It takes courage to declare a position on something. We take a stand for a cause we believe in. Jesus Messiah is a cause we believe in. He is worthy of our service. Jesus does not control us like an earthly ruler, Jesus allows us to serve, or not serve, or even quit serving. Jesus Messiah gives us the freedom to choose. When we look at the Bible we can see that a servant can be a voluntary or an involuntary position. The word servant is doulos, meaning “bondman, someone who gives up their own will and interests for the will and interests of another”. In our application, a servant is a volunteer position. It is a decision that we willingly make for our Lord and Savior Jesus Messiah. Declaring openly that we are servants of Jesus Messiah, in and of itself is a controversial position. It takes courage to do so. To once again mention an important point about the numbers, seventy percent of the people in the United States claim that they are Christians. This means that seventy percent of the people are a majority in this nation and should have no problem publicly declaring Jesus is Lord. Out of that seventy percent majority there should be a large percentage of people claiming to be servants of Jesus Messiah. Let’s explore.
The disciples of Jesus declare that they are servants. Even though someone may have a career as a public servant, government official, teacher, or nurse, they can still be servants of Jesus Messiah. The servant of Jesus puts Jesus ahead of themselves and makes decisions based on Jesus’ opinion.
Rom 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
Php 1:1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
2Pe 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
Jas 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
Jud 1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
Col 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
These people publicly call themselves servants, and this means as Christians we should be able to trust their decisions, their teaching, and their admonitions. We have special instructions given to us from servants and servants have special instructions given to them. In Revelation we find out the revealing of Jesus Christ is for Jesus’ servants. This means that the Book of Revelation is written for servants, who in turn read it and decipher it to others. We are all supposed to know the information that John recorded in order for us to be blessed.
Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev 1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
John, who is also a servant, bares record of the logos of the Elohim and the testimony of Jesus Messiah, as well as all the things that he saw. We know that there is a blessing for all those who read and hear the logos of this prophecy. We are then supposed to watch, guard, and keep these things that have been written. In other words, servants should be serving this book to the laity regularly.
David was also a servant. David willingly became a giant slayer for Yahweh Elohim. David’s life was pretty easy prior to killing Goliath, but after killing Goliath, David had to kill thousands of Philistine giants, the earth born, allos genos, so that the nation of Israel could survive.
Psa 18:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said, I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.
Psa 34:22 The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
David tells us that Yahweh redeems the soul of his servants and none will be guilty. How is it that David could hunt giants and not fear for his life? He knew that Yahweh was on his side. David did not fear death. We live in a culture of fear, we are pushed to be fearful of everything, from decaying teeth to nuclear war. If we understand that fear is the motivation of Satanas’ kingdom then we will not fear what the unbelievers do. We will not fear for our own self preservation, because Yahweh will redeem his servants. This is why we can lay our lives down, even in the face of death, because death is really the start of a new life in the Messiah.
The benefits of being a true servant is a close relationship with the master, Jesus Messiah. The downside is that Jesus holds servants to a different standard than the world promotes. The greatest people among Yahweh Jesus Messiah’s household are the ones who serve. Yet they have to be servants of others.
Mat 20:27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
Mat 23:11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
Mrk 10:44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.
This is the upside-down triangle model. The servant is on the bottom point, serving all above him. Usually corporate structures have the pinnacle side up triangle where one person is in charge, then there are a few people under that one person who are in charge of smaller portions of the corporation, then there are more people under those people in charge in smaller capacities, filling out the bottom of the triangle. Corporations are top down, but Jesus’ model is bottom up service. Jesus’ idea is that cleaning the toilets is just as much a job for the leader as anyone else. We know that if we go into a church and the pastor doesn’t clean toilets, cut the grass, or clean the windows, that pastor is not a great servant. The pastor can plunge toilets and preach on Sundays if he wants to be a servant. It is possible that people only want to serve in certain capacities, which they choose. This is an unprofitable servant.
Luk 17:7 But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?
Luk 17:8 And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?
Luk 17:9 Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.
Luk 17:10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
If we only do what we are commanded to do and we do not go over and above what we have been asked to do, then it seems we are unprofitable or useless servants. In other words, someone who is called to pastor should do so, but also clean the building, hand out food to the homeless, and trim the hedges. Jesus is our example.
Mat 20:25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
Mat 20:26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
Mat 20:27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
Mat 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Jesus fed people, washed feet, healed people, and taught people. He also argued with the Pharisees, exposed the Pharisees and Sadducees sins and their political leanings. Our creator is our Living God and a servant to his creation.
Luke records the same idea of an evil servant who beats the good servants as Matthew did. Luke was not an eyewitness but recorded these statements from the disciples after Jesus was resurrected and ascended. Luke’s version adds one important element for all servants to understand.
