been pretty amazing to have raised such a wonderful daughter. I did know my grandma, and to this day I know who she was and is.
In the same way, I know who Jesus is because of the way I saw my mom humbly serve her own mother during those days. I know, as I watched my parents so lovingly care for my grandparents during those years, that I was walking in the presence of my King. I saw Jesus in action.
For us, whatever our circumstance might be, we must act in ways that show Jesus. We have the privilege, the responsibility, and the ability to act as Jesus would act if he were in our every situation.
Whenever I tell this story about my mom it is always paired with a couple passages of Scripture, those being Philippians 2 and John 13.
Let's take a look at Philippians 2, where the Apostle Paul writes:
"So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Jesus himself lived humbly, becoming so humble as to die a torturous death in order that we can have a life that is everlasting in joyful community with him.
In this passage, Paul encourages the church in Philippi to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility to consider others more significant than yourselves.
Jesus lived this way, and he continues to live this way through the action that we are taking because of who he is. His resurrection liberates us into a kingdom of service.
As Paul instructs us to act humbly, let us now turn the page to John 13, where Jesus acted in a very humble way in the days leading up to his crucifixion.
Let's begin with verses 1-5:
"It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.
The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him."
[context of foot washing]
Verses 12-17 finish off the passage,
"When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, that no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."
Jesus served, therefore so should we. Even as he says to his disciples, "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you should wash one another's feet." he instructs them to serve, and we must hear and apply this message to our lives on a daily basis.
I've seen many people around me in my own life serve in big ways, small ways, and joyful ways.
Once I had gotten home from work a little bit earlier than my wife, so I was playing FIFA '15 on my XBox, winning a match with Arsenal. My wife arrived home, and one of the first things she said was, "Hey cutie, do you want me to make some bacon for you?"
Another time, I was a little short on money to get home for Christmas, and a card was given to me, signed by many people who love me a great deal, filled with enough money for the plane tickets.
In all things, with humility, count others more significant than yourselves.
We don't serve in order to make ourselves appear greater, but we serve because our hearts are in a constant state of worshiping Jesus. His resurrection liberates us from the realm of sin and darkness into his kingdom, where we serve him and one another.
So far, we've seen Paul tell us about Jesus' humility which led him to become a servant, saving us from death and into life, we've seen Jesus wash the disciples' feet and instructing them to do the same, and now let's turn to another passage where Paul guides us in the action of our faith.
In the book of Galatians, Paul is telling the people that they no longer need to pursue the law, but rather that they must pursue faith expressing itself through love.
If we believe in Jesus and seek to follow him, we must act in love towards one another. In Galatians 5:13-14, Paul writes,
"You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
No doubt this rings true for us as well, we are called to be free from our sin, by the resurrection of Jesus. By his resurrection, we have a life
The action that the resurrection pushes us to is that in our freedom from sin, we seek to serve one another. Our freedom is used not for our own ends, but rather for the benefit of others. This is the might of the kingdom, that as we have been served by our Savior and King, we also serve one another.
Therefore, let each of us seek to, through love, serve one another.
No comments:
Post a Comment