The Status Of A King, The Duty Of A Servant

Dr. Mike Murphy

August 9, 2025

Compassion and charity!  “How can you look at that situation and not feel compassion?”  “I give to our church, and I think our church is involved in a lot of charity!”  “I pay taxes, and I know my taxes go to charity.”  Words we hear used so often these days, but words that are often said without meaning.  In a world that never sees beyond the next few minutes, these are words that have come to describe our own thoughts rather than seen reflected in our true actions. Words that fill our immediate feel good wants, instead of focusing on the Lord’s life changing needs.  As we hear these words so often spoken, how much do we know exactly what these words mean?  And what does the Bible tell us about each word?

Although both words tug on the heart of man, each word has a distinct meaning.  The Hebrew word for compassion means, “tender mercies".  While the Greek word means, “to feel inwardly”.  From the first word of Genesis, to the last word of Revelation, we see the compassion of the Lord shown.  We see His tender mercy, and His inward love for all mankind. Man, as one who is made in God’s image, is to mirror and demonstrate each of the traits we see in the Lord, including compassion.  The Bible makes it clear, compassion is an attribute of the Lord, and should be an attribute that is found in each of us.  Compassion causes us to stop and look, and draws our attention to a need that the Lord wants us to see.

The Bible describes charity as “an act of compassion”.  Charity is when we put the compassion we feel into actions that will help others.  When we care for those in need, we act on the will of the Lord.  The willingness we show to help those in true need, is a direct reflection of our salvation and of the Holy Spirit at work in each of us.

But with each feeling of compassion, we are not to act without wisdom and discernment. We are not to give blindly to every want, but to seek the Lord’s will for true needs.  We must act as good stewards, making sure our coin, time and talent is being used to fulfill God’s purpose, and to bring glory to His name. We must also never forget, the Lord can call us to charity in many ways. Sometimes our greatest charitable acts can be found in the most unusual of ways. Remember the story of the lame beggar that Peter and John encountered(Acts 3:1-10). Remember Peter’s words to this man, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you:”(Acts 3:6).  What the Lord led Peter to give this man, was greater than any coin could buy!  And the Lord is often leading us the same today.  When we look at all the gifts the Lord gives us, gifts we may use to serve others in need today, we begin to understand the true purpose of these gifts, and just how far the Lord’s love reaches!

When we come to truly understand compassion and charity, we come to understand the role Christ calls us to today.  We come to understand that charity does not draw attention to ourselves, but to the Lord’s desire in the lives of others.  We come to understand that our compassion cannot turn to charity unless we are willing to serve.  Christ tells us, “It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 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 20:26-28). If our role is to reflect Christ, then His words tells us that we must become a servant.  Just as Christ came to serve, and to give His life, we are to give our lives in service of Him, and to help fulfill His need in the lives of our fellow man.

The word used in the Bible for servant means “slave”.  Although not every servant is a slave, we do know that every slave is a servant.  But like a slave, we must lessen ourselves and be willing to serve at the feet of our Master.  The problem in the Church today, we see way too many who seek to be leaders without first making themselves servants.  Paul said, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”(Philippians 2:3-4).  In other words, in order to serve Christ, we must have a heart to serve others.

So what does it mean to be a servant of Christ?  Let us take a look at what the Bible tells us about such a servant, and what characteristics should be found in each of us.

A servant must be found with a humble heart.  

The word in the Bible for humble means, “lowliness of mind, absence of self”.  Humility is not defined by our outward approach, but by our inward actions.  For a humble heart to be found, pride and selfish ambition must first be destroyed.  The humble hearted servant looks first to the Master, not to himself. Christ’ needs becomes his wants.  He soon comes to realize that what is best for the Master, is best for him.  His obedience leads him to defend the truth and reputation of his Master, not the egos and desires of himself.  The humble hearted servant knows that in true humility is found grace(Proverbs 3:34, 1 Peter 5:5), and that in the humbleness of his heart is found fulfillment and security.

The humble hearted servant is not led to charity, charity is a part of his very being.  He knows that charity allows this world to see Christ  The reflection of his Master is seen in the action he takes, and can be found in the work the Lord calls him to do.  He knows that to share Christ with others, is to show the world the goodness and love of his Master.  A goodness and love that he could not find in his own heart had the Master not chose to first serve him.

