Category: Servant

In Mark 9:35, Jesus taught His disciples an important lesson: “And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.’” The path to primacy in the spiritual realm is humble service.

This is, of course, counterintuitive. Most people think that the way to be first is to dominate, lead, impose, and curry favor. This is the way of the Gentiles (cf. Matthew 20:25), “Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant” (26).

Consider how this truth should impact our attitude toward this congregation and our brethren. Elders, deacons, preachers, teachers, all are to be servants of the church. But, each individual member should consider themselves to be the same. You are not a member at West Side because of what the congregation has to offer. Rather, you are here to offer yourself to God and to His people!

What are you doing for the Lord and His people? Evaluate your responsibilities and the effort you put in from week to week as a member here. Can you be doing more? Can you increase your contribution to the growth and love of this family? Do you have an attitude of “What can others do for me?”, or is it “What can I do for others?” It is a blessed thing to be a servant of all, and it carries with it the most wonderful promise!

“But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave — just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28).

We have been studying the subject of humility quite a bit in our Wednesday evening class. You might remember the point I made about pride being a characteristic of the world. Jesus establishes that truth in the text above. “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them.” Not much has changed in the intervening centuries.

Our Lord’s attitude toward pride and oppression has not changed either. 2,000 years ago Jesus said, “Yet is shall not be so among you…” 2,000 years later He expects the same thing of His people. His example as our Savior, coming to earth in the service of man, is a compelling one.

Do you want to please God? Do you want to be exalted in the final day? Then live a humble and consecrated life of service to others! “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:5).

(This article originally appeared as a paid ad in (April 2012) in the newspapers published by Suburban Newspapers, Inc. The papers cover five small communities in the Forth Worth area).

In Ecclesiastes 12:13, a very wise man wrote “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.” Such a simple truth, but one that is unfortunately seldom heeded.

Why do you go to church? It seems like for a lot of people, worship is entertainment; and a church’s purpose is to facilitate self-actualization. And that seems to be a bit backwards.

Worship should be (and if it is true worship, it is) an offering to God. The purpose of worship is to please God, not to please ourselves. In order for it to please Him, our worship must be in accord with His will. “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24).

The purpose of the church is to do the Lord’s work in the world. It is a religious institution, dedicated to spiritual work. Members share the gospel with the lost, build one another up through worship and fellowship, and engage in benevolent activities. While entertainment and socializing seem to be the central priority of the church experience in our day and time, that is not what God intended for His people. Paul said that the church of the living God is “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).

Our view is not a typical way of looking at worship and service to God. Are you serious about your service to Him? Come visit the West Side church of Christ!
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It is an oft asked question, and an opportunity to teach. In fact, there is not clergy/laity distinction in the Lord’s church. In fact, we are all ministers (servants) in the Lord’s church.

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Three principles are examined in this lesson on Stewardship: 1) All things belong to God; 2) We are to be stewards in what we have and who we are; and, 3) We will be held accountable for our stewardship.

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The sermon examines the service Elisha rendered to Elijah, as recorded in 2 Kings 2. He exhibited qualities of a good servant. These attributes of Elisha can be used to establish what constitutes good discipleship in our service to Jesus.

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In his epistle to the Philippian church, Paul identifies himself and Timothy as “bondservants of Jesus Christ.” The term is from the Greek doulos, and indicates subservience and submission. They were slaves to Christ. On another occasion, Paul wrote, “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10). Their purpose was to please Christ, and Him alone.

In the same text, Paul identified the Philippians as “saints.” The Greek word is hagios, and indicates holiness and consecration. The Philippian brethren had been separated by Christ to live righteously before Him. This call to holy living is a call Jehovah has always made to His people, “For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44).

Every Christian should consider himself a slave to Christ. Emulating Paul’s example, he should consider his standing with God a call to holy living. In so doing we please Him, and secure for ourselves the hope of heaven.

Using Bible examples, the sermon shows the importance of personal humililty, integrity, involvement, concern and risk.

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Jude 1-2

Even the salutations of scripture contain wonderful lessons for the discerning reader. For example, in our text Jude describes himself as at “bondservant of Jesus Christ.” The word literally indicates a slave, and shows clearly the concept of submission and subservience. We are all to be bondservants of our Lord, submitting wholly to His will.

Jude refers to his readers as “sanctified by God the Father.” The word sanctified literally means to be set apart. God separates us from the world when we obey the gospel. But, the concept of sanctification requires that we live a life worthy of that separation (cf. Ephesians 4:1).

Finally, among the first words of Jude is the phrase, “preserved in Jesus Christ.” As Christ is our Savior, we are “more than conquerors” (cf. Romans 8:37). There is nothing on this earth, or under the sway of the devil, nor the devil himself that is able to separate us from Jesus Christ. As our Savior, he is “able to keep” what we have committed to Him “until that Day” (cf. 2 Timothy 1:12).

“Mercy, peace and love be multiplied to you.”

The Christian is to be a servant of God. To be a servant, one must learn the principle of submission.

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AOTS Number 44

Exaltation in the kingdom of God is found in service. It is our responsibility as God’s children to do good, that God might be glorified.

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Bill Crews examines the words in the New Testament which are translated as servant, or minister. The point is established that every Christian is a minister in the family of God.

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