Luk 12:42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
Luk 12:43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Luk 12:44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
Luk 12:45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
Luk 12:46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
Luk 12:47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
Luk 12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
Luke 12:48 G3588 But the one G1161 G3361 not G1097 having known, G4160 but doing things G1161 G514 worthy G4127 of strokes, G1194 shall be flayed with G3641 few…
… G3956 And to every one G1161 G3739 whom G1325 [2was given G4183 1much], G4183 much G2212 shall be sought G3844 from G1473 him. G2532 And G3739 to whom G3908 they placed near G4183 much, G4053 more extra G154 shall they ask G1473 him.
“But all that give much much seek from the side of him, and that entrust much beyond the regular number ask him.”
Whoever is given much will be looked at to see what they gained. Whoever is entrusted with much abundance will be asked to show what was gained. This understanding goes beyond one point like evangelizing. If someone is given the ability to evangelize the world then that one is looked at as to how much they did because not everyone has that ability. Likewise, some people are given the ability to make money, how much do they do for the Elohim with their money? Some are skilled at technical abilities, so what then are they doing to serve the Body of Christ with what they have? Some are given greater ability to see the spiritual realm, what are they doing to serve the Body of Christ?
There is a class of religious leaders that call themselves “servants” but they are not, they only serve themselves. Some of these people have hidden agendas and serve hidden masters that we do not see. They are funded by hidden money. They attempt to subvert the recorded will of the Holy Spirit by teaching abominations contrary to Yahweh Jesus Messiah. Instead the servants of Jesus Messiah should be calling out those people as Jesus did with the Pharisees. Advocating against the teaching of the Holy Spirit is a problem for the Body of Christ. Be wise.
Servant leaders have to watch what they do, and check their own hearts continuously. They need to repent often. Most servant leaders end up having an “I” problem, and they believe their own thoughts and ideas are superior to others. The servant to the Body of Christ is warned not to vacate their position. We want to ask the simple question as to why someone would want to commit to serving Jesus, and then stop serving Jesus. Did the idea sound great until the pressure of serving became tiresome?
Jesus is giving an important warning that a servant who stops serving and takes care of his/her own self instead will be judged more harshly than someone who doesn’t have the great abilities of others but uses what they have to serve. Additionally, those who know what they are supposed to do and don’t do it are judged more harshly than those who don’t know all there is to know and make a mistake. Jesus is talking about His servants, not all servants, and not any servants, just His servants, the ones who are put in positions over the Body of Christ.
This poses an interesting question. Why is Jesus putting people in place over his household who fall, fail, and sin, making a mess of the household? Why give someone who will become unfaithful responsibilities? It is because we all have to choose. Jesus does not choose for us. We are not robotic Stepford wives. We choose. He rolls the dice, whomever accepts his offer is who he gets. We then are on the predestined path for salvation. What we do from that point on is still up to us. We can serve or not. What we should not do is commit to be his servant and then destroy His household over our own “I” problem.
Ephesians 1:3 G2128 Blessed be G3588 the G2316 God G2532 and G3962 father G3588 G2962 of our Lord G1473 G* Jesus G5547 Christ, G3588 the one G2127 having blessed G1473 us G1722 with G3956 every G2129 [2blessing G4152 1spiritual] G1722 in G3588 the G2032 heavenlies G1722 in G5547 Christ;
4 G2531 as G1586 he chose G1473 us G1722 in G1473 him G4253 before G2602 the founding G2889 of the world, G1510.1 for us to be G1473 G39 holy G2532 and G299 unblemished G2714 before G1473 him G1722 in G26 love.
“just as choose us in him before the founding cosmos to exist sacred and unblemished before the face of Him in love.”
Keep this in mind as we continue. Time is only relative to us. Jesus exists above time, he sees both the end and beginning at the same time. To us our existence is linear, from one hour to the next, one day to the next, one month to the next, one year to the next. Jesus sees it all at once. Do you know who doesn’t exist above time, and also has a linear existence? Drakon and Satanas. They are bound to linear time as we are. Neither have any creative ability, nor any foreknowledge of events other than what we has been written in scripture. Jesus chose us in Him before the founding of the cosmos for us to exist sacred and unblemished before Him in love.
Ephesians 1:5 G4309 Having predefined G1473 us G1519 for G5206 adoption G1223 through G* Jesus G5547 Christ G1519 to G1473 himself, G2596 according to G3588 the G2107 good-pleasure G3588 G2307 of his will, G1473
“predetermine us into adoption through Jesus Messiah into Him downward the satisfaction the will His.”
