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Mark 9:30-41 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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All right, please take out your copy of God's Word and turn to the Gospel according to Mark chapter 9.
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While you're doing that, I feel it necessary to say that Wes mentioned this morning as we're doing Father Abraham that my frail body may be able to do it.
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And I just want you to know that he wasn't insulting me.
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This is to protect his own.
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I've got a lot of tendon muscle issues that I've had for over a decade that are undiagnosed, and that's what Wes was mentioning as we did some service yesterday, and I'm feeling it a little bit today.
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So we'll see how the energy level keeps up as we work here through Mark chapter 9, verse 30 through 41.
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Follow along as I read that out loud to you.
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They went on from there and passed through Galilee, and he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them,
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The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him.
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And when he is killed after three days, he will rise.
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But they did not understand the saying and were afraid to ask him.
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And they came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house, he asked them,
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What were you discussing on the way?
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But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.
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And he sat down and called the twelve, and he said to them,
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If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.
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And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them,
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Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,
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and whoever receives me receives not me, but him who sent me.
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John said to him,
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Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not following us.
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But Jesus said,
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Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able to soon afterward to speak evil of me.
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For the one who is not against us is for us.
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For truly I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
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This is God's word to us, written for his glory and for our good.
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We would all do well to listen to it this morning in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.
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Let's pray together.
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Father, we ask you this morning that you would bless the reading and the preaching of your word.
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Father, we are a people of the book of your word.
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It is by it that your spirit transforms who we are.
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Father, we ask this day, Lord, that you would renew our minds and therefore shape who we are from one degree of glory to the next to look more like Christ.
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That in our living we would in greater degree exalt your name.
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We cannot accomplish this on our own.
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We fully recognize this this morning.
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And so we ask, we plead that you would work in us.
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And we pray this in Christ, precious, holy, lifted name.
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Amen.
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So our preaching in the Gospel of Mark, we've come now to a sort of, and of course Mark did not break it down in this way,
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but kind of a second act in the book itself.
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Begins in chapter 8, beginning at verse 22.
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We see Jesus heal a blind man at the town of Bethsaida in varying degrees.
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We see it end at the end of chapter 10 with, again, the healing of a blind man.
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This is blind Bartimaeus.
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And the reason that it's framed in this way is that Mark's trying to say to us that Jesus is sovereign over spiritual blindness.
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And he shows us that with these two real events, but that are metaphorical in this way.
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Because we see the disciples coming to a dawning understanding of who Jesus is and what it means to be part of the kingdom of God.
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Thus the healing in degrees we saw with the man at Bethsaida.
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We, of course, get to experience, and we talked at length about the great confession of Peter in verse 29 of chapter 8.
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Peter answered him,
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You are the Christ.
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And we're now in the midst of a series of lessons that are being taught to the disciples on their journey towards Jerusalem.
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The Galilean ministry is coming to a close.
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The public ministry is coming to a close.
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And Jesus is working.
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He's about six months out now from his crucifixion.
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He's wrapping up the teaching.
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The things that they have heard from him over the past two years.
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He's making sure that they get it, that it clicks, that they have the proper information to be able to function forward in their discipleship.
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So we saw three weeks ago, verse 31 and 38 through 38 of chapter 8, the cost of discipleship.
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We then got to witness the transfiguration, that glorious moment, the climax here of the second act in chapter 9, verse 1 through 13,
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of the surety of the coming kingdom.
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Last week, verses 14 to 29 of chapter 9, we saw the necessity of faith, the need for it,
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even a faith that is weak and imperfect, but sufficient.
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This week we're going to look at the excellence of service.
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And in the coming weeks, the seriousness of sin, the nature of marriage, the child likeness of faith,
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the difficulty of riches, and the prominence of humility.
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But for this week, the excellence of service.
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And we see in this text, the excellence of service taught in principle, in a teaching moment.
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So we see that they move from there, the valley that's below the mountain where the transfiguration happened.
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We don't know exactly.
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We're not sure of the mountain.
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I postulated to you that it's Mount Hermon, which is north of the area of Caesarea Philippi.
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I still hold that view.
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I think likely this is where this happens.
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So they've come down back into the valley where the villages of Caesarea Philippi are located,
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about a three days journey north of the Sea of Galilee.
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And they have now moved down through Galilee.
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And we find out that they're on their way back to Capernaum, which is on the northwest coast of the Sea of Galilee.
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You remember this was kind of the base camp, the station that Jesus operated out of during his Galilean ministry.
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So they're moving back to that place.
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And we see again this theme of secrecy in verse 13.
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He did not want anyone to know.
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And it's interesting as we've read through Mark so far, there's this constant swearing into secrecy.
