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Mark 10:32-52 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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I'll tell you that this week, Thursday night, I was hit by a truck driven by a big burly guy who goes by the radio handle ragweed.
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! And I've suffered for it. You guys really, I'm sorry, you really thought I was hit by a truck. I wasn't really hit by a truck.
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It kind of flattened me just the same. On Friday, I'm still suffering from that now. A couple of weeks ago, I was reminded of
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a quote by Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones who said,
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Preaching is theology coming through a man who is on fire. And this morning, I feel like I'm just smoldering.
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But we'll get through it together. We do believe in the primacy of preaching in our corporate meetings.
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The preached Word of God is incredibly important to the people of God, and we live in a day where that seems to be on the decline.
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And as it is, it also seems that the church is on the decline. And so even amidst suffering, rough voices, the preaching of the Word is of great, great importance.
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Now today will probably be a briefer sermon than we've had in the past. I think you all are due that.
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I think over the past, if I'm remembering correctly, over the past three weeks, I've preached for two hours and 48 minutes, I think.
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So I'm going to try to bring it in for you tonight. Although ironically, we're going to cover more text the Sunday than we have in the past Sunday.
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So join me at the beginning of verse 32 of Mark chapter 10 as I read through the end of the chapter.
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Woe is right.
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And they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them.
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And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid.
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And taking the twelve again, He began to tell them what was to happen to Him, saying,
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See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes,
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and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him over to the Gentiles.
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And they will mock Him and spit on Him and flog Him and kill Him.
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And after three days, He will rise.
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And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to Him and said to Him,
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Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.
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And He said to them, What do you want Me to do for you?
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And they said to Him, Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.
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Jesus said to them, You do not know what you are asking.
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Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?
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And they said to Him, We are able.
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And Jesus said to them, The cup that I drink you will drink.
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And with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized.
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But to sit at My right hand or at My left is not Mine to grant,
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for it is for those for whom it has been prepared.
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And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John.
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And Jesus called them to Him and said to them,
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You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
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and their great ones exercise authority over them.
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But it shall not be so among you.
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But whoever will be great among you must be your servant.
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And whoever will be first among you must be slave of all.
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For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve,
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and to give up His life as a ransom for many.
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And they came to Jericho.
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And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples, a great crowd,
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Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside.
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And when He heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, He began to cry out and said,
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Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on Me.
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And many rebuked Him, telling Him to be silent.
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But He cried out all the more, Son of David, have mercy on Me.
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And Jesus stopped and said, Call Him.
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And they called the blind man, saying to Him,
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Take heart, get up, He is calling you.
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And throwing off His cloak, He sprang up and came to Jesus.
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And Jesus said to him, What do you want Me to do for you?
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And the blind man said to him, Rabbi, let me recover My sight.
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And Jesus said to him, Go your way, your faith has made you well.
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And immediately He recovered His sight and followed Him on the way.
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This is God's Word to us, written for His glory and our good.
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We would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.
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Let's pray together.
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Father God, we are in all ways and at all times beholden to Your strength.
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We are completely weak apart from You.
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But there are certainly moments in our lives that we feel that more readily.
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And Father, this is probably the best place for us to be wholly dependent,
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recognizing that we need You and we need You this morning to preach through me,
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to apply the preaching of Your Word to our hearts,
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to change us from one degree of glory to another.
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We throw ourselves on Your promises.
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We know that You love Your people.
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And You want to see Your people come into perfection.
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We know that You love Your glory, that You're zealous for it.
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And You want a people that will honor You with their lives and with their lips.
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And so have Your way with us this morning as we open Your Word.
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And we pray this in Christ's name.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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So, as we've discussed previously, Mark's Gospel is written in a sort of three-act way.
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Now, I don't think he laid it out specifically in this way,
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but you can kind of see some divisions.
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And we've worked our way through Act 1 up through chapter 8, verse 21,
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which largely accounts for Jesus' public ministry.
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We certainly pick up some teaching in there.
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We see lots of miracles.
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All these miracles, they gave affirmation to the words that He was saying.
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But since chapter 8, verse 22,
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we've come into what we've kind of seen to be the second act,
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where Jesus' public ministry is minimized
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and His attention to disciples is emphasized.
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We can see this in chapter 9, verse 30 and 31.
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They went on from there and passed through Galilee.
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And He did not want anyone to know,
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for He was teaching His disciples.
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This was the major thrust of His ministry at this time.
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And in this act that goes through the end of chapter 10,
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we see it punctuated by Jesus' passion predictions.
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That is, His predictions of His suffering, His death, and His resurrection.
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We saw that in chapter 8, verse 31.
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And in 9, verse 31.
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And then before us this morning in verses 33 and 34 of chapter 10.
