My Servant. Introduction. 1. Abraham

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1 187 M 1047 Introduction My Servant All the children of God are His SERVANTS; not just a select few Mal 3: fold ministry of each Christian (1 Pet 2:4,5,9) This great privilege lays on us an awesome responsibility. We must behave as His servants. God called those who pleased Him as My Servants Seven persons in the OT received that testimony. Each of them excelled in one particular character. 1. Abraham Gen 26:24 The first occurrence of My servant Faith & Obedience Heb 11:8 Simple trust To leave his native place To sacrifice his son Obedience Before all questions were answered. went not knowing where Costly/Sacrificial (C.T. Studd: If Christ has died for me, no sacrifice I make can be great!) When a man trusts and obeys the Lord, he need not be afraid of what man may do to him Gen 26: Isaac s 4th well 1048

2 Nothing will happen without His knowledge & permission. In times of crisis 2 Cor 1:8-10 Abraham s faith in God who can raise the dead (Heb 11:17-19) 2. Moses Num 12:7... My servant Moses Faithfulness and Closeness/Intimacy (vv7,8) Faithful in all His house (Heb 3:2,5) There were times when Moses lost his temper, but he was a SINCERE man humble (Num 12:3) He did not know his face was shining! Ex 34:28-30 In the Miriam-Aaron Campaign against Moses, the first time he opened his mouth was to pray for them Num 12:13 He was perfectly relaxed in God s presence The Lord heard it (Num 12:2c) Similarly, David & Shimei (2 Sam 16:5,6,9,12; 19:18b,19) God s Promise: Isa 54:15... Whoever assembles against you Caleb Num 14:24... My servant Caleb Different spirit and wholehearted following Different Spirit = Did not join the majority (vv22-24) He believed God rather than the circumstances Grasshoppers/Giants God s Word (Josh 14:10) 1049 God is NOT a man (Num 23:19) ULTIMATE FULFILMENT (Heb 11:13,39) Venturing into difficult territories and possessing them for God (Josh 14:10,11,12) eg) Hudson Taylor ( ), Founder of China Inland Mission: Three stages in God s work Impossible. Difficult. Done! 4. Job Job 1:8... My servant Job Uprightness Fearing God Hating evil Compare Heb 1:9 He was very sensitive in the matter of hallowing the Name of God eg)his sons matter (Job 1:4,5) He rebuked his wife (Job 2:9,10) Right words about God even in difficult situations Job 2:10; 42:7 Patience will guard our lips Js 1:4 (patience); 3:2 (words); 5:11(patience) 5. Isaiah Isa 20:2,3... My servant Isaiah Readiness to do ununderstandable things Isaiah identified himself totally with the message. It takes a crucified man to preach a crucified Saviour! (Some preachers master their sermons; others are mastered by their sermons.) 1050

3 Sufficient time in sermon preparation. Faithful messengers of the Lord. Personal or pulpit ministry. Scarcity for the message Do not divorce the message from the messenger. Preach what the Bible says; practise what you preach. First priests, then people (Jer 31:14) Hardworking farmer (2 Tim 2:6) 6. Zerubbabel 7. Hagg 2:23... Zerubbabel My servant Zerubbabel 1. Plumbline (Zech 4:10) Righteousness (Hand) 2. Ring (Hagg 2:23) Authority (Finger) 3. Capstone (Zech 4:7) Power/Spirit (Shoulder) Consistence and Persistence foundation... finish (Zech 4:9) not shifty change gear, not track. When the going gets tough, get going. a) Isa 42: Behold, My servant! No self-propaganda GOD exalted Him! Fulfilment of Mt 12:16-21 Tell no man... Examples: Mt 8:4... leper 9:30... Blind men 16:20... Disciples 17:9... Transfiguration 1051 Conclusion b) Isa 52:13... Behold, My servant! Prudence... Wisdom in prophecy (Isa 11:2) Spirit of wisdom, knowledge, understanding... grew first in wisdom (Lk 2:52) Wisdom is the principal thing Prov 4:7... With all your getting... Js 1:5... Prayer for wisdom pleases God. Solomon s prayer for wisdom instantly answered (1 Ki 3:5-12) Wisdom mentioned first in the Gifts list 1 Cor 12:8... Word of Wisdom... Knowledge The outstanding characteristics of a Servant of God should be 1. Faith & Obedience (Abraham) 2. Faithfulness & Intimacy with God (Moses) 3. Different spirit & Wholehearted following (Caleb) 4. Uprightness & Patience (Job) 5. Identification with the message (Isaiah) 6. Consistence & Persistence (Zerubbabel) 7. Humility & Wisdom () 1052