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He does an amazing thing and then he tells somebody, do not tell anyone.
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And we've asked the question, why is that?
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It seems so much better that everyone would know.
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Isn't that the place we find ourselves this day?
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We want the whole world to know about Jesus, that he is the Christ, that he reigns as prophet, priest, and king.
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We want to spread that word far and wide.
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Why did Jesus operate in secrecy?
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And the large reason for that is because he was concerned that they would take him captive.
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That they would take him and make him by force become king.
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That they would try to set him up militarily and politically to overthrow Rome.
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It was a very common misunderstanding in this day.
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It was the widely accepted understanding of who the Christ would be.
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That the Christ would come and would reign politically and militarily.
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That he would deliver them from their momentary trouble rather than their eternal trouble of sin.
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But specifically here, he helps define for us, Mark does, that he was teaching his disciples.
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So not only because of this larger reason, the bigger context of the reason for the secrecy, but he was avoiding the crowds.
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He was constantly pressed in by the crowds.
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He was constantly being diverted by the crowds.
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And here he's got a very intensive purpose in these coming six months.
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And so he avoids the crowds.
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He didn't want anybody to know.
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Now when you look at the first part of verse 31, it says,
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For he was teaching.
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So they're on a journey.
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It's safe to presume.
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They're passing through Galilee.
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And in the process of that, he is teaching.
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It's an imperfect verb tense.
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So he was constantly teaching.
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He was in the process of teaching.
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But Mark sums it up for us in a very simple two sentences.
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Saying to them, the Son of Man is going to be delivered in the hands of men and they will kill him.
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And when he is killed, after three days, he will rise.
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He's saying to this to them.
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He's teaching it to them again and again and again.
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He's trying to get them to understand.
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He's making this passion prediction as he's done previously, beginning in verse 31 of chapter 8.
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And he'll do it again later on in chapter 10.
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Yeah, chapter 10.
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Well, he's making these continual passion predictions and all of them are followed by a rather dramatic misunderstanding of who he is and what he came to accomplish.
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But it was, in some sense, rightly misunderstood.
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I think it's really easy for us to read these stories and really beat up on the disciples to say, like, I would have never misunderstood this.
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In fact, in verse 32 of chapter 8, Mark records that he said this plainly.
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He spoke it in clear language.
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He didn't confuse it at all, but they just couldn't wrap their minds around it.
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And that was because of their cultural context.
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It didn't make sense to them that the one who had been promised, the one who would come and who would reign, was going to have to suffer and to die.
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They couldn't wrap their minds around what that meant.
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And so he continues to unfold it for them in this journey.
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Now, it's important here, I think, to stop for a moment and remember, recall, why it is that Jesus calls himself the Son of Man.
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It's an interesting title that he gives to himself.
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And he does this because of Daniel chapter 7, verse 13 and 14.
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One of Daniel visions, he says,
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One who was human, who had human form.
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But this is the title that Jesus pulls for himself.
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When he came to the Ancient of Days, this is God, and was presented before him.
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And to him, the Son of Man, was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.
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His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away.
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In his kingdom, one that shall not be destroyed.
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They got that.
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They understood that, these Jewish men that were following him.
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But they didn't understand the suffering.
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They didn't understand the death and the resurrection.
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They had yet to really comprehend the cross.
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Verse 32 says,
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But they did not understand the saying and were afraid to ask him.
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And I love that we get a number of accounts after some of the rather foolish things that are said in chapter 8 and in chapter 9 of silence.
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We have a number of different ways that they just stopped talking altogether because they just didn't know what to say in response to the things he had to say.
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They didn't understand.
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They believed that Christ was the Son of Man of Daniel chapter 7.
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They believed that he was the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace of Isaiah chapter 9.
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They believed that he was the ruler of Israel of Micah 5.
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But they didn't understand how all of this would be accomplished.
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They didn't get how Jesus got from where he was the son of a carpenter from a small town to being this Christ.
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They didn't understand that he first must be the man of sorrows of Isaiah chapter 53.
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And the suffering servant of Psalm 22.
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They had a too narrow view of who Jesus was and therefore is.
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After all, what did the scriptures tell us?
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That the cross was to the Jews.
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What does it say?
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It was a stumbling block.
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They couldn't understand.
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They had a misconceived notion about who Jesus was and how it was that he came to reign.
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They thought he came to reign in the physical, not in the spiritual.
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He came to reign in our hearts.
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Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1.23,
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We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews, and folly to Gentiles.
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They didn't understand.
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And they were afraid to ask.
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Afraid to ask.
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It's no wonder they were afraid to ask.
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After Peter rebukes Jesus for thinking something could even be possible,
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he's just said, you are the Christ.