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So it seems to be marked out by these passion predictions.
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And in each case of Mark's account,
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these passion predictions are followed by a record of the misunderstanding of the disciples.
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And I find it very easy to wag my head at the disciples
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and not be able to comprehend how it is that they were so misled and so confused.
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But as we've noted, the culture was informing them about who the Messiah would be.
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They thought the Messiah was going to come and reign militarily.
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They thought He was going to sit on a throne on this earth in that time.
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And He was going to lead a great army and overthrow Rome.
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That He was going to set the Jews free from their earthly oppression.
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But because God's Word is written for us,
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we ought not merely just muse at the response of the disciples.
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Look at the poor, pitiful disciples and their muted understanding.
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But we also ought to apply Jesus' teaching to our own hearts.
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To ask the question,
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do we rightly understand what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ?
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We have been called from our nets on the seashore.
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We are now following Him.
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But do we follow Him rightly?
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And so we see their journey continuing in verse 32.
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And for the first time, we see the name of the place that they are headed to.
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I have been saying to you all along that this last six months,
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as He's putting His major focus on the disciples,
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that He's moving towards Jerusalem.
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This is how we know that to be the case in verse 32.
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They're moving from the east, headed towards Jerusalem.
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If you're looking at a map,
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it would look as if they're heading southwest.
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But you see it says they're going up to Jerusalem.
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But everything was up to Jerusalem in this day.
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Jerusalem was the great pinnacle of civilization.
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And furthermore, since they're coming from the east,
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there actually was a climb.
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They had quite a steep road on their journey to Jerusalem.
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So they're traveling up to Jerusalem.
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And we see in verse 32 a difference in the way in which they're walking.
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Mark records that Jesus was walking ahead of them.
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It doesn't seem to be a stroll amongst the disciples any longer,
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where He's teaching them as they talk along the way.
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But now He's walking out ahead of them.
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He's now determined where He's going and what He's going to go and do.
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You will note, for the original language,
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we see that this fear and amazement is the fear of the disciples
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and is the amazement of the crowd.
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And these things should be read in light of the following words
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that Jesus is going to speak to them.
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Saying to them,
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See, we're going up to Jerusalem.
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And He makes this prediction once again,
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a more expanded version of the predictions that He's made earlier
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in chapter 8, verse 31,
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and chapter 9, verse 31.
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And we know from our hindsight,
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from our position in redemptive history,
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that all of these things came to pass.
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Turn with me to Mark 15.
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We'll look in a short text here
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and see all of the realizations of all of these things.
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Mark 15, beginning in verse 15,
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So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd,
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released for them Barabbas.
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And having scourged Jesus,
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they flogged Him.
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He delivered Him to be crucified.
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And the soldiers led Him away inside the palace,
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that is the governor's headquarters.
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And they called together the whole battalion.
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And they clothed Him in a purple cloak
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and twisted together a crown of thorns.
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They put it on Him.
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And they began to salute Him.
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Hail, King of the Jews!
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They mocked Him.
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And they were striking His head with a reed
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and spitting on Him.
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They spit on Him
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and kneeling down in homage to Him.
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And when they had mocked Him,
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they stripped Him of the purple cloak
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and put His own clothes on Him.
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And they led Him out to crucify Him.
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We know what follows.
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They did in fact kill Him.
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So this tragic prediction that Jesus makes for us
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in chapter 10 certainly comes true.
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And the disciples are having a hard time understanding
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why.
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Why would the King of the Jews,
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why would the Messiah,
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the One who has come to deliver us,
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die?
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It seems that the fear of the disciples
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is rooted in their temporal mindsets
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of what this death march Jerusalem
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was going to mean for them.
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They had yet to fully comprehend
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and understand the eternal purposes
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of God and Jesus Christ.
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They had yet to understand
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that Jesus came to inaugurate
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a spiritual kingdom
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that would be consummated
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someday in the future.
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They seemed to miss that Jesus
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had always finished
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His passion predictions
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with His resurrection.
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He never fails.
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Never fails to say it.
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After three days,
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He will rise.
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He never leaves them hopeless.
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After three days,
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I will rise.
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This is the exclamation mark
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on the end of these predictions
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of suffering.
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Death will have no dominion
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over me.
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And therefore,
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death has no dominion
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over us.
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Peter put it this way
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in 1 Peter 1.3,
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Blessed be the God and Father
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of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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According to His great mercy,
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He has caused us
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to be born again
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to a living hope
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through the resurrection
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of Jesus Christ
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from the dead.
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In Jesus' resurrection,
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we ourselves
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have been resurrected.
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We were put to death
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and we have been raised again
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to live with Him.
