I Am A Servant, Now What?
Last week, we concluded the lesson with the question, “Are you a servant?” You either answered, “Yes, I am a servant,” or “No, I am not a servant.” Today, we shall start our journey on the responsibilities of servants. If you discovered you are not a servant, don’t worry, we shall see in a future lesson how you too can become a servant ☺
1. Accept the Assignment
Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me.
John 15:20-21
All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.
John 16:1-3
But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
Acts 9:15-16
Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses, in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonour, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
2 Corinthians 6:4-10
The assignments of the Lord are NEVER easy. I wish I could tell you that they were. I wish I could tell you that as long as you are following His plan for your life, doing what He asked you to do, that your life will be smooth sailing. That you will have all of your heart’s desires met and that everything will just be hanky-dory.
The above mirrors show the truth of what it means to accept the assignments of the Lord. It means you are choosing to do whatever He tells you even when it is painful. It means remaining faithful to His tasks even when the only reward you seem to be reaping is pain and persecution. It means remaining steadfast when everything in your life is telling you to pack up and quit. It means giving your everything even when you have nothing left. And it means doing all these in love, without murmuring or complaining.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
John 13:35
The Illustration of Stephen
So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the Word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them […]They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit…
Acts 6:2-5
Stephen accepted the assignment of waiting on tables. That seems pretty simple, right?
Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. Opposition arose […]but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.
Acts 6:8-9
Stephen, full of God’s grace found himself in trouble. He was in trouble because he was doing good. And since those opposing him were no match for him, they plotted against him with lies.
So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law.
Acts 6:12-13
Acts 7: 1-53 shows us Stephen’s response to the false charges that were brought against him.
When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him […] Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
Acts 7:54-60
His last act as he was being killed was forgiveness!
Your Turn
I am not saying that you too are going to be martyred for accepting His assignments. I am saying, sevanthood is costly. It may cost you promotions, your job, friendships, reputation and for some your very own life.
But you need not fear, for Jesus has promised you that the Holy Spirit will be right there with you…leading you, teaching you, helping you.
Do you accept His assignment?