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And from our understanding of who the Christ is,
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it's impossible that you would have to suffer and die,
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that being raised from the dead even means something if you don't die.
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But he rebukes in return these scathing words.
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Chapter 8, verse 33,
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But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said,
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Get behind me, Satan.
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For you are not setting your mind on the things of God,
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but on the things of man.
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They were right to be concerned and afraid to ask.
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Afraid to challenge him once again about what he was saying would be the case.
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Jesus, at this point, has fixed his gaze on the cross.
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He is headed there intently.
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And all along the way, he's trying to get them to understand why it is he must go.
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And so they come to the town of Capernaum.
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And it says that when he was in the house,
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this is likely the house of Simon and Andrew.
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There is a definite article there in the Greek.
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The house.
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And remember back in chapter 1, verse 29,
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this is the house that he was at,
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was likely the base camp.
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Likely where he lived when he was there in the house of the disciples,
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Simon and Andrew.
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And he asked them a question.
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What were you discussing on the way?
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Now they're making this journey,
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about a three-day journey.
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And the nature of walking along together,
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if you've done any hiking in a big group,
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or even just being in a city and trying to get down a sidewalk together,
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you tend to be able to group up,
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and then you have to kind of spread out.
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Just the nature of crowd,
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the nature of narrow paths through fields,
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is kind of going to cause you to have to spread out at times.
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And so, this is conjecture on my part,
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but I'm assuming that they get together in groups,
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they're eating meals together,
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Jesus is teaching them along the way,
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and then they have to spread out some.
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Or he's fading from the front of the crowd to the back of the crowd,
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and he's teaching them as he goes.
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He speeds up.
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You've ever done that?
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Made a little hop on the trail to get around in front of somebody,
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because you want to talk to somebody else.
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And he's moving back and forth,
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and he's doing this teaching.
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But they've been able to have a conversation.
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The twelve have been discussing on the way,
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who is the greatest.
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But notice that they kept silent.
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It's like they know in their being
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that they shouldn't be having such a conversation.
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Jesus has been teaching them about dying.
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He's been teaching them about picking up their cross
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and following him,
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and how he must suffer and die.
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And they're ashamed that they're having this conversation,
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this great display of human pride.
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What a thing to be talking about
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when the one you have declared to be the Christ,
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your Lord,
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the one that you have followed,
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given your lives for,
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has said that he will die.
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To be talking about how great you will be in the kingdom.
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And again, it's easy here to say,
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stupid disciples,
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how could you do this?
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But the sad thing about this
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is that this is not at all unlike us.
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In fact,
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as part of the story,
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the saddest thing is that
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it's like holding a mirror up to ourselves.
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We are the very same way.
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It's a result of the fall.
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In fact, the very nature of the fall,
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Adam and Eve were perfect image bearers.
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Adam and Eve were the absolute,
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pre-fall, perfect images of humanity.
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It couldn't get any better.
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It absolutely couldn't get any better.
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There was a proper order.
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There was a creator that made a creation.
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And they lived in perfect harmony with God.
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But they believed the lie of the serpent
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in Genesis 3.5.
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You will be like God.
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The very motivation for the fall
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was that they wanted to be more than they were.
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They wanted to step out of the creator,
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creation role and be like God.
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And humanity now, by nature,
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is self-seeking, self-exalting,
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self-determining, or at least we think.
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Before God changes our hearts,
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everything is all about us
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at all times, in all ways.
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And this is rightly seen as rebellion
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against the created order.
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This is what makes us rebels against God.
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Even if you're a typical good person,
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the fact that you've stepped out
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of this created order
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and you're concerned primarily about yourself
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and what you may gain by your goodness
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makes you a rebel against God.
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God created us to be God-seeking,
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Christ-exalting,
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and Spirit-determined.
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And those of us who have been found in Christ
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now have the capacity once again to do this.
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Do we do this well at all times?
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Absolutely not.
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None of us escape this lesson in this text today.
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None of us escape the constant nagging
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of our prideful flesh.
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So what is the remedy to pride?
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What is the antithesis of pride?
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It's humility.
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It's humility.
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There's a response.
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Remember here they haven't told him
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what they were talking about,
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but he asks,
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and they're too ashamed to talk about it,
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but he knows just the same.
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So verse 35,
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he sits down as a teacher of the law would.
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He sits down and he calls them to him
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in the house.
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And he says to them,
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if anyone will be first,
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he must be last of all
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and servant of all.
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Axiom statement.
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The hinge on which this story swings.
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That's another paradoxical statement.
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I explained paradox to you a couple of weeks ago.
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I like to say that it's an apparent paradox.
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On the surface it seems to be.
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A paradoxical statement,
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the one we discussed earlier,
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is this statement is false.