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This is the beautiful promise
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of the Gospel
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when Jesus is giving it
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to them right here
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and He's laying it out
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before them
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and they have just yet
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to fully understand.
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And we see it again.
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This is the third time now.
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Look at the response
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of James and John.
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These brothers,
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the sons of Zebedee,
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they make a request of Him.
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They want to sit,
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one at the right,
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one at the left hand,
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in glory.
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They want to reign with Him
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in glory.
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Perhaps because they're familiar
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with 1 Samuel 2.8.
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Which says,
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He raises up the poor
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from the dust.
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He lifts the needy
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from the ash heap
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to make them sit with princes
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and inherit a seat of honor.
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They were rightly asking
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in some sense,
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Lord, we want to reign with You.
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We want the promise
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of 1 Samuel 2.8
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to come true for us.
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But look at how Jesus responds
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to them in verse 38.
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You do not know
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what you are asking.
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If you are to receive
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the blessing of reigning with Me
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in glory,
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do you understand
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what that means?
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And He asks them a question,
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a rhetorical question,
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which He answers
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that they will in fact
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be able to do.
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Are you able to drink
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the cup that I drink
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or to be baptized
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with the baptism
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with which I am baptized?
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And this question
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is saturated
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with Old Testament imagery
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of suffering.
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They would have understood
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what He meant
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when He talked about
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drinking of a cup
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and being baptized
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with this baptism.
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Drink the cup that I drink
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means the cup of God's wrath.
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This is what He's specifically
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referring to in this case.
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At the hands of men,
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Jesus Christ on the cross
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was going to experience
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the full cup of God's wrath.
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Psalm 75.8 reads,
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For in the hand of the Lord
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there is a cup
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with foaming wine
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well mixed
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and He pours out from it
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and all the wicked of the earth
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shall drain it down
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to the dregs.
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This is why Jesus prays
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in the Garden of Gethsemane.
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Good record of this
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is Luke 22.42.
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Father, if You are willing,
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remove this cup from Me.
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Nevertheless,
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not My will,
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but Yours.
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Let us be done.
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Jesus knew that it was
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the very wrath of God
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that was going to be
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poured out on Him
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for our sins
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that He was going to drink of.
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And in His human nature
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asked that if God's will
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could be accomplished
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in another way
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that He wouldn't have
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to do this thing.
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But yet,
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this being the will of God,
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the preordained will of God,
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Jesus drank it
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to the very last drop.
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How about the baptism
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that He refers to here?
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That's a clear allusion
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to God's judgment
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in the flood.
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That Jesus was going to be
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overwhelmed by God's judgment.
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Again,
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poured out on Him
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because of the sinfulness
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of mankind.
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And James and John
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respond to Him,
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we are able.
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We are able.
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And I don't think that they
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fully comprehended
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what Jesus was talking about
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in His suffering.
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None of us can suffer
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the way that Jesus suffered.
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I don't know how many of you
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saw the passion of the Christ
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such a brutal depiction,
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a fairly accurate depiction
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of what crucifixion looked like.
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The thing that was
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heartbreaking to me
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about that
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is everybody said,
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oh, look at this man
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and what they did for me
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and the things he did
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in his flesh,
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others would do.
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I think James and John
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understand that.
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I would do that for you.
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I would receive that kind
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of physical suffering
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for you,
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but the thing that I could
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never do for you
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is to be punished
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in my spirit
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the way that Jesus was.
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To drink of the full wrath
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of God
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for the sins of the church.
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To have His judgment
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wash over Him.
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One who had been
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in perfect union
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with the Godhead
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for all eternity.
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Suddenly had God
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turn His back on Him.
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This is something
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that none of us
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could have ever bore
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except for Jesus Christ.
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So they say we are able
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and if we're getting
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to this point in the text
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and we've yet to read
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the rest of it,
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we should say,
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no you can't.
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Impossible.
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How could you possibly?
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But what does Jesus
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respond to them?
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The cup that I drink,
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you will drink.
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With the baptism
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with which I am baptized,
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you will be baptized.
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Now is He talking about
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the exact same suffering
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that He would go through?
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No.
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He's not.
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But He is talking about
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the physical suffering.
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The persecution
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that He'll receive
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at the hands of the Gentiles.
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They will receive
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as well.
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Surely you will.
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James and John
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were not lacking
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in willingness.
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But they didn't fully get
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what they were saying.
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They wanted a reward
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for their part in the suffering.
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It's if they're coming
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to Him to say,
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we want to guarantee
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that if we're going to continue
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to follow you to Jerusalem
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and this is what's going
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to happen to you,
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that something really good
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and positive is going
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to happen for us.
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We are willing,
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we are able to suffer
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if only we can have
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the promise of glory.
