Young Adults' Group

The Servant Of The Lord

by Pastor Mark
May 02, 2019

Perfecting our service

The last two months’ theme about the Servant of the Lord has been most uplifting to my own heart as we consider the example of the Lord Jesus. We thank God for the perfect example of the Messiah in how He served God. (Isa 42:1–3) As we look at our service to the Lord, we recognise our imperfections. Let us be challenged to perfect our service for the Lord.

1. A second chance

Israel had been specially chosen by the Lord to be His servant. (Isa 41:8) However, over the history of Israel, they had done poorly as His servant. The Lord graciously gave Israel a second chance. After the captivity of Babylon, the Lord called them from the ends of the earth, the farthest regions to serve the Lord all over again. (Isa 41:9) God said, “You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away:” (Isa 41:9) Israel was still the Lord’s servant. He gave them another chance to be His servant. Let us thank God for the second chances that God gives to us to be His servant that we may learn to perfect our service.

2. Our labour is not in vain

The Messiah was specially chosen even from His mother’s womb to be the Servant of the Lord. (Isa 49:1) He was meant to be God’s Servant who will glorify Him. (Isa 49:3) However, there were times when the Lord struggled with His feelings…His human emotions, “Then I said, “I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain;”” (Isa 49:4) The Lord felt that His labour was all in vain. But how did the Lord overcome these feelings? He said, “Yet surely my just reward is with the Lord, and my work with my God.” (Isa 49:4) This uplifting word was the Lord’s assurance that His work was not in vain. His reward was with the Lord, and His work was with God. Let us be challenged not to see that our work for the Lord is in vain but that our work is with the Lord.

3. Serving with affection

As servants of the Lord, we want to understand clearly how much we owe the Lord. We learnt from Lev 26 that the penalty of our sins is liable to go up to seven times more if there is no repentance to demonstrate how terrible our sins are. It is the suffering Servant of the Lord who bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. (Isa 53:4) For us, it is not only to understand this atonement theologically. It is to understand it with deep affection. This affection is something that can come only through cultivation over time and maturity. We should recognise how much we are indebted to the Lord. There would come a deeper love for the Lord. Let us be challenged to serve the Lord with affection.

4. A revitalised servant

We often face the reality of being thirsty or dry spiritually. However, the Lord can bring about revitalisation to our souls. He can revive us. What will He do? God says, “For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring;” (Isa 44:3) The Lord desires to pour His spiritual water into our life. God will give us all we need and more. Not only that, He is going to bring floods onto our dry ground. He can provide enough to create a flood in us through the Spirit of God. As servants of the Lord, our lives need to be revitalised time and time again. Let us be challenged to be revived through His Spirit as we serve the Lord.

There is indeed no more significant example than the Lord Jesus Christ as the Servant of the Lord. I have been greatly moved and encouraged by His amazing example. Let us be challenged to perfect our service by emulating the Lord Jesus.

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