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Wrap your mind around what a paradox is.
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This is an apparent paradox.
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It seems that,
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how can I possibly be first to be last
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and last to be first?
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It doesn't seem to jive well
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in our human logic.
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This is really just a restating
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of what Jesus taught them
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in chapter 8, verse 34.
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If anyone would come after me,
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let him deny himself,
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set down his self-determination,
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his self-exaltation,
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and take up his cross
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and follow me.
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Follow him where?
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Even to the point of death.
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Jesus says,
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if you are to have me,
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you must lose yourself.
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If we are to have Jesus,
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the greatest possible thing
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that we could possess in this life,
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we are to put ourselves down.
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See, humility has a proper outworking.
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If we are humble,
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if we recognize the created order
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and we know who we are
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apart from Christ,
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there is a proper outworking.
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And that outworking is service.
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Placing others,
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their real needs,
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not necessarily their felt needs,
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but their real needs
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before our own.
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In Sinclair Ferguson's commentary
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on Mark,
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he says,
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humility is according importance
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to the unimportant.
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This is a rampant problem
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of the human condition.
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So rampant, in fact,
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that the Scripture speaks of it
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constantly.
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Here's a few.
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You ready?
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Micah 6.8
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He has told you,
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O man,
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what is good.
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And what does the Lord require of you
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but to do justice
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and to love kindness
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and to walk humbly
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with your God.
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Luke 4.11
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For everyone 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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Ephesians 4.1-2
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I therefore,
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prisoner of the Lord,
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urge you to walk in a manner
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worthy of the calling
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to which you have been called
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with all humility
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and gentleness,
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with patience,
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bearing with one another,
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in love.
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Colossians 3.12
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Put on then,
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as God's chosen ones,
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holy and beloved,
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compassionate hearts,
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kindness,
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humility,
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meekness,
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and patience.
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James 4.6
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But he gives more grace,
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therefore it says,
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God opposes the proud,
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but gives grace
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to the humble.
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And verse 10,
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Humble yourselves
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before the Lord,
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and he will exalt you.
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John 14.6-7
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Jesus said to him,
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I am the way
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and the truth
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and the life.
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No one comes to the Father
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except through me.
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If you have known me,
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you would have known
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my Father also.
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From now on,
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you do not know him
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and have seen him.
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Look at what Jesus
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has to say to us
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in verse 37
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about the action of service.
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Receiving a child
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in his name
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is to behold him
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and therefore
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the Father.
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This is the necessary
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outworking
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of humility
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and that is service.
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Look at the humble example
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of John the baptizer.
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Mark 1.7
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John's preaching.
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He says,
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After me
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comes he
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who is mightier than I,
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the strap of whose sandals
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I am not worthy
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to stoop down
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and untie.
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John the baptizer
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has a great prominence
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in redemptive history.
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From our view,
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a great platform
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with which to boast on.
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And he says,
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don't look at me.
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I must become less.
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He must become great.
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I am not even worthy
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to untie
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his
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sandals.
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Charles Haddon Spurgeon
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in his book
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Humility
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and How to Get It
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said,
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We are not worthy
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to unloose
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the latchets
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of Jesus' shoes
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because
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if we do,
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we begin to say
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to ourselves,
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what great folks
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are we?
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We have been allowed
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to loose the latchets
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of the Lord's sandals.
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If we do not tell
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somebody else about it
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with many exultation,
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we at least tell
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ourselves about it
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and feel that we are
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something after all
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and ought to be held
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in no small
23:27
repute.
23:30
We're not even worthy
23:31
to untie
23:32
the Lord's
23:34
sandals.
23:36
And as all good
23:37
teachers do,
23:38
Jesus drives
23:39
this teaching
23:40
with an example.
23:41
There's a child
23:42
in this house.
23:42
We don't know
23:43
the age of the child.
23:43
We don't know
23:44
the name
23:45
of the child,
23:46
but he brings
23:47
the child over
23:47
into the middle
23:48
of their conversation
23:49
and he takes
23:51
him in his arms,
23:51
which is such a
23:52
beautifully tender
23:54
moment to think
23:55
of our Lord
23:55
wrapping his arms
23:57
around a little child
23:58
and says to them,
24:00
Whoever receives
24:00
one such child
24:01
in my name
24:01
receives me
24:02
and whoever
24:02
receives me
24:02
receives not me
24:03
but him
24:04
who sent me.
24:07
Now we have
24:08
to understand
24:08
in our culture
24:09
much of what we do
24:10
revolves around
24:11
our children.
24:12
This was not
24:13
the case
24:14
in this day.
24:15
The status
24:16
of children
24:16
was very low
24:17
in this day.
