Pastor Wayne Cordeiro
December 15, 2002 - W0250

Which one of these do you think is greater: Someone sitting at the head of the table or someone serving as the bus boy?

The world obviously says itís the head of the table; servants are viewed as those who have very few talents and skills. Yet Jesusówho is King of Kingsógave His answer to our question: ìWho is greater, the one who reclines at the table, or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who servesî (Luke 22:27). The greatest in the Kingdom of God is one who serves.

Why did He say this? What brought about this tremendous statement? Actually, it was the end of a discussion, an argument that the disciples were having: ìAnd there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. And He said to them, ëThe kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ìBenefactors.î But not so with you, but let him who is the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as the servantíî (Luke 22:24-26) Jesus told them that the greatest must be a servant AND THEN He confessed His own position as the servant of all. It wasnít until after He pointed to its significance that He revealed His own servanthood.

Understanding that serving is a gift is important because serving has been redefined in our culture as a lowly, unwanted role. The world says if you are a servant youíre a minimum wage worker at the bottom of societyís totem pole. Itís also been defined as a place you start, and where youíll like to get away from. But Jesus showed us that serving is everything we get to devote our lives to. Once weíve obtained the definition of serving, weíll begin to see it as God sees it: the greatest role to aspire to in our lives.

Whatís the definition of serving then? It is simply this: to give life. Jesus said, ìI did not come to be serve, but to serve, and to give my life as a ransom for many.î Jesus poured His whole life into serving because it was going to yield life for so many others. So, serving is not just performing tasks, but a way of serving.

The goal of serving is not just the task of serving, but by people seeing our good works and the heart with which we serve, glorifying the Father in heaven: ìLet your light so shine before men so that they will see your good works and glorify your Father in heavenî (Mt. 5:16). The driving motivation of our serving is not for our own glorification, for us to achieve fame and fortune, but to point people to God.

This gift of serving was illustrated to me when I was a brand-new youth pastor still in my early twenties. A friend of mine invited me to a benefit golf tournament. At that time, I was living in the Northwest and so my favorite team was the Seattle Seahawks. Well, my friend called and told me there was going to be a tournament with the Seahawks and asked if I wanted to serve in the tournament. All I had to do was registration at the beginning and then sing a few songs at the dinner banquet at the end, but during the day I could play with the big boys. The only catch was that because it was a benefit I had to pay my own way and get myself there (a four hour drive). ìNo problem,î I replied with enthusiasm. I was so excited that I couldnít sleep that night.

The next day I golfed with some of the Seattle Seahawks and even took pictures with some of their biggest and best. After it was all said and done, I remember driving home silently, grumbling about having to go back to the office and plan my youth meeting. It was then that the Lord kindly chastised me. He said that the heart I had served with at the golf tournament, was the same heart He wanted me to take back to ministry. I realized that the reason the Lord sent me to the tournament was so that I learn an enthusiastic and willing heart to put it into everything I did as a pastor. It is then that I learned that serving is a privilege and a gift.

That was a critical lesson and one that changed not only my ministry, but my life. Today weíll be learning this life-changing, eternity-impacting lesson: the true and beautiful gift of serving.

THREE STAGES OF SERVING

 I. STAGE ONE: START WHERE YOU ARE.

Start right in your workplace; see your job is your ministry! Have you ever seen people whom you could tell that they see their job as something God has asked them to do? They are a delight to see, hear and work with! King David did thisóhe saw his governmental job as his call and his ministry. Joseph was the same; he was the head of the department of health in Egypt and saw his job as his ministry. And because he did, God used him to deliver Israel from a severe famine.

Q1: Open opinions: Is it important to see your job as a gift? Why/why not?

God is calling us to do the same thing, for we are working for the Lord and not for people: ìWork hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for peopleî (Col. 3:23 NLT). Notice the word ìcheerfullyî!J

By starting where we are, each act of service to the Lord becomes great because God blesses it as we respond to our call. Christians should be the best workers in Hawaii, in our communities and in our world because even our work is unto the Lord and not just for pay. So, if weíre going to serve at our workplaces, we should see our jobs as a delight and serve with joyful heart.

• DEVELOP & EXPRESS the Heart of a Servant through Whatever You Do.

Q2: How do you see your jobóas a necessary burden or as a call and ministry? How can you begin to make it a ministry?

The first stage of developing a heart of a servant is to start right where you are. Youíll begin to see the gift of serving unfold and the results will be phenomenal. If youíre wondering how to sustain a willing servantís heart, hereís the second stage of serving thatíll keep your heart in the right place:

II. STAGE TWO: HIDDEN SERVICE.

ìBut when you give to someone, donít tell your left hand what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in secret, and your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.î (Mt. 6:3-4)

Hidden service is simply beginning to give or share in such a way that the person receiving cannot possibly repay you. In other words, ìno strings attachedî and no recognition. Hidden service is one of the best things to sustain the heart of a servant and keep a clean heart and mind. The hidden service stage of a servant is one the best disciplines for our hearts because it keeps our hearts and intentions pure.