A servant must be found with an honest heart.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts.”(Psalm 139:23).  The servant knows that true compassion and charity do not exist in a feeling, but are placed in our heart by the hand of the Master. He knows that for compassion to be made more than mere words it requires a desire of the Spirit.  That charity can not be forced, but must be freely given. Therefore charity can never come from any form of government, but must come willingly from each of us.  The Master has also taught him, charity may starts with compassion, but it must end with accountability.  Compassion may lead us to give the hungry man a fish, but the servant knows that the Master desires us to teach that man how to fish, so that his life will be forever changed.  The servant does not pity those in need, but brings them to the door of the his Master.  He seeks to offer more than a hand out and a handshake, but the daily life sustaining bread that only his Master makes each day.  The servant knows the words his Master gave his fellow servant Peter, telling Peter those who love Him, will tend to His sheep(John 21:15-17).

A servant must be found with an unselfish heart.

"Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great."(Luke 9:48).  The Master has taught his servant that greatness cannot be defined in worldly terms.  He knows that if the Lord was to rank the greatest among us in each of our churches today, His order would surprise us.  He knows that many who pastor our churches would probably find their name way down on the list.  The servant knows that great is not the man who stands at the pulpit, but in the ones who find himself on his knees with the children. The one who gives his time to work with the youth, so that His Hope may be found in their future. The one who finds himself at the door of the sick on the days the church doors are not even open.  The one who is preparing the church an hour before the service starts, so that all may hear His Word.  The servant knows that greatness is not measured on Sunday, but by the man who quietly finds himself cleaning up the mess we have made of the church on Monday.

The servant knows that true charity and compassion can only be found in an unselfish heart.  A heart that ask the Lord what purpose He needs fulfilled, before he tells the Lord the desires of his own heart.  A man whose words and actions point others to Christ, not to himself.

A servant must be found with a giving heart.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”(John 3:16).  The servant does not just know how this verse ends, but how this verse begins.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave...”.  The servant knows that in order to reflect his Master, he must be willing to give as his Master gave.  He must be willing to give all, so that all may know the love of his Master.

The Master has taught the devoted servant of His will to serve His people.  He knows that in order to serve the Master, he must be willing to serve those that belong to his Master. He knows his time and his efforts can achieve so much more when placed in the hands of his Master, than in his own. The servant knows that the Master does not seek Sunday benchwarmers, but those who are willing to give their all, so that His Words may be brought to life each day.

As we look at the role of the servant, we must ask ourselves if in us a servant is found. Does the Church today look to serve Christ, or does it look to be served by Christ?  Does our compassion and charity come from how the world looks to drive us, or does it come from all that the Spirit shows us?  Do we offer our compassion and charity out of obligation, or do we give it freely to serve God’s purpose and plan?

We must again remind ourselves, we can only give what we have first received.  We can only give love, because Christ first showed us love.  We can only serve others, because Christ first served us.  We must again remember just how much charity the Lord has shown to all of us, and we cannot for a second forget all that He has given each of us. What incredible gifts the Lord has laid at our feet, gifts that carry a purpose far greater than this world will ever know. Gifts that call us into action, and affect each of those that Christ brings into our lives. What incredible service these gifts call us to perform, and what amazing promise each brings our way.  Gifts that each day remind us, that for the sake of that call, we must be willing to give our all.  Gifts that will one day cause crowns and titles to be placed at our feet. What a gift each day with Christ brings us.  Each day Christ shows us that we have the status of a king, but the duty of a servant!

Praying each of you will serve Christ!  

One Last Dance....

 Dr, Mike Murphy

January 26, 2025 

Often, I am very blessed to be able to talk and pray with others who are facing or going through cancer.  But rarely does that find me in the situation I found myself in this past week, speaking to a fifteen year old girl whose life had been devastated by lymphoma.  A fifteen year old girl named Courtney, whose words I will now never forget.

Courtney was the niece of a friend of mine, who lives very close.  Courtney and her mom had been staying with them, as they were working with a well-known hospital, in the hope they could help with the cancer.  But as my friend called me, they had learned that no help could be offered, and Courtney’s life would now soon be measured in days.  

With cancer, it is often challenging for me to travel or drive much distance, but being close, I was able to make my way to their house, offering to do what I could to talk and pray with Courtney.  As I entered their door, I was quickly aware of just how beautiful a young girl Courtney was, and even more appealing than her beauty, was the overwhelming presence of her smile.  By the time I was blessed to be able to meet her, cancer had already made its presence known, now weakening her to the point it was a struggle for her to just get up from her chair. But even as the cancer looked to devastate her, it could not mask her grace, and could not camouflage the draw of her personality.

