SO YOU THINK YOU WANT TO BE A SERVANT ?

2 Corinthians 6:3-10

In our text, Paul deals with the credentials of the servant. While servanthood is one of the most admirable of all human endeavors, it exacts a price from us. Servanthood sounds glorious when you're sitting on a log around a campfire singing

Make me a servant,
Lord Make me like you
For you are a servant, Lord,
Make me one too.

What a nice sentiment. No one attacks the concept of servanthood. We write books about it, preach sermons about it and teach classes on the subject, but when push comes to shove, do we really want to be servants? It's one thing to sing and talk about servanthood, its another thing to go about the business of serving.

Generally speaking the public is suspicious of self-proclaimed servants. When politicians label themselves "public servants," how do you react? How do you respond to rhetoric of a speaker who claim to be your "loyal and humble servant?" Under your breath, you may be saying, "Who do you think you're fooling?"

The purveyors of religion have attached so many different adjectives to the word "ministry" (the Biblical equivalent of service), to the point that we often lose credibility when we speak of our "ministries." A "ministry" often ends up looking quite self-serving. At least that's what many people think about the media ministries that seem to specialize in fund-raising.

PAUL'S CLAIM TO BE A SERVANT

Perhaps it sounds a little strange to us to hear the apostle Paul identify himself as a servant without any apology. He said in verses 3 and 4,

We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way.

Paul wasn't lowering himself to the showmanship of the politician who claims to be a public servant. In the case of the politician, there's a gap between the rhetoric and the practice. Paul didn't have that problem. Instead he needed to set the record straight because his integrity was under attack. Paul's accusers were not servant-minded people. He has found it necessary to defend his holiness and sincerity (1:12), his love for the church (2:4), his competence (3:5-6) and his integrity (4:2-3). His challengers were suave, debonair, sophisticated people who knew nothing of real servanthood. In contrast to their impressive show, Paul said in 4:1, ". . . we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God."

How did Paul contend for his integrity? It was one thing to claim that he didn't distort the Word of God, but it was something else to make a convincing defense of that claim. His defense was servanthood.

Not only did he make the claim to be a servant. He said, "Look here is what it cost me to do that." It's important for us to take a close look at the cost, because if we're serious about being servants, we can expect to pay the same price.

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