4 Introduction 188 The Heart of David God s testimony about King David I have found David... a man after My own heart, who will do all My will (Acts 13:22) When David finished his life and work, it was said of him, David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep (v36) Keeping our heart right is of utmost importance Prov 4:23... Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring issues of life. Heart = attitude Attitude is the root; actions are the fruit. Rom 11:16... If the root is holy, so are the branches. About King Rehoboam we read, He did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord (2 Chr 12:14) Let s observe David s heart-attitude 1. Towards his sin He confessed to Prophet Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord (2 Sam 12:13) His brokenness, openness and thoroughness in his sin confession are vividly seen in Psalm 51. His very confession has become a favourite Psalm for God s children and His servants, down thro the centuries Towards God and His Name Worshipping the Lord 2 Sam 6:14-23 Though he was a great King, he considered himself as nothing before the King of kings He was not ashamed to dance before God with all his might. Building the Temple 2 Sam 7:1-3 He had a passionate desire to build God a Temple. Name of the Lord Before Goliath (1 Sam 17:45) I come in the Name of the Lord. He did not want Saul s death be publicized lest the uncircumcised would rejoice 2 Sam 1:20... What a zeal for God s Name! 3. Towards God s servants He refused to stretch his hand against Saul who was the anointed King 1 Sam 24:6,7; 26:7-11; 2 Sam 1:14-16 He blessed the men who buried King Saul 2 Sam 2:4-6 Even though Saul was a backslider, look at David s attitude towards him. 4. Towards his friends and associates From the booty of the battle, David gave equal share both to the frontliners and the supplyliners 1 Sam 30:

5 For the sake of his bosom friend, Jonathan, he blessed Mephibosheth overwhelmingly 2 Sam 9 For the kindness shown to David by the King of Ammon, David blessed his son 2 Sam 10:1,2 David showed his gratefulness to people tangibly. 5. Towards his enemies 1 Sam 24:5 David s heart troubled him because he had cut Saul s robe! 2 Sam 4:8-12 David executed those who stabbed Ishbosheth, one of the sons of Saul. 6. Towards suffering When people spoke of stoning David, because Ziklag was burned down with fire, he strengthened himself in the Lord (1 Sam 30:1-6) When Shimei threw stones at David and cursed him, his response was The Lord will look on my affliction... and repay me with good... (2 Sam 16:5-14) 7. Towards himself Psa 131:1,2... Lord, my heart is not haughty... I ve calmed and quieted my soul... Psa 22:6... I am a worm, and no man! Conclusion No wonder, was called the Son of David! Not only in the Gospels (Mt 1:1; 9:27; 12:23; 21:9), but also in Revelation (Rev 5:5; 22:16) Introduction 189 Joseph, a Practical Christian So much is preached about Mary, but very little about Joseph. If God had a reason to choose Mary, the same is true of Joseph also. He was a practical Christian by any standard. The very first introduction about him a just man (Mt 1:19) Joseph s admirable characteristics 1. Kindness and consideration against legalism According to the Law of the Old Testament, Mary could have been sent out Dt 24:1 But Joseph didn t want to make her a public example; he was minded to put her away secretly (Mt 1:19). 2. Patience before making a decision Mt 1:20... while he was thinking about these things... We complicate matters because of hastiness. 3. Alignment with the Scriptures Lk 2:22... according to the Law of Moses... :41,42... Feast of the Passover... according to the custom (Dt 16:1,16) 4. Precautions for the safety of the Child Mt 2: Angel... dream... Joseph... but when he heard... another dream

