Teaching: The Way of the Bondservant

🔑 Definition (Implied from Scripture)

A bondservant (Greek: *doulos*) is one who willingly surrenders their will to their Master — not out of obligation, but devotion. In the Kingdom, a bondservant is both a steward and a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, motivated by love and faithfulness.

1. A Bondservant Lives for Their Master’s Return

📖 Matthew 25:14–30 – The Parable of the Talents

📖 Luke 12:41–48 – The Faithful and the Unfaithful Servant

Jesus paints a picture of a master entrusting his servants with resources while he goes away. The faithful bondservants invest what they’ve been given, and are rewarded. The unfaithful servant hides his talent in fear or negligence and is rebuked.

The bondservant knows: *My Master will return, and I must be found faithful.*

2. A Bondservant Is Rewarded for Faithful Stewardship

📖 Luke 19:17 – “Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.”

This reflects the Kingdom principle: stewardship leads to multiplication and promotion. A bondservant does not seek authority for status but receives it as a trust from the Lord.

3. A Bondservant Leads by Serving

📖 Mark 9:35 – “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

Bondservants in the Kingdom are not climbing ladders — they’re going low. Leadership is through servanthood. Influence is through humility.

4. A Bondservant Cannot Serve Two Masters

📖 Matthew 6:24 – “No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and mammon.”

The heart of a bondservant is undivided. There’s no dual allegiance. Wealth, popularity, and self-will are not his masters — Christ alone is.

5. A Bondservant Is Freed to Serve

📖 Romans 6:18 – “Having been set free from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness.”

Freedom in Christ is not freedom to do whatever we want — it is freedom from sin so that we can live for righteousness. The bondservant embraces this freedom as joyful obedience.

6. A Bondservant Is Christ’s — and Makes That Known

📖 2 Peter 1:1 – “Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ…”

📖 Galatians 1:10 – “If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.”

Peter and Paul identify themselves not just by title (apostle), but by position (bondservant). It is their deepest identity — they belong to Christ, and live for His pleasure, not man’s approval.

7. A Bondservant Rejoices Even When Others Preach for Selfish Gain

📖 Philippians 1:15–18 – Some preach Christ out of envy… but Paul says, “What then? Only that in every way, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice…”

A bondservant doesn’t compete. He isn’t territorial. Even when others operate from false motives, his joy is that Christ is preached. That’s all that matters.

🧎‍♂️ Final Thought

The true bondservant isn’t chasing platforms, applause, or influence.
He has laid down his rights, picked up his cross, and said,
“Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.”

🕊️ 7-Day Devotional: The Way of the Bondservant

By Mark Yow | Director of MKBA

🌊 Day 1: Living for the Master’s Return

Scriptures: Matthew 25:14–30, Luke 12:41–48
Devotional Thought: Jesus entrusted His bondservants with resources not for comfort, but for stewardship. The faithful ones multiplied what was given. The lazy ones buried it. The bondservant lives with urgency, knowing his Master will return.

Action Step: Ask the Holy Spirit: “What have You placed in my hand that I need to multiply?” Write it down and take the first step today.

🏢 Day 2: Faithful in Little, Ruler Over Much

Scripture: Luke 19:17
Devotional Thought: God doesn’t promote based on potential but proven faithfulness. Dominion follows diligence. Start with the small thing. Steward it well.

Action Step: Identify one “small” area God has given you (a task, a person, a habit). Be intentional with it today as if it were a city.

👥 Day 3: Leading by Serving

Scripture: Mark 9:35
Devotional Thought: Kingdom leadership turns the world’s model upside down. We don’t rise by stepping over people, but by kneeling beneath them.

Action Step: Serve someone anonymously today. Let humility shape your influence.

🌡️ Day 4: No Two Masters

Scripture: Matthew 6:24
Devotional Thought: Dual allegiance leads to divided vision. The bondservant has one Lord. Wealth, fame, and comfort must all bow to Christ.

Action Step: Do a quick heart audit: Where has mammon influenced my decisions? Repent and re-align.

✨ Day 5: Freed to Serve

Scripture: Romans 6:18
Devotional Thought: Freedom from sin is not the goal. It’s the gateway to righteousness. A bondservant doesn’t ask, “What am I allowed to do?” but “What am I now empowered to do for the Lord?”

Action Step: Declare aloud: “I am free to obey Jesus with joy!” Then make a bold choice for righteousness today.

💕 Day 6: Known as Christ’s

Scriptures: 2 Peter 1:1, Galatians 1:10
Devotional Thought: Peter and Paul wore their bondservant status like a badge of honor. It wasn’t secondary to their calling. It was the foundation of it.

Action Step: Introduce yourself to someone spiritually today with your identity in Christ. Share what it means to be His bondservant.

🌟 Day 7: Joy in Every Gospel Advance

Scripture: Philippians 1:15–18
Devotional Thought: A bondservant doesn’t compete. He celebrates. Paul rejoiced even when others preached Christ from envy. Christ was lifted up—and that was enough.

Action Step: Bless another ministry, leader, or business publicly or privately. Rejoice that Christ is being made known.

🩼 Final Reflection:

“The true bondservant isn’t chasing platforms, applause, or influence. He has laid down his rights, picked up his cross, and said, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.’”

Pray through 1 Corinthians 2:9. Ask the Lord to open your spirit to the things He has prepared for those who love Him.

Love and Blessings,
Mark Yow
Director, MKBA