SERIES: KINGDOM SERVICE
AIM: UNDERSTANDING
AND EXECUTING YOUR DIVINE MANDATE IN THE SPIRIT OF SERVANT HOOD
MESSAGE: THE ESSENCE,
PURPOSE, & POWER OF SERVANT
HOOD
WHAT IS SERVANT HOOD
Servant hood is an occupation, a physical or mental
exertion or effort with a specific
purpose, as in the case of a domestic servant who is paid to work for another in another’s’ house,
often receiving food and lodging in addition to wages. That is to say that his basic needs are by and large the
responsibility of his master.
A servant is a person
under the authority of another who is duty-bound to meet the needs or fulfill the purposes of his master on a
continuous basis and in a devoted manner. He or she should be exclusively and
greatly loyal, deeply committed, faithful, fond of
and devotedly related to the master and his masters mission, work or
assignment. Consequently, “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will
hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise
the other”. (Luke 16:13)
A servant derives his vision, mission,
and values from his or her master. True servant hood to someone or to an
entity is by choice and not cohersion as in the case of a slave.
Servant hood is a very sensitive and involving call and so it is prudent that
every servant soberly evaluates their performance lest they miss out on
the benefits of the blessings of servant
hood. Because every servant serves for wages, vigilance must be maintained
because Satan works overdrive to steal these wages, kill the spirit of service of God’s servants, and ultimately destroy
their morale for service to the end of which many servants work but in the end
their reward is stolen.
While “the thief, Satan comes to steal, to kill
and to destroy;”
God wants you to enjoy the fruit of your labour. “ I (the Lord Jesus Christ) have
come that they may have life and have it to the full” (John
10:10)
Servant hood is the greatest position one can
hold in the kingdom of God. “…whoever wants to become great (mega, large,
important, strong) must be your servant and whoever wants to be first
(chiefest, foremost, important) shall be the slave of all. (Mark 10: 43
– 44).
Servant hood is one tough responsibility in
which we can only succeed in if we operate with a transformed mindset
(Romans 12:2) but which has very great rewards if done well.
The word servant in greek is ‘Doulos’ meaning ‘in bondage’ and the Lord Jesus Christ is our perfect example: “just as the son of man did not come to be served , but to serve and give His life
as a ransom (redemption) for many” (Mathew 20;28). Other Greek words
for a servant are: ‘Diketes’ (house servant),
‘Huperetes
(minister), ‘Therapon’ (attendant) and ‘Ebed’ (’bond man, labourer).
The spirit of servant hood has the attributes
of loyalty, commitment, faithfulness, devotion, dedication
(exclusiveness), duty (responsibility), vision, mission,
and values. The act of servant hood is about the master and his assignment. Servant hood goes beyond mere speech or
promise and features more prominently in the realm of activity (Mathew 21: 28-31).
WHY SERVANT HOOD (TO GOD AND MEN)?
1. It Is God’s Ordained Way of
Promotion (Phil. 2: 5- 9).
It is God’s desire to reward and improve the
lot of all men and He has chosen to do that through service as seen in the life of Joshua, an aide (attendant,
minister, servant) of Moses. Joshua waited
on Moses with a focused zeal, a steadfast, and dedicated devotion,
no wonder, God chose him to be
Moses’ successor. “So the Lord said to Moses, take Joshua the son of Nun, a
man in whom is the spirit
and lay your hand on him,
have him stand before Eleazer the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence… give him some of your authority so that
the whole Israel community will obey him”. (Numbers 27:18-20).
Joshua here got empowered, anointed and
duly authorized for his new divine
assignment graduating from being Moses’ servant to the position of the servant of God. Our promotion in God’s
kingdom comes through our faithful and loyal service to men and women of God
who He (God) has put over us. Godly leadership is not hijacked, it is given through good, nurtured and
watered master-servant relationship.
2. God Executes and
Fulfils His Purposes Through Servants.
