“Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end” (John 13:1). “Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, . . . and began to wash the disciples’ feet” (John 13:3, 5). After that, Jesus said, “I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15). The Founder of the Christian church, from the very beginning, models servanthood, the modus operandi of the body of Christ.
This week’s lesson looks again at the community of servants in the early church and at the imagery that describes their actions. We also note that the remnant of God will exhibit a servant’s heart for intercession, selfsacrifice, and grace; we observe that serving the needy and preaching the gospel are interdependent; we are challenged to examine justice, grace, and love as the foundation of what it means to be a part of the “household of God;” and we are further encouraged to nurture a collaborative, supportive spirit in the ministry that God calls His church to accomplish.
Teacher’s Aims:
Explore with your class what it means to be a community of servants for the community outside your church.
Also, explore why your church exists and the importance of the leadership and departments of your church.
How do these departments work together toward positive change, inside and outside the church?
Part II: Commentary
Illustration:
A Community of Servants: Belonging to “a faith community” is good for all people spiritually, mentally, emotionally, socially, and physically. Research shows that certain people who belong to a faith community and attend religious services may have longer lives.1
Reflect: How can you help to make your church a truly healthy environment that heals and fosters abundant life (John 10:10), even potentially longer life, for all who are currently, or will be, part of your faith community?
Being part of a community of servants expands the blessings of being in a church community. The servant dimension is spelled out in Galatians 6:9, 10. Read this passage in class.
When you and your class members belong to a loving community that also is busy doing “good to all people,” internally and externally, there are wholistic blessings for the givers and receivers. In a study of 3,296 volunteers performing acts of kindness, a clear cause-andeffect relationship was established between helping and good health. The physical and mental health of the volunteers had improved significantly. For example, after performing a kind act, the volunteers sensed a rush of good feeling. This “helper’s high” is indicated by a sharp reduction in stress and the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. The initial rush of “helper’s high” is followed by a longer-lasting period of emotional well-being. So, you are “doing good” to yourself too! When you add joy to your service (Ps. 100:2), the positive effect on the giver and receiver is even greater. Read Isaiah 58:10, 11.
Invite class members to share their own experiences of how joyfully helping others has reduced “compassion fatigue” by helping them personally in a wholistic way. Invite them to share how their service has helped others wholistically outside their church too.
Scripture: Ask your class to read Isaiah 42:1–4 and then its fulfillment in Jesus’ ministry in Matthew 12:18–21. This prophecy of Isaiah is clearly about the servanthood of Jesus and His mission. Isaiah 42:1–4 is the first of Isaiah’s “servant songs,” which describe the ministry of Christ, a special Servant who accomplishes God’s purpose for His people and the world. The other servant songs referring to the Messiah are found in Isaiah 49:1–13, Isaiah 50:4–11, and Isaiah 52:13–53:12.
What does Isaiah 42:1–4 say about Christ’s priorities? About His mission? About your priorities as Christ’s disciple? Your mission? Your church’s mission? If you have time, discuss the other servant songs.
The New Testament has a servant song, known as the kenosis song, in Philippians 2:5–11. Kenosis is a Greek word that means “nothing.” Read this kenosis song, so called because Christ “emptied himself ” (Phil. 2:7, NASB), and made Himself of “no reputation” (Phil. 2:7). Note verse 7. Jesus did not cling to divine sovereignty, which was rightly His, but to servanthood, which was the passion that ruled His life (see Matt. 20:26–28).
By the cultural standards of His time, Jesus seemed to have life’s priorities upside down. It seems that He was always turning things upside down. To begin with, the highly exalted Son of God became a servant. Read Matthew 20:26 and Matthew 23:11, 12. Later, Jesus’ disciples would be accused of turning the “world upside down” (Acts 17:6). They would serve instead of rule. Robert Banks captured their unconventional philosophy with these words: “What we need today are not, as is so often suggested, more servant leaders, but properly understood, more leading servants.”2
Discuss the difference between “servant leaders” and “leading servants.”
