Sent To Be A Servant
“21 Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” —John 20:21
“28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for man.” —Matthew 20:28
“12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, ‘Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.’” —John 13:12-15
“14 Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.
16 The man who had received the five talents went AT ONCE and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 After a long time the master of the servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’
21 His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
22 The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents, see, I have gained two more.’
23 His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.’
24 Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26 His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest…’ 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” —Matthew 25:14-30
(1.) You are the Lord’s servant…
“16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.” —Matthew 25:16
(2.) God has uniquely and greatly gifted you…
“10 For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” —Ephesians 2:10
“27 All of you together are Christ’ body, and each of you is part of it.” —1 Corinthians 12:27
(3.) Because you are uniquely and greatly gifted, you are being sent out to put your gifts to work…
“10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” —1 Peter 4:10-11