For the past two Sundays my messages have been about God's Family Values, forgiveness and reconciliation, and faithfulness and commitment.  Today's message is on humility and service.  Our Lord values humble service, because He was a humble servant.  He became a man so He could serve us.  He took on human life so He could bring us eternal life.  God's Family values always begin with life.  Life is a most sacred gift from God. As Job said, "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away -- blessed be the name of the Lord!"  Before anything else, God gives life.  It's His to give, and His to take.  And it's ours to receive, and not to throw away.

          All too often we have seen our elected officials roll over and play dead on issues of human life.  Whether it's legalizing the horrors of "partial-birth abortion" or opening the door to assisted suicide and euthanasia, something within us dies every time human life is cheapened.  Whenever unspeakable acts of death receive the blessing of elected officials, something within the heart of America dies.

          Rev. Dave Adams, in our Lutheran Church office of Govt. Affairs, recently wrote once again on human life.  It's the first time I've heard so impassioned a plea from anyone in Washington.  He writes:  "The commitment to life is not a trivial side-issue of our generation.  The commitment to life is an inherent part of the faith of the Christian church.  We believe in a God whose first gift to creation was the gift of life...  Death is the enemy Christ conquered when He rose from the grave.  Those who deal in death -- whether abortionists, those who assist their patients to commit suicide [or the legislators who make it legal] -- are the instruments of Satan in the warfare between the kingdom of death and the kingdom of life...  This issue will not go away;  it is the issue that defines our times.  Future generations will measure us by whether we choose death or choose life."

          Though some of us are directly affected by our past choices, we must choose life today.  For unless we choose rightly, much of the rest of our choices won't matter.  This issue will divide us.  It has already.  Some have left Lutheran churches because of our stance on human life.  Some have visited and never came back.  One day I believe our government will require us to take a stand, and I believe we will be persecuted if we stand against ungodly laws.  This issue will not go away quietly.

          We live in a Baskin-Robbins society with 31 flavors of everything.  People demand choices for everything.  Want to buy a shirt?  There are a dozen stores within 5 minutes of here that will sell you 10 dozen kinds.  Want to take a trip?  Your travel agent will give you a list of 500 places.  Want something to eat?  The list is endless.  We seek choices because we equate choice with freedom, and we all want our freedom!

          An American GI had a bad limp after the War, and years later his grandson asked him why.  He said, "I was wounded and taken prisoner by the Germans.  When I arrived at the prison camp, I was told to go into a large building.  As I entered the hall, I noticed two doors, one marked badly wounded and the other slightly wounded.  Since I wasn't badly hurt I entered the second door and found two more doors, one marked Officers and the other Enlisted Men.  Since I was a private, I went through the second door and found two more, one marked Germans and one Americans.  I went through the second door again and found two more doors, one marked Democrat, and one Republican.  Since I was Republican, I went through the second door and found two more, one marked Catholic and one Lutheran.  As I Lutheran, I went through the second door and found two more doors, one marked LCMS Lutheran and All Other Lutherans.  As an LCMS Lutheran I went through the first door found myself out in the street.  I didn't get medical help, but then I guess they didn't want me!"

          Jesus said, "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave -- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."  Along with valuing human life, God values humble service.  Humility is always hard for sinful people to accept.  We'd rather be first;  we'd rather seek self-esteem;  we'd rather be served and be declared great.  Some recently have come to believe it's a basic human right to feel good about themselves all the time.  But that's a fad, and not reality.

          Parents, how would you react if your son or daughter wanted to become a waiter, a "restaurant server" for his/her life's work?  You'd probably think that was okay while in college, but then, go make a real living!  That's why we put them through college!

          Yet a server is exactly what Christ is calling us to be.  It's like me saying, "Good Morning.  My name is Pastor Bob and I will be your server."  That, in essence, is what I said when I was installed here as Mission Developer.  And that's what Christ is calling each of us to do with each other.  "Whoever wants to be great must be your servant."

          A servant is not above his master.  A student is not above his teacher.  And yet they are.  In Christ, the master voluntarily places himself below the servant, the teacher places herself below the student, not for status, but for humble service.

          Our most excellent example of service is Christ Himself.  He gave His life for each of us.  Next to Jesus, John the Baptist was God's greatest servant.  Jesus said, "Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist;  yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."  It was John the Baptist who said of Jesus, "He must increase, but I must decrease."  Jesus must be built up, and John must be made less.  That's the heart of the humble servant.

          James and John wanted top place in the New Kingdom.  They got their mother to come kneeling at Jesus' feet, asking one of her sons to be at His right hand and the other at His left in the coming kingdom.  They didn't know His Kingdom was of the heart, not of the world.  What they asked of Jesus meant certain death.  "Are you sure you're ready for this?" Jesus asked.  "We are," they replied.

          History tells us they got what they wanted.  James became an important man, Bishop of the church in Jerusalem.  He served about 2 years and then was beheaded.  John also became an important man, a writer of Holy Scripture, but he spent all his life on the run, and much of it on an island, in isolation, in exile.  Following Christ comes with a price tag, and we must be willing to pay it.

          A Christian servant is motivated by the love of Christ.  A servant does not make unreasonable demands, but goes the extra mile.  A servant is willing to take criticism and change if necessary, and cares for the persons he is serving.  A servant does not take the paycheck and run.  He supports life, and stands against those who destroy it.

          Being a servant is difficult today.  There's so much in life that puffs us up, that pushes us to be first.  We aren't #1 - He is!  We must stand against those who would make Christianity into a mental condition.  Jesus said, "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

          Son of Man came to serve:  The disciples thought He would be an earthly king.  Some people still want that.  They're waiting for the new millennium when King Jesus will usher in a new age and change those terrible laws.  He'll punish the bad guys and give us a better life.  But Jesus came to change hearts, not the world order.

          ...And to give Himself:  The Son of God becoming the son of man;  His highest service was giving His life for us.  The Living Lord dies for the dead in sin, and the Living Water goes thirsty for those drowning in worldly goods.  The CEO of the universe is fired for the mistakes of the workers.  It's almost humorous.  We'd never do that!  But He did -- because He loves us.

          ...As a ransom:  A ransom means someone's been captured.  We sinners are captives of Satan unless someone releases us.  And He's done that.  The Son of Man is crucified by the powers of hell!  He dies on that horrible day when He said, "My God, why have you forsaken me?"  Why indeed?  Because He was our servant, our ransom, and by His stripes, His wounds, His blood, His death, we are set free!  "O come, O come Immanuel, and ransom captive America..."

          Jesus Christ gave us His all, and now He calls us to serve people and serve God.  Christ, our Suffering Servant, shows us the way to humble service with others.  Be a humble servant of Jesus Christ.  I'll close with the words of a fine song:

"The Servant Song" by Richard Gillard

Brother, let me be your servant,
Let me be as Christ to you.
Pray that I might have the grace
To let you be my servant, too.

We are pilgrims on a journey,
We are brothers on the road.
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load.

I will weep when you are weeping;
When you laugh, I'll laugh with you.
I will share your joy and sorrow,
Till we've seen this journey thru.

When we sing to God in heaven,
We shall find such harmony,
Born of all we've known together
Of Christ's love and agony.

Sermon Copyright © 1999 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.