24:18
No rights.
24:19
They were lowly.
24:21
We could probably
24:22
take some lessons
24:23
from them.
24:23
They maybe
24:24
could have taken
24:24
some lessons
24:25
from us
24:25
in this regard.
24:27
But it's hard
24:27
for us to think
24:28
about the service
24:29
to children
24:30
when some of our
24:30
lives seem to
24:31
revolve around
24:32
service to our
24:33
children.
24:33
But this was not
24:34
the case in this day.
24:36
The lowest of the low
24:37
children were.
24:39
So what is Jesus
24:40
communicating to us?
24:41
Be last
24:43
so that you
24:43
will be first.
24:44
Place others
24:45
even those
24:47
you don't think
24:47
deserve it
24:48
before yourself.
24:50
Show honor
24:51
to the unhonorable.
24:54
Follow his logic
24:55
here.
24:56
Follow the great
24:57
logician.
24:59
Receive a child
25:00
you receive Jesus
25:01
therefore you receive
25:02
God.
25:03
And it certainly
25:03
works in the other
25:04
way.
25:04
And we can see
25:05
this more clearly
25:06
from our vantage
25:07
point on the other
25:08
side of the cross
25:08
that if we have
25:09
been accepted by
25:10
God it's because
25:11
we've accepted
25:12
Christ
25:12
and this works
25:14
out into the
25:15
acceptance of
25:16
the child
25:16
or those who
25:17
we don't deem
25:18
worthy of our
25:20
service.
25:21
Service is one
25:23
great evidence
25:24
of our faith.
25:26
Not the only
25:26
but it is one
25:27
great evidence
25:28
of our faith.
25:29
Us making
25:29
ourselves low
25:30
and serving
25:31
this world.
25:34
Let me read
25:34
to you again
25:34
John 14
25:35
6 and 7.
25:37
That actually
25:37
snuck its way
25:38
into my notes
25:39
further up.
25:40
That's why
25:40
I was lost
25:40
for a second
25:41
there.
25:42
Here's where
25:42
I intended
25:42
to read it.
25:44
Jesus said to
25:44
him,
25:44
I am the
25:45
way and
25:45
the truth
25:46
and the
25:46
life.
25:47
No one
25:47
comes to
25:47
the Father
25:48
except through
25:48
me.
25:49
If you had
25:49
known me
25:50
you would
25:51
have known
25:51
my Father
25:51
also.
25:53
From now
25:53
on you
25:54
do know
25:54
him and
25:55
have seen
25:57
him.
25:58
The writer
25:58
of Hebrews
25:59
chapter 1
25:59
verse 3
26:00
says Jesus
26:00
is the
26:01
radiance
26:01
of the
26:02
glory of
26:02
God
26:02
and the
26:03
exact
26:04
imprint
26:05
of his
26:05
nature.
26:07
Do you
26:07
see that
26:08
for us
26:08
to experience
26:09
God,
26:10
to understand
26:10
him in
26:10
his fullness,
26:11
to have
26:12
him,
26:14
service
26:14
is necessary.
26:18
Now to
26:18
further drive
26:19
the point,
26:20
Mark records
26:21
for us
26:21
another event
26:22
and I don't
26:23
know if it
26:23
came right
26:24
on the heels
26:24
or not,
26:25
but certainly
26:26
he was inspired
26:27
to put it
26:27
in this order
26:28
to further
26:28
drive the
26:29
point.
26:30
John speaks
26:31
up.
26:31
We don't
26:31
see John
26:32
speaking very
26:33
often and
26:33
he tells
26:34
them a
26:34
story about
26:34
someone he
26:35
saw casting
26:35
out demons
26:36
in the
26:36
name of
26:37
Jesus and
26:38
they tried
26:38
to stop
26:38
him because
26:39
he was not
26:39
one of
26:40
us.
26:40
He was not
26:41
following
26:41
us.
26:42
He wasn't
26:42
one of
26:43
the twelve,
26:44
one of
26:45
the disciples.
26:49
John's
26:49
zeal was
26:50
misplaced
26:51
in this
26:51
case.
26:53
They had
26:53
been corrected
26:53
on debating
26:54
amongst
26:54
themselves
26:55
who was
26:56
the most
26:57
important.
26:58
It set
26:58
aside this
26:59
status issue
27:00
amongst
27:00
themselves,
27:01
but that
27:01
had not
27:02
stopped
27:02
them from
27:03
thinking they
27:03
were more
27:04
important as
27:05
a group.
27:06
They've
27:07
turned their
27:07
status from
27:08
within the
27:09
group to
27:09
outside of
27:10
the group.
