Crossroads Community Church

December 22, 2015 · 0 Comments

We gathered together in reverence for our Worship Service.
Pastor Don prayed, Dear Father God, we give you all the Thanks and Praise for the freedoms we enjoy today. With steadfast praise for those who sacrificed their lives for what we enjoy today, we remain vigilant in our prayers for those in active combat. May they be blessed with Godspeed and may their families be blessed with your peace and comfort. We praise you, Dear Father God, for the sacrifice of your Son, Jesus Christ, the ultimate servant, who surrendered His life so that we may have eternal life as he bore all our sins on the Cross for us. I pray that we will never forget nor take for granted the sacrifices made for us. I pray all this in the name & authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Amen.
We, in the Christian Church, have a symbol of great significance. It is the Cross of Jesus.
John 15:13 – “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
That is what Jesus did for us.
That is what many Veterans did for us, also, and “The Poppy” has become a significant, lasting, memorial symbol recognized for honoring their sacrifice and their servanthood.
Today, humbly honoring the Cross and the Poppy, we studied Matthew 20:16-28, looking at Jesus teaching on serving others … the attitude of a servant.
What do you call a Christian who isn’t serving? “A Contradiction.”
You and I have been redeemed for a reason…We have been saved to serve!
As a Christian, do you believe there is a need to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world?
As soldiers of faith, we are called to do just that. We are called to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world! We are called to a life which involves hard work and obedience to the leading and teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ! We are called to serve God’s Kingdom! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
Matthew 20:17-19 tells us how, as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he privately shared with his twelve disciples, what was going to happen to him in Jerusalem.
Jesus is telling his disciples he is going to die.
However, immediately following this announcement, we read in Matthew 20:20-21 that the mother of James and John then came to Jesus with her sons, seeking, by His favor, places of honor in Jesus kingdom for her two sons.
In Matthew 20:23, Jesus told James and John, “I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”
“When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant.” (Matthew 20:24)
True Christian servanthood worships, adores and praises Jesus Christ for who He is and what He has done, regardless of the recognition.
Theologian Warren Wiersbe comments: “Jesus spoke about the cross, but they wanted the crown.”
Yet, that being said, we read in Matthew 20:25-28, “But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many”.
What is a servant? It’s someone whose heart is intent upon, and whose will is bound to, the will and wishes of another.
In Matthew 26:39 Jesus evidences the purity of his servanthood to God, the Father, seeking, by prayer and supplication, the will of the Father. Philippians 4:6-7 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (KJV)
1 Corinthians 15:58 – “So my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”
May God richly bless these his words here this morning and may we onward Christian Soldiers march, pure in motive, obedient to Jesus teachings and leadings, willingly serving God’s Kingdom. Amen.