Series: Kaleo Week 3: Called to Serve.
Kaleo—1 Peter 1:21 The most significant opportunities of your life lie in your ability to serve the cause of Christ. As Christ-followers we are Called to serve.
Mark 10:32-45, Jesus’ instruction on greatness reaches its climax with His declaration in 10:45—the reason Jesus came, the heart of the gospel. And it asks & answers a very important question, “what will the gospel make of us?” The answer: it will make us lowly, humble servants just like the Savior. But, before we surrender to serve, we must consider the issue of Being a Servant. 4 things to Consider
1 Consider the Cost of Being a Servant (10:32-34)
Service INVITES MISUNDERSTANDING
- Astonished – amazed, awed. It unnerved them. They just do not know what to make of all this.
- Afraid –terrified. Of what? The unknown. Jesus knew.
Service INVOLVES A MISSION
- His mission is clearly defined. God sovereignly & providentially laid out the road He will walk, the plan He will
2 Consider the Challenge of Being a Servant (10:35-40)
Being a servant doesn’t come easy; there is a battle.
Being a servant goes against our Nature
James & John’s request reveals:
- their shallow understanding of what it means to follow Jesus, to be His disciple,
- their inflated opinion of their own importance, and
- a lack of understanding of how God measures greatness.
Note: At Jesus’ greatest glory there were 2 men on his right and left—not apostles on thrones, but criminals on crosses.
Being a Servant is Appointed By God’s Purposes
James and John fail to see that the pathway to glory is always the pathway of suffering. Before the crown there is a cup of suffering. Before the blessings that flow there is a baptism that overwhelms & drowns.
3 Consider the Conflict in Being a Servant (10:41-44)
Jesus steps in again and uses this for His greatest & most powerful lesson on being a servant.
Say NO to the Ways of the World
In the world the more important you are, the more are the people who serve you. Jesus says, in His world the more important you are, the more people you serve.
Say YES to the Work of a Slave
Become a servant, diakonos, a table waiter, a household servant. Become a slave, doulos, esteeming others better than himself, looking out for their interests. Jesus reverses all ideas of greatness.
4 Consider Christ when Being a Servant (10:45)
Jesus has told us He will die in Jerusalem. Now He tells us why.
Why should you become a servant? A slave? Answer: because that is what your Savior did. It is that simple. Walk in His footsteps.
Follow Christ IN SERVICE
Follow Christ IN SACRIFICE
- “came.” He came.
- “give His life” This is why He came.
- “Ransom” means a payment, usually of money, required to release someone from punishment or slavery.
- We needed a ransom because we had all gladly and willingly sold ourselves into the bondage of slavery to
- Ransom speaks clearly of Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross as the price paid to purchase the release from guilt and bondage of sinners who would trust in Him. Righteousness demanded it. Love provided it. And, we were not only set free from sin. We were then adopted into a new family.
Jesus calls us, those who follow Him, to walk where He walked—we are Called to Serve.
The most significant opportunities of your life lie in your ability to serve the cause of Christ.
Are we Sent to Lead? Maybe.
Sent to Serve? Definitely.