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You see,
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they wanted to serve Jesus
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for their sake
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and not for the sake
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of others.
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And they certainly did.
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James,
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you can read about
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in Acts 12.2,
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was killed by King Herod
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with a sword.
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John was exiled
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to the island of Patmos.
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Tradition holds
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that he's the only apostle
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that was not martyred.
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However,
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he was tortured.
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He suffered greatly.
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It's believed that he died
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of natural causes,
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but he took on
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all kinds of torment.
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He had even been dipped
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in hot oil
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and the skin on his body
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was removed
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by that process.
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They certainly suffered
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for the sake of the name
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of Jesus Christ,
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but Jesus presses to them
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that this suffering
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does not guarantee
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some special status,
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a future glory to be sure,
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but not some special status.
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However,
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humility does lead
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to exaltation.
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It turns me to Luke 14
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while I take a water break
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from my throat.
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He says to them,
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it's not for me to decide
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who will sit at the right hand
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or the left hand of me
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in glory.
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This place has been prepared
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beforehand.
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But what does
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humiliation
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award us?
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How can we
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persevere
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through persecution?
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And there is a future promise
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for us.
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He tells a parable
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beginning in verse 7,
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Luke 14.
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Now he told a parable
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to those who were invited
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when he noticed
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how they chose
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the places of honor,
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saying to them,
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when you are invited
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by someone to a wedding feast,
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do not sit down
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in a place of honor,
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lest someone more distinguished
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than you
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be invited by him.
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People in this day
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who were more distinguished
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sat closer to the head
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of the table.
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Verse 9,
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And he who invited you both
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will come and say to you,
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give your place
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to this person,
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and then you will begin
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with shame
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to take the lowest place.
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But when you are invited,
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go and sit in the lowest place
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so that when the host comes,
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he may say to you,
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friend,
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move up higher.
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Then you will be honored
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in the presence of all
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who sit at table
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with you.
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For everyone
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who exalts himself
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will be humbled,
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and he who humbles himself
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will be exalted.
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So the very thing
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that they're asking for
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is the self-exaltation.
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And the point is further made
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by the response
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of the other ten.
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This activity amongst
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James and John
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and the other disciples
21:45
leads Jesus
21:46
to the teaching
21:48
of verse 42, 43, 44, and 45.
21:53
It says when the ten heard it,
21:54
verse 41,
21:55
they began to be indignant
21:58
at James and John.
22:00
They became angry with them
22:01
because James and John
22:03
were asking for seats of honor.
22:05
It was the same problem
22:06
we saw back in chapter 9
22:07
where they're arguing
22:08
about who is the greatest
22:10
among them.
22:11
They're feuding in between
22:13
of their little band.
22:14
Who's going to be generals
22:15
and who's going to be colonels
22:17
in Jesus' army?
22:20
And Jesus calls to them together
22:21
and says,
22:23
You know those
22:25
who are considered
22:25
rulers of the Gentiles,
22:26
lord it over them.
22:28
They deal with them unjustly.
22:30
And their great ones
22:31
exercise authority over them.
22:34
You know it to be true
22:35
of this world
22:36
that people who are
22:37
in positions of power
22:38
rain down on people
22:40
who are lowly.
22:42
But God's kingdom
22:44
looks different.
22:45
Verse 43,
22:46
But it shall not be so
22:48
among you.
22:51
But whoever will be great
22:52
among you
22:53
must be your servant.
22:54
And whoever will be first
22:56
among you
22:56
must be slave
22:58
of all.
23:00
It seems to be
23:00
a little backwards
23:01
in God's economy
23:03
that if we want to be
23:04
first,
23:05
we must be last.
23:07
That we must
23:07
empty ourselves
23:09
and serve
23:10
others.
23:12
And then Jesus
23:13
gives for this
23:14
the great
23:15
example
23:18
of His own life.
23:19
For even
23:20
the Son of Man
23:22
came not to serve,
23:25
not to be served,
23:26
but to serve,
23:27
and to give His life
23:28
as a ransom
23:30
for many.
23:31
The Son of Man,
23:33
Jesus,
23:34
the Christ,
23:35
the Messiah
23:35
came not to rule
23:37
militarily,
23:38
not to be set up
23:38
on a throne
23:39
and worshipped
23:40
in the temporal,
23:42
but to serve
23:42
in the eternal.
23:44
To give up
23:44
His life
23:45
that we may
23:46
have life
23:47
in Him.
23:48
He secured
23:49
an eternal
23:49
redemption
23:50
for the church
23:51
in this great
23:53
climax
23:53
of redemptive
23:55
history.
23:57
He's just
23:58
driving the same
23:59
point.
23:59
It's the theme
24:00
of this second
24:00
act of Mark's
24:01
that He's made
24:02
previously to us.
