The SERVANT

Isaiah 61:1-2 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

Zechariah 3:8

Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the Branch.

Zechariah 3:8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the Branch.

Matthew 12:18

Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

Matthew 20:27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:

Matthew 23:11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

Isaiah 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

Isaiah 42:19 Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the Lord's servant?  [This servant is Jesus; and there are many more verses which prove that Jesus was God’s servant]

Romans 1:1Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, 

Romans 16:1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:

The original word that was translated here as Servant is a totally different word that was translated as ‘servant’ in all other places in Scripture, so says Strong’s concordance.  It means to be their leader.  She was the pastor of that church.  You can search it out for yourself;  I already have and am not going to do so here.  Likewise all of the apostles called themselves SERVANTS of the Lord.

So, a pastor is supposed to be a SERVANT;  not lifted up as a god.  1 Corinthians 9:19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

Galatians 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

Luke 22:27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.  [This is Jesus speaking. Why then do pastors think they are your master or ruler?]

John 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.  [ok, let’s see the high minded pastors, who think they are your ‘lords’ and should be paid, come down and wash your feet.]

1 Peter 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;  3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock.

See that if money is paid for this work it is filthy lucre.  And where do these pastors get the thought that they are lords over God’s people?  They do not fit the truth at all.

Now, for HUSBANDMAN:  MEANING:  a person who cultivates the land; a farmer.

Genesis 9:20 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:

Zechariah 13:5 But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.

John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.  [see that even God shows himself to be a husbandman;  planting a garden. ]

Now for the vinedresser:  a person who prunes, trains, and cultivates vines.

2 Kings 25:12 But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.

Isaiah 61:5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.  [this is speaking of the NT ministers.  Not what you see pastors thinking they should do is it?]

Jeremiah 52:16 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land for vinedressers and for husbandmen.  [see that it was considered the labor of the poor to be vinedressers and husbandmen! ]

Gen 2: 15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.     

Now!  To the heart of this message.   Adam was placed in the garden that God had planted for the sole purpose of TAKING CARE OF IT.

He was supposed to be the vinedresser!  He was supposed to be a servant to those people of God!  He was supposed to be a PASTOR to them!  Not the kind of pastors in our land today, who prey off the sheep taking wages from them!  But as God told Peter, not as lords over my heritage. 

Adam was supposed to be a SERVANT to serve and protect God’s people.  He was not to be a ruler over them.  He was not to rule over Eve or anyone else.  Servants are not rulers.  Being ruled over is to be in BONDAGE.  Instead he put them under law, so he could rule over them.  Peter said that law was a heavy bondage that they could not bear.

The ‘garden’ or people of God were to be FREE all the days of their lives.  But Adam took them into bondage and ruled over them with cruelty and violence.  He lifted himself up as god.  He said, I am god.  I sit in the seat of God.  Now just look at the pastors today!  They do lift themselves up as gods, sitting up on that high stage and demanding obedience and thinking he is the only one who has a right to FEED THE SHEEP.

Look at the popes!  Dressed in fancy robes, being carried about on a platform by other men, as if he is God himself!  People must bow down to him and kiss his ring, which is WORSHIP.  He is of satan.

All of these men who think the sheep of God must pay them money to teach or whatever it is they pretend to do are of satan.  The love of money is the root of all evil.

Peter said, silver and gold have I NONE.  but such as I have I GIVE TO YOU AS JESUS SAID TO DO;  FREELY YOU HAVE RECEIVED,  FREELY GIVE.

Taking pay for this is the sure MARK OF THE BEAST.  You are paying a beast to rule over you.  Get out of that den while you still can!

When Jesus preached he sat down, showing himself to be meek and lowly;  not high and lifted up above the people.  He was a true SERVANT;  serving both God and the people!  If you do not follow HIS example, you are servants of satan!

By:  Jo Smith ~~~  November 4,  2023.