We are predetermined for adoption through, or by way of, Jesus Messiah. Everyone on the path to redemption goes through Jesus Messiah. Adoption is the legal standing of sonship. Some sons leave the family business and go their own way, other sons take over the family business at the proper time, this is adoption. A mutual decision to be part of the family which includes the family business.
Ephesians 1:11 G1722 In G3739 whom G2532 also G2820 we were chosen by lot, G4309 being predefined G2596 according to G4286 the intention G3588 of the one G3588 [2all things G3956 G1754 1operating] G2596 according to G3588 the G1012 counsel G3588 G2307 of his will, G1473
“in this and choose by lot predetermined downward setting forth as showbread the the all operating downward the determination the will His.”
Now we understand that we are chosen by lot. The idea here is that from our lives here on earth the Elohim roll the dice, or rolls out the offer. Here on earth we choose to accept Jesus as Messiah or not. From Jesus’ vantage point, above time, seeing the end from the beginning, he knows who will choose because he has already seen the end of all the ages of time. The catch is that we have to choose. It is not automatic. We are not robots, programmed or destined to fulfill a purpose. We choose in all aspects, in every situation, all the time, what we are going to do. Jesus and the Father made the offer, we choose.
Ephesians 1:12 G1519 for G3588 G1510.1 us to be G1473 G1519 in G1868 high praise G3588 G1391 of his glory, G1473 G3588 of the ones G4276 hoping earlier G1722 in G3588 the G5547 Christ.
“into the to exist us into approval the glory His the hope in advance in the Messiah.
Paul writes in very long sentences with lots of parenthetical phrases. This is why we have had a hard time getting this understanding correct. The Father blessed us in Christ. We are chosen in Him before the cosmos was created to be holy or sacred and unblemished before Him in love. The Father chose the adam and his heirs, manfaced, to become sacred and unblemished before the cosmos existed.
Let’s stop here for a moment. It would be rather mean if the offer of adoption wasn’t made to everyone, or all humans. How could a loving God, the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit, who wants us to be sacred and unblemished only make that offer to a handful of people? He wouldn’t. He created a race, manfaced, via the adam, who are made in His image and likeness. If someone doesn’t want to be sacred and unblemished he, by extension, doesn’t want to be adopted. We are adopted through Jesus Messiah. Jesus is the predetermined path of salvation and adoption. He was predetermined to be a Messiah to the heirs of the adam, to redeem them from Satanas who would overthrow the adam’s rule. This is the Father’s will. We are chosen by lot. Cast lots is the “rolling of dice”.
The idea of rolling dice is that the Elohim rolls out the offer, like dice. Then Jesus gets what he gets, meaning he gets whoever accepts Jesus Messiah. If he makes an offer, we choose to accept or reject that offer. Jesus is Messiah, accept or reject. If we accept, we are chosen to be sacred and unblemished in operating His will so that we can be predetermined to be like the show-bread in the temple, displayed before Him. We are approved for glory and honor when we believe in Jesus Messiah, either before he came to earth or after he came to earth. We are adopted into the family, as part of a working family, with different aspects of responsibility.
This is why we see Jesus repeatedly speaking to servants with comparisons. Jesus did not just randomly pick people to serve, they choose to follow Him then they choose to serve Him. But at some point, some people quit serving Him. This is what he is speaking to. Jesus didn’t intentionally choose someone who would destroy his household, he gives each of us a chance to serve if we say we want to serve. However if we commit to serve then we must fulfill our service or we cannot be presented as show-bread before the Father.
Freedom to choose is also why we see Drakōn, Satanas, fallen angels, and demons. Every son of God has freedom of will to choose their own existence and future. Jesus knew what they would choose and gave them the choice anyway, remedying their overthrow and destruction of His creation, with a process for them to make many choices along the way.
With this in mind then, it is clear that we have the choice to serve and can choose to stop being a servant of the Messiah, but there will be consequences for doing that.
Mrk 12:1 And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.
Mrk 12:2 And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.
Mrk 12:3 And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.
Mrk 12:4 And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled.
Mrk 12:5 And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.
Jesus says a man planted a vineyard and rented it out to a farmer, then left town. We can infer that the servants are the prophets who were sent to the farmer to collect a portion of the grapes or wine. For years every time a servant was sent to the farmer to get the the due payment of grapes and wine, the servants were persecuted and killed.
Mrk 12:6 Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.
Mrk 12:7 But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.
Mrk 12:8 And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.
Obviously the farmer and his crew did not respect the owners son either. The farmer and his farmhands wanted to take the land for themselves, without paying for it. They were stealing the land and the rent they were suppose to pay.
Mrk 12:9 What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.
Mrk 12:10 And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:
Mrk 12:11 This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
Mrk 12:12 And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.
