Sermons
November 30th, 2022 by Pastor Solley101622AM Footsteps of Jesus #3
Sub. Jesus
Theme: Following the footsteps of Jesus.
Text: 1 Pet 2:21
“Footsteps of Jesus” #3 1 Peter 2:21
Introduction
We are going to continue to speak about Jesus this morning and following in the footsteps of Jesus. While it is not the primary purpose for which Jesus Christ came into this world He did leave us an example that we should follow. – 1 Peter 2:21 – This applies to the born again believer and not to those who are lost in sin. Jesus did not tell Nicodemus that he needed to follow His example, Jesus told Nicodemus “Ye must be born again.” Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost and it you are not sure that you are saved you need to be born again this morning and not worry about following an example. We follow after we are saved.
I. But for the Christian, we do have an example to follow: 1 Peter 2:21 We should follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
A. Those footsteps are clearly seen in the Bible, that example we are to follow: From manger to the cross and beyond those footsteps are clearly seen.
1. Footsteps that begin with spiritual training: That speaks more to Mary and Joseph than with baby Jesus but there was spiritual training in the home that Jesus grew up in.
2. Footsteps that took Jesus to worship and dedication to the Father at an early age: We see that when Jesus was twelve and already He was about the Father’s business.
3. Footsteps that led to a public declaration of who Jesus was and is: Jesus made it public at His baptism.
4. Footsteps that took Jesus into trials and temptations: Satan did attack Jesus and many different times.
5. Footsteps that took Jesus to a filling of the Holy Spirit: Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit as we are to be today.
6. Footsteps that allowed Jesus to be led of the Holy Spirit: When one is Spirit filled they most likely will be Spirit led.
B. So we have looked at those footsteps of Jesus, at the example we are to follow today: 1 Peter 2:21
II. This morning I want to look at the footsteps of a servant: If there has ever been one in this world who rightly deserved to be served, to be waited upon, to be bowed down before, it is Jesus. Jesus in the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Almighty God, the one before whom angels will cry our for all eternity without ever ceasing “Holy, holy, holy”. My Bible tells me that before Jesus every knee shall one day bow. Phil 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; If there has ever been one in this world who rightly deserved to be served it is Jesus.
A. But I do find this about Jesus: Mark 10:45 Jesus is presented in many different ways in the Bible. In the gospel of Matthew Jesus is presented as the King of kings. In the gospel of Luke Jesus is presented as the Son of man. In the gospel of John Jesus is presented as the Son of God. Jesus is presented in those ways in the other gospels as well but more so in those ways in those particular gospels.
1. In the gospel of Mark Jesus is presented as a servant: Mark 10:45 In the other gospels as well for this verse is repeated in Matt20:28 almost word for word. But Jesus became a servant.
2. The one who deserved to be served made Himself a servant to many: Mark 10:45
B. Now that seems to be almost unheard of in our me first society: Today people want to be served and seldom are willing to serve or be a servant to anyone. People want to be served today and right away.
ILL. I went into a bank not long ago and there was a line and as I waited a man yelled from a chair “I’m next, I’ve been a costumer in this bank for ten years and I need to be next.” I stated that I been a customer of that bank for over forty years but he looked like he should be next. People want to be served and served right away because they think they deserve to be served. But who wants to serve?
C. Jesus my friend left us some servant’s footsteps to follow? Mark 10:45 Are you willing to follow the steps of a servant.
PROP: let us consider this morning the footsteps of Jesus as the footsteps of a servant.
Body
I. Jesus was willing to lower Himself so that He could serve: Heb 2:6-9 Consider this and then the passage. Jesus for all eternity past never served anyone or anything, all served Jesus. – Heb 2:7-8 – In verse eight I find that all were is subjection to Jesus. Heb 2:8
A. God is eternal, all others have been created by God and God is over all of His creation: Jesus is God, the second of the Godhead and so all are subject to Jesus and all serve Jesus Christ.
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1. What of the angels? Heb 1:9-14 Even the three arch angels? Even the three arch angels.