As I sat to talk with Courtney, she soon began to tell me her story.  At fourteen, all of her life was ahead of her.  She had just made the freshman cheerleading team at school, and was looking forward to going to her first school dance with her boyfriend.  But as Courtney went through everything each day, she began to notice an internal pain that just would not go away, and began to experience a tiredness she just could not seem to get over.  One doctor soon had her sent to the next doctor, and one test soon led to another test, until the final test left her in the office of a local oncologist, who sadly let her know that she had cancer.

On that day, Courtney’s life took a sudden change, as school events and slumber parties were soon replaced by doctor's visits and chemo treatments.  And with each new treatment came a need for even more treatment, and with each new treatment, the cancer continued to rapidly advance.  A seventy percent chance to overcome the cancer soon turned to a thirty percent chance, until that day, it turned to no chance at all.

As I talked to Courtney that day, I soon discovered something about her that was even more appealing than her bubbly personality and her big smile, and that was her love for Christ.  At thirteen, she had come to not just read, but desire to understand the words of her Bible for the first time. And with each verse, her love for the Lord grew, and her desire to give her life to Christ soon became a reality.  Christ became the center of her life, and with each opportunity, she loved to share a word or two about Him with another.

As she talked to me about her cancer, it was not tears, but a smile that came to her face.  A smile that did not leave her in fear of what the days ahead would bring, but a joy and a certainty of the promises that tomorrow would hold.  And as she talked about this to me, she spoke words to me that completely overwhelmed me.  With a smile she told me, “Even though I know I will never get to go to a school dance, I realize that I will soon be dancing with the One I love most each day.  And even though I will never get to cheer at a high school game, I will soon have something even greater to cheer about each day.”  And with each word and each smile, it was my own heart that began to melt just a little more.

The more we talked, the more Courtney desired to share a verse of Scripture with me.  And soon nothing would stand in the way of that desire, as she was determined to get her Bible.  No matter how many times I offered to help, she would not let me, vowed and determined she would place her Bible in her hands for herself.  And as I watched this helpless and so very weak girl struggle to take each step, I soon came to realize that the one thing she was not was helpless.  As we each step, you could all but watch her lean on Him more.  As she opened her Bible, she turned it to 1 Peter 4:10, and read to me, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”  Finishing the verse, she began to explain the words of the verse to me, telling me that He had led her to read this verse several times, and each time she read it, she was drawn to it more.  Telling me how the words of this verse spoke to her, reminding her each day that despite the cancer, she had so much to be thankful to Him for.  And the best way she could thank Him, was to continue to find ways each day to serve Him, looking to share His grace with another each opportunity she was given.

As I talked to Courtney a little longer that day, I ended the day by praying with her.  And before I left, she motioned me to her, hugging me and thanking me for the time we had spent together that day.  As she did, I let her know that I looked forward to being able to talk with her again.  But as the words were spoken, she quickly smiled, quietly telling me, “Do not worry, soon we will have plenty of time to share more stories, and talk for an eternity.”

The next day, I soon learned that overnight, Courtney had grown even weaker.  And as the following day turned to night, the weakness would come to overtake Courtney, as she would spend the late hours of that night eternally dancing in the arms of her First Love.

In the days since, I have come to realize, it was not me that the Lord sent to talk to Courtney, it was the Lord sending me to Courtney so I could listen to her talk to me.  In that way too short time I was given the blessing of being able to speak and pray with her, the Lord has used her words to show me that I stand in front of Him without excuse.  My cancer does not, cannot not, and will not prohibit me.  It may leave my body weakened more and more each day, and leave me unable to do so many of the things I once took for granted each day.  But the cancer does not leave me with a single excuse, as it leaves me realizing just how much I have to be thankful to Him for.  And the best way I can show Him my thankfulness, is to continue to make the most of each opportunity He places before me.  I may not be able to do the things I once could do in service to Him, but even in my weakening state, I can still look to make the most of each opportunity I am extended in service to Him.  Leaving me realizing, cancer may greatly continue to weaken me, but it cannot stand against the strength He brings to me, and the hope and joy that serving Him each day still offers me.

I want so much to offer the biggest and heartfelt of “thank you’s” to Courtney, for truly teaching this “old dog” a new trick.  And for spending your “one last dance” making the most of the opportunity to reach out for Him to me. 

I pray that each of you are found dancing close with your First Love on a future day!