Published by admin on 15 Mar 2019 at 09:38 am
THE SERVANT OF THE LORD
When looking at the state of the “CHURCH” at large, I see a dissimilarity between Christ Jesus and the Church. I see a “Church” comprised of “believers” who are more prone to desire God to serve them, than they are to serve God. For proof of that, I ask you to listen to the prayers you hear others make, and your own prayers as well. Are those prayers filled with, “LORD, I need…., please give me…., LORD, please do this for me….”? If so, then those are not “I’m serving God” prayers, but rather “God, serve ME” prayers.
Let’s pick up John chapter 13:13-17 where Jesus washed the feet of the disciples as a show of humility,
13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
Jesus himself declared that the servant (that’s US) is not greater than his LORD (that’s HIM). So it seems to me we have the cart before the horse. We ask God for fine homes, fine cars, prosperity, health, blessings, and much more. I hear FAR TOO LITTLE prayers asking God to “Prepare me to be your servant”, or “Give me a heart to be like JESUS”. “Use me as YOU see fit” is the prayer request I see the least.
In John 13:34-38 the Lord Jesus continued,
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
36 Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.
37 Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.
38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.
What have we here? Peter thought he was a solid follower of Christ Jesus, full of faith, and walks on the water, you know. And so he thought he was ready to lay his life down for Jesus, yet Jesus told him, he would deny knowing Him THREE TIMES before the cock crowed. So, was that serving GOD, or was that serving HIMSELF? That was an example of Peter serving himself. And it wasn’t just him, we ALL do it! We allow ourselves to follow our own desires, instead of God’s. That’s a lack of discipline! And that’s why Jesus called His followers, “Disciples”, for they would have to learn DISCIPLINE!
I’m not going to tell you I do everything perfectly, because I don’t. I’m still a “work in progress”, learning to DISCIPLINE myself into being a follower of Christ Jesus. In John 14:1-15 it says,
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
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.
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Verse 15 really caught my eye today. Go back and read it again, and you will see why the Body of Christ as a whole is not operating in the power it is meant to: You see, we are not keeping His commandments. And that’s why we’re not seeing healings and miracles in every church. That’s why we’re asking in Jesus’ name and not receiving what we ask for. We have DISQUALIFIED ourselves through unbelief, lack of sound teaching, and disobedience. Remember, Jesus said, If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. In fact, Jesus repeated himself TWICE! it isn’t that God’s Word doesn’t work, it’s that WE AREN’T FOLLOWING HIS INSTRUCTIONS!
We are preached “cheap grace”, where nothing is expected of us except “BELIEVE”. There’s no accountability, no serving God, no repentance from sin, we’re told “God loves you just the way you are, sin and all.”
And while we’re at it, we’re being told that if you aren’t rich, then you aren’t blessed, therefore you are out of the will of God. And so they say, “give, give” (unto them of course) and God will give you a hundredfold return. We are told He wants us to just coast down the road and have an easy, blessed life, prosperous, without any problems, while HE carries our cross for us. Now I don’t believe God wants His kids sick and broke, but when I read the part that Jesus said the servant is not above his Lord, then I have to step back and look at what Jesus taught, versus what the Churches teach. Why are we not seeing a great move of God in the churches? Could it be we are trying to get God to serve US, instead of the other way around? Is that a hard word for you? Then align yourself with God. Don’t worry about what someone else is doing, worry about what YOU are doing!
I feel like how John the Baptist must have felt when he was asked who he was. John 1:21-23 says,
21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
I’m declaring to you today, MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD! He is coming soon, we must be ready. Yeah, I know, you’ve been hearing that all your lives, right? But if you want the power of the LORD working in YOUR life, then you’d best do what Jesus says to do. Otherwise, it will be “business as usual” in your life and in your church. I don’t know about you, but I’m not satisfied with the status quo. I WANT THE POWER OF GOD WORKING IN ME AND THROUGH ME, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to have it so. I’m a servant, not better than my LORD. BUT….Christ Jesus is willing to work through any servant who knows his or her place. I know my place and am happy to be there, do you know yours?