Ever heard the saying, ìItís not how you play the game but how you look when you play the gameî? We may chuckle at this tongue-in-cheek jab but it holds a grain of truth thatís all too familiar: ìHow do I look by serving?î How often do we want to get noticed while serving?

God tells us that we need to practice hidden service because this is healthy for our hearts. And so the only way (and really the best way) is to cure this kind of heart with hidden service where thereís no reward and the only goal is to serve and for the joy of serving. When Iím serving, itís always a good reminder for my heart to ask myself some key questions: ìIs what Iím doing serving the King or me? Is He increasing as I decrease?î These self-correcting questions help to keep my heart in check.

The first two stages of growing a gift for serving is to begin right where youíre at and then to keep it pure by doing hidden acts of kindness. These are a good beginning but I think the greatest stage of serving is stage threeÖ

III. STAGE THREE: EXTENDED SERVING WITH A JOYFUL & GLAD HEART.

This is when you need to plan and extend yourself beyond your capacity and even your comfort zones by giving of yourself in serving. For example, signing up for Sunday school  or enlarging your capacity. This is something you do out of compassion, because itís not the serving but through the serving that people see the heart of the Father. If you donít have this kind of heart, it clouds others from seeing the heart of the Father. ìLet your light so shine before men so that they will see your good works and glorify your Father in heavenî (Mt. 5:16). Our goal in serving is to glorify our Father in heaven with a joyful heart that is transparent to others.

I saw this while visiting a cancer ward. There was a young girl in her twenties who was volunteering there, nonetheless, she graced the room with her presence. She was serving the children with such compassion by just spending time with them and loving on them. After talking with her for a while, I understood why she did what she did week after week with a cheerful heart. Apparently, just a few years before, she had been one of those children with cancer. She understood what it was like to have her hair fall out. She also understood what it meant to have a few months left, with nothing in the world and forgotten by everyone.

Grateful to have survived, she couldnít allow other children to feel alone. At least by being there, she was able to share hope with them through her own testimony since she had pulled through and survived. As I watched this young girl serving, I realized how fortunate the rest of us are. I listened to her speak of having second chances, whereas some of the children wouldnít have one. She spoke of being able to serve, and to her, that ability was a gift, because she could have been the one facing death. By God giving her life, she is able to serve. And as I watched her with the sick children I saw how much the kids loved her back. She was a beautiful fulfillment of Jesusí words, ìBut go and learn what this means, ëI desire COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE...íî (Mt. 9:13).

ï THE FACT THAT WE ARE ABLE TO SERVE REMINDS US SERVING IS A GIFT!

Q3: Which of the three stages would you say youíre currently growing in?

Although serving is an extension of ourselves, itís shouldnít be a burdening, overwhelming sacrifice because people wonít see the Father through this kind of service. Serving with great compassion and joy provides the transparent heart of the Father. In fact, some of the miracles in the Bible are preceded by these words, ìand Jesus being moved with compassion fed the multitudes, laid hands on the child, laid his hands on the leper...and they were healed.î

It was compassion that was the preface of miracles. When God asks you to serve with compassion and a joyful heart, it could very well mean the dawning of a miracle!

ìBecause you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore you shall serve your enemies.Öî (Deut. 28:47-48)

God has given us so much that we should be content. Heís given us this church and we live an abundant life in America with the ability and capacity to serve. We shouldnít hoard, but instead we should share and serve others. If God gave us a Matson Shipping Line container full of cheese with no instructions, what do you think the assignment would be? To stuff cheese in our cabinets, in our pantries until everywhere with cheese? No, maybe it comes with an unspoken request. This ability God has given usóto serveóis a neat sign that God trusts us to steward what Heís given. Although God didnít give us everything we have to hoard, in America this is the trend. 

Just think, God could have us on the receiving end, in a third world country. And He could have put those that are in need, on our end. Instead, for some reason, Heís given us the ability and capacity to serve. We have been given a gift of serving along with talents, skills and resources. He didnít have to do this, but He did. He has entrusted us with an assignment to help those within our reach. This is our privilege and purpose. Please pray and determine where it is that God would have you serve by starting where you are, in hidden service, and with extended service.

Q4: Is there someone or some ministry where God is calling you to serve in this season? In what practical ways can you get involved and start fulfilling His gift of serving?

Many Merry Mahalos to Doreen Rabaino for this summaryJ. And to the rest of you, Happy Holy-Day & Jump for Jesusí Joy!