27:11
We saw
27:11
somebody doing
27:12
a work in
27:12
your name and
27:12
we told them
27:13
to quit it
27:13
because they're
27:13
not one of
27:14
us.
27:15
The disciples.
27:17
The very
27:18
thing that he's
27:18
doing here in
27:19
his zeal is
27:19
incredibly
27:20
misplaced and
27:21
Jesus says to
27:22
him,
27:22
do not stop
27:23
him.
27:24
For no one
27:25
who does a
27:25
mighty work in
27:25
my name will
27:26
be able soon
27:26
afterward to
27:27
speak evil
27:27
of me.
27:28
For the one
27:29
who is not
27:29
against us
27:31
is for
27:32
us.
27:34
Surely, I
27:35
know that you
27:36
guys are all
27:36
so studious and
27:37
you know your
27:37
Old Testament so
27:38
well that your
27:38
mind is
27:39
automatically drawn
27:40
to the story of
27:41
Eldad and
27:41
Medad in
27:42
Numbers chapter
27:43
11,
27:44
verse 26-29.
27:46
Just listen
27:46
carefully to
27:47
this.
27:47
Now two men
27:48
remained in the
27:49
camp, one named
27:50
Eldad and the
27:51
other named
27:51
Medad, and the
27:53
Spirit rested
27:54
on them.
27:56
They were among
27:56
those registered,
27:57
but they had not
27:58
gone out to the
27:59
tent, and so
28:00
they prophesied
28:01
in the camp.
28:03
And a young
28:03
man ran and
28:04
told Moses,
28:05
Eldad and
28:05
Medad are
28:06
prophesying in
28:07
the camp.
28:07
This is the
28:08
declaration of
28:10
John.
28:10
How dare
28:11
they?
28:12
They're in the
28:12
camp prophesying.
28:14
And Joshua,
28:15
the son of
28:16
Nun, the
28:16
assistant of
28:17
Moses from
28:17
his youth,
28:18
said,
28:18
My Lord
28:18
Moses,
28:19
stop them.
28:21
But Moses
28:21
said to him,
28:22
Are you
28:23
jealous for
28:23
my sake?
28:25
Would that
28:25
all the
28:26
Lord's people
28:27
were prophets,
28:28
that the
28:28
Lord would
28:28
put his
28:29
spirit
28:29
on them?
28:31
They're not
28:32
against us,
28:32
they're for
28:33
us.
28:35
Moses says,
28:35
Praise God
28:36
that he's
28:36
doing a
28:37
work in
28:37
the lives
28:38
of Eldad
28:38
and Medad
28:39
for the
28:40
sake of
28:41
the people
28:41
and his
28:41
glory.
28:43
Paul had
28:43
learned this
28:44
lesson from
28:45
Paul's
28:46
imprisonment as
28:46
he writes to
28:47
the church
28:47
at Philippi,
28:48
chapter 1,
28:50
verse 14
28:50
through 18.
28:52
And most
28:53
of the
28:53
brothers,
28:55
having become
28:55
confident in
28:56
the Lord by
28:56
my imprisonment,
28:57
are much
28:57
more bold to
28:58
speak the
28:59
word without
28:59
fear.
29:01
Some indeed
29:01
preach Christ
29:02
from envy
29:03
and rivalry,
29:04
but others
29:05
from good
29:05
will.
29:06
The latter
29:07
do it out
29:07
of love,
29:08
knowing that
29:08
I am put
29:08
here for
29:09
the defense
29:09
of the
29:09
gospel.
29:10
The former
29:11
proclaim Christ
29:12
out of selfish
29:13
ambition,
29:14
not sincerely,
29:15
but thinking to
29:16
afflict me
29:16
in my
29:17
imprisonment.
29:18
The very
29:18
motivation behind
29:20
some of these
29:20
men sharing
29:21
the gospel is
29:22
to heighten
29:22
the tension
29:23
of Paul's
29:24
imprisonment,
29:25
to make
29:26
the political
29:27
and religious
29:28
atmosphere
29:29
more challenging
29:30
for him.
29:32
In verse 18,
29:33
Paul writes,
29:34
what then?
29:36
Only that in
29:36
every way,
29:37
whether in
29:38
pretense
29:39
or in truth,
29:40
Christ is
29:41
proclaimed.
29:43
And in that
29:44
I rejoice.
29:45
Yes,
29:45
and I will
29:47
rejoice.
29:48
The name of
29:49
Christ was being
29:50
spread.
29:50
Would Paul have
29:51
desired them to
29:52
do it from
29:52
love,
29:53
from pure
29:53
motivations?
29:54
Of course he
29:55
would have.
29:55
But he was
29:56
just glad
29:57
that the name
29:58
of Christ
29:58
was being
29:59
proclaimed.