Man is God’s legitimate representative
on earth (Gen.1:26-28). He therefore is the
chief agent behind the execution of God’s will on earth as God’s
servant. This however demands keenness
to God’s will (what He says) and a faithful execution of the same. “Moses
examined all the work and behold they had done it; just as the Lord had
commanded… so Moses blessed them” (Exodus 39:43). This clean
and unadulterated execution of God’s will brings down God’s glory and
presence to us. “Moses is faithful
in all my house… with him I speak face to face” (Numbers 12:7,8).
3. Perfection can only be
realized through the Spirit of Servant Hood.
God
is the God of perfection or excellence. “And God saw all that
He had made and behold it was very good” (Genesis 1:31a). He therefore demands
that His work is done with due dedication and diligence and only someone
walking in the spirit of servant hood can measure up to that. “Cursed be the
one who does the Lord’s work negligently” (Jeremiah 48: 10a)
4. God will demand an Account of all Things.
“…Each of us will give an account of himself to
God” (Rom
14: 10 – 12) “The length of our days is seventy or eighty, if we have
the strength...they quickly pass away and we fly away” (Psalms 90:10).
Life on earth is brief so let each of us be
wise and spend it well in God’s eye “ redeeming
the time because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). The best way to live
your life accountably is through service to God and men.
5. To Secure Our Future
Only God knows the
future and what is best for us.When we serve the interests of God, we become His servants
directly or indirectly through the men
we serve, and that secures our
future. “If any one serves me, let him follow me; and where I am
there shall my servant also be; if any one serves me, the father will honour Him” (John 12:26)
6. Servant Hood adds Value
To Your Life making you stand out.
All
through life man is constantly bombarded with quick carnal ways and means
to get to greatness, and it is unfortunate that many have fallen prey to
these satanic seductions (of shortcuts) to prominence to their detriment.
The divine law to greatness is simple:- “Humble yourself , therefore
under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you at the proper time” (1
Pet 5:6) . It is God’s pleasure to elevate us but it is important that we wait for Him to do it Himself. “If anyone serves me my Father in heaven
will honour him”( John 12:26a)
HOW TO SERVE GOD
Because service to God is a very sensitive
call, (Numbers 3:4,20: 7-12) it can have very devastating effect on us
if it is not done according to God's will. “The
King’s favour (delight, joy ) is to a servant who acts wisely , but his anger
(wrath, violent rage ) is towards him
who acts shamefully” (disgracefully)-Prov. 14:35. Royal etiquette (set of rules for proper behaviour ) must be
observed in divine service. When we serve well, we become God’s agents in
effecting our elevation to the position of God’s servants (see Numbers
27:18 – 20). Simply put, if you cannot humble yourself and serve men,
you cannot be God’s servant. Service is an art that is to say it has
to be learnt, and we learn it best as we serve imperfect men, faithfully without
insubordination, rebellion or disobedience.
Requirements for Divine Service
1. We must be in His Will.
“the son can do nothing
by Himself, He can do only what He sees His Father doing” (John 5:19) A
true servant is stuck if his Lord is not there to lead the
way. “If anyone serves me, let him follow me.” (John 12:26a). We know Gods will as we keenly
and faithfully follow Christ in faith, trust and obedience coupled with
perseverence. This has the culminating effect of catapulting us to position one
in our faith. “Tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God
before you”(Mathew 21:31-32). “Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world , but be
transformed by the renewing of your
mind. Then you will be able to test
and approve what God’s will is:- His good, pleasing and perfect will”(Romans 12:2).
2. Have the Attitude of
Christ
“Your attitude
(opinion, mindset) should be the same
as that of Christ (of self sacrifice, humility and love for others) who being in very
nature God…made Himself nothing taking the very nature of a servant, being made
in human likeness…humbled Himself and became obedient to death… even death on
the cross. Therefore also God highly
exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name” (Phil 2:5 – 9).
Because of Christ’s attitude, He went to the lowest position a man could go to by dying on the cross; the worst
of all condemnations at that time. To serve God, we must undergo a mind transformation (Romans
12:2,3, Eph 4:23). Walking in the spirit
of servant hood is the best investment which one can make with ones life.
