Megachurch Pastor on Things I Wish Jesus Never Said: Be a Servant
God commands Christians to "be fearless" in their role as servants of Christ, the pastor of Mariners Church in Southern California said in his latest "Things I Wish Jesus Never Said" sermon series.
Speaking this past weekend, Pastor Kenton Beshore pointed to three Bible verses that reference God's desire for us to embrace our "job description" as His servants.
Beshore says he files Jesus' call for us to be servants under his "Things I Wish Jesus Never Said" series because we, as humans, do not naturally want to be servants – rather, we want to be served.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"If you act like a servant people are going to treat you like a servant – and who wants that?" Beshore asked.
The megachurch pastor then pointed to John 13:3, 14-15 to further address this idea of servitude.
"Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God […] Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you," the verse reads.
Beshore explains that this verse shows us that "Jesus knew that the father had given him authority over everything," adding that Jesus made himself the greatest servant of all, as seen through his decision to wash his disciples' feet.
After setting an example of servitude, Jesus sends the disciples out into the world to use what they've learned from him to spread the Good News.
The disciples took this job description very seriously, Beshore continues, saying they went into every part of the world to serve on behalf of Jesus.
The concept of servitude is important for Christians to grasp, the California pastor explains, because the "church is in the world, for the world."
Another verse that supports this "be fearless" attitude is found in Matthew 25:34-31, 46, which reads, in part: "He will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me' […] Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
If Christians fully understand the sacrifice God made for them on the cross, then they should understand the importance behind fearlessly serving others, the pastor maintains.
"[God] did not stay distant, but he came and embraced humanity."
He adds that this is certainly a "startling passage" for most to read, as it is easier to say a prayer and expect salvation, rather than actually having to follow the role of a Good Samaritan.
However, "if you understand [God's] love, you can't help but step in," the preacher says, adding that "your eternal destiny is dependent upon how you treat the last."
Beshore cites a third passage that is frequently difficult for Christians to hear because it concerns money: "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money" (Matthew 6:24).
This verse is especially alarming because Christians would like to think that wherever their heart is, the money will follow, but in reality, Christ is telling us to "put [our] money where I'm telling you to put [your] money."
Ultimately, we do all of these serving, selfless acts because "we have been so loved by God," and we must in turn give this love to the rest of humanity, the Mariners Church pastor says.