Also, consider yet another angle of the issue: It is not enough to say we are servants for Christ, for there are bad servants, as well, who claim to be Christ’s servants. Some servants do not understand Christ’s “upside down” philosophy. In their zeal to be servants of Christ they have tried to take over, rule, and dominate in Christ’s name. Basically, they have Christ upside down.
Discuss: What historical examples come to your mind of servants who dominated in Christ’s name? Any recent examples? How can we avoid being bad servants who are actually masters/lords over those whom we serve?
Scripture: Not long before Jesus was crucified, He spent some intense quality time with His disciples, giving them words of comfort and encouragement. Read John 15:15.
Discuss: Does this verse mean that Jesus’ disciples were now to stop being a community of servants and switch to being a community of friends? What does this mean?
A hint to this question can be found in the Greek word, in John 15:15, for servants, douloi, which indicates a servant with likely a restricted status. Because Jesus had taken His disciples into His confidence and had just revealed many things to them, they would not be obeying blindly as an ordinary slave. Thus, it seems that Jesus is calling His disciples to envision Him now more as a Friend, rather than simply as an authoritative figure.3 Also, Jesus knew that servants could turn into lords, but friends do not. Professional servants might operate from the assumption that “you will be better because I know better,” but friends are collaborators and believe that “we will be better because we share in each other’s lives.” How will this consideration affect our approach in serving our communities?
Illustration: The definition of “synergy” is “the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, contributions, etc.”4 A church has synergy within when its members and departments work and serve their community together instead of separately. This synergy will produce a total effect that is greater than if each of the church elements worked separately. Here is a little “parable” to illustrate:
A family was planning for their vacation six months in advance. The father divided up the planning with his family members. He was in charge, choosing the place and ordering the airline tickets. He bought tickets to Orlando, Florida. His wife was in charge of finding a hotel, and she reserved a hotel in Los Angeles, California. His son was in charge of taking care of the food, and he made reservations in restaurants in Chicago, Illinois. His daughter was in charge of activities, and she planned for activities and places to visit in New York City. Are they going anywhere? They were cooperating, but not communicating with one another as they made their plans.
It is not enough to merely plan for disconnected events for the community around your church. Departments of the church must work together (collaborate) to develop a process to make greater differences in your community. Discuss in your class how all the departments of your church community can plan together to be more effective change agents in the community outside your church building.
Part III: Life Application
A missionary doctor went back to his home country to find a Seventh day Adventist church that, he was told, was near his house when he was growing up. (He was not an Adventist back then). He went to the spot where he was told the church was located. He saw no church building and found a man across the street from where the church was supposed to be. The doctor asked if there was an Adventist church there. The man replied, “There is a group of people who show up on Saturdays at that house across the street. I don’t know much about them because they come, they sing, they go.”
Contrast the above church, that was merely a “spiritual health club” for members, to a church in Swaziland, Africa. The most urgent need was adequate nutrition for the many AIDS orphans in their community. Mrs. Busi Vilakazi, a retired member, and other members started feeding these orphans a solid meal six days a week. They began with 50 children and 10 years later were serving 300 children per day. Also, they started a preschool. Other services have included distributing clothing, sharing vegetables from their church garden, caring for the sick, and operating a skills development program for women and men. This demonstration of Jesus’ love spawned a new church.
“The Saviour has given His precious life in order to establish a church capable of caring for sorrowful, tempted souls.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 640. It is not simply that the church of God has a mission. It is the missional God that has a church.
Discuss: Why does your church exist? Which of the churches described above is like your church? Write a list of ideas on how your church can become a “capable” community of servants.
2 Robert Banks, quoted in Siang Yang Tan in Full Service: Moving From Self-Serve Christianity to Total Servanthood (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2006), p. 55.
3 Francis D. Nichol, ed., The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5 (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald®, 1956), pp. 1043, 1044.
“Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end” (John 13:1). “Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, . . . and began to wash the disciples’ feet” (John 13:3, 5). After that, Jesus said, “I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15). The Founder of the Christian church, from the very beginning, models servanthood, the modus operandi of the body of Christ.
This week’s lesson looks again at the community of servants in the early church and at the imagery that describes their actions. We also note that the remnant of God will exhibit a servant’s heart for intercession, selfsacrifice, and grace; we observe that serving the needy and preaching the gospel are interdependent; we are challenged to examine justice, grace, and love as the foundation of what it means to be a part of the “household of God;” and we are further encouraged to nurture a collaborative, supportive spirit in the ministry that God calls His church to accomplish.
Teacher’s Aims:
Part II: Commentary
Illustration:
A Community of Servants: Belonging to “a faith community” is good for all people spiritually, mentally, emotionally, socially, and physically. Research shows that certain people who belong to a faith community and attend religious services may have longer lives.1
Reflect: How can you help to make your church a truly healthy environment that heals and fosters abundant life (John 10:10), even potentially longer life, for all who are currently, or will be, part of your faith community?
Being part of a community of servants expands the blessings of being in a church community. The servant dimension is spelled out in Galatians 6:9, 10. Read this passage in class.
When you and your class members belong to a loving community that also is busy doing “good to all people,” internally and externally, there are wholistic blessings for the givers and receivers. In a study of 3,296 volunteers performing acts of kindness, a clear cause-andeffect relationship was established between helping and good health. The physical and mental health of the volunteers had improved significantly. For example, after performing a kind act, the volunteers sensed a rush of good feeling. This “helper’s high” is indicated by a sharp reduction in stress and the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. The initial rush of “helper’s high” is followed by a longer-lasting period of emotional well-being. So, you are “doing good” to yourself too! When you add joy to your service (Ps. 100:2), the positive effect on the giver and receiver is even greater. Read Isaiah 58:10, 11.
Invite class members to share their own experiences of how joyfully helping others has reduced “compassion fatigue” by helping them personally in a wholistic way. Invite them to share how their service has helped others wholistically outside their church too.
Scripture: Ask your class to read Isaiah 42:1–4 and then its fulfillment in Jesus’ ministry in Matthew 12:18–21. This prophecy of Isaiah is clearly about the servanthood of Jesus and His mission. Isaiah 42:1–4 is the first of Isaiah’s “servant songs,” which describe the ministry of Christ, a special Servant who accomplishes God’s purpose for His people and the world. The other servant songs referring to the Messiah are found in Isaiah 49:1–13, Isaiah 50:4–11, and Isaiah 52:13–53:12.
What does Isaiah 42:1–4 say about Christ’s priorities? About His mission? About your priorities as Christ’s disciple? Your mission? Your church’s mission? If you have time, discuss the other servant songs.
The New Testament has a servant song, known as the kenosis song, in Philippians 2:5–11. Kenosis is a Greek word that means “nothing.” Read this kenosis song, so called because Christ “emptied himself ” (Phil. 2:7, NASB), and made Himself of “no reputation” (Phil. 2:7). Note verse 7. Jesus did not cling to divine sovereignty, which was rightly His, but to servanthood, which was the passion that ruled His life (see Matt. 20:26–28).
By the cultural standards of His time, Jesus seemed to have life’s priorities upside down. It seems that He was always turning things upside down. To begin with, the highly exalted Son of God became a servant. Read Matthew 20:26 and Matthew 23:11, 12. Later, Jesus’ disciples would be accused of turning the “world upside down” (Acts 17:6). They would serve instead of rule. Robert Banks captured their unconventional philosophy with these words: “What we need today are not, as is so often suggested, more servant leaders, but properly understood, more leading servants.”2
Discuss the difference between “servant leaders” and “leading servants.”
Also, consider yet another angle of the issue: It is not enough to say we are servants for Christ, for there are bad servants, as well, who claim to be Christ’s servants. Some servants do not understand Christ’s “upside down” philosophy. In their zeal to be servants of Christ they have tried to take over, rule, and dominate in Christ’s name. Basically, they have Christ upside down.