We do well to pray with Moses:- “Teach
me your ways so that I may know you and continue to have favour with you” (Exodus 33:13) Never assume divine favour like Samson,.
3. Know and take your
right Geographical Position and Relationships (or Divine connections)
“The Lord took the man
and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” (Gen 2:15). The
three important questions to ask in life in as far as Christian service
is concerned are, where is your Eden,
What is expected of you there, and what are you doing about it now? God is also the God of geography,
that is why He tells the Israelites, “seek the Lord at the place
which the Lord your God shall choose…
there bring all your sacrifice …” (Deut 12:5 – 8). By God’s grace establish, develop, and maintain a good
sound, on going relationship with whoever God has connected you to, or strategically placed or positioned around you
they could be your destiny carriers or
cardinal facilitators of your
breakthrough in life or ministry.
4. Be devoted to the Body
of Christ.
Divine
service must continually take a divine direction for it to be acceptable
before God. “By faith Abel offered God a
better sacrifice than Cain, by faith, he was commended as a righteous man
when God spoke well of his offering”. (Heb 11:4). For the church to
have the impact and effect that God
desires, we must go the first church way:- “They devoted themselves to the Apostles
teaching and to the fellowship to the breaking of bread and to prayer”
(Acts 2:42) “Be devoted (loving) to one another with brotherly love.
Honour one another above yourselves.” (Rom 12:10). Devotion here
means ‘loving ,companionship and faithful adherence to’, the body of Christ; the church.
5. Divine Service demands
Humility.
Like the name suggests
servant hood is about humility or the attitude of taking the lower seat (Luke 20:46-47). Jesus said,
“a disciple is not above his master”
(teacher). Servant hood is a learning
process that only takes place as we humble ourselves and serve God and men.
The perfection of servant hood is attained when a servant
gets promoted to serve in the position of his master. Moses, Joshua, Joseph
and Elisha are some of the great examples we find in scripture. They virtually
replaced there masters.
BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF SUCCESFUL AND UNSUCCESFUL SERVANTS
|
|
NAME
|
QUALITIES
|
THEIR END
|
|
1.
|
Eleazar of Damascus (to Abraham)
|
Committed, faithful, obedient, humble, and
spiritual
|
Chief servant of Abraham.
|
|
2.
|
Sarah
|
Trust, honour, faith, (called Abraham “My
Lord”)
|
Mother of Israel
|
|
3.
|
Aaron
and Hur
(Exo 17:12 to Moses)
|
Loyal, humble, patient, and steadfast
support.
|
Leaders in Israel
|
|
4.
|
Joshua (to Moses)
|
Faithfulness, dedication, patience and
obedience
|
Moses’ Successor
|
|
5.
|
Samuel (to Eli)
|
Patient, trust, faithfulness and loyal.
|
Eli’s Successor
|
|
6.
|
David (to Saul)
|
Obedient, trusting, protector (Armour
bearer), recognized and honoured the anointing.
|
Israel’s greatest King.
|
|
7.
|
Ruth (to Naomi)
|
Commitment, faithfulness, faith, trust,
visionary and hopeful
|
Mother of Jesse (Entry into royal lineage)
|
|
8.
|
Elisha (to Elijah)
|
Faithful, Tenacious (stuck with Elijah),
positive, expectant, unshakable (2 Kings 2:2)
|
Double portion of the spirit.
|
|
9.
|
Gehazi (to Elisha)
|
Doubt, mistrust (Jittery), unfaithful, proud,
panicking and confused
|
Died of leprosy
|
It is important that we finish well and Christ has
promised to make that possible so that we can “enter the joy of our master”
(Mat 25:21 b). In conclusion, THE WAY TO GREATNESS, BLESSING, ACHIEVEMENT, EFFECTIVENESS, SUCCESS, IMPACT,
PROMINENCE AND POWER WITH GOD AND MEN IS THE WAY OF SERVANT HOOD.
Message preached by Rev. Peter Odhiambo at Deliverance Church – Nkoroi
