(Pt 2 in The Heart series)

The Heart of a Servant

Galatians 5:13-14

That is why we as a church are not to follow the world, but to set the example for them to follow. When Jesus called the disciples, He told them to “Come! Follow me…” In doing so, they were to give up their own wants and desires and to learn from the Master so they could become true disciples. We, too, are to surrender everything to Jesus and learn from Him what a true disciple is and how we are to live that out in our lives.

In today’s scripture, we find Paul writing to the people of Galatia to not be like the world, but to be what Christ told His disciples to be. They were allowing the things of the world to distort the message of the Gospel. Galatians 5 starts off with this reminder:

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

Freedom from the slavery of sin and selfishness is not something we can do on our own, I don’t care how much will power you have. It is only through Christ’s redemptive sacrifice and love that we can truly be free. And what is so cool about that it is a FREE GIFT for anyone who chooses to accept it. With it should come a real change in our hearts…

Galatians 5:13-14

^“ For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.””

Love comes from the heart, and true love comes from God. When we love Him as He first loved us, then we are able to love others. So, in order for this to happen, we have to have that change from a self-serving heart to a heart that serves others.

Today, we are going to look at:

1. What does it mean to have the heart of a servant?

The heart of a servant is a reflection of God, embodying compassion and love (agape), not seeking its own glory, focuses on others and finds joy in lifting up the broken, bringing hope to the hopeless, all while being selfless.

John 12:1-3:

“Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ² So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. ³ Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”

The job of washing feet was one assigned to the lowest of slaves. Because of wearing sandals and traveling on dirt roads, when a guest came to the house, they would be offered a basin of water to wash their own hands as they prepared to sit down for a meal, but it was the servant that took care of washing their feet. They would wash the feet of the guests because they would be reclining around the table. This would mean that another guest’s feet would be close to where they were reclining. Some people’s feet just naturally smell bad from their own sweat, but what if they had stepped in something on the roadway in their travels (we call them ‘landmines’ aka ‘droppings’ from animals) Have you ever traveled behind a horse and buggy in Amish country?!?

Mary’s action was one that showed both humility and devotion to Jesus. The use of the alabaster jar of nard, a very expensive perfume was to demonstrate her total surrender to Him by giving her all. In Matthew and Mark’s writings about this event, they mentioned that she also anointed His head.

She was serving out of love for Jesus, with total disregard of what others might have thought or were even saying out loud. She was selflessly serving Jesus.

John 13:3-5:

“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, ⁴ got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. ⁵ Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.”

This was just six days after the previous story. These men had shared other Passover meals together, as well as other times of sitting down to share a meal. You would have thought that the disciples would have remembered this important part of caring for the guests at a meal. But we all know that they did not have any servants, so they probably figured it would be ‘every man for themselves’. Jesus was the one to get up from the table and take care of this. He did this out of love for each of them, even the one who was going to betray Him!

John 13:15-17:

For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. ¹⁶ Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”

Mark 10:42-45:

“Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. ⁴³ But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; ⁴⁴ and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

So, if the Savior of the world did that for us, why are we not doing the same thing for Him and for each other?

Philippians 2:1-4:

“Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, ² make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. ³ Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; ⁴ do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

We need the power of the Holy Spirit and His guidance. We are not naturally wired this way. Man is by nature a sinner (Romans 3:23). We have to surrender our own wants, desires and ambitions to selflessly put the needs of others ahead of our own.

Philippians 2:5-7:

^“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.”

Jesus surrendered totally to the Father’s will. He was not motivated by personal gain or recognition, but wanted people to see the Father’s love and compassion in everything that He said and did. He wanted to bring God glory! Are we not to do the same?

Look at David, known as a man after God’s own heart. He demonstrated his love for his fellow man and his faith in God’s promises when he went out to face Goliath.

1 Samuel 17:37a:

“…The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

3. What are the benefits of having the heart of a servant?

John 13:34-35:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

If we are going to talk the talk, we have to walk the walk. They will know that we love them when we show that we love them. That is why we need to the Holy Spirit to help us discern when we are to love gently, or love strongly, even in spite of how they are treating us.

Philippians 2:14-18:

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing; ¹⁵ so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, ¹⁶ holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. ¹⁷ But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. ¹⁸ You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.”

When we become a Christian, we are freed from the slavery of sin and are to serve Christ as our Lord and King, not out of duty, but out of love.

ILLUS: Jim Baich, my brother-in-law; Pastor Jerry (how fortunate we are!)

So today I have told you:

All of this starts with the heart! When we put our heart in alignment with God, we are able to recognize who we are in the relationship, get rid of the pride that would cause us to stumble and embrace the humility necessary to serve Him and how we are to serve others. We need to view serving others as a way of living and that it is an expression of worship to God. There is an old hymn “Joy in Serving Jesus” and the chorus say:

There is joy, joy, joy in serving Jesus, Joy that throbs within my heart

Every moment, every hour, As I draw upon His power,

There is joy, joy, joy that never shall depart

You can watch this week’s message by clicking HERE.

You can watch the entire service including music by clicking HERE.