The servants were brutalized by evil men. Yahweh Jesus Messiah and his servants have been brutalized by men. The predetermined plan was for Yahweh Elohim to come to earth to die for us. The prophets told us about him, about his coming, about his future coming on the Day of Yahweh. It is interesting that Mark notes that the religious unbelievers sought to lay hold of Jesus. What were they going to do to him?
Jesus left seven letters to seven churches in Asia. These were not churches in Israel. Jesus tells us that the spiritual entity, Jezebel, who was a seductress, a manipulator, and a liar, and that inhabited Ahab’s wife, who was named Jezebel, was in the Thyatira church. Whoever this woman was, she was claiming to be a prophetess. Who was she seducing? The servants of Jesus Messiah.
Rev 2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
This tells us the servants of Jesus have to be smarter than the evil spirits inhabiting people in the church. There are many evil people in the church, not just pseudo-prophets, but pseudo-leaders, pseudo-servants. We all have to be smart enough to see them for who they are, servants of Satanas. There is a punishment for those who fall into her seductions. The fooled servants are thrown into great tribulation unless they repent. Jesus promises that the servants who follow Jezebel will go through the tribulation because he knows the reins and hearts of every servant. This is a warning for our last days churches who have taken a hard left turn away from the precepts of Yahweh Elohim, advocating for the murder of infants, the trafficking of children, the forced slavery, and stealing of blood from the poor and weak. People may call themselves servants but they may not be. Be wise, stay awake, do not be seduced. Jesus knows.
Peter explains that for us to be servants living in the world, we are to submit to the ordinances of the governments. Peter expects that we understand that if people advocate for child sacrifice or child mutilation, we are not to “go along” with that, because those things are actually religious perversions, not national or local ordinances.
1Pe 2:13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
1Pe 2:14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
1Pe 2:15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
1Pe 2:16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
1Pe 2:17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
If we live within the law we silence the ignorance of foolish men who call Christians a threat to the nation. Again, keep in mind the seventy percent. The thirty percent cannot proceed with demonic rituals of human abuses if the seventy percent advocate for the preservation of life and personal liberty. It is not liberty for children when adults to attempt to transform children into the non-image of the Elohim, as children are made in the image and likeness of our Creator. False servants will advocate for Christians to stay silent and not get involved in government politics. The disadvantaged need a Christian voice of advocacy since they have the Satanic voices of tyranny abusing them.
We see that the blood of the Messiahs servants are avenged and judged before Jesus comes on the Day of the Lord with His armies.
Rev 19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
Rev 19:2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
The great whore is Babylon who from cradle to grave attempts to raise up people into her mystery religion. If we understand the mother of harlots and we understand her evil on the earth, then we will recognize that she has been enslaving people for thousands of years, buying and selling the souls of men.
The beast kills Babylon during the second half of the tribulation, Revelation 17:16-17. We should understand, no matter how the great whore abuses others, she will have her end and those abused by her will be avenged. The elites will not live forever, unless they come to Jesus Messiah and repent. They will not be able to overcome the beast.
Rev 19:5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
There will be celebrating when these evil people are judged and removed from the earth. We should be wise to who is serving Babylon in the church and who is advocating for Babylon’s cradle to grave indoctrination because they are polluting the Body of Christ.
As servants in the last days we have to have courage to stand strong, to defend the weak, and to preach to the lost. David tells us to have courage or to be manly.
Psalm 27:14 G5278 Wait on G3588 the G2962 lord! G407 Be manly G2532 and G2901 fortify G3588 G2588 your heart, G1473 G2532 and G5278 wait G3588 on the G2962 lord!
Jesus told the disciples to have courage, because he has overcome the world. He can say this because he lived above time, and knew he would overcome it all. Yet he purposefully bound himself to our confines of time to love us, teach us, and bring us eternal life.
John 16:33 G3778 These things G2980 I have spoken G1473 to you, G2443 that G1722 in G1473 me G1515 [2peace G2192 1you should have]. G1722 In G3588 the G2889 world G2347 [2tribulation G2192 1you shall have]; G235 but G2293 be of courage! G1473 I G3528 have overcome G3588 the G2889 world.
We can have peace in the world because Jesus overcame the world. In this particular time dimension of existence, we are just walking through all the choices that we and others make, including the fallen sons of the Elohim. Jesus can encourage us because he has seen the end and the beginning. He is able to call us friends when we serve him and do his will. It is up to us to choose what we will do. If we serve his people we will need courage. We will need strength. Jesus will give us what we need. How many of us, who are of the seventy percent, will say that they serve Jesus Messiah? We need wisdom and courage to choose to serve and protect the Body of Christ.