24:03
Remember Mark
24:03
chapter 8,
24:05
34 and 35.
24:06
This is in response
24:07
to the improper
24:08
understanding
24:09
of the disciples.
24:11
If anyone
24:11
would come after
24:12
Me,
24:13
let him deny
24:13
himself
24:14
and take up
24:15
his cross
24:16
and follow
24:17
Me.
24:17
That is,
24:18
empty him
24:19
of himself,
24:19
all of his
24:20
self-determination,
24:21
all of his
24:21
self-worship
24:22
and follow
24:24
Jesus.
24:26
Verse 35,
24:27
For whoever
24:27
would save
24:28
his life
24:28
will lose it.
24:30
But whoever
24:30
loses his life
24:31
for My sake
24:32
and the Gospels
24:33
will save it.
24:36
Again,
24:37
Mark chapter 9,
24:38
after the inappropriate,
24:40
the misunderstanding
24:40
of the disciples,
24:42
their argument
24:43
about who
24:44
would be first
24:45
and who
24:45
would be the
24:46
greatest.
24:46
In verse 35
24:47
of chapter 9,
24:48
if anyone
24:48
would be first,
24:49
he must be
24:50
last of all
24:51
and servant
24:53
of all.
24:56
And Jesus
24:57
again drives
24:58
all of this
24:59
with the great
24:59
example of
25:00
His life
25:01
and the way
25:02
in which
25:02
He came
25:04
to serve.
25:07
Why do we
25:08
think,
25:10
why do we
25:10
misunderstand
25:11
understand
25:12
that we
25:12
would be
25:13
any greater
25:14
than this?
25:17
Jesus came
25:18
into this
25:18
world
25:18
and was
25:19
hated.
25:21
You see,
25:22
the thousands
25:23
that are following
25:23
Him through the
25:24
first part of
25:24
Mark are
25:25
following Him
25:25
because of the
25:26
things that they
25:27
do,
25:27
not because of
25:28
who He is.
25:30
For the things
25:31
that can be
25:31
granted to them,
25:33
not because they
25:34
want Him.
25:36
He's rejected
25:36
in His own
25:37
town.
25:39
People will
25:39
follow Him
25:40
for a while
25:40
and then when
25:41
He says
25:41
something difficult,
25:42
they will
25:42
leave.
25:44
He's got a
25:44
very small
25:45
group of
25:46
people that
25:47
are devoted
25:48
to Him.
25:48
We see in
25:49
the beginning
25:49
of Acts
25:50
probably about
25:51
120.
25:53
120!
25:55
Our normal
25:56
Sunday morning
25:56
congregation is
25:57
larger than
25:58
that.
25:58
This is
25:59
Jesus,
26:00
the Christ.
26:01
Why do we
26:01
think we
26:03
would be any
26:03
better?
26:05
He was
26:05
delivered to
26:06
the authorities.
26:07
He was
26:08
spit on.
26:09
He was
26:09
flogged.
26:10
He was
26:10
mocked.
26:11
And He was
26:11
finally killed.
26:12
Why do we
26:13
think anything
26:14
different would
26:16
come to us?
26:18
In case you
26:19
do,
26:20
Matthew
26:20
chapter 10.
26:21
Turn there
26:21
please.
26:32
Jesus is not
26:33
unaware of what
26:34
will happen to
26:35
us as we
26:35
devote our
26:36
lives to
26:36
us,
26:36
as we
26:37
die to
26:39
ourselves,
26:39
take our
26:40
crosses,
26:40
as we
26:41
follow Him.
26:46
Beginning of
26:46
verse 16,
26:47
Matthew 10,
26:47
Behold,
26:48
I am sending
26:49
you out as
26:50
sheep in
26:51
the midst
26:52
of wolves.
26:54
So be
26:54
wise as
26:55
serpents and
26:56
innocent as
26:57
doves.
26:58
Do you know
26:58
what happens to
26:59
sheep in the
26:59
midst of wolves?
27:02
Beware of
27:02
men, for they
27:03
will deliver you
27:03
over to courts
27:04
and flog you
27:05
in their
27:06
synagogues.
27:07
And you
27:07
will be
27:07
dragged before
27:08
governors and
27:09
kings for
27:09
my sake,
27:10
to bear witness
27:11
before them
27:11
and the
27:12
Gentiles.
27:12
When they
27:13
deliver you
27:13
over, do
27:14
not be
27:14
anxious how
27:15
you are to
27:15
speak or what
27:16
you are to
27:16
say, for what
27:17
you are to
27:17
say will be
27:18
given to you
27:18
in that hour.
27:20
For it is not
27:20
you who speak,
27:21
but the spirit of
27:22
your father
27:22
speaking through
27:23
you.