6 Besides general guidance from the Lord, we must stay sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit considering the circumstances. 5. Obedience to the civil law 6. Self-control Though Mary was in her full term of pregnancy, in spite of all odds, he went to Nazareth for registration according to a decree from Caesar Lk 2:1-6 To uphold God s plan that would be born of a virgin, Joseph had no sex with her till she had brought forth her first Son Mt 1: Diligence in work He was a Carpenter (Mt 13:55a) He had a large family 4 sons and atleast 2 daughters i.e. 7 children! (Mt 13:55,56; Mk 6:3,4) Because Joseph s name does not figure out much in the Gospels after the 12th year of, it s likely he had an early death. How Mary would have handled her early widowhood and so many children is amazing! Pray: O God, bless our communities with fathers who are practical Christians like Joseph! Amen! (Study the Outline 179 also.) Introduction 190 The Lives of & One of the Biblical passages in which Apostle has opened his heart before fellow-workers is Acts 20: This was his farewell address to the Elders in the Church at Ephesus. obviously had as his pattern for life and ministry 1 Cor 11:1... Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ There are atleast 12 points to ponder, keeping the life of and that of side by side 1. A shining life Acts 20:17,18 Jn 8:46 You know... Which of you can convict Me of sin? Mt 5: light inside home and outside Dan 6:4... No charge or fault 1 Tim 4:12... Example to believers 2. A consistent life Acts 20:18 Jn 8:29 from the first day... always pleasing the Father

7 Acts 24:16... I always strive... conscience Phil 2:12... you always obeyed Psa 16:8... Presence of God always 3. A submitted life 1059 Acts 20:19 Phil 2:5-7 serving the Lord taking the form of a servant Mt 20: to serve... not to be served 1 Cor 9:19... a servant to save others Lk 17: unprofitable servants 4. A broken-hearted life Acts 20:19,31 Isa 53:3 humility... tears... trials a Man of Sorrows Psa 51:17... for one s own condition Rom 9: for the salvation of others 2 Cor 2:4... for fellow-saints 5. A generous life Acts 20:20,21,26,27 Jn 10:10-13 kept back nothing... A good Shepherd...not a hireling Prov 11: generous... selling... 2 Cor 9:6, bountiful sowing... liberal sharing 6. A faith life Acts 20:22 Mt 26:52-54 go bound... not knowing 12 legions of angels... Scriptures Heb 11:8... By faith Abraham... not knowing... 2 Tim 1:12... I know whom I have believed... (Not what the future holds, but who holds the future!) 7. A guided life Acts 20:23 Lk 4:1 Holy Spirit testifies... led by the Spirit Mk 3:35... closeness to (Rom 8:14) Acts 13:36... David... after God s own heart Jn 7:17... The desire to do God s will A bold life Acts 20:23,24 Jn 18:3-6 chains... tribulations I am He! Mt 10:27,28,32... Fear not... speak... 2 Tim 1:7,8... spirit of power, not fear Acts 1:8... power for martyrdom 1060

8 9. A determined life 12. A friendly life Acts 20:24 Jn 17:4 I may finish my ministry I ve finished the work 2 Tim 4:6,7... drink offering... finish race Acts 21:8-14; 23:11... Nothing could distract from his onward course. Acts 20:36,37 Jn 15:5; Mt 11:19... prayed... kissed... Friend of saints/sinners Our condition We talk about fellowship, but we have failed in friendship. We are too serious to be the servants of God! 10. A joyful life (Study the Outlines 156 & 165 also.) Acts 20:24 Psa 40:7,8... with joy... delight to do Your will Jn 15:11... My joy... your joy... Psa 100:2... serve the Lord with gladness 1 Jn 5:3... His commandments not burdensome 11. A selfless life Acts 20: Cor 8:9 silver... gold... He became poor to make us rich 1 Tim 6: flee love of money... 2 Tim 4:10... Demas left... 2 Ki 5:15,16,20,26... Prophet Elisha Dan 5:16,17... Prophet Daniel

9 Introduction 191 Joseph of Arimathea He is mentioned in all the 4 Gospels Mt 27:57-60 Mk 15:42-46 Lk 23:50-53 Jn 19:38-42 It was not one of the 12 who collected and buried the Body of! A Character Study of Joseph 1. A secret disciple becomes brave. Jn 19:38/Mk 15:43 Associated with Nicodemus who came to by night! v39 (3:2/7:50) Witnessing the death of Christ changed him. The power of the Cross. Similarily the Centurion (Lk 23:47) How about you? Almost or Altogether (Acts 26:27-29) Two opinions (1 Ki 18:21) Friend of whom? (Js 4:4) Ashamed of? (Mk 8:38) 2. He refused to join the majority. Lk 23:50,51a Dead fish/live fish... against the tide Broad way/narrow gate 1063 Prov 1: If sinners entice you... Psa 1:1... Blessedness of separation Beware of peer pressure! Excuse: Everybody does it! 3. He longed for God s Kingdom. Lk 23:51b Youth worry about their future Mt 6:31-33 Kingdom of God and His Righteousness (Rule) (Righteousness) Rom 14:17... Peace and Joy Prayer Bible meditation Witnessing Fellowship 4. He gave to God liberally. Mt 27:60/Isa 53:9 Result? a) Angels visited the tomb! b) Tourists from all over the world visit the tomb! c) Photographs all over! Similarly Mk 14: Mary and alabaster box Result? a) Before others came to anoint the Body of, He rose again! Mk 14:8/16:1 b) A memorial all over the world! 1064

