The Spirit of Service

Ethan Custer

1 Thessalonians • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

1 Thessalonians 5:14–15

Service

Goodness of God

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PRAYER

The Bible speaks much about Christian service. We’ve heard much preaching about it over the years. I’m sure we all desire in some way to be servants—primarily to our Lord, and secondarily to others. We desire to be busy doing what is right, and being used of God to fulfill His purposes. We know that the Bible calls us to service. In obedience, we seek to do that.

But it’s amazing how easy it is for us to lose our way. We set out to do one thing, and believe that we are doing it, when we’re actually doing something else instead. This can be true of our Christian service.

Tonight, I’d like to speak to you about “The Spirit of Service” from our text in 1 Thessalonians 5.

1 Thessalonians 5:14–15 KJV 1900

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

I. The Perfect Servant

Our text is describing service. Before we study it, let’s consider the example of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no greater example of servanthood than Him!

A. A servant cares for the superficial needs of others

John 13:1-30

In this act of washing the apostles’ feet, Jesus demonstrated a few things:

No act of service is “too low”

If Christ stoops this low, we have no excuse to avoid doing the same

Christ is willing to serve His enemies (Judas Iscariot)

We might focus on “humility” being the lesson that Christ taught here. However, humility is only part of Christian service.

B. A servant cares for the physical needs of others

Matt. 14:13-21

Christ was responding to the sad news of John’s beheading, but He was beset with needy people. After healing them, they were hungry, and so He fed them. Whatever they needed, Christ provided for them.

C. A servant cares for the spiritual needs of others

Matt. 18:12-22

In this passage, Christ teaches the importance of ONE person. It doesn’t matter how many are “found” (99), the Shepherd still cares about the one who is lost. It doesn’t matter how much effort it takes, restoring one to fellowship with his brethren is worth it. It doesn’t matter how many times your brother sins against you, when he repents, forgive and restore him!

Luke 17:3–4 KJV 1900

Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

With these thoughts about what it means to be a servant like Christ, let us consider our Thessalonians text this evening.

II. Meeting Needs

1 Thessalonians 5:14–15 KJV 1900

When we talk about different kinds of servants, one example that comes readily to my mind is a waiter or waitress.

ILLUSTRATION: Many years ago while on a work trip, I ate at a steakhouse. The steak was fantastic—so tender and delicious, but I think the waiter may have been even better. Describe the TOTAL lack of need throughout the meal, as though the waiter could read my mind!

That’s what a servant is expected to do: meet the needs of the person they are serving. That’s what Christ did when He washed the apostles’ feet. They had a need, and He met it, even though the task was menial and distasteful. We see several needs in our Thessalonians text tonight.

A. Warning

Unruly: Disregarding restraint; licentious; disposed to violate laws; turbulent; ungovernable. (One source defines this as “not in battle-order; undisciplined.”)

This is an intentionally rebellious condition. This is not describing a naive, uninformed person who doesn’t know any better. (Sometimes it may be hard to know the difference!)

Warn: To give notice of approaching or probable danger or evil, that it may be avoided. (Has the sense of intentional confrontation to advise or instruct.)

“Warn” isn’t the same as oppose, judge, shame, etc. We ought to desire that the unruly repent and change before they suffer the consequences for their actions! (Gal. 6:7-8)

We may think a servant should always be in the background, never the object of attention. But as Christ demonstrated, a servant’s purpose is to meet needs. The unruly need to be warned!

B. Comfort

Feebleminded: weak in mind and spirit. Easily discouraged.

Comfort: to console; encourage.

John 11:19 KJV 1900

And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

John 11:31 KJV 1900

The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.

It can be a blessing to offer this comfort when someone else is grieving a tragedy. It can become laborious if there is no tragedy, merely adversity. It’s easy for us to become exasperated with those who are more feebleminded than we are, and we can lose patience with them. But exasperation and impatience don’t meet the need. Comfort does. A servant meets the need.

C. Support

Weak: sickly; feeble; impotent.

Support: to hold up; to hold fast.

Imagine if you were trying to help a paraplegic walk from one place to another. They can’t support any of their own weight! You couldn’t let go of them for one moment. That’s the image Paul is describing. Kind of inconvenient, isn’t it? This is what servants do…they meet needs, even when it’s inconvenient.

D. Patience

Patience: longsuffering; to put up with; to bear long.

We ALL have this need for others to be patient with us. If you think you don’t, you are likely proud AND not patient toward all men.