2. What of His creation? Heb 2:8 All things and we find this in Romans eight. Rom 8:18-21 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of All of creation and that is why even the rocks would have cried out when Jesus presented Himself as the Messiah on what we call Palm Sunday.
3. What of the other special classes of angels? Rev 4:8
4. What of the company of believers? Rev 4:10-11
5. What of those who are lost from all the ages: Phil 2:10
6. Jesus for all eternity past never served anyone or anything, all served Jesus: That will be the same for all eternity future as well.
B. But for a time Jesus lowered Himself, was made lower than the angels, and Jesus became a servant: Heb 2:9-11 Jesus, being God, became a man and a man that would be a servant.
1. Those who should be serving Him, Jesus would serve:
2. Those who should have been praising Him but mocked Him in stead, Jesus would serve:
3. Those who hated Him, reviled Him, persecuted Him, Jesus would serve:
4. Jesus lowered Himself and became a servant: Mark 10:45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
5. Jesus knew exactly what He was talking about when He said this to disciples who wanted to be served: Luke 22:25-27 Jesus was the greatest among them and Jesus became a servant to all.
C. Jesus was willing to lower Himself so that He could serve: Heb 2:6-9
II. And who was it that Jesus served? For Jesus to become a servant it most surely would be to those who deserved to be served. But who was it that Jesus was willing to serve?
A. As we look in the gospels we find who Jesus would serve: It is wide verity and few who deserved to be served by Jesus.
1. Jesus served the outcast of society: Matt 8:1-4 No one in that society at that time would even consider touching a leper. So great the fear of that disease that a leper had to cover him or herself and cry out with a loud voice “Unclean, unclean” when they say someone one approaching. Leprosy is also a type of sin destroying all who have the disease.
a. The leper was an outcast.
b. Jesus served the outcast of society.
2. Jesus served the downtrodden: Matt 8:5-9 The centurion seems to be a good man, a good master. But the servant was a slave. In this case treated well but a slave none the less. He was not one of the soldiers under his command, he was his slave. This man was downtrodden. What led to his slavery we are not told.
a. He could have been born into slavery, could have been a captured slave, could have sold himself or been sold into slavery. But in that society a slave had no hope of every getting out of slavery.
b. This man was downtrodden and had no hope at all of improving his condition.
c. Jesus served the downtrodden.
3. Jesus did serve those who appeared to be deserving: Matt 8:14-15 I have to assume although we are not told that Peter married well. Why else would Jesus choose Peter to build upon the foundation of His church if all things were not in order in his home?
a. So his mother in law would be one we think deserving of the attention given to her by Jesus.
b. Jesus served those who appeared to be deserving.
4. Jesus served the hopeless and undeserving: Matt 8:16 These ones were possessed with demons. Now demons will possess any that they can. But for the most part demons possess those who have opened themselves up to demonology. They have played into the hands of demons as King Saul did in the Old Testament. A demon searches for that open door.
a. When a demon takes over it is a hopeless condition. No man will get the demon out of another.
b. That is why the man with the demon possessed son cried out in tears to Jesus. It is a hopeless condition and many times it is brought on because the demon possessed opened the door to the demon.
c. Jesus served the hopeless and undeserving.
5. Jesus served those who had only and little faith: Matt 8:23-27 I hear some claim that Jesus will help us only according to the amount of faith we have. Those men would have been doomed if that were true.
a. These were men who were with Jesus constantly, had left all to follow Jesus.
b. But their faith was not yet where it needed to be. – Matt 8:25-26
c. Jesus served those who had only a little faith.
6. Jesus served those who could not help themselves: Matt 9:1-2 This man could not help himself and had to be carried to Jesus.
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a. What if Jesus only helped those who could help themselves? Where would this man have been?
b. Jesus served those who could not help themselves.
7. Jesus served those who had broken hearts: Matt 9:18-19 This man’s twelve year old daughter had died. I don’t know this pain and I pray I never do but many of you here today know what it is like to lose a child. Our two that were lost were early in the womb.
a. Who could ever cure this pain? Jesus could.
b. Jesus served those who had broken hearts.
