Sermon
The Servant King
Theme
To be like Jesus doesn't mean to live like a king, it means to live like a servant.
Object
A crown (I got one from an educational supply store, but you can make one from poster board.)
Scripture
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. Philippians 2:5-7
Activities + Resources
All of you will recognize the object that I have with me this morning. It is a crown. Many of the teachers in the school where I teach use a crown similar to this one. When a student celebrates his or her birthday, that student gets to wear a crown and is the "king or queen for the day." Being the king or queen brings a lot of special privileges with it. For example, you get to be first in line everywhere the class goes during the day. You get to lead the class to recess, to the library, to P.E., and to music. You even get to be first in line to eat lunch in the cafeteria. The king or queen for the day also gets to do special things such as taking the attendance folder to the office. It is really a good feeling to be the king or queen for the day because all of the other students look up to you and wish they were able to do the things you are doing. All of the students in the class look forward to the day when they get to wear the crown.
Would you like to be a king or queen in real life? A king or queen usually lives in a palace and has a lot of money, silver and gold, and jewels. They are surrounded by servants who get them anything they want. Everyone looks up to them and admires them. Would you like to be treated like a king or queen every day?
Today I want to tell you about a king who took off his crown and gave up his throne to become a servant. That King is Jesus. The Bible tells us that Jesus put aside his Godly nature and came to earth to become a servant. When Jesus was on earth, he spent his entire life in service to others. He healed the sick, he fed the hungry, he was a friend to those who had no friends. Jesus never lived in a palace. He had no money, no silver or gold, no jewels. The only crown he ever wore while he was on this earth was a crown of thorns.
If I were to ask you if you want to be like Jesus, most of you would probably say, "Yes," but that isn't the question this morning. The question today is, "Would you rather to be a servant or a king?" Jesus chose to be a servant, and if we want to be like him, we must make the same choice.
Dear Jesus, our Servant King, help us to follow your example. Help us to choose to love and to serve others.