27:24
Brother will
27:25
deliver brother
27:25
over to death
27:26
and the father
27:27
his child,
27:28
and children will
27:29
rise against
27:29
parents and have
27:30
them put to
27:30
death, and you
27:31
will be hated
27:32
by all for
27:33
my name's
27:33
sake.
27:34
But the one
27:34
who endures to
27:35
the end will
27:36
be saved.
27:38
When they
27:38
persecute you
27:39
in one town,
27:39
flee to the
27:40
next.
27:40
For truly I
27:41
say to you,
27:41
you will not
27:41
have gone
27:42
through all
27:42
the towns
27:43
of Israel
27:43
before the
27:43
Son of
27:44
Man comes.
27:46
A disciple
27:46
is not above
27:48
his teacher,
27:49
nor a servant
27:50
above his
27:51
master.
27:52
It is enough
27:53
for the
27:53
disciple to
27:53
be like his
27:54
teacher,
27:55
and the
27:55
servant like
27:56
his master.
27:57
If they
27:58
have called
27:58
the master
27:59
of the house
28:00
Beelzebul,
28:01
how much
28:02
more will
28:03
they malign
28:03
those of
28:05
his household?
28:07
He says
28:07
again,
28:08
John 15
28:09
18-20,
28:11
If the
28:11
world hates
28:12
you,
28:12
you know
28:13
that it
28:13
has hated
28:14
me before
28:14
it hated
28:15
you.
28:16
If you
28:16
were of
28:17
the world,
28:17
the world
28:18
would love
28:18
you as
28:19
its own.
28:20
But because
28:21
you are not
28:21
of the world,
28:22
but I chose
28:22
you out of
28:23
the world,
28:24
therefore the
28:24
world hates
28:25
you.
28:26
Remember the
28:27
word that I
28:27
said to you,
28:28
a servant
28:29
is not greater
28:29
than his
28:30
master.
28:31
If they
28:31
persecuted
28:32
me,
28:33
they will
28:33
also
28:34
persecute
28:35
you.
28:37
So if we
28:38
belong to
28:39
the Lord,
28:41
if we are
28:41
following Jesus
28:42
in his way,
28:44
we will
28:46
suffer.
28:49
There's no
28:50
wiggle room
28:50
in this.
28:51
There's no
28:51
way around
28:53
it.
28:53
And so what
28:54
does it
28:54
mean for
28:54
us if we
28:55
don't
28:56
suffer?
28:57
v. 19
28:59
of John
29:00
15,
29:01
if you
29:02
were of
29:03
the world,
29:04
the world
29:04
would love
29:05
you as
29:06
its own.
29:09
It is
29:10
possible to
29:11
be a
29:12
disciple of
29:12
Jesus Christ,
29:13
to have
29:13
made a
29:13
profession of
29:14
faith in
29:14
him,
29:15
to be
29:15
truly saved,
29:16
and to
29:16
have stopped
29:17
following
29:17
him altogether.
29:20
That
29:20
possibility
29:21
exists that
29:22
you become
29:23
so ensnared
29:24
by the
29:25
traps of
29:25
this world
29:26
that he
29:26
has gone
29:26
on ahead
29:27
of you,
29:28
and you're
29:28
just sitting
29:29
in the
29:29
luxury of
29:30
the things
29:31
around you.
29:33
If the
29:34
world doesn't
29:34
hate you,
29:35
it's because
29:35
you look
29:36
like the
29:37
world.
29:39
If you're
29:39
following
29:40
Christ and
29:41
you look
29:41
like him,
29:42
you will
29:43
be
29:44
persecuted.
29:47
Now,
29:48
what does
29:48
this look
29:48
like for
29:48
us as
29:50
American
29:51
Christians?
29:52
We have
29:52
laws that
29:54
prevent
29:54
by and
29:56
large
29:56
physical
29:57
persecution.
29:58
It's not
29:58
likely that
29:58
any of
29:59
us would
29:59
be beheaded,
30:01
drug out
30:02
of our
30:02
homes,
30:03
thrown
30:03
into
30:03
prison,
30:05
certainly
30:05
not
30:06
crucified.