8. Jesus served those who had turned to others first: Matt 9:20-22 The Bible tells us in Luke 8:43 that this woman had spent all that she had on physicians. She had turned to many others first.
a. Now the one she should have turned to first becomes her last chance. She should have turned to Jesus first.
b. Jesus served those who turned to others first.
8. Jesus served all who had a need: Matt 9:35-38
B. And who was it that Jesus served? Any and all who had a need found Jesus a servant to them.
III. Jesus was ridiculed by those who would not serve: Mark 3:1-5 ; Mark 2:15-16 ; Luke 5:29-31 This a befuddling thing to me. Here we have the religious leaders of Israel, the doctors of the Law, those who knew the Bible that they had. They knew that there were people in need. They could have served and did not.
A. Instead they chose to ridicule Jesus for doing what they would not do: We know that nothing that Jesus did was wrong for there was and is no fault in Jesus. Nothing Jesus did was sin because there was not and is no sin in Jesus.
1. Those very religious people could have served the same ones Jesus served: That leper, that one downtrodden, the deserving one, the demon possessed one, those with little faith, those who could not help themselves, the brokenhearted, those who turned in other directions first, they could have served them all.
2. Those diseases, those circumstances, did not happen just as those ones saw Jesus: Those needs had been there a long time, those people needed help for a long time.
3. But instead of helping those in need those good religious people chose to ridicule the one who did what they chose not to do: If they didn’t want to serve why not just leave the one alone who chose to serve?
B. Those religious leaders remind me of King Saul when Goliath was challenging Israel: At any time King Saul, who was head and shoulders above all the other men of Israel, could have went out and faced Goliath.
1. But Saul chose not to do what he had every opportunity to do: Saul chose not to do what he should have done.
2. So it was left up to David and what happened after David got the victory through Jehovah? Saul hated David. Why? All Saul had to do is what he had opportunity to do.
C. Jesus was ridiculed by those who would not serve:
IV. Every born again child of God has been called to be a servant: That is where the footsteps of Jesus have taken us. This applies to the born again believer in Christ, we have been called to serve. That is where the footsteps of Jesus have taken us. The Bible tells us in Ps 100:2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. We are commanded in Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. It is only reasonable to serve the one who served us and saved us. Service is where the footsteps of Jesus lead.
A. Why do so many Christians think that service and serving is beneath them? At least that is what they appear to think.
1. Jesus lowered Himself so He could serve: The one who deserved to be served lowered Himself so He could serve.
2. In truth we need to be lifted up to serve: None of us deserve to serve. I know how John the Baptist felt when he stated he was not worthy to serve Jesus.
3. But so many professing Christians seem to be above service:
4. Very few take on the attitude of David in service: Ps 84:10 You can argue that David did not write this Psalm but it does fit the shepherd king.
5. David was elevated to the highest place in Israel: He was the king. But David would give that up if he could just be a doorkeeper for God. – Ps 84:10 David saw no job as beneath him as long as he was serving the Lord.
B. One reason the laborers are few is that many think some jobs are beneath them: I know pastors with that attitude as well.
1. I had a pastor call me and ask me to join him at a meeting on a certain Saturday: I told him I couldn’t make it, that we were building a cabin for our camp. He told me to remember that I have not been called to build cabins. How does he know what God has called me to do? I may very well have been called to build cabins and God permits me to preach because I answered that call.
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2. I know a pastor who was living in a church parsonage and he would not change light bulbs: He would call a deacon because he was not called to change light bulbs.
3. When things need done a servant does them: No job done for Jesus is beneath us.
4. I have worked on sewer lines up here and went home a terrible mess and burned my clothes:
5. What job is beneath you Christian? That answer is none. Cleaning, picking up garbage, holding doors, working on the camp.
6. When we follow in the steps of Jesus we find no job beneath us and are willing to do any anything for Jesus:
C. Every born again child of God has been called to be a servant: No job is beneath you or me.
V. And who should we serve, who should we be willing to help? Not only do so many who claim to know Jesus act as if service is beneath them, we also tend to pick and choose who we serve and who we don’t.
