The High Calling / Servant hood

With Bishop Ronald K. Powell

Philippians 2:5-11 KJV

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Matthew 20:26-27 KJV

²⁶ But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;

²⁷ And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:

I. Introduction: As believers, we should follow the example of Jesus, who was
equal with God but humbled Himself and became a man (Phil. 2:5-11). Christ
told His disciples, “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your
servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave” (Matt.
20:26-27). Each of us must stop focusing on ourselves and generously meet the
needs of others. If we do this without expecting recognition from people,
Scripture promises that the Father will honor us.

Revelation 3:22 KJV

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

II. Servant hood is . . .
A. God’s work for every believer. All our actions should reflect the fact that
Jesus is not only our Savior but also the master of our lives. Salvation means
more than forgiveness and the assurance of heaven; it signifies that we are now
servants of the living God. By actively serving Him here on earth, we are
preparing for eternity with the Lord (Rev. 22:3).

John 14:11-14 KJV

¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.

¹² Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

¹³ And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

¹⁴ If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

B. How God carries out His work. In John 14:11-14, Jesus told His disciples
that they would do even greater works than He did. While our actions can not
compare to the work Christ accomplished on the cross, none of us know our
maximum potential. As we surrender our lives to the service of the most high
God, He will honor us with true greatness.

Hebrews 6:10 KJV

¹⁰ For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

C. Essential to spiritual growth. Unless you are serving God in some fashion,
you aren’t maturing spiritually. Ephesians 2:10 says, “We are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that
we would walk in them.” We should humbly seek to serve people with the
attitude Christ had. Even when our giving is overlooked or taken for granted by
everyone, our heavenly Father notices (Heb. 6:10).

1 Peter 4:10 KJV

¹⁰ As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

D. The purpose for spiritual gifts. Every believer has one or more spiritual
gifts, which we are to use in serving the body of Christ (1 Peter 4:10). That same
attitude of humble service should extend outside the church as well.

Acts 15:36-38 KJV

E. No assurance against conflict. Servant hood does not guarantee
harmonious relationships. Paul and Barnabas disagreed about whether or not to
take John Mark with them on the second missionary journey (Acts 15:36-38).

1. Those who serve the Lord aren’t always popular. Some people may not
like you, or they may falsely accuse you. When that happens, concentrate on
maintaining a servant spirit, and allow the Lord to handle the unfair criticism. And
don’t leave a job or ministry position unless He tells you it’s time to move on.

2. How can you get through a difficult conflict?

A. Remember that serving God means allowing Him to work in and through you-
-not striving to serve Him in your own strength.

Colossians 3:23 KJV

B. Keep in mind that you are working for the Lord Jesus Christ (Col. 3:23).

C. Let go of selfishness. If you angrily decide to walk away from a position, you
are serving yourself. Serving God means obeying His commands and trusting Him
to take care of you despite hardship.

III. Conclusion: Greatness is not found in a title, a salary, or a position of
influence.

True greatness is found in servant hood.

Willingly meet the needs of others without looking for recognition from people.

John 12:26 KJV

God’s Word promises that He will honor your humility (John 12:26).

When believers finally realize that our calling is to serve-not merely to seek our
own interests-then we will have an irresistible impact on this world.

John 13:15 KJV

Let’s Pray