30:03
Jesus
30:03
wraps this up
30:05
speaking about
30:05
this cup of
30:06
water.
30:07
For truly I
30:07
say to you,
30:08
whoever gives
30:08
you a cup of
30:09
water to drink
30:09
because you
30:10
belong to
30:10
Christ,
30:11
will by no
30:12
means lose
30:13
his reward.
30:15
Now the
30:15
giving of a
30:15
cup of water
30:16
was a basic
30:17
feature of
30:18
Eastern
30:18
hospitality.
30:19
A basic
30:20
thing.
30:20
This was a
30:21
common offer
30:22
that was made
30:23
to people as
30:23
they were
30:24
traveling because
30:25
it's very
30:25
dry in this
30:27
area and
30:27
water was a
30:28
great way in
30:29
which you
30:30
could serve
30:31
somebody.
30:33
In fact,
30:34
it was such a
30:35
commonplace thing
30:37
that there would
30:38
have been no
30:38
reward as a
30:39
response to it.
30:40
Somebody offered
30:41
you a cup of
30:41
water,
30:42
you may have
30:42
extended to
30:42
them,
30:43
hey thank you,
30:43
but you
30:44
wouldn't pay
30:44
them for it.
30:45
It was a
30:45
common thing
30:46
that was done
30:47
in this day.
30:49
But it's key
30:49
for us to see
30:50
here that not
30:51
just that they
30:51
give you the
30:52
cup of water,
30:52
but they
30:52
give you the
30:53
cup of water
30:53
because you
30:54
belong to
30:56
Christ.
30:57
The one who
30:58
is not against
30:59
us is for
31:00
us.
31:01
Because you
31:02
are a disciple
31:02
of the Christ,
31:04
I'm giving
31:05
this offer to
31:06
you.
31:08
Interestingly,
31:08
this is the
31:09
only place Jesus
31:10
uses this title
31:10
of himself in
31:12
Mark's gospel.
31:13
He never refers
31:14
to himself as
31:14
the Christ again
31:16
in Mark's gospel.
31:19
So the fact
31:20
that this
31:20
person has
31:21
humbled
31:21
themselves to
31:22
do a simple
31:23
act of
31:24
service to
31:26
gain the
31:26
greater reward
31:27
becoming last
31:28
so that he
31:29
will become
31:30
first is the
31:32
period of what
31:33
Jesus is trying
31:34
to say to
31:34
them about the
31:35
excellence of
31:36
service taught
31:39
in principle.
31:41
That's not all
31:41
he's done.
31:44
He's also
31:44
taught them the
31:45
excellence of
31:45
service or will
31:48
in example.
31:50
remember back
31:51
at the beginning
31:51
of our text,
31:52
back in verse
31:53
31, he says,
31:54
the Son of
31:55
Man, I am
31:56
going to be
31:56
delivered into
31:57
the hands of
31:57
men and they
31:59
will kill me.
32:00
And when I'm
32:01
dead three days
32:02
later, I will
32:03
rise.
32:04
He sets for
32:05
them an example
32:06
of this.
32:09
Jesus humbled
32:10
himself on the
32:12
cross and
32:13
therefore he was
32:14
exalted.
32:16
Beloved, we're on
32:17
this side of that.
32:18
They had yet to
32:18
behold it.
32:19
Jesus just said
32:19
it to them.
32:20
We have seen
32:21
it.
32:23
We read about
32:24
it.
32:24
Multiple accounts
32:25
of it.
32:25
All the outworkings
32:26
of the things
32:27
that Jesus
32:27
accomplished for
32:28
us on the
32:29
cross.
32:32
Paul uses it
32:33
in Philippians
32:33
chapter 2
32:34
to motivate us
32:37
to humble
32:38
living.
32:39
Beginning of
32:39
verse 5,
32:40
have this mind
32:41
among yourselves
32:41
which is yours.
32:43
You possess it
32:44
in Christ
32:45
Jesus.
32:47
Who, though he
32:48
was in the form
32:48
of God, the
32:49
power of God
32:49
did not count
32:49
equality with
32:50
God a thing
32:51
to be grasped.
32:53
Jesus himself
32:54
was God.
32:57
You are not.
32:59
Verse 7,
33:00
But he emptied
33:01
himself by taking
33:02
the form of a
33:03
servant, being born
33:04
in the likeness of
33:04
men, and being
33:05
found in human
33:06
form, he humbled
33:08
himself by becoming
33:09
obedient to the
33:10
point of death,
33:11
even death, on a
33:13
cross.
33:13
It's the worst
33:15
form of death
33:15
ever invented
33:17
by man.