A. Jesus was willing to serve any and all who were in need: That is where the footsteps of Jesus lead.
B. But we pick and choose and look to those we deem worthy to be served: That is what we so often do.
1. That individual has an alcohol problem: Just stay away from them because they are causing their own problems.
2. That individual is all marked up, hoops and rings everywhere: Just stay away from them they are too far gone.
3. That individual has offended and upset all who tried to help them before: They deserve to be an outcast.
4. That one has been to every church in three counties: We really don’t want them here because they will not stay for long.
5. Those people have never had faith in anything: Just leave them alone because they are beyond helping.
6. But wait, over here is Peter’s mother in law: She deserves help.
7. Jesus never had that type of attitude: If someone needed help Jesus was there.
C. And who should we serve, who should we be willing to help? Jesus never turned anyone away.
VI. Don’t be surprised if you get ridiculed by those who are not serving: Jesus did. David did. Don’t be surprised if those who choose not to serve ridicule when you serve.
A. Some years ago a man I know, he has never came to this church, told me how people complained about him doing so much and being involved in everything the church was doing: All he was doing was filling a need, doing what needed to get done.
1. If they would do something I would not have to be involved in everything: That was the statement he made.
2. Saul could have went out and met Goliath: He wouldn’t do it. But he then complained because David did.
3. The Pharisees and scribes could have helped the poor and needed: They wouldn’t do it. But they complained when Jesus did.
4. When others will not why not leave those who will alone? But Satan moves them to discourage.
B. As a pastor I have received a lot of complaints over the years of how things could be done in a better way: And much of the time it comes from people who don’t want involved in helping out.
1. Why are you doing camp this way, it would be better this way: So you can help as we change things? No, not me but I want you to know it can be done better.
2. Don’t do VBS like that, do it like this: So you can help as we change things? No, not me but I want you to know it can be done better if you just do it my way.
3. So many things can be done better: So you can help as we change things? No, not me but I it can be done better.
C. Friends, when you are there for the pastor, when you are involved, when you volunteer, he appreciates it and so does Jesus: How do you think the Lord looks at things?
1. What do you think the response of the Lord was when this question was asked? 1 Sam 3:10 Samuel was later ridiculed.
2. What do you think the response of the Lord was when this question was asked? Isa 6:8 Isaiah was ridiculed.
3. What do you think the response of the Lord was when this question was asked? Ezek 22:30 No one was ridiculed because no one stood up and answered the call.
4. God was pleased with only two of those responses:
5. Dear servant don’t get discourage when others ridicule you because you choose to serve:
D. Don’t be surprised if you get ridiculed by those who are not serving: Jesus did. David did. So did Samuel and Isaiah. But God was pleased with all of them.
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Conclusion
The footsteps of Jesus lead to a life of service for the Lord and serving others.
I. Jesus was willing to lower Himself so that He could serve: Heb 2:6-9 Consider this and then the passage. Jesus for all eternity past never served anyone or anything, all served Jesus. – Heb 2:7-8 – In verse eight I find that all were is subjection to Jesus. Heb 2:8
II. And who was it that Jesus served? For Jesus to become a servant it most surely would be to those who deserved to be served. But who was it that Jesus was will to serve?
III. Jesus was ridiculed by those who would not serve: Mark 3:1-5 ; Mark 2:15-16 ; Luke 5:29-31 This a befuddling thing to me. Here we have the religious leaders of Israel, the doctors of the Law, those who knew the Bible that they had. They knew that there were people in need. They could have served and did not.
IV. Every born again child of God has been called to be a servant: That is where the footsteps of Jesus have taken us. This applies to the born again believer in Christ, we have been called to serve. That is where the footsteps of Jesus have taken us. The Bible tells us in Ps 100:2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. We are commanded in Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. It is only reasonable to serve the one who served us and saved us. Service is where the footsteps of Jesus lead.
Don’t stand above serving. Serving is not beneath us.
V. And who should we serve, who should we be willing to help? Not only do so many who claim to know Jesus act as if service is beneath them, we also tend to pick and choose who we serve and who we don’t.
VI. Don’t be surprised if you get ridiculed by those who are not serving: Jesus did. David did. Don’t be surprised if those who choose not to serve ridicule when you serve.