Text:             Luke 22:24-27

Date:             April 27, 2008

Title:             Who Do I Serve?

We continue our series of sermons that challenge us to look at what it means to be the body of Christ, for this part of the church’s identity.  To the church in Corinth Paul writes, “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”  Now that Jesus is no longer physically present, we are called to re-present him to the world and in doing so, we bear witness to God’s nature; compassion, grace, and unconditional love.

Now if you recall, this “identity check” then challenged us to ask what it means to re-present Christ to the world, how are we to love as Jesus loved?  To love as Jesus loved means that we are to love unapologetically and unconditionally, which is a tough task.

“Going to meet God” was our next challenge as being the body of Christ and we looked at the role of worship in our lives.  Last week, Tracy stepped in and challenged the spirit, calling us, as the body to rest at times, to seek rejuvenation and restoration.  This morning we continue asking what it means to be the body of Christ.  Specifically, what is our role in midst of others? 

How many woke up this morning with the burning question, “Who am I going to serve today?   Where am I going to find a need and then fill it, find a hurt and try to heal it?  Who am I going to serve today?”   Notice the question isn’t, “who is going to serve me today?”  Who is going to recognize just how special I am and treat me as such?  Who is going to go out of their way to make my life easier?  Who can I get to make me feel superior?   No, that is not the question. 

The question is, “Who am I going to serve” because as Bob Dylan wrote, “You gotta serve somebody.”  Some of his words are:

You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride,

You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side,

You may be workin' in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair, You may be somebody's mistress, may be somebody's heir.

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed,

You're gonna have to serve somebody,

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord,

But you're gonna have to serve somebody. 

Major point:  Part of being Christian means being a servant.   “For who is greater”, Jesus asks, “The one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.” 

When you look at the life and ministry of Jesus, you can see how he was intentional in being a servant to others and his teachings were viewed and are viewed as unconventional or counter-cultural. Jesus taught, “The greatest among you will be your servant. ¹²All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.”[1]

Yet this teaching so goes against the grain of society, for who do we consider to be great?  So often we exalt those who have power, possessions, position, and prestige.  Are they not our role models?   Yet Jesus says, to be considered great, you must be a servant.  You must wash the feet of others, you must take care of those who cannot take care of themselves, you must love your neighbor, you must get your hands dirty, your foreheads sweaty, you must reach into your pockets and reach out with your heart, you must not consider yourself better than others, you must risk being seen as lowly, as a hired hand.

In John’s gospel, Jesus begins washing the feet of his disciples and remember how Peter protests?  You are not going to wash my feet Jesus, you are not going to stoop that low, you are better than that, you are more worthy than that.  Remember how Jesus responds.  If you don’t let me wash your feet, if you don’t let me serve you, than you have no clue who I am Peter nor can you relate to what it means to be a follower of mine.   

If the church is going to be the body of Christ, to re-present Jesus to the world, than we must be willing to be out in the world, reaching out to the world; both near and far.    The word is “outreach”.  Reaching out of our selves, reaching out to the stranger, reaching out to the  least of these, reaching out  to those in need.  Reaching out to those who cannot repay you, reaching out to those who might even betray you, reaching out to those we don’t understand, reaching out to those who need a helping hand, reaching out to those who see us as the enemy, reaching out beyond our walls so others just might see the Christ in you and the Christ in me. 

Again, in looking at Jesus as our example, there wasn’t anyone to close or far enough to serve.  If Jesus could reach them, he was willing to serve them.  You feed them, Jesus said, they are within your reach.  The same holds true for us today.  We must serve anyone who is within our reach and the smaller the world in which we live in today and the greater our resources, the greater the reach and the greater the responsibility.   To be the body of Christ, we must be about missions, going out into the world and doing what we can.   Another word for outreach is missions which should be about saving lives, not souls.  God is in the soul saving business, leave it up to God.  We are called to be servants to reach out, to go out and make a difference, reaching out in love without expecting anything in return. 

This summer, youth and sponsors from this congregation are going to New Orleans to work with Habitat for Humanity, reaching out to those who still do not have a home after the hurricane Katrina and we need to support them through our prayers and financial resources.  Next week is a fund raiser and I am hoping great things.  Our efforts in New Orleans will help exceed the goal of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) goal of sending at least 750 groups from 2006 to 2009 to help in this disaster relief.  Tonight people will sleep with a roof over their head at the Salvation Army and will have a meal, reaching out.  Tomorrow people will come to this church needing and wanting food and we will give it to them.  Tomorrow people will get into their cars and take meals to the elderly.  Right now there are low income elderly who are living at Plaza Del Sol one and two, living in safety and healthy environment because members of this church, and others, were and are still willing to reach out. 

As the body of Christ, we must  live the words of the great servant Mother Teresa who said, “The fruit of faith is love, and the fruit of love is service, which takes us full circle in asking the question, “Who am I going to serve today.”  Can you imagine the difference we could make in the world, both near and far, if we greeted each day with that question.  Who am I going to serve today-----because I serve God everyday.    I want you to say that with me.  Who am I going to serve today-----because I serve God everyday.    I want to hear you say it again, this time with some meaning, with some conviction, with some energy, with some yearning to make a difference, with passion to show compassion, say it with me and mean it, Who am I going to serve today-----because I serve God everyday.