The Depths of Servanthood - Gen. 40
Sermon Text: Genesis 40
Sermon notes:
“…do not be drunk with wine, but be filled by the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Ephesians 5:18-21
hypotasso - to place under
A trustworthy servant receives authority.
“Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant.“ Matt 20
“The greatest among you will be your servant.” Matt 23
“If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” Mark 9
“all authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.” Matt 28
A godly servant is attentive to the needs of others.
A servant who serves out of reverence for God becomes a conduit of his power
“don’t all interpretations belong to God?” 40:8
A servant has no rights.
“A natural and understandable hesitancy accompanies any serious discussion of service. The hesitancy is prudent since it is wise to count the cost before plunging headlong into any Discipline. We experience a fear that comes out something like this: ‘If I do that, people will take advantage of me; they will walk all over me.’
“Right here we must see the difference between choosing to serve and choosing to be a servant. When we choose to serve, we are still in charge. We decide whom we will serve and when we will serve. And if we are in charge, we wil worry a great deal about anyone stepping on us, that is, taking charge over us.
“But when we chose to be a servant, we give up the right to be in charge. There is great freedom in this. If we voluntarily choose to be taken advantage of, then we cannot be manipulated. When we choose to be a servant, we surrender the right to decide who and when we will serve. We become available and vulnerable.” -Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline
“we are slaves undeserving of special praise; we have only done what was our duty.” -Luke 17
5 You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,
6 who though he existed in the form of God
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself
by taking on the form of a slave,
by looking like other men,
and by sharing in human nature.
8 He humbled himself,
by becoming obedient to the point of death
—even death on a cross!
9 As a result God highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow
—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—
11 and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord
to the glory of God the Father.
-Philippians 2
5. Servanthood is the path to joy.
Love seeketh not itself to please,
Nor for itself hath any care,
But for another gives its ease,
And builds a heaven in hell’s despair
Love seeketh only self to please,
To bind another to its delight,
Joys in another’s loss of ease,
And builds a hell in heaven’s despite
-From William Blake, “the Clod and the Pebble”