33:19
Therefore, God
33:21
has highly
33:21
exalted him, and
33:23
bestowed on him
33:23
the name that is
33:25
above every name,
33:26
so that the name
33:27
of Jesus every
33:27
knee should bow
33:28
in heaven and
33:28
earth and under
33:29
the earth, and
33:29
every tongue
33:30
confess that Jesus
33:31
Christ is Lord, to
33:32
the glory of God
33:33
the Father.
33:34
Jesus became the
33:35
most last, and
33:37
now he is the
33:38
most highly
33:39
exalted.
33:40
blessed.
33:42
Hebrews 12,
33:43
verse 1 and 2,
33:44
after the great
33:45
faith chapter,
33:46
chapter 11 of
33:47
Hebrews, says,
33:48
Therefore, since we
33:49
are surrounded by so
33:50
great a cloud of
33:51
witnesses, all these
33:52
men and women of
33:53
faith in the past,
33:54
let us also lay
33:55
aside every weight
33:56
and sin which
33:57
clings so closely,
33:58
and let us run
33:59
with endurance the
34:00
race that is set
34:01
before us, which
34:02
includes service.
34:05
Verse 2,
34:06
looking to Jesus,
34:08
the founder and
34:09
perfecter,
34:10
of our faith,
34:12
who for the joy
34:12
that was set before
34:13
him endured the
34:15
cross, despising
34:16
the shame, and
34:17
is seated at the
34:18
right hand of the
34:18
throne of God.
34:20
For the joy set
34:21
before him, for the
34:22
exaltation that
34:22
would be his one
34:23
day, he made
34:24
himself least of
34:25
all and suffered
34:26
on our behalf.
34:29
It's only by the
34:31
grace of God that
34:32
we can be set free
34:33
from ourselves,
34:34
from our self-service,
34:36
from our pride.
34:38
We should cry out
34:39
together, Lord, save
34:40
me from myself.
34:42
Thank you for
34:42
redeeming my soul,
34:44
but deliver me from
34:45
my old me, the old
34:48
self-serving me, the
34:49
old self-exalting me,
34:51
the one that wants to
34:52
be greatest at all
34:53
times.
34:54
Someday I'll be
34:55
least if this is the
34:56
engagement of my
34:57
life.
34:58
Make me small.
35:00
Make me little.
35:01
Give me the service
35:02
so that someday I will
35:04
be exalted.
35:05
Beloved, we all fail
35:09
at this.
35:10
We have been granted
35:11
opportunity after
35:13
opportunity after
35:14
opportunity to be
35:15
least of all.
35:17
So that someday we
35:18
might be exalted.
35:20
This is to our shame.
35:22
There is so much to
35:24
be done just for us,
35:26
just within our own
35:27
congregation, ways in
35:29
which we can love and
35:30
serve one another, to
35:32
put the needs of
35:32
others before our own,
35:34
to lift them up,
35:35
that we might be low.
35:38
And then extend that
35:39
to the world around
35:40
us.
35:40
This is the mission
35:41
that God has given
35:41
us to.
35:42
There is so, so much.
35:46
If you don't think
35:48
you have an issue
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with pride this
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morning, there is
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your issue with
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pride.
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Lord, save us from
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ourselves.
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Now here's the
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wonderful encouragement
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of this story.
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We can't miss this.
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Right?
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The disciples are so
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daft.
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They just don't get
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it.
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Right?
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He's talking about
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suffering and that you
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must die to follow
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him.
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And they want to talk
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about the ranking that
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they're going to have in
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the kingdom of God.
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But Jesus doesn't cast
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them away.
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Right?
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He doesn't say, you
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bunch of idiots.
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I'll go find another
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twelve.
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Right?
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You're so thick-headed
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and you just can't catch
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on.
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I've said it again and
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again.
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I've said it plainly.
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We've been walking
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for days and I've been
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talking about this.
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He doesn't cast them
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away.
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Remember the high
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priestly prayer before
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Jesus was crucified.
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John chapter 17
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verse 12.
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Jesus praying.
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He says, while I was
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with them, I kept
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them.
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I kept them in your
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name, which you have
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given me.
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I have guarded them
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and not one of them
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has been lost except
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the son of destruction.
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Right?
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You know the rest of
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that story.
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Jesus kept them.
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Jesus finished the
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task that he started.
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He called them to
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himself and he
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completed it.
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We'll see every single
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one of these men one
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day, except for John
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who died as an old
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man in prison and in
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exile, all of them
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would go to the cross
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metaphorically.
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They died in various
37:14
ways.
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All of them would get
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one day the power of
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the cross of Jesus
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Christ and what it
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means to be made
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small so that one day
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we will be made
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great.
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Let's pray together.
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Amen.