10 eg) C.T. Studd the Cricketer David Livingstone the Explorer Only one life; It ll soon be past What s done for Christ Alone shall last You will get back what you give to. vacated the tomb in 3 days. Similarly Abraham got back Isaac in 3 days (Gen 22:4) 192 Stephen the Strong Introduction We often quote or Peter as challenging examples for our life and work. But we have so much to learn even from many average characters in the Bible. Stephen is one of them. He was neither an Apostle nor an Elder, but only a Helper (= deacon) in the early Church. The study of his life is quite inspiring. Stephen was 1. Strong in the Spirit Acts 6:5... full of faith and the Holy Spirit :10... the Spirit by which he spoke... 7:55... full of the Holy Spirit... His charge against his persecutors: You always resist the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51) 2. Strong in the Scriptures Read his address of defence in Acts 7: He quoted from Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Joshua, 2 Samuel, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and Amos. 1066

11 3. Strong while Suffering Acts 6:15... his face as the face of an angel 7: gazed into heaven... calling on God... knelt down... Suffering is suffering; but our response to suffering speaks of our spiritual strength and maturity 4. Strong in Supplications Acts 7: No ritualistic temple worship :59... calling on God while being stoned :60... knelt down and cried... If anyone suffers, let him pray (Js 5:13) Only when we are regular in prayer life, we will be able to pray confidently in crises. 5. Strong in Service/Servanthood Stephen was chosen to be a helper in feeding the widows (Acts 6:1-6). We are called to serve, not to be served (Mt 20:28) The Apostles considered themselves as servants to the people (Rom 1:1; Phil 1:1) 1 Tim 3:13 was literally fulfilled in Stephen: Those who have served well as deacons... good standing... great boldness in faith. 6. Strong in Soulwinning/Sharing Acts 6:8... full of faith and power... great wonders... signs... :13... The charge against him was: He does not cease to speak! :14... He covered lots of people with his message Strong in Society/Standing Stephen was first among the seven men of good reputation chosen for deaconry (Acts 6:3) What God knows about us is most important; but what people think about us does count Conclusion Mt 5:16... your light before men... Acts 24:16... good conscience... toward God and men 1 Tim 3:7... a good testimony among outsiders... The persecution of Stephen resulted in unusual furtherance of the Gospel (Acts 11:19). in his prayer to God referred to Stephen as, Your martyr Stephen! (Acts 22:20) Stephen lived upto his name: Stephen Greek: Stephanos = Crown He was a gem! The seated in Heaven stood up to Welcome Stephen! (Acts 7:56) 1068

12 193 God forbid! Introduction God forbid! This short sentence occurs several times in the Bible, especially in the King James Version (KJV). This simply means, We just cannot think of doing it! The New King James Version (NKJV) renders it as Certainly not! Far be it from me/us! There are atleast 7 areas where we need to apply this principle 1. God forbid that we continue in sin. Rom 6:2... How shall we... died... live in sin? :15... Shall we continue in sin... grace? 1 Cor 6:15... Shall I take the organs... Christ... harlot? Gal 2:17... Is Christ a minister of sin? 4. God forbid that we doubt God s faithfulness and justice. Rom 3:4... Let God be true... every man a liar... :6... Then how will God judge the world? 9:14... Is there unrighteousness with God? 5. God forbid that we touch His servants. 1 Sam 26:11... my hand against the Lord s anointed God forbid that we boast but in the Cross. Gal 6:14... glory except in the Cross God forbid Conclusion that we backslide. Josh 22:29... rebel... turn from the Lord... 24:16... forsake the Lord... other gods. On these issues there can be no compromise. These are the absolutes of Christian life. God forbid that we slight them! 2. God forbid that we stop praying. 1 Sam 12:23... God forbid that I cease to pray God forbid that we become fruitless. Lk 20:16... give vineyard to others