All men, especially the lost out there, need patience. Without it, who could be saved??

2 Peter 3:9 KJV 1900

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Why do we need patience from others so much? First, because we need salvation so much. Second, because we still sin and let others down. Since we all need it so much, shouldn’t it be easier for us all to extend it to others?

Matthew 7:12 KJV 1900

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

It’s still hard to be patient with others. But the servant will offer patience and longsuffering to all men, because it meets others’ needs.

E. Grace

1 Thess 5:15 — “See that none render evil for evil unto any man...”

Those who do evil to us don’t deserve anything but evil in return, right? That’s how the flesh reasons. But Scripture says something quite different.

Matt. 5:38-45

Proverbs 25:21–22 KJV 1900

If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, And the Lord shall reward thee.

Romans 12:19–21 KJV 1900

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

G. Blessing

1 Thess. 5:15 — “…but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.”

1 Peter 3:9 KJV 1900

Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

Once again, Christ is our example!

1 Peter 2:20–23 KJV 1900

For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

Have you noticed these phrases in some of the last few verses? “The LORD shall reward thee...” “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord...” “…Ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing...” “...When he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously...” Remember these things; we’ll come back to them in a few moments.

III. Martha’s Complaining Service

There are so many needs that need to be met! Will we be the kind of servants God can use to meet them? It’s easy for us to see a need as being a result or symptom of a problem. Instead of acting as a servant to meet a need, we unwittingly try to act as God to solve the problem by “fixing” the person. And so not only do we fail at being God, which isn’t our job, we also fail at being a servant, which is our job. Martha shows us what that can look like.

Luke 10:38-42

Martha was busy; Martha was well-intentioned. She was dedicated. But in this moment, she was not being a servant. We can be just like Martha.

A. Fretting

Cumbered: distracted.

Martha’s thoughts were not on her work or her service; they were on things that other people were doing. And so she was fretting.

B. Complaining

Luke 10:40 KJV 1900

But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

Martha was upset that she was alone in her work, because Mary was not serving; she was just sitting around. And so Martha complained to Jesus about it, and tried to get Him to correct Mary.

C. Accusing

“Lord, dost thou not care…? Bid her therefore...” What an audacious thing to say to the Saviour! Yet the Lord didn’t scald her. Instead, He met her need in that moment. Do you hear the love in His reply? “Martha, Martha...”

Careful: anxious; full of care.

Troubled: disturbed; distracted.

Martha was busy when Christ reproved her spiritual condition! Hers isn’t the kind of service that we ought to emulate. Martha wasn’t concerned with Christ’s needs, or Mary’s. She was occupied with worries over her own. That isn’t a servant’s attitude.

IV. Full-Circle Service

When faced with the prospect of merely warning the unruly, or comforting the feebleminded (again!), or supporting the weak (still!), or being patient toward ALL men, or rendering good to our enemies, or serving when others seem to be doing nothing, it can be easy to begin thinking, “But what about their problems? If I give them what they want, won’t that just enable and encourage their issues? I’ll be stuck serving them like this, and things will never change. They’ll just use me and take advantage of me!” Like Martha, we’ll say to God, “Don’t you care that I’m being abused like this? Don’t you see their problem needs to be fixed?”

Christ addressed this issue as well. A servant doesn’t have any reason to protest about something like this. He is a servant.

Luke 17:7–10 KJV 1900

But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

Christian, you and I don’t have any right to protest to God about our servanthood. Christ was TRULY abused. Are we any better than Him?

Secondly, and most importantly, the Apostle Paul shows us a perspective that brings the idea of our service full circle.

1 Cor. 9:1-24

Do you see what he is saying? As an apostle, he has the freedom to make personal choices and take personal liberties. He is also able to expect certain help and physical provision from those to whom he is ministering. However, he had chosen not to require this in the case of the Corinthians. “Though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all…I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” No matter what men needed, Paul was seeking to meet the need! That is a true servant.

And how could he do this? Because Paul was trusting in the Lord to meet his own needs. What a marvelous thought. Jesus Christ, the servant of all, is our example. We must serve others as He did. But as we serve others and Him with a pure heart, we leave our personal interests up to Him to care for, and so while we are serving others, the Saviour, the King of kings, is serving us by meeting our needs! What a beautiful plan that only God could design!

Matt. 25:31-40

When we are focused on meeting the needs of others, Christ considers it as though we are meeting HIS needs. And so He meets our needs perfectly. This is the Spirit of Service. May God give us this spirit!