Message Notes

INTERMEDIATE SUNDAY SCHOOL 4 August 2024
STUDIES IN THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
Text: Matthew 20

Topic: “Let him be your servant” Matthew 20:26

25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.
26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.
27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20:25-28

THE EXAMPLE OF THE GENTILE RULERS

1. They lord their authority over their subjects

2. They abuse their authority frequently

3. This is seen commonly in political circles

4. The people suffer terribly

THE COMMAND OF THE LORD JESUS

1. They must not emulate such examples

2. This kind of leadership is not what they have learned

THE DESIRE TO BECOME A GREAT LEADER

1. The desire to be “great”

2. The desire to be “the first” (the top leader)

3. These are not wrong things in themselves

4. But leadership has its challenges and its pitfalls

5. The Disciples must be aware of the problems that lie ahead

GREAT SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP

1. Learning to be a servant or a slave

2. The whole focus of the leader

a) It is service not authority

b) To have the heart and mind of a servant/ slave

THE EXAMPLE OF THE LORD JESUS

1. He is the Lord

2. But He comes as “Son of Man”

3. He came to serve

4. He did not come to be served

5. He came to give His life so that many may be saved

THE CLASSIC TEXT ON HUIMILITY

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:5-11

1. The mind of the Lord Jesus Christ

2. He was Deity

3. But in Humility

a) He made Himself of no reputation

b) He became a bondservant

c) He humbled Himself

d) He practised obedience

e) H suffered a cruel death at the Cross of Calvary

GOD EXALTED THE LORD JESUS

1. The Lord Jesus was given a name above all names

2. He has all authority

3. All are to bow before Him and confess that He is Lord

OUR CHALLENGE

1. To learn humility

2. To learn how to serve

3 To follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