30:07
There are
30:08
laws that
30:08
prevent
30:09
such
30:09
things,
30:10
but yet
30:11
persecution
30:12
should
30:13
exist
30:14
in other
30:16
forms by
30:17
us being
30:18
thought
30:19
strange,
30:20
being made
30:21
fun of,
30:22
people thinking
30:22
that their
30:23
intellect is
30:23
so much
30:24
larger than
30:25
ours,
30:26
because we
30:28
do things
30:28
like skip
30:30
watching the
30:30
Super Bowl
30:31
to be with
30:31
God's people
30:32
on a Sunday
30:33
evening,
30:34
because we
30:36
don't let
30:36
sports get
30:37
in the way
30:38
of our
30:38
child's
30:39
spiritual
30:39
growth,
30:41
because we
30:42
don't go out
30:43
late on
30:44
Saturdays,
30:44
because we
30:45
care about
30:46
our activity
30:46
on Sunday
30:47
morning,
30:49
because we
30:50
don't go
30:51
along with
30:51
every narrative
30:52
taught to
30:53
us in
30:53
the classroom,
30:54
we don't
30:55
make the
30:55
best grades
30:56
sometimes,
30:56
because we
30:56
don't put
30:57
down the
30:57
answer the
30:58
professor wants
30:59
to hear,
31:01
because we
31:02
work extra
31:03
hard,
31:04
even at
31:05
menial tasks,
31:06
even when
31:07
no one is
31:08
watching,
31:11
because ladies,
31:12
you don't fit
31:13
in on the
31:13
beach,
31:14
because you
31:14
care about
31:15
modesty,
31:17
because you
31:18
would rather
31:18
serve others
31:19
than be
31:20
served,
31:22
because you
31:22
warn people
31:23
of their
31:24
certain
31:24
destruction
31:25
unless they
31:26
repent and
31:26
believe in
31:27
Jesus Christ.
31:28
Beloved,
31:29
there are so
31:29
many things,
31:31
these are
31:31
examples that
31:32
popped into
31:33
my head,
31:34
ways in which
31:34
we should be
31:35
living that
31:36
sets us apart
31:36
from this
31:37
world,
31:38
following in
31:39
the ways of
31:39
God,
31:40
being disciples
31:40
of Jesus
31:41
Christ,
31:41
is going to
31:42
make us
31:43
strange.
31:46
We should
31:46
suffer in the
31:48
world.
31:49
We ask this
31:50
question,
31:51
do you feel
31:51
more comfortable
31:52
in your
31:52
other spheres,
31:53
the other
31:54
circles that
31:54
you run in,
31:55
than you do
31:56
when you
31:56
come and
31:57
you're with
31:57
the church?
31:59
So many
32:00
times,
32:01
I've heard
32:01
the accusation,
32:03
people will
32:03
come here and
32:04
not come back
32:05
because they
32:05
don't make
32:05
them feel good
32:06
about themselves.
32:08
It's not my
32:09
job to make
32:10
you feel good
32:10
about yourself.
32:12
It's make
32:12
you feel good
32:12
about Jesus,
32:14
to love Him,
32:15
to see your
32:15
own failing.
32:16
But shouldn't
32:17
we walk in
32:17
here together
32:18
and feel
32:18
comfortable
32:19
in our
32:20
failing?
32:20
Shouldn't
32:21
we walk in
32:21
here together
32:22
and want
32:22
to be
32:23
together?
32:23
Because this
32:24
place is a
32:24
refuge where
32:25
we all come
32:25
together and
32:26
say we fail
32:27
in the way,
32:28
but we know
32:29
the way.
32:29
And we know
32:30
the way isn't
32:31
crazy.
32:32
Encourage me,
32:33
spur me on
32:34
in the way.
32:35
I want to
32:36
follow Jesus.
32:37
I want to be
32:38
like Him.
32:39
Shouldn't
32:40
this be where
32:41
we're most
32:41
comfortable?
32:42
Isn't this
32:42
why we come
32:43
together as the
32:44
church?
32:45
We might
32:45
encourage each
32:46
other in this
32:47
way,
32:47
we might press
32:48
each other on
32:49
to go back
32:50
out and to
32:50
keep fighting?
32:52
To go to a
32:53
place that's
32:53
hostile towards
32:54
us?
32:55
A place that
32:55
doesn't want to
32:57
hear the things
32:58
we have to say
32:59
because it's not
33:00
of the world?
33:04
The answer to all
33:05
these rhetorical
33:06
questions is a
33:06
resounding yes.
33:08
This should be
33:09
true of us.
33:10
This should be so
33:11
true of us.
33:14
James 1, 2-4.
33:15
James says,
33:16
Count it all
33:16
joy, my
33:17
brothers, when
33:19
you meet trials
33:19
of various kinds.
33:21
For you know
33:21
that the testing
33:22
of your faith
33:22
produces steadfastness
33:24
and let steadfastness
33:25
have its full effect
33:27
that you may be
33:28
perfect and
33:29
complete, lacking
33:30
in nothing.
33:32
Do we want to be
33:33
driven on in our
33:35
faith?
33:37
Then welcome the
33:38
suffering.
