Serving Like Jesus

June 6, 2024

Matthew 20:28 (NLT) "For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others.” 

A lot of people spend so much of their time searching for self-esteem, for self-worth, and significance. They want to feel good about themselves. But they're looking in all the wrong places!

You don't get your self-worth from success, because there's always somebody else who does a better job. You don't get your self-esteem from status. You don't get your self-esteem from your salary or a relationship. The Bible says you get your self-esteem from service. 

Jesus said to give your life away in order to find it. How do you serve like Jesus? One way is being available. 

Serving like Jesus means being available.  

One day Jesus was walking down the road to go to Jericho and some blind men start yelling at him. 

Matthew 20:30,32 (NLT) "Two blind men shouted 'Lord, have mercy on us!'...Jesus stopped and called them. 'What do you want me to do for you?'"

Jesus stopped. If you want to be used by God, if you want to serve God, you must be willing to be interrupted. Most of Jesus' ministry and most of Jesus' miracles were interruptions.

All the people he healed...the blind man, the lame man, the sick people, the paralyzed man, the dead child...all of them were interruptions. His first miracle: interrupted at a wedding. He second miracle: interrupted on the way to Galilee.

It says "Jesus stopped.” Almost every miracle Jesus did, He did it because He let Himself be interrupted. 

Proverbs 3:28 (NLT) "If you can help your neighbor now, don't say, "Come back tomorrow, and then I'll help you."

What is it that keeps us from being available? Let me give three common barriers.

1. Self-centeredness  

Whenever you see a need right in front of you, guess what? God is giving you the opportunity to practice serving.

The number one enemy of compassion is busyness. We just get too busy! I've got my agenda, my plans, my dreams, my goals, my ambitions.

Fully Devoted Followers don't mind being interrupted. If you really have a servant heart, like Jesus Christ, you don't mind being interrupted because your agenda is God's agenda.

2. Perfectionism

A second barrier to being available to be used by God is perfectionism.

You know, wanting everything to be perfect. “When it's all just right, when things settle down, then I'll serve.” 

Ecclesiastes 11:4 (NLT) "If you wait for perfect conditions, you'll never get anything done".  

Christlike servants do the best they can with what they have for Jesus Christ today. They don't wait.

We all have weaknesses. We all have faults. We all have failures. We all have handicaps. But guess what? God uses us all. Why? Because God doesn't use perfect people... because there aren't any. There aren't enough superstars in this world to get it done. God uses normal people. 

So God says, "Don't wait for perfect conditions". You know, “when things settle down,” they aren't going to settle down! So go ahead and start serving while things are not settled down. 

3. Materialism 

Materialism is the third barrier that keeps us from being available to serve. 

Jesus said in Luke 16:13 (NLT) "No one can serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and money"

He didn't say, "you should not serve both God and money.” He said, "you cannot serve both God and money.” You've got to decide whether you want to be rich or you want to be blessed. You cannot serve both God and money. It's an impossibility. 

You see, we get so busy taking care of things; we don't have time to take care of people. And that's a problem. The most important decision you're going to have to make in life once you become a believer is "Am I going to be a kingdom-builder or am I going to be a wealth-builder?" 

Now if God wants to give you wealth, that's great. That's wonderful, but it is not the number one goal of your life.

Serving means being available.