Being a Servant (2 Timothy 2:20-26)

Jeremy West 4-18-2012

Intro: Story: Summer after my Sophomore year I had great plans for recording a worship CD. Surely that his how God wanted me to use my talents, I had written several songs and was ready to move to the big-time. God wanted to do more in my life than I could ask for or imagine so he decided the best use of my summer would be to work long hours at Taco Bueno taking out the trash, stuffing chip bags, learning to clean up after other peoples messes and to respond humbly when falsely blamed for others mistakes. I was very frustrated, disappointed, and disillusioned with how my summer was going when one night I had a dream. In the dream Mike Bickle (leader at IHOP) came up to me, gave me a big hug, and said, Talk to Keith and lets all meet together on Tuesday. I talked to Keith and asked if we could meet on Tuesday not telling him about the dream. When we met on Tuesday, Keith had decided that we would listen to some old Mike Bickle sermons that he had on cassette tape about the Life of King David. These sermons totally rocked my world because they were about the character formation process that God took David through to prepare him for one day being King of Israel. I was so challenged by David, this man after Gods own heart, with how he served tending the sheep when no one was looking and how he served his cruel brothers and Saul who was trying to kill him! God was working on my heart and soon I began to get itnot long after that, I was taking out the stinky trash at Taco Bueno when God reminded me of King David tending the stinky sheepand God whispered this sweet promise to me If you will be faithful tending the sheep when no one is looking, Ill give you the keys to the kingdom. I totally broke and yet was full of inexpressible joy! Instantly my heart was filled with vision for what God was doing in my life. Through the opportunities to humbly and faithfully serve others at a place as seemingly insignificant as Taco Bueno, God was preparing me to be entrusted with far greater and more important things. Two things I know: God has an incredible destiny for you beyond what you could ask for or imagine, and you will only get in your destiny as you take up the heart & life-style of a servant. Nearly everyone knows the amazing promise found in Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Though many people know this verse, few ever walk in its fullness because they dont know Jeremiah 29:7 Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

If you want to see Jeremiah 29:11 happen in your life, youve got to live out Jeremiah 29:7! I hear a lot of people asking the question What is keeping me from my destiny? Why isnt God opening the doors like I want? The right question is, What keeps me from being a Christ-like servant to those around me? Whatever is keeping you from being a Christ-like servant to those around you is what is keeping you from getting into the fullness of your destiny. Because we all want to be a people that walk in the fullness of the incredible destiny God has for us, tonight we are going to look at what it means to be a Christ-like servant! We are going to be in 2 Timothy 2 tonight. I want to start with looking at what keeps us from being servants and then look at what it practically looks like for us to live as Christ-like servants. 2 Timothy 2:20-22 20 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. 22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. What keeps people from being a servant? Impurity (20-21) When you choose to walk in dishonorable sin it takes you out of the game and makes you useless. o Story: Secret Service men in Colombia this past week taken off the field because of their impure and dishonorable conduct. o Story: Contaminated peanut butter not being taken off the shelf in 2009. There was wide spread out break of disease that killed several people and infected many. In his mercy, God will not allow impurity to be multiplied o If you want to be a faithful servant you must be willing to deal with impurity in your life. Thoughts, actions, speech. You must be willing to be set apart as holy. No mixture. Immaturity (22) Flee youthful passions (i.e. immaturity). You must be willing to grow up and accept responsibility for yourself and for others! Some marks of immaturity: o Lacking awareness of others. So focused on your self that you dont see the needs around you. Phil 2:20 For I have no one like him (Timothy), who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.

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Timothy was different than all of the other young men in his church because he learned at an early age that life wasnt about him. He learned to recognize the needs of others and be genuinely concerned for the well being of other people. Story: Kristen Powell looking around the room to see if everyone had a gotten a cookie before she took one. Giving up rather than learning from mistakes. Story: Putting water in the Coke to make more. I was well meaning, but made a bad mistake. So I learned from my mistake and kept serving. Being led by feelings & emotions. Are you so governed by your emotions that you only serve when you feel like it. Serving disciplines the feelings rather than allowing the feelings to control the serving. Slave mentality a slave sees only the task at hand, a son sees the inheritance beyond the task at hand. Misunderstanding of true greatness. Greatness is not having others serve you. Jesus redefined greatness by serving others.

What are the marks of the Lords servant? 2 Timothy 2:24-26 - 24 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. 1) Not quarrelsome, but kind to everyone If you only want to do certain tasks for certain people, you have badly misunderstood the servant heart that Jesus is calling us to. a. Do you argue and grumble when asked to do certain tasks? Are you the one that others can count on to do anything thats needed, or do you have a list of things that are below you? (i.e. I want to lead worship at Life Group, I dont want to bring the song sheets) b. Do you serve the high and powerful to ensure certain advantage? Do you serve only the low & defenseless to ensure a humble image? c. Dont argue with God, dont argue with your leader, boss, parents, co-workers, roommates, rather serve them in kindness. d. Practically Get a job and work hard. Humble experience of working at a Adult Day Care (changing diapers for 40 year old handicapped men), working at McDonalds with a college degree. Look for opportunities to do humble tasks. You will learn humility and be a light. 2) Able to teach A good servant is not a do-it-all, but is intentional about pulling in others and teaching them how to serve as well. a. This in essence is discipleship. This is often the break down in many churches. A few people try to do all the work and dont take the time to teach others. b. As you serve, God has also called you to equip others in that area of service.

c. 2 Tim. 3:10-11 You have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, and sufferings. i. Notice that Paul didnt only tell Timothy what to do. He showed him. d. 2 Tim. 2:2 What you have heard from meentrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. e. You can do the work of ten men, or get ten men to do the work. D.L. Moody 3) Patiently endure evil A good servant faithfully and patiently endures through the seasons of difficulty. a. Story: My favorite doughnut is the Blueberry Cake Doughnut. Jirehs life changed when I gave him his first doughnut, my Blueberry Cake Doughnut. Six hours later my life changed when I had to change his diaper. b. When we feed Jireh, he gives us dirty diapers. But if I dont feed Jireh, he wont grow. Occasional diapers are part of the deal. c. We serve and give people our best and they give us a dirty diaper. Thats the reality sometimes. But as we continue to faithfully serve, they will grow and we will to. d. Jesus washed the feet of Judas, and didnt grumble, give him dirty looks, and complain while doing it. That is incredible to me. e. Learning to wait. Sometimes people dont see, feel, or know their need, so you must learn to serve by waiting patiently for the opportunity to surface. Dont get restless and run off. Stick with them. f. They also serve who stand and wait. John Milton 4) Correct opponents with gentleness When you live the lifestyle of a servant, sometimes people dont respond well. a. Your actions might convict them, and they respond with the whole so you think youre holier than thou. No, I dont, Im just trying to live and love like Jesus. b. After serving for a season you may get promoted and others get jealous. Keep serving humbly and treat them with gentleness. When you get promoted, dont become lord, remain the servant. You have not arrived. In fact, when you get promoted, you should start looking for humble tasks. 5) Entrust results to God God grants repentance. God leads people to the truth. God produces the transformation. We dont. We serve as honorable vessels, God does the rest. a. Manipulative serving is the deadliest form of religion serving to secretly put others into your debt so that they owe you something in return. Thats sick. God longs for each of us to walk in the fullness of our destiny. Humbling ourselves to be servants like Jesus is the road we must walk to see that fulfillment. What is keeping you from being a servant? Are you seeking to grow as a servant? Have you given up when it got difficult? Are you trusting God in the journey?

Phil. 2:5-11 - 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should 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. Pray.