33:39
I'm not suggesting
33:40
that you go and
33:41
seek the suffering,
33:42
but begin to
33:43
arrange your life
33:44
so that it looks
33:44
like the life of
33:45
Jesus and I
33:46
promise it will
33:46
come and count it
33:47
a joy when it
33:48
comes because you
33:49
will be purified by
33:51
it.
33:51
Your faith will be
33:52
increased by it.
33:55
Beloved, we are
33:56
so far ahead of so
33:58
many others in the
34:00
Christian faith.
34:00
We have much to
34:01
rejoice in.
34:02
God has done good
34:03
things with us,
34:04
but we are also a
34:05
long way from where
34:07
He would have us
34:08
be.
34:09
We have so much
34:11
changing to do
34:12
in our lives.
34:14
Casting off our
34:16
American Christian
34:17
culture and truly
34:20
being devoted to
34:22
the One who has
34:23
called us.
34:27
We see in the
34:28
summation of
34:29
chapter 10 a
34:32
beautiful picture of
34:33
calling.
34:37
As their journey
34:38
brings them to
34:39
Jericho, northeast of
34:41
Jerusalem, north of
34:43
the Dead Sea, a man
34:46
named Bartimaeus
34:48
hears that He's
34:48
coming and he
34:49
cries out to Him
34:50
and he cries out to
34:51
Him with a very
34:51
specific name,
34:53
Jesus, Son of
34:54
David.
34:56
That means that he
34:57
recognized that Jesus
34:58
was the Son of God,
35:00
that He was the
35:01
Messiah.
35:02
He knew who
35:03
Jesus was.
35:05
And Jesus says in
35:05
verse 49,
35:06
call Him.
35:07
He hears the call
35:08
of the blind man
35:09
Bartimaeus and He
35:10
says to him,
35:10
call Him, and you
35:12
see in verse 52
35:13
that His sight is
35:15
restored.
35:16
It's immediately
35:17
recovered because of
35:19
His faith.
35:21
I've said to you as
35:22
we've worked through
35:23
the second act that
35:24
it's bookended by
35:25
two accounts of
35:27
Jesus healing
35:28
blind men.
35:30
We see the man at
35:31
Bethsaida, 8,
35:32
22-26.
35:34
He's a man who's
35:35
healed in degrees
35:36
and he's brought
35:38
to Jesus by
35:39
others.
35:41
Brought to Him.
35:41
Not given a name
35:43
here.
35:43
And Jesus takes
35:44
him away and He
35:45
does two miracles.
35:47
He partly restores
35:48
the sight and then
35:48
He fully restores
35:50
His sight.
35:51
And then He sends
35:52
him off and says,
35:53
don't go into the
35:54
village.
35:56
Then we see
35:56
Bartimaeus who's
35:58
healed immediately.
36:00
And these things
36:02
seem to be, by
36:03
Mark's inspired
36:05
account, put it
36:05
either in, bookmarked
36:06
it either in, to
36:08
drive the point that
36:09
Jesus is not only
36:11
the miracle worker
36:13
over physical
36:13
blindness but over
36:14
spiritual as well.
36:16
That He is the Lord
36:17
of spiritual blindness.
36:18
And I just love the
36:20
picture of Bartimaeus
36:21
calling out to Him.
36:22
He calls him to
36:23
Himself.
36:24
He restores His
36:25
sight.
36:26
And as He says to
36:27
him, verse 52,
36:29
go your way.
36:31
Your faith has
36:32
made you well.
36:32
And Mark's record
36:33
says, and immediately
36:34
He recovered a sight
36:35
and followed Him
36:37
on the way.
36:41
Bartimaeus' way
36:43
became Jesus' way
36:44
when Jesus restored
36:46
His sight.
36:47
When He made Him
36:49
whole once again.
36:54
And so we can take
36:55
some confidence in
36:57
the fact that Jesus
36:57
is Lord over
36:58
spiritual blindness.
37:00
If we will simply
37:01
call out to Him,
37:03
put ourselves
37:04
at His mercy.
37:07
Paul said this
37:08
in Philippians 1.6,
37:09
and I am sure of
37:09
this, that He who
37:11
began a good work
37:12
in you will bring
37:13
it to completion
37:14
at the day of
37:16
Jesus Christ.
37:18
And so as we feel
37:20
bad about ourselves,
37:23
as we recognize
37:24
that we don't suffer
37:25
for the sake of
37:26
Jesus Christ and
37:27
the gospel the way
37:28
we should,
37:29
we can take
37:29
confidence in the
37:30
fact that He is
37:31
completing in us
37:32
the work that He
37:33
set out to begin,
37:34
that we are still
37:35
on a road of
37:36
sanctification,
37:37
that He has not
37:38
given up on us.
37:41
Let's pray together.