Servanthood - Pastor’s Heart

Hi Folks!

This may be old news to you if you are already a Christian, but we have been called to love God and love people. Wrapped up in a nutshell this is our primary calling in life. Can it be that simple? Basically yes, but of course there is much more to it than first meets the eye. I believe through understanding the subject of "servanthood", which we are about to embark on in the weeks to come, we will better understand what true love really is. It is what God is looking for in each and every one of us. It is that one ingredient so necessary to put us on the pathway the Lord has for each of us to walk on. It is one of the vital joiner links in our chain of life which will determine which position we will be given in the life to come.

But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28 (NLT)

Jesus is always our perfect example. If you look closely at His life and ministry as revealed to us through the Scriptures, you will find that He was the greatest servant to ever walk the Earth. Even though He was the Great and mighty One, He humbled Himself and served those around Him. Nothing was too much for the Master. But even more than that He was a true servant of God. He was fully obedient to His Father all the days of His Earth walk. He had no life of His own, but that of total surrender to Another. Never did He disobey or displease his Father.

This is what God expects from you and I, even though much of the time He fails to get it from us. Think about it for a moment... we are commanded to imitate God (see Eph 5:1-2a). This is possible for sure, for God would be unjust to expect something from His people that we could not deliver. We can see exactly what God the Father is like, as He expressed to us through the life and ministry of Jesus. Jesus said, if you have seen Me, then you have seen the Father John 14:9. Jesus was the express image of our Father God, in word, thought and deed. If you want to know what God is like, then take a close look at Jesus. We are to be a servant just like Jesus was a servant - to both God and people. We will see God's heart on this as we look at His dealings with the children of Israel. The workings of God then are a shadow of things to come in our time.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord: "Let My people go, that they may serve Me... Exodus 8:1

Contrary to much teaching nowadays, God's primary purpose for releasing the Israelites was not so He could bless them with a "promised land". He was wanting "first" a people that would serve Him, and then as a reward for their faithfulness He would bless them and lead them to the promised land. God was wanting a people for Himself. After all He is the Creator and He can have it whatever way He wants! Have a look at this same verse from another translation...

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go back to Pharaoh and announce to him, 'This is what the Lord says: Let My people go, so they can worship Me... Exodus 8:1 (NLT)

This is the Lord speaking directly to Moses with His very own heart's intension. Notice the difference between the two translations with reference to the word serve? The NLT uses worship instead of serve. They are both accurate translations of the original meaning of the text. True servitude to the Lord is true worship. What did the Lord say again??
Let My people go that they may... serve Me.
Let My people go that they may... worship Me.

The Hebrew word can be translated either way. Let's have a look in the New Testament to see what the Lord Himself had to say about the true heart's desire of our Father.

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24

Here we see the Father's desire for us to worship Him. Or we could say, 'He is looking for those who will serve Him'. To worship and serve the Lord is our highest privilege as believers down here on Earth. God won't force anybody to worship Him in the way He has chosen, but He is certainly longing for it. Even now as I write this letter our Father's eyes are searching the globe for the one who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth. There is a great key I would like to continue sharing with you in the days to come on how we can be that one He is looking for. There is a "promised land" awaiting the true servant of the Lord

David

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