Discuss: What historical examples come to your mind of servants who dominated in Christ’s name? Any recent examples? How can we avoid being bad servants who are actually masters/lords over those whom we serve?
Scripture: Not long before Jesus was crucified, He spent some intense quality time with His disciples, giving them words of comfort and encouragement. Read John 15:15.
Discuss: Does this verse mean that Jesus’ disciples were now to stop being a community of servants and switch to being a community of friends? What does this mean?
A hint to this question can be found in the Greek word, in John 15:15, for servants, douloi, which indicates a servant with likely a restricted status. Because Jesus had taken His disciples into His confidence and had just revealed many things to them, they would not be obeying blindly as an ordinary slave. Thus, it seems that Jesus is calling His disciples to envision Him now more as a Friend, rather than simply as an authoritative figure.3 Also, Jesus knew that servants could turn into lords, but friends do not. Professional servants might operate from the assumption that “you will be better because I know better,” but friends are collaborators and believe that “we will be better because we share in each other’s lives.” How will this consideration affect our approach in serving our communities?
Illustration: The definition of “synergy” is “the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, contributions, etc.”4 A church has synergy within when its members and departments work and serve their community together instead of separately. This synergy will produce a total effect that is greater than if each of the church elements worked separately. Here is a little “parable” to illustrate:
A family was planning for their vacation six months in advance. The father divided up the planning with his family members. He was in charge, choosing the place and ordering the airline tickets. He bought tickets to Orlando, Florida. His wife was in charge of finding a hotel, and she reserved a hotel in Los Angeles, California. His son was in charge of taking care of the food, and he made reservations in restaurants in Chicago, Illinois. His daughter was in charge of activities, and she planned for activities and places to visit in New York City. Are they going anywhere? They were cooperating, but not communicating with one another as they made their plans.
It is not enough to merely plan for disconnected events for the community around your church. Departments of the church must work together (collaborate) to develop a process to make greater differences in your community. Discuss in your class how all the departments of your church community can plan together to be more effective change agents in the community outside your church building.
Part III: Life Application
A missionary doctor went back to his home country to find a Seventh day Adventist church that, he was told, was near his house when he was growing up. (He was not an Adventist back then). He went to the spot where he was told the church was located. He saw no church building and found a man across the street from where the church was supposed to be. The doctor asked if there was an Adventist church there. The man replied, “There is a group of people who show up on Saturdays at that house across the street. I don’t know much about them because they come, they sing, they go.”
Contrast the above church, that was merely a “spiritual health club” for members, to a church in Swaziland, Africa. The most urgent need was adequate nutrition for the many AIDS orphans in their community. Mrs. Busi Vilakazi, a retired member, and other members started feeding these orphans a solid meal six days a week. They began with 50 children and 10 years later were serving 300 children per day. Also, they started a preschool. Other services have included distributing clothing, sharing vegetables from their church garden, caring for the sick, and operating a skills development program for women and men. This demonstration of Jesus’ love spawned a new church.
“The Saviour has given His precious life in order to establish a church capable of caring for sorrowful, tempted souls.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 640. It is not simply that the church of God has a mission. It is the missional God that has a church.
Discuss: Why does your church exist? Which of the churches described above is like your church? Write a list of ideas on how your church can become a “capable” community of servants.
Notes
``
1 “Attending Religious Services Linked to Longer Lives, Study Shows,” Harvard Women’s Health Watch, Harvard Health, July 2016, https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/attending-religious-services-linked-to-longer-lives-study-shows.
2 Robert Banks, quoted in Siang Yang Tan in Full Service: Moving From Self-Serve Christianity to Total Servanthood (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2006), p. 55.
3 Francis D. Nichol, ed., The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5 (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald®, 1956), pp. 1043, 1044.
4 Dictionary.com, s.v. “synergy,” https://www.dictionary.com/browse/synergy.