Dear Christian friends:

During the summertime a lady called a large church that had three pastors. The lady was not a member of the church. The secretary answered the phone. The lady asked to speak to the first pastor. The secretary answered, "I am sorry but he is gone on vacation." Then the lady asked if she could speak to the second pastor. Again the secretary replied, "I am sorry, he is away at a conference." The secretary wanted to help the lady and asked her if she would like to speak to the third pastor. The lady answered, "No, I don't want to go that low."

We laugh at this story and it is funny, but really it shows something that is wrong in the church. What is that? We think of the church as a place to be ranked, a place to get power and honor. We want to be rulers instead of servants.

In our text we see that Jesus' twelve disciples also had that problem. So Jesus taught them the right idea about serving in the church.

I. In the church we must remember to serve God. We must not seek God to serve us and honor us.

A. James and John wanted God to serve them and honor them. They said to Jesus, "When You sit on Your throne in Your glorious kingdom, let us sit with You, one on Your right side, and the other on-Your left side." (v.37)

B. Are we like James and John? Yes, I think so. I must confess with shame my own sins. When I was a young man, before I went to the Seminary when the pastor's wife asked me if I wanted to go to the Seminary and study to become a pastor, I felt very proud. I thought in my heart, "Oh, that will be nice to be a pastor. The people will honor me and call me "Reverend." I did not think much about serving God and being His minister and giving glory and praise to Him and Jesus. Even today when I do the work of my office, I often catch myself worrying about what you will think of me when I preach. I wonder, "Will they like my sermon? Will they think that I am a good pastor?" Really I should ask myself, "Will God like my sermon? Will God think that I am a good pastor? Am I preaching His Word exactly? Am I giving glory to Him.” I must confess with shame that often I am the same sinner as James and John. And I suspect that if you examine your heart, you will find also that you are the same as James and John.

II. When we fail to serve God in the church we also forget about the suffering connected with serving in the church.

A. James and John did not think about the problems, the trouble, and the suffering connected with serving God in the church.

When James and John asked Him if they could be His chief servants, Jesus said to them. "You don't know what you ask. Can you drink the cup I must drink? Can you be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" Jesus meant to tell them: "Can you suffer like I must suffer? Can you die like I must die?" James and John were not aware of the suffering that Jesus must soon go through in the Garden of Gethsemane and upon the Cross of Calvary. They were not aware that if they served God they must daily take up their crosses and follow Jesus through this wicked and hostile world.

B. We Christians must be prepared to suffer for Jesus' sake. He says to all of His followers, "Remember the word that I said to you, The servant is not greater than his Lord. They have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you." (John 15:20) (Need to include the thought that we do not suffer the cross of atonement. Only Jesus could do that.) James and John said to Jesus, "We can suffer like you." Jesus answered, "You will indeed!" And later they did suffer much for Jesus' sake. But at this time they really were not prepared. And often we are not prepared. When trouble happens and others persecute us, we quit serving the Lord. We don't want any trouble.

III. In serving God we must also not misunderstand God's way of rewarding those who serve Him. God does not give awards and honers as the world does. Here in the world men give awards to those who earn them. God gives awards because of His grace. He honors those who have not earn- ed it. Jesus said to James and John, "I do not have authority to decide who will sit at My right side or left. These seats are prepared for those God will choose. (v.40) We would choose St. Paul or Martin Luther or maybe ourselves. God will probably choose a poor, blind beggar that nobody knows.

IV. In the church we must remember to serve God and seek only His honor and glory. We do this primarily by serving others.

We should seek to serve others, not ourselves. James and John wanted the other disciples to honor them and serve them. They were proud and thought themselves better than the other disciples. They were not interested in working hard and serving the others. When the other disciples heard about what James and John had asked Jesus they became angry and jealous. (v. 41) Not true? We see this happening also here in our church among our members?

When we do like this we are the same as the unbelievers in the world. Jesus said to His disciples, "You know that among the nations their rulers have power over the people and use their power in wrong and selfish ways." (v.42) In the church we should not be proud and selfish like the officers in the world.

We should humbly seek to serve our brothers and sisters in the church family. Jesus says, "You are not like the world. If one of you wants to be great, he must be your servant. And he who wants to be greatest must be the slave of all." (vv.43-44) If you want to be the president of our church, you must expect to do a lot of hard work before the church meetings and after the church meetings. You should not expect to just go to the meetings and act like a "big shot." Same it should be with all the officers and committee chairmen.

Jesus is our best example of one who serves not himself, but serves God and others. (v.45) Jesus died on the Cross for our sins of pride and self-seeking. He forgives our sins and gives us the right spirit to love and serve others in the church and to serve God.

Amen