INTRODUCTION

1. The purpose of this series is to carefully consider our relationships with one another as fellow Christians.

   1. Because we are all members of Christ, we are also members of one another.  No one can have a relationship with Christ without also having relationships with his fellow Christians.

   2. Therefore, it is vital that we cultivate our relationships with one another, for in doing so we also cultivate our relationship with Christ.

2. Presently, we will consider the importance of serving one another.

    

BE A SERVANT LIKE JESUS

1. When Jesus washed the disciples' feet, He provided an example of service for all Christians to follow.

   1. On the night Jesus was to be betrayed, the Creator of the world girded Himself with a towel, filled a basin with water, kneeled down, and began washing the disciples' feet (John 13:1-11).

   2. When He finished, He explained His actions in John 13:12-15:

      ¹²So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?  ¹³You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.  ¹⁴If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.  ¹⁵For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you."

   3. The Lord's example is not a mandate for foot washing, but rather it is a pattern for humble service.

      1. The Lord did not institute a new ritual, but instead He showed His disciples the extent to which they must be willing to go to serve one another.

      2. Indeed, if the Lord Jesus was willing to humble Himself to the point of washing His disciples' feet or even dying on the cross for all of us (Phil. 4:8), then surely we must be willing to serve one another in any way necessary.

2. To become great in the kingdom of God, we must serve one another in the likeness of Jesus.

   1. One of the great paradoxes of the kingdom of God is that greatness and exaltation come from humility and service.

      1. In Matthew 23:11-12, Jesus said, ¹¹"But the greatest among you shall be your servant.  ¹²Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted."

      2. Ultimately, exaltation will be given to humble servants by God in the judgment day.  "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time" (1Pet. 5:6; see also Jas. 4:10).

   2. The Lord Jesus taught humility and service to His disciples by both His words and His actions.

      1. When James and John sought prominence in the Lord's kingdom, and the other disciples became indignant, Jesus pointed the way to greatness in Matthew 20:25-28:

         ²⁵But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them.  ²⁶It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, ²⁷and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; ²⁸just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

      2. Jesus taught His disciples with a similar message when they argued about which of them was the greatest.  Notice Luke 22:24-28:

         ²⁴And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. ²⁵And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called 'Benefactors.'  ²⁶But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant.  ²⁷For who 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 serves."

      3. Should we then seek to be like the rulers of the Gentiles, who lorded their authority over their subjects, or like Jesus, who came as a servant?  Certainly, we should become like Jesus, whose name is now exalted above all names (Phil. 2:9-11).

          

BY SERVING ONE ANOTHER, WE SERVE JESUS

1. To serve Jesus we must keep His law, and to keep His law we must serve one another.

   1. The law of Christ is founded on the same essential principles as the Law of Moses, which are that "you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind," and that "you shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22:36-40; Rom. 13:9; Gal. 5:14).

   2. To love your neighbor as yourself, you must make yourself a servant to him by having mercy on him and helping to bear his burdens. This is the lesson of the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37).

   3. In Galatians 6:2, we are commanded, "Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ."  When we bear one another's burdens, we are expressing love toward one another.

   4. Likewise, we are told to "be kind to one another" (Eph. 4:32) and to "always seek after that which is good for one another and for all men" (1Thess. 5:15).

2. Jesus sees our service to one another as service to Himself.

   1. In the great judgment scene described by Jesus in Matthew 25:31-46, He said that He will favorably judge those who have served "these brothers of Mine" as if He had been served personally.  Notice verses 35-40:

      ³⁵"'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; ³⁶naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'  ³⁷Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ³⁸And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?  ³⁹When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  ⁴⁰The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'"

   2. Jesus is no longer walking on the earth as He did during His life here, so we cannot serve Him directly like Mary when she anointed Him with oil (Matt. 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8).  However, we can still serve just as effectively by serving one another.

3. It is for the purpose of service that Jesus has blessed us with liberty, opportunities, and talents.

   1. We all serve someone, whether we realize it or not. What shall we serve, sin or obedience? Whom shall we serve, Christ or Satan? Consider Romans 6:16-18:

      ¹⁶Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? ¹⁷But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, ¹⁸and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

   2. We are freed from sin in Christ so that we may serve Jesus by serving one another.  In Galatians 5:13, the Scripture says, "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."

   3. Our opportunity to fulfill this service to Christ is limited, so we must make the most of it.  In Galatians 6:10, we are commanded, "So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith."

   4. To make the most of our opportunity, Christ has equipped each of us with useful talents.  Therefore, 1Peter 4:10 commands, "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

       

CONCLUSION

1. If we neglect our service toward one another, then we neglect our service toward Christ.

   1. For those who do not serve Him by serving the brethren, He will say in the judgment, "Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels...Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me." (Matt. 25:41, 45).

   2. If we would help Jesus in His needs, then we should also help one another.  To Him, it is the same.

2. Therefore, let us serve one another in the love of Christ, just as He also served us.  Few things can be more important.